Vulnerable

Chapter 2

I wasn't a person who got starstruck. I was a fan of Billie's music but didn't know much about her outside of that. Clearly, seeing as how my stupid ass offered up a fist bump after interrupting her workout.

I shook my head at myself, deciding that I would finish my cardio quickly and disappear even quicker before I had the chance to embarrass myself more.

I double-tapped my AirPod, skipping to the next song as if she was somehow able to hear my music. I ran hard for the next half hour, trying my best not to think about Billie being there. I wondered why she was at this gym in the first place, I would imagine someone like her would have a gym in their house full of the best equipment. The kind that didn't have broken harnesses.

The timer beeped on the treadmill, pulling me out of my thoughts. I hopped off and grabbed my water jug from the floor, finding it empty. I looked around briefly, heading towards the water fountains that were by the bathrooms.

The gym was empty now, she must've left while I was quite literally running away from my embarrassment. I felt a twinge of disappointment that she was gone but decided it was probably for the best.

I was scrolling on my phone as I rounded the corner to the bathrooms, stopping abruptly when I saw a pair of shoes right in front of me.

I jumped, gasping a bit, before looking up from my phone to see the person I had been hoping to avoid standing at the water fountain. When I gasped, she dropped her water bottle into the fountain and turned to look at me, jumping a bit herself.

"Shit I'm so sorry." I stumbled, bending down to pick the lid for her water off the ground and handing it to her. "I didn't think anyone was still here." I explained, shifting my weight on my feet as she screwed the lid back on.

"You're good dude." She laughed, stepping away from the water fountain a bit. I was frozen in place, like my shoes had melted into the floor. She stared at me, blinking and looking down at the empty jug I was holding awkwardly in my hands.

"Do you need to-" she pointed beside her at the fountain, smirking at my awkwardness.

"Oh. Right, yes. Thank you." I ran my hand through my sweaty hair and stepped past her, catching a wiff of her perfume. It was warm and spicy, how she managed to smell that good after a workout was beyond me.

I pressed the button on the fountain and began filling my jug, I could feel her presence behind me still and she cleared her throat.

"I'm Billie, by the way." She said uneasily, moving so she was beside me and holding her fist out to me, that same goofy smirk on her face.

I chuckled at her and bumped my fist with hers again, "Yeah, I...I know." I admitted, finishing filling my water and capping it before taking a sip of it and turning to face her.

"Oh I just-" she fussed with her hair, "sorry, people usually say something to me right away and I guess I just figured since you didn't-"

"That I wouldn't treat you like a real person?" I finished her sentence, and she looked up from the floor pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Yeah..something like that." Her eyes flickered down my body and back up again, not an ounce of shame in her gaze. I blushed, not being one to take compliments well. Especially from women who looked how she looked.

"I won't lie, I didn't recognize you at first but then.." I paused, unsure if it would be weird to admit she was on my workout playlist.

She lifted her eyebrows at me, waiting to hear what gave her away.

I pointed at my AirPod, "You kinda started singing in my ear and it clicked."

She let out a goofy laugh, "Sick dude. I'm honored to be in your ears." If I didn't know better, I would think she was flirting with me. Her entire demeanor was easy, confident, and flirty.