Romance: The Billionaire Alpha Collection (36 page)

Chapter 10

Jill tried to explain over lunch who the woman was and what she meant to Ryan and the gym, but the truth was I didn’t listen.

I told myself I didn’t care, but the fact was I did, and there was nothing I could do about that.

It hurt.

A lot.

I stared down at my meal, picking at it without actually eating anything, wishing I could just go home.

Maybe I could suddenly develop food poisoning and head home?

Despite sitting beside her, I did not hear a word Jill said to me about Ryan and Miss Bimbo and the gym. It all went in one ear and out the other without even registering in the first place.

As I moved the green beans on my plate around without eating them, I barely noted when Jill sighed.

I glanced up at her.

“It doesn’t matter what I say, does it?” she asked. “You’re too hurt to accept what anyone says.” She shook her head. “I’ll see you back at work.” She stood and gathered her things together. “You are coming back to work?”

Her eyes were large as she looked at me, as if she was pleading.

“We’ll see,” I told her as my phone rang in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID. “It’s my Mom. I have to get this,” I told Jill.

She nodded. “I’ll see you there.”

She was gone before I finished nodding, and I answered the call.

“Hey Mom,” I said, trying to keep my voice cheerful.

“Hello Darling!” she cried. She sounded like a New York woman. Apparently, she’d spent enough time in the big apple to pick up the slang and accent. “How are you?”

It was hard to stay upset while talking to my Mom on the phone.

Her upbeat and cheerful attitude rubbed off on anyone who listened.

“I’m doing fine. How about yourself?” It was strange, talking to both of my parents in the same day.

I was used to talking to my mother, used to her life-is-bliss attitude towards everything, but having a similar conversation with my father threw me off kilter.

It was strange.

When I was miserable, they were both happy. In a way, it felt wrong and unfair.

I thought about telling Mom that, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t ruin the sunshine with my rain showers.

There was nothing she could do for me anyway. She wasn’t in town.

“I’m doing swell,” she said, her voice chipper. When did she start using the word ‘swell’? “I’m back in town. I thought I’d let you know in case you wanted to go out after work and get a bite to eat together.”

That brightened my day. “You’re back in town?” When was the last time I’d seen my mother? I’d been living in her apartment for a couple of months now, but even before that, it had been a long time since I’d seen her.

“Sure, Mom. I’d like that.”

I really did want to see her too.

I wasn’t lying.

Somehow, the thought of meeting with my Mom and using her as a shoulder to cry on appeased my hurt emotions.

I finished my picked-at meal while I talked with Mom on the phone.

We made plans to meet at the apartment after work.

She was bringing her boyfriend over, and I’d finally get to meet him, but he wouldn’t be staying long. They were only in town for a couple nights before they were heading back out on the road.

It didn’t matter to me.

If I only got to see Mom for an hour, I knew it would be enough.

Memories of when I was a child and she’d hold me when I was upset popped into my head. That was what I needed now: reassurance that everything would work out, that everything would be fine.

Even if it was all a lie.

Although, I was smart enough to know that this development in my relationship with Ryan wasn’t unexpected, not really.

I’d known what kind of person he was before I’d started the relationship.

I also knew it wasn’t the end of the world.

I would find someone else that I cared about the way Mom seemed to care for the man in her life.

Enthusiastic about meeting Mom that evening after work, I finished my meal and returned to the gym.

Jill smiled at me, her eyes holding a “That’a girl!” message in them.

I didn’t blame her.

I hadn’t thought I’d be able to return to work myself. It was going to be difficult to work if I had to look at Ryan the entire time, but that’s what doors were for.

Walking into my office, I noticed the leggy blond sitting on a bench, watching Ryan, Boris and Tyres training with Derrick.

The three men all had fights coming up.

I knew that the competitions were meant to show what the gym members could do, entice new people to come train with them, and bring more money to the gym.

I’d been helping Mitch with the financial portion of preparing for it all.

Even though I was an accountant, when he’d asked for help with advertising and updating social media sites with information, I couldn’t say no. Somehow, even though I knew nothing about marketing, I managed to bring a little attention to the gym through the various social sites.

I didn’t understand any of that.

How could one spend their entire life online?

Then again, I was always piled high with facts, figures and numbers, so who was I to judge?

“Claire.” I heard Ryan call my name, but I ignored him as if I hadn’t heard him. Maybe it was childish, but I had better things to do with my life that listen to him explain his playboy ways. I had a job to do. “Claire!”

I stopped at the door to my office and turned around to glare at him.

He still looked good, and my body still longed for his.

There was no denying either fact as my gaze raked over his naked chest gleaming with sweat and down over the loose pants he wore.

“Can I talk to you?” he asked. There was pain in his voice, as if he regretted his decision, but I didn’t care to hear his sob story.

“I’m a little busy right now. I have plans for this evening and still have lots to do before I go home,” I told him in a matter-of-fact voice.

Without waiting for an answer from him, I turned away, opening my office and stepping inside.

