We talked for about thirty minutes before Alexis’ phone messenger alerted her again. She picked it up and read it quickly then turned the phone in my direction. It simply said:
Why doesn’t he love me like I love him?
It was a very simple question that had been ripping me apart for quite a while. I had no viable explanation other than out of respect for Shelby and how I would feel like I betrayed her memory. I love Jen with every fiber in my body, but could I really do what she wanted. Sometimes people did strange things that they had no explanation for. I was at a turning point in my life at this very moment. If I went through with this two things would happen whether I liked it or not. First, I would betray everything that Shelby and I had together. If Shelby were alive there would be no way in hell, she would ask me to sleep with her daughter.
Second, if I do this now what does it say to Alexis. Yes, Alexis is saying right now she is ok with it but what happens when it becomes reality. Then how does Jennifer and Alexis handle both relationships. If I am with one of them is the other jealous ? In my mind this was a no-win situation for me, and I had grown to care for Alexis deeply. I was not going to go down this road.
“Alexis, I simply cannot sleep with Jen. It will never happen. I do appreciate you possibly opening that door, but I can’t. I love Jennifer in a different way than I care for you. If you want me to talk to her I will but I can’t give her what she wants.”, I said calmly.
“You know Jace, deep down I was almost positive that you would not give in, but I wanted you to know that I did not want to hold you back. You just told me something that a woman goes a lifetime without hearing. That you are a good man that will not cross the line no matter what. Let me talk to her if it’s ok with you.”, Alexis requested.
“Sure, no problem.”, I answered, as Alexis got up and headed to Jennifer’s bedroom.
I laid back down and waited for the outcome of the conversation between the two of them. After an hour, I began to get a bit worried and sometime around that time I fell asleep. I woke up early the next morning around five thirty and looked at Alexis who was sleeping soundly. I got up as gently as I could and made my way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. I was on my second cup when Jen walked into the kitchen with a strange look on her face. She poured a cup of coffee then sat down at the small dining table across from the room from me. It was obvious that she had a lot of things on her mind. It took several minutes before she finally spoke up, breaking the tension that was in the air.
“Jace, I just want to say how sorry I am for what I have been putting you through. I never once considered the way you felt, I was only thinking of what I wanted. I’m never going to bring this up again and I hope we can go back to how things were before all of this.”, she said, tears running down her cheeks.
“Jen, things never changed between you and me. You know how I feel about you and that will never change. You’re welcome to live here as long as you want.”, I offered.
I was hoping that I had finally closed the door on any romantic relationship occurring between Jennifer and I. But life has a funny way of solving one problem but immediately creating another, several weeks later Alexis was informed had she was a finalist for a new drama television series called “The Men and Women of LAPD”. She flew out immediately to meet with the director and producer.
A month later Alexis had left and moved back to Los Angeles where the show would be shot. It was scheduled to run for two years but depending on ratings it could go past that. Alexis and I talked about the situation often but in the end, this was her career. I never wanted her to blame me for making her stay.
In the beginning we talked almost every day but then filming started and her day became hectic. Our conversations grew shorter and more infrequent, but I did understand. The show had received rave reviews and was the most viewed show in its time slot.
One Thursday afternoon Jennifer and I had just arrived home from the gym when Jennifer turned on the television. I had taken a shower and dressed in my shorts and T-shirt to lounge in when Jennifer called me to the living room. As I walked in, I saw a picture of Alexis on the screen. The show was all about what was going on in the life of movie stars and the gossip about them.
The narrator was telling the audience that Alexis and one of her co-stars had been seen out and about the Los Angeles nightlife. It was rumored that they were a couple, and more information would be forth coming.
“You think it’s true?”, Jennifer asked.
“I have no idea Jen but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it so I’m not going to let it worry me.”, I answered turning, and walking out.
That night as I lay in bed, I must admit that it did bother me very much. I was in love with Alexis and for her to possibly be in a relationship without letting me know at first did hurt. But we were thousands of miles apart and there was not much I could do about it.
