Harassenger: Backseat Admirer ✔️

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"How does my hair look?" My little sister, Jamie, was staying downstairs while I worked my shift at the gym. She busied herself by braiding my long hair while she sat on top of the protein counter. Not exactly the most sanitary activity to do by drinks, but Jamie was as obdurate in everything she did.

She was only four, and the girl has skills when it comes to hairdressing.

"You look pretty, Natt." She pressed her tiny hands against both of my cheeks, squishing my lips together.

"Why thank you. Now get your cute butt up the stairs so I can continue working." I told her, picking her up from the counter and onto the epoxy floor.

"I want to stay here." She argued, her hands on her hips.

"Fine, but stay where I can see you and don't get on the treadmill no matter how bad you want to." I warned. She had a habit of doing things she wasn't supposed to. Last week it was the exercise ball she was playing with and hit herself in the face.

And she was off, her pretty, pink tutu flopping in the air. I shook my head in dismay at the mini version of myself. And then I spotted the woman who I was the mini version of. Dressed in a racerback top, athletic pants, and a green headband was my mother. I was the spitting image of her, apart from her chopped off, dyed brown hair.

"Hey, did you just come in? Guess who got a new membership today?" I asked, rhetorically.

"You did! Hunny, that is great. And no, I was teaching my Zumba class in the back. I canceled yesterday's class so I had to make up for it this morning. Turns out, Zumba is a hit and I think the ladies love having private sessions. A few of the clients are referring me to their friends; I also signed up one person via phone. I can't remember his name, but he says he's a friend of yours and will be coming in today." But who?

I didn't have the chance to question her because the question of 'who' was answered.

"Mick?"

"Yes, that's his name." She snapped her fingers.

"No, I mean he's here." The double doors slammed shut and the welcoming bell rang. Mick was dressed in nothing but a pair of purple basketball shirts and sneakers.
"Elisha Fisher? I talked to you over the phone."

"Ah, yes." Mom shook Mick's hand, winking at me as if she didn't realize how cute he would be.

"Mick, I thought you said you worked out at home." I mentioned.

"I thought I'd change that. I was in town changing my tire and I saw the gym was opened. I called the number on the door to see if I could sign up today." He said. Couldn't he have just came in before? Guys, so lazy. I don't think he'll make it in this gym at that rate.

"Natt, don't be rude. Sign him up." Mom ordered.

Behind the table, I grabbed a sign up sheet and handed him one, along with a pen. If he thought he was getting a discount he was mistaken.

"So since you're friends with Natt, you can get a discount." Darn you, Mother.

"Sweet. You have a wondering gym, and a wonderful daughter." Did I hear him right? His voice was muffled as he hunkered down to fill out the paper, so maybe I was wrong.

"She is very wonderful. How do you two know each other?" Mom asked.

"School. Old friends." I blurted out, not wanting to speak of yesterday.

She opened her mouth to speak, but my sister interrupted.

"Hey, do you like my tutu?" Oh sweet Jesus. My sister had no filter, twirling around the floor like a crazy person.

"Wow, it's so sparkly I can barely see you. Who are you?" Mick crouched over, slowly extending his hand to my sister.

"Jamie, Natt's little sister." She smiled, showing her smile of missing teeth.

"Oh, I can see it now. Both have those cute, chubby cheeks." I do not have chubby cheeks!

"Mick, are you going to finish your paperwork?" I interrupted.

"Hey, I didn't show him my dog yet!" My sister ran around the desk, scooting me out the way to get her stuffed animal.

"She's compensating for our dog, Buckshot's, death. She hasn't taken it well so we got her a stuffed animal." I whispered, explaining to Mick who nodded with understanding.

"Isn't he great?" Barely reaching over the counter, Jamie showed Mick her animal.

"He is. I love dogs, too. I used to have a black lab."

"I want one!" She squealed.

"I also had a bird, too. His name was Chipper." He smiled, turning to look at me.

"Really? So did we. We named him Chipper after Chipper..."

"Jones." We said in unison. Wow, what a small world.

We smiled at one another, and I had to force myself to look away.

He handed me the sign up sheet and clicked the pen closed.

In the meantime, Jamie ran off with her never-ending energy, looking for someone else to chat up.

"So what do you sell here?" He asked me.

"We sell shakes, smoothies, drinks, and fitness shirts." I said, naming as many things as I could think of at the top of my head.

"How about bags? I see you have a collection behind you." I turned to see what he was talking about. We certainly didn't have any luggage.

"Oh, that? That's my personal luggage. I'm going to the beach. Holt and Della want to spend their honeymoon with the entire family, so I'm obligated to go. It was mostly Holt's idea, to be honest."

"Oh. That should be fun." He said, quite unenthusiastically.

I had gotten an idea, a devious and spur of the moment one, and I was afraid to even say it, as karma could get back to me. I said it anyway, because I had a big mouth begging for trouble.

"It's will be fun, and you'll be able to experience it, too."

"Huh?" He asked, completely taken aback by my words.

"Yeah, you're coming with me. You agreed with Della's plan to set me up with blind dates so I'm forcing you to come along with me as punishment."

"Natt, it was a tradition. You had to agree."

"Liar. You only agreed because you thought it was funny and now it's your turn to suffer, too." It was a good feeling to be evil.

"But I don't want to go. Your friend, Holt, is a jerk, no offense. He was up my ass during the wedding like I was there to commit a murder. I don't like people like that."

"Holt is not a jerk, but suit yourself. If you'd like me to go on random dates with the chance of being murdered myself, then fine by."

"Hey, I never said I wasn't going; I said I didn't want to go." He winked.

It was that easy to convince him to come, but now I was wondering what the hell I got myself into. But it was too late to back out now. It looks like I was going on vacation with Mick Conrad.