Usually, I left my door open because I’d become accustomed to watching the men train as I worked.

Today, I didn’t want to even chance glancing up at Ryan.

I closed the door with a soft click.

Maybe I was angry with Ryan, but there was no reason to take out my aggression on the door. It hadn’t done anything wrong, after all. It wasn’t the door’s fault I’d been stupid enough to fall for the playboy fighter.

With a heavy sigh, I sat down at my desk, determined not to think about Ryan or the blond or even Mom or her boyfriend or Kate or Dad.

I concentrated on my work, settling in to get through the figures that could be cut down to start bringing more money into the gym versus out.

At the end of the evening, I was satisfied with the progress I’d made.

I went out and made a progress report to Mitch, who seemed pleased with what I told him. That was good because I still often felt like I was stumbling over my own feet where this job was concerned.

I was learning to love the challenge though, and it was a challenge.

I actually liked this job, despite the fact that it was something I never would have picked willingly if I’d had any kind of choice when I’d discovered it.

“Good work, Claire. This is exactly what this place needs.” He smiled at me, his eyes warm. “I’m glad we found you, or you us. You have no idea what I might have had to do if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” He shook his head.

“Close the gym?” I thought I knew the answer, but it was always good to confirm information before presenting an opinion either way.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I still may have to. This competition is one of our last chances to bring this place back. You have no idea how much we need this.”

I smiled at that. I think I knew better than he did—at least where the numbers were concerned. “I know.”

He was venting, I knew, and glad for the momentary distraction from my own issues, I let him.

How could I not?

It allowed me to forget for a moment that Ryan was busy entertaining a certain blonde with a killer body.

“If those three out there don’t win their individual fights, I will probably have to close this place down. I just can’t keep up a gym that isn’t making any money, and with no new students coming in, there’s no money coming in.”

I sat down in the chair across from Mitch, knowing that this was going to take a little longer than I’d anticipated.

I didn’t mind.

I understood his need to tell someone his issues.

Maybe it wasn’t the most professional thing, but I’d come to realize that most of what Mitch did wasn’t in the professional sense but because he felt like it and it kept his employees happy to work with him despite the lack of funds coming their way.

He was a decent boss.

“Did you know that this place used to brim with students? We had people come from everywhere to train with our fighters. We went to every competition that existed and brought back hundreds of awards.”

I knew all of that.

I’d seen all the medals and trophies lining the walls.

There was always names etched into them, whether the name of the winners or the title of the competition itself. This place had been a big deal, once upon a time.

It was Mitch’s hope that this competition coming up would return it to its glory days, and in a way, I hoped for the same thing. I liked working here, and I really had no desire to leave. I didn’t want this to be a temporary job.

I wanted it to be a permanent one.

When I left Mitch’s office, it was hard not to look out at the training floor while returning to my office, but somehow, I managed it. 

I had a few more pieces of paperwork to file and I wanted to clean up a little before I left for home.

First thing's first, I needed to call a cab to pick me up.

There was no way I was going to let Ryan walk me home.

Not after today.

Calling a cab only took a couple of minutes and cleaning the office a couple more after that.

I’d told the cab to be there in fifteen.

What could I do with that remaining time?

I didn’t know, but I didn’t want to stay holed up in my office just to avoid Ryan.

I was avoiding him.

I didn’t really have anything to say to him that would come out pleasant or nice.

Worse, I was afraid I might break down if I were to stick around and talk to him.

No, it was better that I avoid him for the time being.

The sound of yelling drifted through the wooden barrier of a door.

It was Derrick.

There was no mistaking his voice. His words were a little harder to distinguish, but I knew he was yelling at Ryan.

Feeling a bit like an eavesdropper, I creaked the door open to listen to what was being said. It wasn’t that hard.

I only had to open it a crack to hear Derrick as he tore into Ryan.

“You need to stop thinking about that woman and concentrate on this match!” he screamed. I knew that if I could see him, he was probably clenching his fists and beet red in the face. As it was, I could see Ryan’s face through the crack. There was a shame-faced expression I’d never seen cross his features before.

It was odd to see, and I felt a slight ache in my heart.

Was I the cause of such pain? Was I the woman Derrick spoke of?

There was no telling, really.

“You have to win this match, Ryan. You know how important it is—not just for me or you, but for this gym. Do you like working here?” I couldn’t hear his low reply from where I stood. “If you want to continue working here, you need to pull your head out of your ass, do something about the woman, and get your head on the mat again. And now.”

With a disgruntled huff, Derrick walked away, leaving Ryan alone looking at the floor in shame.

He appeared to be vulnerable and unsure.

Seeing Ryan that way was heartbreaking, in a way.

As if he knew I was watching, he looked up at me, catching my eyes.

The pain in his eyes was clear, and I knew I was the cause of it.

It didn’t matter why.

I was the cause.

I didn’t understand that when it was him with a new girlfriend, not the other way around, but I knew it was true.

A car horn honked outside, signaling the arrival of my cab.

Closing the office door behind me, I turned away from Ryan and left.