For the next week or so I did not hear at all from Alexis, which I found to be very strange. Perhaps the news story was correct, and she had started a relationship with someone else. Two days later I found out for sure.
Alexis called me and I could immediately sense that the rumors were true. She seemed very awkward and nervous on the phone. It took several minutes but she finally summoned the nerve to bring it up.
“Jace, I have been meaning to call you for a while now, but I didn’t know how to tell you. Um…..., have you seen anything on television about me”, she asked.
“Yes and no. Jennifer saw and called me to the television so I could see it.”, I replied.
“I’m sorry you had to see that……... It was something that just happened. We were together all the time both on screen and off and one night……. you know.”, she sighed.
“It’s ok Alexis………... I understand. You live in a much different world than I do. I can’t ask you to give all of that up for someone as simple as me.”, I replied.
“Jace, please don’t say that. You’re the nicest guy I have ever been with.”, she replied.
“Seems like that wasn’t enough though. Keep in touch Alexis and good luck with the new series. I hope it does well.”, I stated.
I did what I always had when things go wrong……… I stayed at the gym. I pushed myself as hard as ever and my workouts were probably the hardest of my life. I was pushing weights that I had never attempted before and after a few months I was in the best shape of my life.
I had reached two hundred and thirty-eight pounds of muscle with little body fat. I was working out twice a day and working from six in the morning to close to eight o’clock at night. Even though Jennifer was living with me, I tried my best to keep it low key. Since Alexis was gone, I did not want Jennifer to possibly bring up starting a relationship between the two of us.
Everyone at the gym who knew me felt that something was wrong but no brought it up. I was beginning to think that the odds were stacked against me when it came to women. I had lost Shelby tragically and I would probably never get over it. Then things were going well with Kate, and it fell apart and now Alexis.
Two weeks later, Jennifer decided to go back to school and resume playing softball. Clemson had graciously taken her back although she would be evaluated again before reinstating her scholarship. She left right away to try and get back into shape as soon as possible. In a way, I think she left to get away from me and ease the tension. Either way, I was glad she was going back to school to further her education and play ball.
So now, I found myself alone with just work to keep me busy. Those were always the times I drove myself so hard. One day led into another with the same routine day in and day out. I had not spoken to Alexis in months, and I would speak to Jen once or twice a week. She had adjusted well to school again and the time off had seemed to renew Jen’s arm because she was throwing harder than ever.
I decided to run an ad trying to replace Jennifer in the gym. We were as busy as ever and I wanted to make sure that our customers were always well taken care of. In fact, that was the basis of our success. Clients always raved about the customer support they were given.
Several people answered the ad, but I did not care for any of the applicants. Someone who did nothing but talk about themselves was not the type of person I wanted to be around much less deal with my clients. I was about to leave on a Wednesday evening when a young woman came in inquiring about the job.
She was extremely attractive with short blonde hair cut in a razor pixie cut. She had a great body which was important for our customer perception although a little on the thin side. She filled out the standard application and Therese showed her to my office. She walked in and took the seat across from my desk.
“Hello, I’m Jace Johnson the owner here and you are?”, I asked.
“Hey, my name is Ryleigh Dugas. It’s nice to meet you.”, she said, in a simply adorable voice.
“It’s nice to meet you Ryleigh. Are you here about the job?”, I asked.
“Yes, I am. I wanted to come earlier but got tied up. Am I too late?” she asked, her blue eyes twinkling.
“No actually, I still have not filled the position.”, I answered.
“Well, that’s good…... I suppose.”, she stated.
“The focus of the job would be to exclusively work with our clients but also help with the day-to-day operations. We are quite busy here and there is always something to do. One minute you might be assisting a client on a machine, the next loading towels in a washing machine. We all pitch in and help each other out. I have a great staff and want someone who will fit in.”, I stated.
“Well, right now I’m living at home with my parents not far from here. I’m separated from my husband, and we are in the final stages of divorce. I have a little girl who is three years old, and I need to start saving money to get out on my own. My mother is home and does not work so watching my child is not a problem. Although, I do understand if you do not want the drama of a divorce under your roof. My ex is a certifiable idiot who likes to impose his will on everyone and anyone, especially me.”, she sighed.
