Another Door Opens

31 - Keep your secrets then, brother

- EDEN -

I hate to admit it, but I actually love going to boxing classes with Wolfe. Firstly because the regular dose of endorphins are actually leaving me feeling pretty good most days and I’m already feeling physically stronger. Also, I naturally love getting to spend more time with Wolfe during the week. But mostly I’m loving these classes because there is so much eye candy for a single woman like myself to consume there. Namely, hot, reading-while-dog-walking guy, who I now know to be called Miles after Wolfe spent every possible opportunity calling me out quietly for looking at him during classes with what he described as "pathetic googly eyes."

“This isn’t a bar, Eden. It’s a gym, and you’re here for a purpose other than flirting.”

I shushed him, and threw an extra punch in to reiterate my need for him to shut the hell up before Miles overhears him. “Are you so determined to embarrass me at every available opportunity? I haven’t even spoken to him.”

“The only thing embarrassing you are those measly excuses for muscles on your arms,” he sassed me, earning him yet another unsolicited punch to the chest, which he, being about a bazillion times stronger and quicker than I, just brushed off. “Case in point.”

“You’re an asshole, and I don’t know why I subject myself to the torture of coming here with you.”

“You come here with me because you love me, and you love boxing despite not wanting to. And also because Miles is a thirst trap for every single and taken woman in Byron Bay, and you are apparently as susceptible to his natural charms as everyone else in this town.”

“Can you blame me?”

Wolfe laughed, looking over in the direction of Miles pounding away at a bag held by Grayson who was instructing him the whole time of where to hit and with which fist or leg or forearm to make contact with, while weaving incoming jabs directed at his face by Grayson. I swear, having this to look at for an hour, I leave these classes more wet than if I just emerged from swimming in the ocean.

“I guess not,” Wolfe chuckled, trying to refocus my attention away from Miles and back on the bag he was holding for me. “Still, you’ve got a thousand other guys vying for your attention online. What’s the latest update in the online dating journey?”

“You mean, the cause of my future swearing off all men?”

“Well, if that were the case, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about you being so distracted by Miles every class,” he teased, weaving behind the bag when I moved to whack him again.

“I’m starting to wonder whether your issue with me looking at Miles is less about me finding him attractive, and more about you being jealous that you’re effectively married and can’t have him yourself?”

“Oh, please. I could have him if I wanted him,” Wolfe said, looking about as devious as ever I’ve seen him, making me fearful of what might be coming next, and rightfully so when he yelled out louder in Miles’ direction, “Couldn’t I, Miles?”

“I don’t know,” Miles said, pausing his work on the bag and heading over in our direction, causing my heart to hammer in my chest more than the workout already did. “Could you?”

“Anytime I wanted,” Wolfe said, deliberately watching for my reaction, which I simply refused to give him, despite wanting to laugh my head off. Maybe there really is something to his ‘Don’t flex, don’t tell’ homoerotic gym policy.

“You know I have no idea what you’re talking about, right?” Miles said to Wolfe, wiping the sweat from his brow with his ungloved forearm and smiling down at me kindly. He’s so painfully attractive, some depraved, sex-starved part of me wants to lick the sweat straight off every inch of his body. This is also the closest he’s been to me since New Years when we were walking the same street together given I’ve been a total coward and haven’t approached him in classes whenever he and Wolfe are laughing and chatting away, as they always do.