Someone Someday (All in Good Time Book 2) (4 page)

Chapter 4

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm showing up without any gear?" Zack asked on our way to the gym later that evening.

"For sure," I said. "They have stuff you can borrow."

Zack was driving, and had already programed the address into his GPS, so I didn't have to worry about telling him where to go.

"Are you going to be able to work it out with your jobs to make it over here for class?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, they've got classes going on constantly, so even if my shifts change at work, I can make it happen."

Zack always asked me about work. He was really smart and had made a lifetime's worth of money at a very early age. He and Laney didn't charge me rent to live in their garage apartment, so he knew as well as I did that my living expenses were low. He knew I could have maintained my current lifestyle just by holding onto my jobs at the coffee shop and the restaurant. That didn't stop him from asking me questions about my future, though. I knew he only wanted the best for me, but I honestly didn't have a plan. I was managing to save a little money, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do with it. He and Laney had offered to help pay for my college tuition if I wanted to go, but I didn't know what I'd study, so I never took them up on it.

"Jenny's all pumped up again thinking we're gonna win the lottery this time," I said randomly as I thought about my future.

Zack looked over the console with a smirk. "That's the lady from the coffee shop?"

"Yeah, she's one of the managers."

"Is that the one that bought a bunch of tickets last time?" he asked.

He glanced at me and I nodded. "I think she plays every week, but every time the jackpot goes above a certain amount, she gets a bunch of us to go in on some tickets. She says we have a better chance of winning if we stick together." Zack laughed and I felt the need to defend myself. "It's only the second time I've done it with her," I said. "I think there are about eight of us going in this time."

"How much did you put in?" he asked.

"We all put the same amount. A hundred dollars."

Zack let out a little whistle.

"I think we get about six million each after taxes if we win… at least that's what she was saying this morning." I shrugged. "I know it's not gonna happen, but it's fun to dream. Jenny's convinced we're winning this time."

"What would you do with the money if you won?" he asked.

I let out a sigh. "I was just thinking about that. I know this sounds silly, but if my options were wide open, I think I'd just keep doing what I'm doing. I thought about college, and tried to imagine myself taking classes to learn how to work some sort of real job, but the truth is, I love the service industry… specifically the coffee shop. I love my coworkers and my customers and I never dread going to work." I shrugged. "What more could you ask for, you know?"

"Would you ever want to open a place of your own, or do you feel content with working for someone else?" he asked in typical Zack fashion.

"I really never thought of it," I said. "I mean, I guess everyone dreams of working for themselves. It's just not a reality for most people. I'm saving money and everything, but I'm sure it'll never be enough to open a business of my own."

"I wouldn't count it out, if that's what you really want to do," he said. "You can always find investors."

I knew Zack well enough to know that he was saying he'd be willing to talk to me about investing in my dreams himself, but he and Laney already did so much for me that I didn't even feel comfortable pursuing that avenue.

"Maybe me and Jenny will win the jackpot," I said. "Then I won't need investors."

"Is that something you'd do if you won the money—open a coffee shop?"

"I hadn't really thought about it until now, but yeah, I guess so." I threw a few mini punches. "Ask me in a few weeks, though, and maybe I'll tell you I want to open an MMA gym."

He chuckled. "What about Maddie?"

"What about her?"

"I'm surprised you didn't ask her to come with you to class."

"Oh, I did—about ten times. She wasn't having any part of it. She's been trying to get me to go to spinning class with her for three years, and she was ticked when I told her I was doing something else."

Zack shook his head. "I could never just sit on a stationary bike and pedal."

I laughed. "Me neither! I don't see how she does it, but she loves it. She goes like three or four times a week."

"How often do you think you'll try to come here?" Zack asked, as we pulled into the parking lot.

"I'm gonna start with twice a week and work my way up. This girl Jordan who signed me up recommended that. She said I'd be tempted to come every day at first, but she didn't want to see me burn out."

Zack took a deep breath as he put it in park. "Well, here goes nothin'," he said.

We got out of his truck and headed into the gym. Jordan and Josh were both in the front when we walked in along with a few other students I recognized from the other day.

"Hey, Lexi," Josh said. "Are you coming to intro class?" He crossed over to where Zack and I were standing.

