EASING THE TENSION

I hug my gym wear to my chest as we get out of his car in front of this three-story building somewhere I don't know. I am so new in this city, so even if this hot guy is taking me into a slaughterhouse, I wouldn't know until I'm inside it. Meh! I don't think he would do that, though. Part of me is warming up to him, and I feel like I can trust him even just a little bit. He is anything but an assassin or a mafia member.


The only thing freaking me out right now is this fear or paranoia that I can't control. I have been awfully quiet throughout the drive, and now that we are here, I don't know. I don't know why I do not trust that this decision is mine. Anyway, I follow his long strides inside the marble-floored building with aerobic signs everywhere.

This is crazy! Ellie is walking into a gym. Rose and Sherry would undoubtedly laugh their lungs out and crack their ribs if they knew this. Who would believe this joke, huh? No one. Even I don't believe I am doing this.

A gym is a gym. The real meaning of working out is very well portrayed here. There are not even common lifts. I think this is the first workout lesson. Gosh! I am already straining as we get to the second floor, but I can't fail to peek through the open rooms. Well, it seems like it's only me who does not go to the gym. The huge room is filled with men with these muscles and six-packs that you can ogle the whole day, while girls are here looking like real models. With these perfect shapes, what on earth do they need more exercises for? I mean, come on! I don't like these men with huge, scary muscles, though. They make them look like real giants.


"Hey!"

I didn't know I had stopped on my tranks to ogle this fine dudes until Damian called, standing a stairway away from me. I hasten my steps towards him. I follow him close until the last floor of this building, supposedly. Don't tell me he owns the whole building? Come to think of it, I saw the aerobics graphics on the whole front side of the building. This is just wow!


I almost snuggle as we permeate through the door on the third floor. Just like the rest of the rooms on the previous floors, this one is also at its full capacity. As he stops to say hello to some guys, I dust my eyes around the room. It equals a hall, and if I was scared of the ropes and squats, then I think I am about to pee on my pants after seeing all these equipments. My goodness! I don't think I can…

"Does she know, boss? My student graduated, so I can take her."

Huh?

I shoot a glance at this fine guy speaking. And did I hear him call Damian, boss? He didn't tell me that he had employees. It is understandable, though. There is no way he can manage it all alone.

"No, Kim. I will train her."

The three guys look at him in awe. Huh, why, though?

"You, boss?" The tall guy asks as they drag their gazes lazily at him again.

"Yes. You can all get back to work now unless you have anything else for me," he says, and they get out of his way as he leads me past them, his hand wrapping around my waist. I am glad for that because the way I am dodging these people doing some God knows what sort of exercises, I might end up tripping and breaking my leg before I even get to the real scare.

We saunter into another small room at the south end of this hall, and his arm drops from my waist as we stop inside.

I breathed out a heavy sigh. If there was another seat beside the swivel chair behind this small desk, I would have dropped down on it. But there isn't, so I have to rely on my feeble legs.

"Are you freaking out this bad?" He asks while standing in front of me.

"Isn't it obvious?" I snap back, and he shakes his head, chuckling.

I wait for him to finish annoying me with his chuckles, which takes close to a minute that feels like a whole decade. "I think we need to work on this phobia first. Come." I follow him into a room that leads to a bathroom jacuzzi. ! "Get in and change. Don't lock yourself in here, okay?" I rolled my eyes at his joke as I closed the door behind me.

I dress up, taking as much time as I can and praying that he receives an urgent call from anywhere just so we can postpone this. I step out when I am done, looking like a complete gymnastic babe, hot in my black and pink wear, but the fear is there! My teacher doesn't also seem to have anything urgent needing his attention right now, so he is perched here on the swivel chair waiting for his student.

The sound of the door closing calls his attention, and his eyes start their tour of my body from the shoes and up to the hot pink boobtop, finally stopping at my chest. My! My! My teacher seems to have left his manners back in the car outside. Or in his bedroom, perhaps.

I clear my throat a little to summon his attention, which he does at the count of two. "You look...ready!" He says this after recovering.

Yeah, as if I am not wetting my pants with fear! Ready, my ass! Give me a break!

"Sit!" He says this, offering me the swivel chair and standing behind it. I ran for the seat before he changed his mind and dropped on it, puffing out a sigh that did not last long.

I thought he wanted me to relax for a bit, but his hands on my bare shoulders from behind make me tense. I follow the guidance of his hands and rest my back on the swivel chair, but I look up to understand his intention. I collide with his face, and everything stands still for a moment.

His lips are brushing my forehead, our noses feeding each other with hot oxygen, and I can sense his eyes scanning my lips while mine are almost closing to the heat from his face. He is so hot.

"Close your eyes," he instructs, and I comply, feeling his warm breath against my skin as his face pulls away from mine.

"What are you going to do?" I whisper, anticipation tingling in the air between us.

"Helping you to relax," he replies softly, his voice a gentle murmur.

"How?" I inquired, curiosity piqued by his mysterious intentions.

"Just close your eyes and listen," he commands, his words trailing off as his hands begin their enchanting dance—caressing my shoulders with a firm yet tender touch, each movement coaxing me deeper into a state of tranquility.