Isla

Chapter 7

Isla exited the law firm, unable to control an excited smile.

As if on cue, her phone rang. Isla dropped onto a bench to answer it.

"Well?" Sierra asked impatiently as soon as Isla answered.

"They said that they would love to have me on, and they would follow up with an offer over email," Isla said.

Sierra squealed, quite loudly, before hushing her voice, "Congrats, Isla! That's so exciting."

"Thanks," Isla said. "It's because you and Caleb helped me practice. Some of those questions were the same ones that they asked me."

She could hear Sierra's smile. "We just did that whole process ourselves, so it was easy. On a different note, I totally just got stared down for that noise I made."

Isla gave a gentle laugh.

"I need to go, but I'll talk to you soon. I am so excited for you."

Isla couldn't believe she had just gotten a job, and one that paid significantly more than her last one. She was going to be a legal assistant for a law firm. That felt like a legit job, not a stepping stone.

The firm was right in the middle of downtown, and there were so many cute shops and restaurants. It was pretty busy since it was getting close to lunch time, and seeing people out and about was nice. It was easy for her to get caught up in her own head, and this was a welcomed change of pace.

She walked by a bakery, a boutique, and a gym. Didn't Aedric own a gym downtown?

Speaking of the devil, Aedric stepped out, calling her name. She spun around.

"I saw you walk by," Aedric said.

She stepped closer.

"You look great," he complimented.

So did he. He was dressed a lot more casual today, with a hoodie and joggers. She liked the athletic look on him.

Isla blushed. She had chosen her best outfit this morning for her interview, and she appreciated someone noticing. "Thank you. I had a job interview."

"Yeah?" Aedric grinned. "That's awesome. I hope it went well."

She nodded, unsure of what to say next.

"Are you busy? I'd love to show you this place," he said, gesturing to the gym.

She thought it over. She trusted Sierra, who talked very highly of her brother, and Aedric hadn't given her a reason to believe he was anything but sincere.

That wasn't the only thing that was holding her back, though. She never knew what to say most of the time. If something overwhelmed her, she tended to freeze up.

Isla ultimately agreed, even though she was still hesitant about being in his company.

Aedric held the door open for her. She had never really been in a gym before, but the lobby area was nice. 

He pulled an ID looking card from his pocket, holding it in front of the sensor, and gesturing for her to walk through the swinging metal tripod gate.

"My office is down the hall there," he said, following her through."And in here is the main gym area."

He pushed open a set of double doors, revealing a huge area with rows and rows of different equipment.

"You're the owner?" she asked, hoping to make conversation. The place was busy, and she felt like every pair of eyes were looking her way. She stepped closer to Aedric.

"Yes. This is the second location. It just opened two weeks ago."

"Oh," Isla said. "Congrats."

Aedric led her through the gym to a far corner with three doors.

"The first one is for cycling classes," he said, pushing it open for her to see.

"The second one is empty for whatever type of class offered. Sometimes it's yoga, or Zumba. This last room is my favorite though."

He led her through the doors, flipping on the lights to reveal a long room with a large mat and a row of punching bags.

"I teach boxing."

Isla found that kind of interesting as she moved away from him, stepping up to a bag. She gave it a gentle push with her good hand, but it barely moved. It was way heavier than she was expecting.

She looked up at him. "I want to learn."

"Okay," he nodded, his lips quirking up. "As soon as you get that cast off, I'd be happy to show you some things."

He glanced at his watch.

"Did you eat lunch? My favorite place is just down the street, if you want to grab a bite."

Isla shifted her feet. She was hungry, and a lot of the places she had walked by did smell really good. It was nerve-wracking to go somewhere new alone, so she agreed.

"This place has the best sandwiches," he said as they stepped outside. "How long until you can get that cast off?"

"Hopefully soon. I have a doctor's appointment next week," she said. Conversation felt a little bit easier now that she had spent some time with him. "Do you just teach boxing?"

"No, I also do some personal training, coaching, things like that."

She found herself glancing up at him once again. He caught her eye.

The sandwich shop was packed. It was an order at the counter style, and there were people everywhere. She stepped close to Aedric. She wasn't sure she wanted to eat in here anymore.

"It doesn't look like there are many tables left. Do you want to take it back to my office to eat?" he asked. He seemed to sense her uncertainty.

Isla nodded, trying to read the vast menu on the wall that she could hardly see. She could feel her heart start to race. The line was moving too fast.

"Can you just order me whatever you normally get?" she asked him quietly.

"Of course I can," he said. He seemed more than happy to do so. He even made it a point to tell her every single ingredient on his favorite sandwich to confirm it was what she wanted. Isla found it to be very thoughtful and considerate.

---

Isla sat on the floor of his office, using Aedric's coffee table like an actual table. The food was delicious, and she was enjoying his company.

"Having this place so close to where I work might be a problem," she said, lightly teasing.

"That's the whole reason I put my gym here," he shrugged.

She gave a soft laugh. "Just for the sandwich?"

"Maybe there were a few other reasons, too," he gave a little smile. She found his relaxed self to be very attractive.

He balled up his trash, placing it in the takeout bag.

Isla hesitantly added, "I'm glad we ran into each other today."

"So am I," he said sincerely. "I like you, Isla, and I would like to get to know you more."

She nodded, smiling briefly. "Like a date?"

His smile widened a bit, and he ducked his head with a quiet chuckle. "Yes. How's this weekend?"