"Yeah," I said, and he put his hand out for a high-five.

"I'm coaching this one," he said excitedly.

Josh was in the process of shaking Zack's hand when Jordan yelled out a greeting from her desk. I waved and told her hello.

"Who'd you bring?" Josh asked.

"Zack," Zack and I both said at the same time. We looked at each other with a smile before glancing back at Josh.

"Zack's my brother-in-law," I continued. "He's gonna try class with me tonight. Do you have some gloves he can borrow?"

"Of course," Josh said. He motioned with a wave of his hand for us to follow him. We went past Jordan and into what looked to be an employees-only area.

"Hey Zack, I'm Jordan, it's nice to meet you," she said as we passed.

"Hi Jordan, it's nice to meet you as well," he said.

Josh took us to what looked to be a mix between a small kitchen and a supply closet. There was a set of shelves on one side, and on the bottom shelf there were gloves, shin pads and wraps. Josh bent to grab a set of each. "They're old, but they're clean," he said to Zack, holding up a pair of worn-out hand wraps that looked like balled-up strips of fabric. He tossed his head to one side, telling us to follow him again as he walked around us. "Come on, and I'll show you how to put these on."

We followed Josh to another area I'd never seen. I assumed it was someone's office because there was a big desk with a computer and a shelf filled with books. Zack and I sat in chairs that lined the back wall, and Josh proceeded to wrap Zack's hands. He told Zack what he was doing step-by-step, and I followed along with my own hand wraps.

By the time we were done with that, it was just about time for class to start. Josh said he'd meet us in there after he went to the locker room to put on his instructors t-shirt, and Zack told me he was going to stop at the restroom, which meant I would be walking into class alone. I was normally a pretty independent person, but for whatever reason, I felt intimidated by the people at this gym. It was probably because it was still so new to me and I knew I looked like a big dork throwing punches, but everyone else seemed like they were tough or they had it all together, or maybe both.

Several people were already on the mat doing their own versions of warming up. Some were stretching, and some were lightly hitting bags. I came in quietly and found a place on the bench, putting my bag at my feet. I bent over and began absentmindedly digging in it just for the sake of looking preoccupied.

"It's my lucky day," someone said, sitting next to me. I knew it wasn't Zack. I could tell by the way he smelled. Zack smelled good, but this guy smelled like he'd just visited the cologne counter at Macy's. Without even looking at him I knew it was Jason Lane. Everything about him radiated confident male.

"Heyyy, Jason," I said, sitting up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm coming to class, of course. I assume you're doing the same," he said, pointing at my bag. "You wanna partner up?"

Just then Zack came to stand right in front of me. I didn't realize Zack had heard Jason asking if I wanted to partner with him until Zack said, "If you guys wanted to partn—"

"No, no," I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Jason assumed I was here alone when he asked," I said.

During the next few seconds, Zack tried, although somewhat unsuccessfully, to let me know by subtle, unspoken facial cues that he didn't mind if I partnered with Jason. He obviously had no way of knowing that I wasn't interested since I spent a fair amount of time and energy leading him and my sister to believe that I
loved
the idea of dating.

"Zack's my brother-in-law," I said, giving Jason that same old regretful look. "I wasn't sure who all would be at class tonight so I roped him into coming with me."

"Oh, I gotcha," Jason said, standing to shake Zack's hand. He looked down at me. "Maybe next time," he said with a smile.

He went onto the mat where he started talking with a few guys who were already out there warming up, and Zack sat next to me in the spot where Jason had been. "You didn't have to—" he started to say.

"It's fine," I assured him. "I met that guy the night of my birthday and then I ran into him here. He's nice and everything, but I think he's a player."

Zack took a breath in through his nose. "He smells like a player," he said, making me laugh.

We were only sitting there a few more seconds when Josh came in and announced that class was beginning and we all needed to line up on the mat. There were eighteen of us, so he put us in two rows of nine and proceeded to coach us through some terribly painful warm-ups, which included things like bear crawls and burpees—things I'd never been subject to in gym class.

Zack went to a gym on a regular basis, so he hung in there, but my lungs were burning as if each breath might be my last. I tried to act like everything was okay by managing a smile every time someone looked at me. I wasn't the only one who was hurting, though. Everyone in the class was dripping with sweat by the time Josh told us to get a drink of water, grab our gloves, and get back on the mat.

