"This gym is huge!" I said when Ari took me to workout.
"We have home gym as well. It is very nice," he replied. His tone reminded me of the displeasure he had shown when we first pulled up to the house and I'd exclaimed how nice it was.
"Oh, yeah. The one at your parents' home has nicer machines," I lied.
It felt good to get on the treadmill. It was a brand new one with a touch screen and a coach to guide me through a simulated cross country trek.
I ran up and down hills on the machine and got a good five miles in before I started to wear out. Ari used the weights and did a little cardio of his own on the stair climber. He finished before I did so he sat on the weight bench and played with his phone.
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We were just getting out of the shower when I heard a knock on our door.
Ari wrapped a towel around his waist and went to check it. I heard Mr. Khorasani speaking in their language and I quickly grabbed a towel to wrap around my waist and scurried out to the bedroom.
"Little one! How are you?" Mr. Khorasani said with relief and came over to me.
"I am ok. We got out before the fires. The school was just beginning to call parents for evacuation so we got out without a crush of cars," I told him.
He lifted me off my feet into a crushing hug and his lips kissed my neck. "You are safe. Everyone is safe and this is what is important. Things are getting bad up there."
"The fires are burning things?" I asked.
"Father, he does not need to know of this," Ari interrupted.
"Yes... Everything will be ok. You have nothing to worry for. Buildings can be fixed, people can not. We got everyone out without harm." Mr. Khorasani nodded.
He held me for a minute and luckily the towel around my waist stayed on. He finally set me down and then tousled my wet hair. He smiled and gave me one last kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, sir. I am safe. Everyone else is ok?" I asked.
"They are fine. I settled them in a hotel in San Diego and then came back up. My wife is with the other boys and their families. They will have a nice vacation while we wait this out. Your father and my brother are staying in LA. They are away from the smoke and staying with friends. You boys gets dressed and ready for dinner. The other boys will be home soon." Mr. Khorasani said.
He pulled me in for another tight hug before giving us some privacy.
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Ari put me in dark pants and a long-sleeved blue t-shirt for dinner.
He wanted me covered around these guys. I was glad he hadn't packed a winter coat for me. We found Mr. Khorasani on the back patio with Mr. Hadid and Brandon. They were standing in front of a grill that was giving off the most delicious smell.
Under the patio there was a long high table with seating for ten. Ari put me in the center seat facing the grill and settled in next to me. As soon as we sat down, two guys came out from the house behind us.
I turned to look at them and thought that they must be Mr. Hadid's sons.
The older one was a mirror image of his father though much younger. He was tall and muscled with a stride that said he owned the world. His eyes quickly found me and his lips turned up into a smile.
Ari squeezed my hand as he held it under the table. I quickly lowered my eyes.
The younger one looked like his father but was closer to my height and age. His frame was toned but not as bulging and bulky as his brother's.
YOU ARE READING
Lukas & The Lion
Teen Fiction17 year old Lukas Smith has his life turned upside down when his dad loses his job in their scrappy desert town. He moves to LA where his dad finds work. Lukas takes a summer job at a local gym to save up for a new phone. That's where he meets a mu...
