If I fell (Chris Pratt fanfic)✅

Chapter 2

Chris went to the gym, same time as the day before. His eyes scanned the once again nearly empty place for Belle but there was no sign of her or her friend. Every time the door to the gym would open his head would snap up in hopes it would be her but by the end of his workout she hadn't shown.

"She would have been here by now." Matt handed Chris a water bottle.

"Who?" Chris asked innocently unscrewing the lid from the water before taking a long satisfying drink.

"My mother." Matt said sarcastically, "Belle. You've been looking all morning man."

Chris shrugged nonchalantly.

"When she's here it's usually  by 10:30." Matt continued.

"How do you know? You been checking her out?" Chris gave his friend a look.

"Nah", Matt chuckled, "I know better. What you find at the gym you leave at the gym."

Chris laughed. "Is that your rule?"

Matt nodded, "Should be yours to trust me."

Belle wanted to go to the gym. If she were honest she was dying to see if Chris were there again. But she had a day full of meetings and a luncheon and since the season had just started her job was a little more demanding. She finally left the office at 5:30 and got home to be greeted by her 4-year-old Chocolate lab rescue pup Killen. He was the smartest, sweetest dog on the planet and she was so grateful that someone had chosen to put him up for adoption, so she could give him his forever home. For the past 2 years he had been the only "Man" in her life. When she was younger she dated, when she was in college she had a steady boyfriend for a few years before they mutually called it quits. Early on in her career at the Dodgers she had made the mistake of falling for and dating a baseball player, Hunter Jackson . Even worse he was on the Dodgers. They dated for 2 years and she thought it was going fantastic even thought marriage might be in the future but then it all fell apart. He became the hotshot baseball player, on the road a lot and she wouldn't forget the night she received a phone call from a girl claiming that she too had been dating Hunter. Belle didn't believe her and wholeheartedly believed that Hunter would assure her it was rumor, a groupie, but he admitted it. He said he would break it off with the other girl and that he loved Belle and was sorry for making such a colossal mistake, but she had ended it. Here it was 2 years later, Killen the only fellow in her life and Hunter, well he still played Center for the Dodgers.

It had taken a whole week before Belle could get back to the gym. Chris went every day thinking maybe today would be the day she would return but 7 long days went by and Chris was losing hope. He would only be in town for a few more weeks before press started for the latest installment of Avengers and then off course the sequel to Jurassic World.

Tuesday morning Chris walked into the gym, this time not looking for Belle, but he did a double take when he saw her jogging on the treadmill ear buds in her ears and her perfect pout of a mouth lip singing along.

He quickly dropped his bag in the locker room and met Matt at the ropes to start his cardio. Belle still was on the treadmill, but Chris kept his eye on her. He'd introduce himself today.

As soon as Belle stepped off the treadmill she looked over to where Matt was instructing Chris to do another rep of bicep curls, a site she was sure she could watch all day. Before she could look away Chris looked up and caught her eye.

"Hang on one second." He said to Matt before putting the weight down and jogging over to Belle.

"Hi." He gave her a lopsided grin that made her insides feel like mush.

"Hi." She echoed back with her own smile.

"I'm Chris." He stuck his hand out.

"I know." She wiped her hand on her towel before reaching out to shake his extended one. "I'm Belle."

"I know." His grin got bigger.

They kept shaking hands until Chris laughed, "Sorry." He pulled his hand away. "I was watching you-" He winced "Wait that didn't come out right. That was kind of stalkerish."

"A little bit." Belle couldn't help but continue to smile. He was so adorable.

"I want to take you out." He spit out. "Ugh." He moaned, "This is not how I pictured this would go."

"You pictured asking me out?" She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Again, kind of stalkerish. Forgive me. Let's try this again." He stuck his hand out, "I'm Chris, I would love to take you out."

She shook his hand again. "You don't even know me."

"That's kind of the point of a date. To get to know you. If I don't like you I just won't call you again." He joked with a shrug.

"What if I don't like you?" She asked playfully.

"Then you don't have to answer my calls?" He suggested.

"That sounds fair. Let me think about it."

"OK." He stood there looking at her waiting for an answer and she laughed that contagious laugh.

"Oh you mean think about it." He dragged out the 'think' and 'about'.

Belle laughed again.

He gave her a charming smile. "I'll be done working out in-"He looked at his watch, " 20 mins give or take you can let me know." Then he turned and jogged back to Matt but glanced back over his shoulder giving her another smile letting her know he was teasing her.

Oh, she was definitely going out on this date.