"We didn't do all that business in the private lesson," I whispered to Zack in between gasps of air.

"I wasn't prepared for it either," Zack said, "but it makes sense that cardio is a big part of boxing."

He was significantly less winded than I was, but I didn't feel too bad because I could see looking around that there were a few in the class who were worse off than me.

"All right everybody back on the mat," Josh announced. "Find a partner, and one of you get gloves and the other get mitts."

I set my water down and looked around wondering what we were supposed to do if we didn't have any mitts.

"They're hanging on the wall over here," Jason said, seeing my confusion. "Come on, I'll show you." He looked at Zack. "You can go ahead and get your gloves on and I'll take her to get mitts."

Zack nodded and started slipping his hands into gloves as I followed Jason across the matt to the wall where the pads were hanging.

"How do you like it so far?" he asked on our way over there.

"Oh, it's good. I took a couple privates with Josh last week, so I knew I'd like it."

He made a sound like he thought that piece of information was interesting. "What'd you think about Josh?" he asked.

I looked at him. It was at that moment that I realized he was jealous.

"He's awesome," I said, pushing his buttons. It might have been a little cruel of me, but I could tell Jason was accustomed to getting his way with women, and I was having some fun being unaffected by his charms.

"I don’t want you to be scared of partnering up with me after you see me go with Paco tonight," he said, handing me a pair of mitts.

I was totally confused by the random statement. "What?" I asked.

"I'm partnering with Paco tonight," he explained. "We usually go pretty hard. I didn't want you to see that and change your mind about partnering up with me in the future. I know how to take it easy, and I think I could teach you a lot." He showed me the right way to put the mitts on and tighten them.

"Thanks," I said. "And thanks for offering not to kill me if we ever partner up."

He touched a finger to my cheek, which made me look at him. He gave me that million dollar, heartbreaking smile. "I think we'd be good partners," he said.

Chapter 5

I had so much fun at kickboxing class that I honestly couldn't believe the idea had never occurred to me to try it sooner. I could already tell it was something I would want to stick with, and that was more than could be said for any other form of exercise I had ever tried.

We worked on basic combinations just as Josh and I had done during our private lessons. Some of them felt awkward, and others felt completely natural. Zack and I switched off holding mitts for each other, and I found that holding mitts while he threw the punches was considerably more awkward than throwing the punches myself.

I told Josh as much when he came around to check on us, and he said that was always the case when you were first starting out but that holding pads would make you a better striker in the long run, and it was an important skill despite being difficult.

Jason and his partner Paco were working near us, and their timing and movements were seamless. Josh would call out a combination for us, and Jason and Paco would set to work firing them off. Pap, pap, pap, went the sound of the glove hitting the mitt at high velocity. They were shifting, and bobbing, and moving around like they were a pair of Rocky Balboas training for a big fight.

There were a few other pairs like them in the class, but I wasn't intimidated. Josh had made a point of telling me in the private that everyone felt awkward and out of sorts at first, and that I'd notice quick improvement if I just hung in there.

After class, Zack asked if we could go to the main gym to check out some Jiu Jitsu for a few minutes. I agreed easily, hoping it would sell him on getting a membership.

We unwrapped our hands and stashed everything in our bags before heading to the gym to find a spot on the bleachers.

"Bye Lexi," I heard Jason say as we walked out. He was still on the mat with a few others who were staying for the level-two class, which started right when level-one was over.

"Bye Jason," I said, giving him a smile and wave.

"I think you have an admirer in there," Zack said in hushed tones, once we were out of the room and headed for the main gym.

I laughed. "I think he and his partner were pretty intense hitting those mitts," I said.

Zack laughed. "He was just showing off for you."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Maybe I should fill him in that brute strength doesn't do it for me."

Zack glanced at me as we walked. "What does it for you, Lexi?"

The question was casual enough, but part of me knew he had to be genuinely curious since I barely ever went out with guys and when I did, it didn't last past a date or two. The truth was, I had no idea what did it for me. Nothing did it for me. Before the rape, anything and everything did it for me, but afterward it was just the opposite.