“No Ryleigh that does not bother me. Let me show you around then we can talk a little more.”, I offered.
I took Ryleigh around the bottom floor then up to the top and showed her the entire facility. After just being around her for thirty minutes or so it was easy to see Ryleigh Dugas was genuine. What you saw was what you got. On the way across the floor, she picked up a towel left on a machine and tossed it into the hamper by the stairs. That small action sealed the deal for me. We went back to my office, and we finished the paperwork immediately. She agreed to start Monday morning at seven o’clock but looked over at the counter with a concerned look on her face.
“Is everything ok?”, I asked.
“Oh yes of course only……… I uh don’t have any clothes like the female employees here have on.”, she said nervously.
“That’s quite alright……... we sell everything here by Gym Rat from the tops, leggings, shorts, socks and coverups. One of the girls can set you up and Sandy can take a few bucks a week out of your check until you pay it back. No problem at all.”, I replied.
“Thank you so much, Jace. I’m sure I am going to enjoy working here.”, she replied, slipping her extremely soft hand into mine.
I finished off the week early Friday and went home, ending the day by cleaning the pool well. I ran errands on Saturday and stocked up on groceries as well. Sunday, I just laid around the house and relaxed watching a few movies. My body needed the rest from the gym and the intense workouts I had been putting myself through. I was at the gym early on Monday morning and was finishing up my workout when Therese walked up and told me that Ryleigh was here for her first day. I told Therese to let her come up and I would be finished in a few minutes.
Several minutes later as I was finishing up a set on the squat rack Ryleigh came over. I walked forward and dropped the bar on the rack and grabbed the towel wiping my face.
“Ready for your first day?”, I asked.
“Yes, I’m excited. Um……. How long have you been working out?” she asked, a bit shy.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe eight or nine years.”, I replied.
“Well, you’re the biggest guy I have ever been around.”, she laughed.
“We have some big guys and girls come in here. Mostly in the evenings after work. It gets a bit crazy at night.”, I answered.
After just a week, I knew I had made the right decision by hiring Ryleigh Dugas. She was attentive, never stopped working and had the right personality to deal with the customers. Everything was going well when one evening Ryleigh came up to me looking a bit nervous.
“Jace, I would uh……. like to see if maybe you could help me get into better shape.”, she asked.
“Ryleigh, no offense but you’re in great shape.”, I laughed.
“No, I mean I want to gain a little muscle in some places.”, she answered.
“If you’re serious about this, I will work with you. Come in at six in the morning and you can train with me. Then we shower and get back to work.”, I offered.
“Sounds good, I’ll be here tomorrow.”, she promised.
True to her word, Ryleigh showed up a few minutes before six the next morning. The first thing we did was to measure her height and weight to get an idea where we were at. Ryleigh was right at five foot ten inches tall and weighed one hundred twenty-seven pounds. She was a bit underweight for her height so adding some muscle would not be a problem.
Ryleigh explained that she wanted to work hard on her lower body feeling that her legs were much to thin. She wanted a firmer ass and a smaller waist with a flat stomach. In addition, maybe a little more shoulder and upper arm muscle thrown in. She basically wanted the female body that everyone who came in here for the first time wanted.
We started a program that morning in addition to completely changing her diet. No more snack foods, sodas, or sweets. It was all protein concentrating on baked foods such as chicken, turkey or fish. To Ryleigh’s credit for the next six months, she worked as hard as anyone I had ever trained. She always pushed herself to the limit and the results began to show. She had lost a little weight to start but then started adding muscle to her frame. Ryleigh’s biggest gains had been her upper legs, calves, and glutes. She was brutal when it came to abs and had flattened and firmed her stomach and waist. She had added a bit of size to her upper body as well. She was now weighing one hundred forty-five pounds. Ryleigh’s target weight was one hundred fifty to one hundred fifty-five pounds.
