Back To You - A Second Chance Romance

When I got to the gym, I went into the back entrance and found Austin looking in the mirror. He had brown hair, but by the time we were ready to shoot my stunts, he would be just as blonde as me. I liked to give him a hard time about it too.

“Get a good look at that, my friend. It won’t be long, and you’ll be looking like a midwestern farm boy-turned-surfer.” I ran my hands through my hair and grinned.

“Fuck you.”

We were the same height, and while I was sure we weighed about the same, I had a lot of work to do to look as fit as he did. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just let yourself go a bit?”

He smiled big when he looked over and saw me. “You’re funny,” he said, turning to face me. I could tell he was moving a little slower than usual. He even still smelled like stale beer.

“Are you hungover? Or did you already throw in the towel on my account?”

Austin rolled his eyes. “Not on your life.”

It pissed me off that he could pull his benders and still manage to be in better shape than me, but the day would come that all of that bullshit would catch up to him. “What the fuck, man? You’ve got to get it together. This film is important and you need to be on your game.”

“I know, okay?” He rolled his eyes. “What crawled up your ass and died? You’re in a bitchy mood.”

“I just don’t like that shit, man. This is my movie you’re fucking with.” He reminded me of my old man, and I’d be damned if I let my friend go down that same path.

“I get it. Fuck, but I’m not the only one looking like they were ridden hard and put up wet. So what’s your excuse, pissy pants? Are you sleeping well? I don’t want them to have to start coloring in dark circles under my eyes to match yours.”

“Very funny. And no, I slept okay. It’s just someone from my past popped up yesterday. I haven’t been able to shake her off since.”

“She must be some lady. Is she an ex? And how come you never told me about her?” He wagged his brows. I hadn’t even told him about Kate yet, and I was already feeling overprotective.

“Yeah, my first. And the only girl I ever cared about, so it’s a really touchy subject.” I wanted to tell him hands-off, but then, what would give me the right? It wasn’t like he knew her.

Austin walked to the bars and gloved up. “Damn, maybe there will be some sparks flying in the near future? A little gossip for the tabloids to promote the movie?” He jumped up on the bar and began a series of pull-ups.

“I don’t know about that. She’s never been one to like the spotlight. She’s kind of reserved, more of the intellectual type.” I put on my gloves and grabbed hold of the bar next to his.

“She sounds sexy,” he said, keeping up his rhythm. “I have always loved the brainy type.”

I mumbled under my breath, not sure I needed to know that, but at the same time, I was proud of her and wished I could show her off.

“She is sexy and brainy, for sure. She’s a professor.” I began to strain a little but pushed through. It had been a while since I’d been to a workout with Austin and he had always put me to shame. “Ben hired her on as a consultant on the movie.” I let go and shook out my hands. “I have a feeling I’m going to be seeing a whole hell of a lot of her in the weeks to come.”

“Are you up for it? I mean, how did it end? Good? Messy?”

Gut-wrenching was more like it. “With me moving across the country without her. It was hard, but I asked her to come with, and she turned me down.” I tried not to sound too pathetic and realized why I’d never mentioned her before. She had been my only weakness, then and now.

“Hey, be thankful,” Austin said. “If she had come with, maybe you wouldn’t have landed your first job and met me. Then you wouldn’t have met my agent, and we’d both still be bussing tables.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” It was my job and connections that had meant everything to who I had become, and he was right. If she had come along, maybe I would have made different decisions. Nothing would be as it was. Maybe we were never meant to be together because my fame was my destiny.

“So, what’s her name?” he asked, letting go of the bar. He picked up a towel from his bag and wiped his sweaty forehead.