Reaching for my toes, I wondered what kind of boyfriend Luke would be. The thought was silly, since Luke probably had girls lined up, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know the seemingly stupid shit about him. Did he like to watch television shows or movies? What kind of workout did he do to keep his body in such great shape? Did he prefer blondes or brunettes?

I tortured myself with ridiculous questions until my phone rang. It was my mom. She was the perfect person to pull me out of my daydreaming.

“Hey, mom. How are you? To what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked, greeting one of the best people I knew.

“Can’t a mom call her child just to shoot the shit?” Out of my group of friends growing up, my mom was the cool one. She took my friends and me to see ‘N Sync and sang along with all the songs. She even drooled over Justin Timberlake with the rest of us.

“You can always call me, mom. I love talking to you.” It was better than my thoughts at the moment. We chatted about my training and my newest clients. As I continued to half ass stretch, she told me how my father was driving her crazy by working too much. She was a remarkable woman, and I wanted to be her when I grew up. I also wanted the love she and my dad shared. Theirs was the epic kind. Married for almost thirty years, they still held hands and kissed every time one of them left the room.

By the time I hung up, my stretches were complete, and my thoughts of Luke were behind me. I just needed to keep it that way. At least until I saw him again on Friday.

Chapter Four

Luke

The rest of my week was business as usual at The Rub Down. One look at our increasing numbers proved Jess’s marketing degree from Boston University was coming in handy. Her ideas were killing it. Clients came and went, and a full schedule kept us busy every day until closing time.

Friday was finally here, and I looked forward to the weekend. In the beginning, Danny and I worked seven days a week, giving everything we had to the spa. Now, we trusted our amazing staff and felt comfortable taking some time for ourselves. I spent Saturdays on paperwork and scheduling, and took off on Sundays. He did the opposite. He kept his Saturdays free, and whatever business stuff I didn’t finish, he completed on Sundays.

After work, Danny and I planned to have drinks with a few other guys from the spa, but before then, I was seeing Alexa. More than a few times this week, I caught my mind drifting toward her. I needed to figure out why I was so drawn to her. If I could get through her session without making inappropriate moves toward her, then I would find some girls to flirt with tonight, and maybe get her completely out of my head.

At four o’clock, I walked into the Zen room and found her oohing and aahing with another girl over something in a magazine. She didn’t strike me as a girl stuck on fashion, but what did I know? Not much more than she owned purple underwear, and the spa robe hung perfectly on her body.

“Hey, Alexa, ready to get a rub down?” I asked in what turned out to be the cheesiest voice ever.

Alexa’s friend whispered something in her ear, making the blush on her face visible even in the dim lights.

“Yes, let’s go.”

After she said goodbye to her friend, I handed her a cup of citrus water, and she followed me down the hall.

“How did you feel the day after your massage?” I opened the heavy door to my treatment room. The ambiance was drastically different from the first time she was here. Instead of candles and the sultry tunes of Sade, I opted for dim lighting and nature sounds. The less sexy I made this, the better off I’d be.

“When I ran, I was a little tight, but I think that was mostly my fault. I didn’t stretch as well as I should have, and a glass of wine probably doesn’t count toward my water consumption, huh?” she confessed, with a little twinkle of mischief in her smile.

“No, wine doesn’t help, but I understand the need to unwind with a glass after a long day.” I drank plenty of wine with my sisters, so I knew a thing or two about it. However, Reyka Icelandic Vodka on the rocks was more my speed. “How have the runs gone?”

“Training this week has been good. My calves are tight, and my lower back aches.” She placed her hand on the small of her lumbar region, pointing out exactly where I needed to work. “This is a new pain for me. I think running inside on Wednesday did me in. The weather needs to turn around so I can get out on the streets more, and off the damn treadmill.”

Of course, her lower back needed work. Next, she was probably going to tell me her neck was aching, too. It wouldn’t have surprised me if Alexa hid Kryptonite in her robe. She seemed to know my weaknesses.

“Why don’t we put some heat on it while I work on your legs? Go ahead and lay face down while I get what I need for that.” I walked out of the room and said a quick prayer that she’d grown a hairy mole in the last three days.

*****

Alexa

Luke and his magical fingers were the first thoughts to enter my mind when I opened my eyes this morning. I tried to convince myself I was only interested in him making my aches and pains go away, but really, I just wanted to be around him, and get to know him better. Okay, I couldn’t wait to feel his hands all over my body again.

But surviving my morning was my top priority. First up was a quick run and meeting with Jeff. As I laced my sneakers, Addison and I went over our schedules.

“What’s your day like?” Addison asked as she shoveled Fruit Loops in her mouth.

“I’m running with Jeff for like an hour. Then back here to shower and get ready to meet up with Mrs. Duffy.” I rolled my eyes. If that woman didn’t pay us so handsomely, we would have kicked her pain in the ass to the curb a long time ago.

“What does she need now? I took her out last week,” Addison mumbled around a mouthful.

“A dress for something at the Museum of Fine Arts. Or she just wants to torture me on a Friday.”

Addison laughed out loud, spraying cereal all over the counter.

“What’s your deal today?” I slipped my key inside the mesh pocket, grabbed an energy gel, and filled my water bottle.

“I’ve got to go pick up all the alterations for Ginny and Joe, then drive them out to their place.” The couple lived in a western suburb of Boston in a house big enough to hold four of our apartments. “Then I’ll be working on the books till we head to The Rub Down. I was able to get an appointment at the same time as you.”

“Great, I’ll meet you here at three fifteen, and we’ll head over.” Heading to the door, I yelled over my shoulder. “Have a great day. Catch you on the flip side.”

I met up with Jeff, and gave him the hug he deserved for sending me to Luke. His smirk told me he knew exactly why I was squeezing him. When he looked over my running journal, he praised my endurance and the miles I tacked on, but he encouraged me to work on my speed. I was running about a nine-minute mile, and he wanted me down to eight. Overall, with less than five weeks until the race, he was happy with my progress, and agreed to check with Luke on a regular basis to make sure I didn’t develop any issues.

As we parted ways, we planned to meet tomorrow morning for a long, grueling run. I rushed home to shower and dress, and then enjoyed the ten-minute walk to Copley Plaza for my appointment.

Mrs. Duffy was a classic trophy wife, married to a very nice man who loved showing off his gorgeous young bride. Unfortunately, she was also the type of person who sucked the life out of others.

“That dress is boring.” She waved her hand at the original design and made a sound of disgust. “This is the MFA. I want a dress that looks like art.”