Things were going well but I had not heard from Alexis in months. As hard as it was to accept, I was sure she had moved on from me. Several times I had started to dial her phone then changed my mind and hung up. Somehow, I just did not understand how someone would say that they were so in love with you then simply move on.
I was preparing to work out on a Monday morning when Ryleigh came in as always. I had to stop and take notice of her legs and firm ass in the ultra-tight leggings she had on. She had achieved that look that you knew she spent time in a gym. She came over to the bench press when I noticed a bruise showing around the collar of the black t-shirt she was wearing. I questioned her about it, but she just shrugged and said it was no big deal.
Later during the work out, I noticed that the bruise was on the left side by her neck and shoulder. When the sleeve of her t-shirt rose up a little, I noticed she had a larger bruise on her left upper bicep as well.
“Ryleigh, you can talk to me about what’s happening.”, I offered.
“Jace, I can handle it……... it’s almost over now.”, she said, softly.
“Is this guy your daughter’s father?”, I asked.
“Yes, he is…...”, she said, her voice trailing off.
“Then it will never be over until someone, or something makes him stop.”, I offered.
“Jace, I don’t want to get anyone involved in my problems. It’s something I must deal with.”, she stated, moving to another station.
“How do your parents feel about all of this?”, I asked.
“They can’t stand him but it’s complicated. His father owns the biggest law firm in town. He can keep me in court for the rest of my life. He knows everyone in this town, and I have learned it’s a no-win situation for me.”, she admitted.
“Look, I’m taking you for dinner tonight so we can talk this over……. no excuses.”, I demanded.
“Sure, I guess……... no problem.”, she replied.
That night I took Ryleigh out to a steakhouse that was nearby, and she bared her soul. Dustin Dillion, her former husband or soon to be, was simply a spoiled little boy. Dustin’s father cleaned up all his messes so basically there were no consequences. Dustin’s leverage in this whole situation was their three-year-old daughter. He was still fighting for full custody, claiming Ryleigh did not have the resources to raise her. Ryleigh was deathly afraid that he would take Maci away from her.
Ryleigh described their teenage years as wonderful, and she was madly in love with Dustin. They were married at twenty and before their first anniversary she caught him cheating on her. When she confronted him, he pushed her down to the floor. After that, whenever he would lose his temper, or she would confront him he would toss her around like a rag doll. He never hit her, but he would push her or grab her quite forcefully.
Over the next few years, he would jump from one affair to the next leaving her home at night to care for the baby. After delivering her daughter he constantly complained about her being fat and undesirable. Finally, Ryleigh’s parents convinced her to leave home and move back home with them. Since he controlled all the money, she had to go to work to make ends meet. Thankfully, she started with me, and things were getting better.
After a while, Ryleigh asked me about my life so I tried to explain it as best I could. Unfortunately, my history contained the tragic loss of people close to me. I didn’t go into detail about Jennifer because we were not close enough for me to confide in her. By the time dinner ended, I would say we were well acquainted.
By the time the end of the year was coming Ryleigh felt she was where she wanted to be physically. She weighed about one hundred fifty-four pounds, but it was pure muscle. She was getting a lot of attention from the guys at the gym although to her credit she paid little mind to any of it. I got the impression that she lived her life for her three-year-old daughter.
It was early November when Ryleigh approached me and asked if I would like to attend Maci’s fourth birthday party. I agreed but asked what I could bring as a birthday present. You cannot go to a four-year-old birthday without bringing a present. Ryleigh rattled off a couple of things Maci had asked for but because money was a little tight several items were omitted.
Since the IPAD had been omitted I decided to get her one with a case. I did not say anything to Ryleigh because I am sure she would have objected to me paying more than I should. On the way home that Friday night I went to the electronics store and purchased the IPAD with the best protective case they had in the store. I also bought an Apple Gift card so Maci could download a few programs to play with.
