Chapter 151
Outside of Kadeem's health club, his security guard, Nora, is aggressively confronting someone. As expected.
She shoots me her usual scowl when I pass by, but I don't acknowledge it, and simply yank the door open to go inside. I told Kadeem to fire her, but he doesn’t listen.
I’m not giving up, though.
I head over to the check-in area where my main rival, Rory, is lazily answering a phone call. A pile of white gym towels on the counter behind him is waiting to be folded.
My left arm is braced across my chest in a sling and cast, but I make sure to lean my good arm casually on the counter like I own the place. Because, let’s face it, I pretty much do.
"I'm here to see Kadeem," I announce, adding a sarcastic, "Is that alright with you?"
Rory gives me an icy glare before turning his attention back to his call. I drum my fingers on the counter and flash him an innocent smile before walking away.
"Yes, sir," he mumbles into the phone, before whispering a snide, "If he wants you around."
"He does," I retort.
Rory rolls his eyes in disbelief. Little does he know that I plan on getting him fired too - I can barely contain my villainous joy.
"Hey Chelsea!" Greta waves from the spin room in her Lululemons, hopping on her bike to start a class.
Awkward confession time. "Actually, it's Ardal," I shout back, but she can’t hear me over all the Dua Lipa.
As I continue making my way through the gym, Dylan passes by from the weight room with one of my former trainees, George.
"Hi Chels!" Dylan greets me cheerily, "If you’re looking for Kadeem, he went out for lunch."
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” I say. I don’t mind waiting.
"I wish you were back," George jokes, pointing at Dylan. "This one's trying to kill me."
"You'll pay for that," Dylan says, flashing a mischievous grin.
George gives me a worried look as they head off toward the cardio room.
After a brief inward struggle, I jog after them.
“Um, hey. So, my name’s actually Ardal. Not Chelsea.”
George just nods. “That’s Irish, isn’t it?”
Dylan’s brow furrows, but he quickly brushes off his confusion, returning to his usual trainer enthusiasm like a “Ken” doll reset. “Okay Ardal,” he says, high-fiving me, “Right on!”
“When are you and Kadeem going to tie the knot?”
Julia’s on speaker phone while I lounge in Kadeem’s luxurious office chair, awaiting his arrival. Right until this moment, we were having a pleasant catch-up.
“Julia!”
“It’s the next logical step, isn’t it?” she persists, “But I knew you would go all, Ardal over the question.”
I stammer for a comeback. “Do not use my name as an adverb!” is all I can manage.
“So, he hasn’t proposed?”
“No.”
“Do you want him to?”
I’m about to tell her to fuck off with all her questions, when I hesitate. “I don’t know.”
“I think he will,” she declares, “And I think you’ll say ‘yes.’ At least, you’d better!”
“Says the woman who can’t get through the tiniest interaction with Kadeem without an argument.”
“He starts it,” she snaps.
“No, he does not.” Kadeem glares at the phone as he steps into the room.
“Go away,” Julia pipes in, “Private conversation.”
Kadeem leans down and plants a gentle kiss on my lips. “Hi,” he whispers.
“Jules,” I say, swinging my feet off the desk, “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Oh, fine,” she sighs dramatically, “Just tell me if he proposes.”
I make a rapid grab for the phone. “Ignore her,” I sputter, swiping quickly to end the call. Freaking Julia!
“Trust me,” Kadeem reassures me, “I always do.” Careful of my hurt arm, he pulls me to him.
I bury my face in his chest, closing my eyes, breathing him in, while he sniffs me in a very werewolf way.
“You smell like smoky lavender.”
“Incense,” I giggle, reaching for a small piece of quartz in the pocket of my sweater.
“It’s pretty,” he says, tucking my hair behind my ears, “But I thought you were done with magic.”
“God yes, totally done.” Cheeks burning, I perch on the chair across from his desk.
There might have been an incident when I tried to use my own rune. Long story.
“It’s for Silas,” I say, repocketing the gem. His scientific interest has moved from biology to geology.
Kadeem nods and settles into his desk. I bite my lip and stare at him. We’re now at the whole point of my visit.
“What do you think, anyway… about crystals?”
It’s a trap. I know very well what he thinks about them. He thinks they’re New Age bullshit.
He’s eyeing me. Damn our mate bond! He can feel all the glee I’m working so hard to contain.
“In what regard?”
“Oh, well,” I begin, feigning sweet nonchalance, “Bernard just wanted to know - has your crystal been helping you with headaches?” I tuck my right hand under my chin and smile at him.
The “caught” expression on Kadeem’s face is every bit as good as I was hoping for, and I can’t help but laugh out loud.
“He told me he wasn’t any good at remembering names,” Kadeem mumbles to himself.
“Well, did it?” I ask, “Work?”
“Zero help.”
He laughs with me this time.
“Where did you go to eat?”
“I met Riley and Mateo at a diner off 35. Riley,” he says, leaning back in his chair, “Just quit her corporate job.”
“What will she do next?”
“I don’t think she has to worry about that for a while. She got a big severance package.”
“I’m jealous,” I admit.
“Come on, Ardal, quit that stupid housekeeping job -”
“I’m not coming back to the gym,” I snap. “I want to do something else… I just don’t know what yet.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Kadeem says, wiggling his computer mouse. “Mateo’s looking to hire an admin person -”
“Oh hell, no,” I burst out. “Are you crazy?”
“I’ve been called a lot worse.” He types in his computer password. “I know Mateo wasn’t the most polite -”
“He was a total pig,” I cut in. “A slime ball!”
“He just came out,” Kadeem says, “Publicly, I mean.”
“Came out? As in -”
Kadeem confirms it with a nod. “And he’s dating someone.” He clicks open his appointment calendar, and his attention seems to drift from me a little. “Says he’s nervously happy about it.”
My jaw is still dropping, but that phrase catches me. “Nervously happy?”
“Afraid he’ll ruin it somehow,” Kadeem explains, his eyes still on the computer screen.
I frown, feeling some angst. “I can relate.”
He looks up at me, expression softening. “How so?”
I shrug, then wince - the motion hurting my left arm.
“There’s no such thing as happily ever after.” Kadeem winks at me. “You watch enough of ‘After The Rose’ to know that.” He opens his desk drawer and starts to rummage through. “There’s just muddling along the best we can, with all the shit life throws at us.”
“So romantic.”
He seems to find what he’s looking for and closes the drawer, clutching something small in one hand.
“And,” he smiles, tossing it to me, “You don’t scare me any. I doubt you could run me off.”
I freeze, my eyes glued to the ring box that has just landed in my lap.