"Definitely not a big, burly tough-guy type," I said since it was the first thing that came to mind.

We walked into the main gym and found a spot on the bleachers. No one was around, and apparently, Zack thought it would be a good time to have a deeper than surface conversation, because his next words were, "Do you feel threatened by big guys?"

We both knew what he was referring to when he used the word
threatened
. I knew he knew about the rape. We'd had a few conversations over the years where it was vaguely brought up and he wanted to make sure I knew he was there for me if I ever needed to talk. I always brushed it off and acted like I was totally over it. I figured I'd try to shrug this question off just like I did every other time.

"I don't feel threatened," I said. "I guess I just never saw myself with a big guy since I'm so short and everything."

It was a lie with a capital L. I most assuredly felt threatened by big guys.

"Laney's little and I’m tall," Zack said.

"Yeah, it works with you guys, but I'm not really into big guys."

"Do you still have any fears left over from what happened to you?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

I made a face like that was a ridiculous notion. "No, of course not. That was forever ago."

"Yeah, but it was something that could stick with you."

I laughed and shook my head like he was way off base. "Oh no, that's not an issue at all."

Zack gave me a loving smile but otherwise completely dropped the subject. He shifted his attention to the action on the mats and we watched the students doing Jiu Jitsu for the next five or so minutes before the owner walked by. He sat next to Zack and I and began to explain the basics of what the students were doing.

Zack seemed familiar with some of the terminology, and spoke to him in terms I didn't recognize at all. They got along like two peas in a pod, and by the time we walked out of the gym, I was certain Zack would be coming back.

We stopped at the front desk so Zack could return his borrowed equipment. Jordan jokingly asked him if he was ready to sign a contract, but he didn't commit to anything on our way out. He said he'd see how sore he was in two days and let her know.

"Nothing feels better than a shower you really deserve," I said on the way home.

"No doubt," he said. "Laney's not gonna let me come near her smelling like this."

"I'm pretty sure Jason still smelled good after class," I said.

He looked at me with a smirk. "Jason was born smelling like cologne," he said.

"I have a customer who smells just like him," I said. "His name's Tyson and he comes in for espresso every morning. They smell exactly alike. They must wear the same thing… eau de rich guy."

"You don't seem too impressed," he said.

"I don't mind money, but I could live without the guys that go with it."

"You won't need the money once you hit the Powerball," he said.

"You know that's right," I said humming with excitement. "That drawing's tonight, and after that, all my troubles will be over."

"What troubles?" he asked, smiling.

I laughed. "Never mind," I said. "I don't guess I really have any, and money doesn't fix anything now that I think about it."

"It could buy you a coffee shop," he said.

"Yep, I guess it could."

We rode in comfortable silence for a while before I took control of his stereo. I turned on some rap music and cranked it up. He had a nice system in his truck, and I was a fan of loud music. Zack didn't say anything about the explicit content of the song I chose even though I knew he was a God person and would never buy an album like that for himself. He just smiled and acted like he didn't judge me for my choices, which I appreciated.

"Thanks for coming with me," I said, turning the music down as we pulled into the driveway.

"I'm glad you asked me. I really enjoyed it. I think I'll go back."

"I hope you do," I said. "I think we could even rope Laney into it once baby cakes is born."

"I think so too," he said.

It was nearly 8pm by the time we got home, and neither of us had eaten. Zack asked me if I was coming into the house to have dinner with them, but I told him I had plenty in the apartment and needed to turn in early for my 6am shift at J.D.'s. I asked him to hug my sister and nephew for me and told him I'd probably be seeing him the next day.

I was sweaty and nasty after that class, so I went straight to the shower. I scrubbed every inch of my sweaty body and washed my hair thinking how true it was that an earned shower was the best kind.

As a result of growing up in my mother's pig sty, I always kept my apartment clean, and I got out of the shower feeling refreshed and cozy in my little place.

I was still a bit jittery from working out, so I wasn't hungry for a big dinner. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat on the couch to eat it. My damp hair was hanging over my shoulders, and I had on my favorite pajamas—light cotton pants with multi colored stripes and a teal v-neck t-shirt that was well broken in. Maybe it was the gratification of a good workout, but I couldn't imagine being more comfortable than I was at that very moment.