Ryleigh had given her parents’ address and informed me that the party began at two in the afternoon. I took a shower and dressed in jeans and a pullover t-shirt with sneakers. I grabbed the presents and left a few minutes before two o’clock. I drove across town and pulled up to a modest home in a well-kept older subdivision. I parked in the front of the home and walked up to the front door. I rang the doorbell and several moments later Ryleigh opened the door.
“Hey Jace, good to see you. Please come on in.”, she offered.
I followed her to the back of the house where several adults were seated and talking. There were also three young girls on the floor playing with dolls. Ryleigh took my hand and led me around the large sofa.
“Jace, these are my parents. My dad Steve and my mother Melanie.”, she stated.
“Jesus Christ, she told me you were big, but I had no idea.”, her father said standing up.
“Comes with the job sir. It’s very nice to meet you.”, I replied, shaking his hand.
“I’m pleased to meet you as well son. Ryleigh has said so many good things about you.”, Melanie said.
“Nice to meet you ma’am. Ryleigh is a very good worker and has become a great asset to the business,” I replied.
By that time, an adorable little blonde-haired girl had gotten up and walked up standing slightly behind Ryleigh. It was not hard to see that it was her daughter. I knelt and looked her in the face which caused her to move further behind Ryleigh.
“You must be Maci, I have heard so much about you. Today is your birthday, right?’, I asked.
She simply nodded but relaxed a little bit and stepped from behind Ryleigh somewhat. Ryleigh was urging her daughter to talk up.
“Well, since it’s your birthday, these are for you.”, I said, extending the two wrapped boxes.
“Those are mine?’, she asked.
“Yes, they are.”, I answered.
“But you don’t know me…….”, she replied, confused.
“That’s true but……... I work with your mom and she has told me a lot about you. So, I feel like I kinda know you.”, I laughed.
She stepped up and took the presents thanking me and ran over and set them on the table with several others. She then ran back and sat down with the other two girls. I was then introduced to several aunts and uncles who had arrived before me.
A few minutes later, Ryleigh’s father asked me to help him start up the barbeque pit. This was his way of interrogation the new guy his daughter had brought home. I understood it perfectly. I followed him out to a large patio that was completely covered by an awning. He started fooling with the gas barbeque and had it on in several minutes.
“So, you’re the one that is responsible for this transformation my daughter has gone through.”, he asked.
“Not really sir. I showed her how to train but she did it all on her own.”, I replied.
“Even though, I want to thank you for what you have done. Ryleigh has her confidence back and she looks amazing. She has been through some tough times, but I think this is exactly what she needed. Understand, she is my only child and means the world to me.”, he confessed.
“Yes sir, I understand.”, I replied.
“I’m sure she has told you about her husband, Dustin. He’s a real piece of shit that I have absolutely no use for. But he is very well connected and the father of my grandchild. He will make Ryleigh’s life hell until that child is grown and can make her own decisions.’, he said, in an angry tone.
“Yes sir, she told me some things about him.”, I answered.
“I’m not sure whose worst……... him or his father. Be careful around them. They can cause trouble for you.”, he warned.
“I doubt that sir. Half the police force trains in my gym daily including the precinct captain and two lieutenants. I do not charge then anything and love having the police presence there all the time.”, I replied.
“Well, that’s good to know.”, he answered.
Several hours later, everyone had eaten, and it was time to give Maci her presents. She was elated when she opened the IPAD and came over and gave me a hug voluntarily. By the end of the day, she was sitting beside me watching cartoons on the IPAD. I left around six that evening and drove straight home. The next day, which was Sunday, I got up and went to the gym to get an early workout in. I stopped and had breakfast on the way back home and got back a little after eleven o’clock.
I was sitting in the theatre room watching a movie when my phone rang. I picked it up and noticed it was Ryleigh calling.
“Hey, what’s up?”, I asked.
“Not much, just wanted to thank you again for yesterday. Maci loves the IPAD and barely puts it down.”, she answered.
“That’s great, I’m glad she likes it.”, I replied.
“And just so you know even though my parents only met you once, they both think you’re a great guy.”, she admitted.
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