Only Him (Only One 1)

My brows rise. “Really? I already work a full-time job, but how about evenings and weekends? Maybe a couple of mornings?” Hell, I’d work night and day if it’d take my mind off Gemma and the dirty thoughts that surround her.

Sam smirks, then holds out his hand. I take it, and we shake. “See you tomorrow then.”

Well, that was unexpected. The gym is small, but it’s the only one in town, so it stays busy. I don’t even bother to ask him what the pay is because at this point, I’d do it for free if it meant keeping me busy.

“That looked like the easiest job interview I’ve ever seen.” A girl pops up out of nowhere. I’ve seen her here a few times. Her brunette hair is longer in the front but shorter on the sides. Tattoos cover both of her arms, which I find fascinating. She’s wearing a tank that shows off how muscular she is, which means she must lift weights a lot.

I chuckle at her words and nod. “I guess so.”

“I’m Ruby.” She gives me her hand.

“Tyler,” I reply.

“I work the front counter,” she clarifies. “I guess that means we’ll be seeing each other a lot.”

“I guess you’re right.” I smirk, walking backward toward the door. “See ya tomorrow?”

Ruby smiles, showing off her bright, straight teeth. “Six sharp.”

By the time I make it home, I have thirty minutes to shower and get ready for work. Though I wasn’t expecting to be out that long this morning, I feel a million times better and am glad I did. I should be exhausted, but I’m running on pure adrenaline. I got a second job, plus I made a new friend. It might not be a shitty day after all.

By the time I walk into the shop, Gemma’s already working. She meets my eyes for a split second, then looks back at her computer. Neither of us says a word as I make my way to the garage and close the door behind me. I don’t bother grabbing coffee or a pastry even though I really should’ve after my morning, but I’ll manage until my lunch break.

Jerry keeps me busy all morning, but by noon, I’m drained from a lack of sleep. I’m losing energy, and he notices, asking me if I’m okay. I admit I didn’t get any rest and got up early to work out. I worry about disappointing him, but he understands.

“Go home, son. I can clean up,” he tells me at three, a couple of hours before my shift is supposed to end.

“You’re sure?” I feel guilty about leaving him to do the rest.

“Of course. I managed without help for years.” He barks out a hefty laugh.

“I owe you one, Jerry.” I take off my gloves, then wash my hands before waving goodbye. As I open the door, I immediately regret not walking out the back exit.

Fucking Robert.

They continue talking as I make my way to the coffee table. He’s not even being quiet as he asks her about last night, and my spine straightens as I listen to her response.

“It was nothing, just a false alarm. I thought someone was following me.”

What the fuck?Why would she lie about that?

“Are you sure? I can get the sheriff to investigate this and stake out your place for a few nights. He owes me a helluva favor anyway.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, he does. Probably throws his money at everything and everyone in this town.

“No, no,” Gemma insists. “That’s not necessary.”

Once I grab the last donut and fill my cup with coffee, I stalk toward the door. Before I can walk out, Gemma calls my name, holding me in place.

“Are you leaving?”

“Jerry said I could.”

Robert mutters something under his breath, and I hear her tell him to be quiet.

“Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then.”

She glares at Robert when he mumbles something else.