A year ago

It was a Saturday and I just sat there alone on my plush couch taking a sip of my hot coffee. Everywhere was quiet, I was all alone.

I picked up the tv remote and started flickering through channels, hoping to find something somewhat interesting, but it was no use. Television now are made trash than how it was before. I then picked up my phone and checked my schedule for Monday and a small smile quirked up my face.

Can’t wait.

Normally people hate weekdays, but I love them. I love working.

After a few hours of wanting to just sink in a black hole so it can be Monday already, I took a shower and slid into a sports bra and trainers, ready to hit the gym as it was my second favorite place to be, I feel so much peace when I’m there. I called my best friend, Sophie and I told her to meet me at the gym.

I arrived and went when when I saw Sophie aimlessly typing away on her phone.

“You seriously need a man in your life” Sophie said as she registered my existence.

“For the last time, I don’t need a boyfriend, Soph. I don’t want one, they’re exhausting anyways. Plus I am perfectly fine with my life right now”.

She rolls her eyes as we walked further into the gym. “You haven’t been with anyone since Micheal, Claire. That’s almost two years ag-”

I turn to her with a glare “I don’t want to hear that stupid name again, you hear me?”

She sighs and decides to drop the topic. Besides, I wasn’t here to talk about men, I was here to workout.

I look at the treadmill with a smile. That was the first thing I always went to. Everyone else that showed at the gym knows it as well. I Have been coming here for about three years now. It was close to my job and the coffee shop so it was a win-win.

Noticing someone is there, I walked over to them. It was a guy I’ve never seen around town. San Jose, California, wasn’t exactly a popular place, so you notice when someone new arrives. Especially looking like how he did.

The man was wearing grey sweatpants with a matching grey tank top. His skin tone was one of warm ivory. It matched well with his curly jet black hair that fell messily over his honey brown eyes. He appeared to be a couple of inches taller than me, six-four at most, I was about five-nine myself and was very proud off.

“Excuse me” I say, waiting for him to step down from the treadmill.

He glances at me before putting his headphones back on and begins running again.

Maybe he just didn’t hear me, I say to myself.

I tried again, raising my voice higher this time “excuse me!”

He looks at me again and takes his headphones out “what?”

“This is my treadmill”

“Uh no it’s not. It’s clearly the gym’s. Unless you’re the owner of the gym, run along missy”

What the hell? Missy?

I instantly became irritated and the tiny bit of attraction I had for him vanishes.

So he’s one of those guys.

I step forward, “first of all my name is not missy so do don’t call me that. Second, I have been coming to this very gym for three years. I’ll be damned if some newbie comes in and tries to take my treadmill”.

He smiles and all I want to do is slap it off him, “fine, you can have it”

I smile in accomplishment “really?”

He puts his headphones back on, his grin growing in wider. “No” he says and I can practically feel my face turn red.

I stomped to Sophie who was stretching. She looks at me with confusion, “what happened?” She asked concerned.

“I hate him”

****

Present day

“Claire baby, please. Just one round, I’ll leave after that” he said pouting cutely.

I kissed him and nodded, giving him permission to continue. He nibbled on my earlobe, eliciting a moan of pleasure.

“Pull it up” I hurriedly pulled it up but some force kept on pulling it down. A voice then came in the background shouting “get up”

I tried to push the voice out of my head in order to continue with what I was doing, but then I heard a loud ‘boom’

I woke up, startled by the noise and it’s to no surprise that it’s my annoying bestfriend.

Son of a bitch! I mumbled to myself when I realized I just had a sex dream over the guy I hate, the same man that took my treadmill, the same man that illuminated all lights to my supposed happy place. The same man I want to punch straight to the face every time I see him at the gym. I groaned as I went over the dream as I lazily slumped down on my bed.

“What now?” I asked irritated and slightly sleepy.

I met Sophie a little while after moving here from Canada. I came out here to pursue my career and at the airport she was coming for the same reason, her's being a teacher, so we hit it off. We shared an apartment for some time before we both got our own place.

We are completely different, which is usually how the best friend duo goes. I was the cranky, anger issue, always working, sarcastic and independent control freak. While Sophie was the opposite. She was the bubbly, social, kind and loving, hopeless romantic.

“Look at the time” she said bringing her phone to my face.

“Shit!”

“Don’t tell me you forgot about the meeting? You do know it’s gonna take place by nine right?” She cock her brow in question.

I internally rolled my eyes. She’s right though I have an interview at Reynolds building and Interior Inc for a paid partnership. Few months back, Soph suggested the idea to me and I was a little impressed, and much to my ease, Sophie’s boyfriend’s best friend was about to become CEO so it was easier to get than expected. I roll my eyes at the sticky note on my bed.

I had a love-hate relationship with my job as a wedding planner. It just depended on the day for me. Some days, I loved it. Getting to plan and design beautiful parties, weddings, ceremonies and other celebrations for people, seeing the joy on their faces, the whole process was magical.  But on other days,

like today

I hated it. Having to wake up early, order lazy employees around, deal with indecisive couples, it was a hassle, to say the least. But that's what I signed up for. I worked this hard to get here and no way in hell was I going to give it up because of a few minor issues.

I got ready and was driving to my workplace when Sophie called. “Hey?”

“What’s got you all giddy? Don’t tell me it’s the meeting?”.

“I have bad and really exciting news” she said cheerfully.

I groan, knowing it most likely the exciting news isn't good news. Whenever Sophie said she had exciting news, it always had something to do with a man and from my experience, was never anything good.

“Plus I wouldn’t want you to find out the wrong way, you might even kill me” she said the last part very quietly.

"What is it?"

"You know how I've been seeing someone for a while, right?"

"Yeah, the one with the bestfriend we’re having the meeting with. it's been about a year, right?. You never talk about him much though."

"Well... I think he's the one!" She squeals.

"Soph, I've told you countless times he's not the one just because he plays candy land with you."

"So the bad news… I gotta tell you something and promise me you won’t freak out, okay” She responds, disregarding what I had said.

My brows furrow. "Why would I freak out?”.

"You fired someone the other day because they didn't bring you the right soda, Claire."

"Which is perfectly okay. How hard is it to remember a soda?"

"Okay, just don't get mad at me, alright? Please. "

"Spill it."

"The guy I've been seeing is best friends with him." She says the last word more quietly.

"Who is 'Him'? Why did you say it like that?" I ask, already beginning to freak out.

She takes a minute to respond. Exhaling a deep breath before speaking, "Aaron Reynolds is his best friend, the same you’re going for a meeting with”