A Tiny Favour

Chapter 7

Alicia spins on her heel to face me, her expression not the least pleased by my presence. Adam will be over in a second, I remind myself and carry on to create some sort of conversation.

"I love your outfit and I was wondering where I could get one similar," I ask, admiring her clothes, it wasn't a lie I loved the matching set so much.

Her demeanour changed and her lips curled into a smile, "It's lulu," her hands ran over the smooth fabric. "Got it on like a super sale a week ago."

"That's so cool I'll have to check it out," I'm happy for the hint on where to get clothes. I haven't worn anything workout related in forever unless I pretended to go for a run to bump into someone. "I'm Izzy by the way," I give her a nickname so she can't track me down on social media the way I will for her later.

"Alicia," she wraps her arms around me in an embrace, I stand there frozen not knowing how to react. "There are so many gorgeous guys here aren't there," she releases me and waves her fingers to someone behind me.

"I guess," I hadn't paid too much attention.

"Hi Tesoro," one of my new favourite voices hums from behind. I look back to have him sling his arms onto my chest, his biceps resting on my breasts. He places his head by my ear and whispers, "go with it". I nod and before I can even register the words properly he closed the gap between my lips and his. They are soft and careful much like the first time we had been in this situation but I can tell there is a small something Adam holds back. Against my jaw I feel the air of his small puffs. The drip around me tightens and I get pulled in closer to his chest.

Alicia clears her throat but Adam Doesn't seem to care, I practically have to push his face away before he meets her glare with his own. "What," he asks, burying his head in the crook of my neck and lightly pecking in a spot as if he has no care for the other girl's presence. And he probably doesn't.

It's a little odd considering we're in public and not in a real relationship while talking to someone who's in love with him, but I'll allow it.

"Leave a mark and I kill you," I hiss under my breath when the grip of his teeth tightens and he sucks at the skin and doesn't release at my threat.

"Adam you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," she gives off flirtation in the pitch of her voice and even more obviously when she drags her hand up along his arm. He jerks it away and moves both his hands to grip around my waist.

"What's your plan Adam," I mutter.

"It's a new relationship, Alicia, I'm surprised you hadn't seen us together more recently we're inseparable," his emphasis on the last word is impossible to not notice.

"Oh," she crosses her hands across her chest trying to lift her boobs to make them more impressive. Just from a glance here's can't compete with mine, not like it's a contest.

"Do you want to go home, Tesoro," he asks, which comes as a surprise considering he only did two exercises, I'm not complaining my legs feel like they've been shot. But I can't help but notice he used that damn Italian word again.

"Sure, I'll grab our stuff," I duck under his head and move his hand placement before jogging over to put the plates back. They had already been moved and I assume he did after he sent me to talk to his stalker.

Again, I won't complain unless I have a mark on my neck. In that case I'll strangle him and leave a bigger one in my hands. I collect the water bottles and swing the bag I brought around with me over my shoulder.

I can already see them start to argue but keeping their voices down not to attract attention to themselves. I move closer to make out a few words.

"You haven't left me alone in months just fuck off," Adam practically growls.

"You should have just gone out with me when I asked and maybe I would have left you alone. But no, you had to play hard to get."

"Alicia, I said no because you had matched your training sessions with mine and I saw you recording me."

"I was recording the gym, not you."

He shouts something in Italian before walking away and shaking his head and dragging his hand along his face. He spots me and picks up his pace. "I have to talk to someone but here are my keys and you can go get changed," he tells me and I wander through the lobby to where Mark is sitting on his phone.

I push open the door using my back and he stops me, "So Isabelle, are you and Adam like a thing?" he asks, tucking his phone away and waving me over.

I go to the desk and lean on the counter with my forearms. "Something like that," I answered, not knowing what to say. I thought it was an act for Edwin and Edwin only. She has a number of years left and I want her to be as happy as possible but the charade has travelled out of the club.

"Do you know the deal with her yet," he points to Alicia and I think I'm going to get better answers than her just being a stalker.

"Barely," I shake my head.

"She got into our systems and found out what days he had come in for a week and always came ten minutes later," he explains. "Eventually she always did his workouts and mirrored every action he did. She asked him out a few times but he's too focused on his goals to get a girlfriend and rejected her over and over."

"I heard them say something about her recording him," I add, "what was that about?"

"She would post videos to her social media saying she was working out with her boyfriend AKA Adam," he places his palms on the counter. "It was weird," he finishes.

I had something similar but not a stalker. Someone I knew and spent roughly ten hours a week with that screwed me over. He scared me out of the place without trying and not even using his brain.

"Why does she still come if he is clearly not interested," I ask, very intrigued by her motives. "And what does she see in him? Like he's attractive, yes but there has to be more, right?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you," he admits with a shrug and a sigh. "I won't keep you chatting for too long . Adam's heading over and he takes like two seconds to change so I'll give you a head start."

I laugh and his advice and side step back to the door. "It was really nice chatting with you Mark," I wave bye and push open the door.

"You too Isabelle, hope to see you around me," he shouts after me and then turns back to the gym seconds before I shut the door.