First Choice ✓

Chapter 15. T

Antonio

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For the past week, I've been keeping an eye out to see if Sara comes to the gym.

But of course, she did not.

I don't know why I thought she'd come the very next day I saw her at Izzy's new store.

I've been working out at other times than I usually do. After five p.m. instead of at noon, hoping to—accidentally on purpose—run into her, assuming she'd come after she's finished with work.

My phone rings and I set the weight in its place, sit up, straddling the bench and grab my phone. Nicole's face is on the screen, she's FaceTime-ing me.

Clicking on the green button, I greet her.

"Heeey," she drawls. She's in a pool with no one around. I frown, because last time I checked, she was supposed to be in some soul cleansing retreat shit.

"Where are you?" I ask.

"Bali, bitch!" Then she moves her phone around to show me the villa she's staying at. "Change of plans. I'm all alone in this big ass villa. It's awesome."

The pool looks huge, and all I can see on the screen is a vast expanse of trees and plants, illuminated by lamp posts.

"I gotta say, I'm kinda jealous." I confess.

"You should be. You never travel." She flips the camera back to her face. Her wet hair is sticking to her temples.

"Hey, I do travel. Just not as much as you."

"Whatever. Look," she grabs for something off screen. But then she holds it in front of her. A big round glass with some yellow-orange drink. "I've been drinking all day." She smiles wildly.

While it's only six p.m. here, in Bali, it's dark. I'm not sure how many hours ahead they are, but it must be over ten hours. She probably didn't go to bed yet, from the looks of it.

"How is everyone?" She asks.

"Doing great. No one is missing you yet, if you're wondering."

"Fuck you!" It doesn't hold any malice as she lets out a laugh.

"Is that Nic?" Izzy's voice booms from the entrance of the gym. She saunters over to me and doesn't wait for my reply. She snatches my phone from my hand and starts talking to Nicole.

People may think that just because Nicole and I are the same age that we'd get along the best. But they couldn't be more wrong. When we were children, we got along just fine. But as we grew older, our personalities became a lot different.

Where she is impulsive, I like to think things through first. She's messy and I'm organized. She's the kind of person who "goes with the flow" but I like to plan ahead. She curses like a sailor and I . . . well I do that too. But the difference is I know when not to curse.

After talking a bit more with my cousin, we eventually hang up. Before I could ask Izzy why she's here in the afternoon instead of her usual morning session, I see blond hair in the corner of my eyes. I try not to let my excitement over seeing Sara, in her leggings and hair in a ponytail, show on my face.

"There's my workout buddy." Izzy says.

Of course she wouldn't come here for the first time without reinforcements from her best friend since high school.

She gives me a small smile and a wave and both women immediately start warming up. I continue lifting weights on the bench press. But then I change my exercise and go do some pull-ups. This way I'm facing the mirror and in the corner I can see Sara doing her lunges.