The only thing that could make it sweeter was some sort of furry, loyal friend curled up next to me. I'd thought about getting a dog quite a bit, but remembered the one my mom let us get when I was a kid. It chewed everything and used the entire house for a restroom, at which point my mom took it and dropped it off at the humane society. I was scarred from that experience, and thought dogs like the one I dreamed about (the ones that would curl up next to me and not pee, poop, or chew) were a thing of fiction—like unicorns.

Anyway, It was 8:37 when I sat down on the couch with my bowl of cereal and no dog. I turned the channel to GSN and tuned into an episode of Chain Reaction. I was playing along when my phone, which was sitting on the coffee table in front of me, began to vibrate. I held my cereal in one hand as I reached out to grab the phone.

It was my friend Jenny from J.D.'s. My first thought when I saw her name was that she was asking me to cover one of her shifts. I squinted down at the screen. I could see at a glance that the text was in all caps.

Jenny: "WE WON! CALL ME!"

I knew she was referring to the lottery, and my heart started beating rapidly even though I figured in the back of my mind that she was joking or there had been some sort of mistake.

I was shaking with nerves as I leaned forward to put my half-eaten bowl of cereal on the coffee table. I just knew she was joking, so I decided to text her back rather than calling.

Me: "Quit playing. You almost gave me a heart attack."

I hit send, and within seconds my phone rang. It was Jenny, and I answered it without hesitation.

"You know better than to mess with me like that," was how I answered the phone.

But she didn't hear me because she was yelling at the top of her lungs. "I'm not playing, Lexi!" she bellowed from the other end.

I held the phone out to avoid having my eardrum busted.

"We won the lottery, Lexi! I'm not playing! I'm serious! We have the freaking winning numbers! We're rich, Lexi!"

I stood up and began to yell right along with her. I was jumping up and down as I yelled, "Jenny you promise?"

"I prommmmise!" she yelled back.

I stopped jumping and stood still. I held the phone to my ear with a shaking hand as I stared at the ground, trying to catch my breath.

"How much money did we win?" I asked breathlessly.

"I don’t know exactly. I think somewhere around six after taxes."

"
Six million
?" I asked in total disbelief. "
Each
?"

"Six million dollars, Lexi! We're rich!"

"I can't believe it," I said. "Are you sure it's right?"

"It's right," she said, sounding assured. "And you better believe I won't be coming to my shift at J.D.'s in the morning."

"You promise, Jenny?" I asked once again.

"I promise, Lexi. We did it! I told you guys we would this time."

I let out a little laugh since that was all I could think to do.

"I've got three more people on the list," she said. "I'll talk to you soon, okay honey?"

"Okay, Jenny," I said, feeling dazed. "Thanks." Thanks didn't seem like quite enough at a time like that, but I didn't know what else to say.

"You're welcome, sweetie," she said. "I'll talk to you soon."

I hung up with Jenny McDaniel feeling like I was dreaming.
Could it possibly be true?
It was hard for me to believe since I hadn't seen the drawing myself and wasn't holding the ticket in my hand. All I had to go on was Jenny's word, and it sure didn't seem like she was lying or joking around…
did it?
What if she was misinformed? What if she'd gotten mixed up and thought we had the right numbers?
She had eight hundred numbers to check. I could imagine they'd all look the same after a while. Maybe she misread them.

I paced around my tiny living room with thoughts such as these running through my head. After about twenty minutes of torturous doubt, I sent Jenny a text.

Me: "I hate to bother you, but I can't help but feel like I was dreaming when we talked. Is there any chance you could snap a picture of that ticket and text it to me when you can?"

I hit send and then continued to pace and mumble to myself while I waited for a response. I had already looked up the numbers out of curiosity and had them written down on a piece of paper, which was placed near my phone.

It took about five minutes, but Jenny responded. It was a group text to me and seven other people from a number I didn't recognize.

Sender: "This is Jenny texting from my husband's phone. Lexi had a good idea. I'm attaching a photo of the winning ticket for your viewing pleasure. I'm writing this while I'm on hold with lottery officials. It's not a dream. We're rich. Time to go shopping, people! I'll be in touch tomorrow with more details about where we go from here."