Love Interest
It was him. We met at the gym when we locked eyes on each other. He flirted with me and I did a little bit of it back, complimenting his toned, muscular body.
I don’t remember the exact day we met. All I remember was him walking in to check in with the front desk. I never felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins before. My heart was racing to its finish line while my upside-down smile turned to a smirk. My cheeks were red as a watermelon and I kept looking back at him. I looked away and looked back at him so he wouldn’t see me staring so hard at him. He did the same. Our eyes met and we went away as we both had business to attend to.
Weeks went on and we were doing the same thing over and over again. Then one day, when he asked for a big towel, he gave me a hug. He kissed me on my neck. His smile was impeccable and I smized. The sexual tension heated up the room as everyone in the eating area noticed how compatible we were. He grabbed my hands while I was handing him the towel, bringing it to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. His kiss was untouchable, lips smooth as a baby’s bottom. His eyes were locked and loaded. I was getting married right now.
Is love blind? Is this what love is? Am I blinded by physical and sexual attraction?
As he was walking downstairs, he looked back and winked at me. My back was sweating as I was staring at him making his way to the gym floor. No one was checking in, thank God. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this. The touch of his hands gave me a fever and heat flashes from the heat blowing above me. While making my way back to my chair, I couldn’t help but to think about him. His eyes, lips, smile, and body kept my mind spinning while trying to do my job within the last two hours of my shift.
Did this turn me on? My hands making circular motions with my work shirt. Overthinking of how this would be a perfect opportunity to go at him, but I couldn’t because he was a member and I was working there.
I texted my friend about him. “You already know there’s chemistry and that you’re attracted to each other,” she said. “So, I say go for it.” My friend and I went back and forth texting each other about him. I sent her pictures and she approved.
Weeks went on and after a couple of greetings, we decided to have a normal conversation about our interests. “Why do you work at the front desk, gorgeous?” he asked. “You’re too good for this job.” He gave me his number, Instagram handle, and email. “Send me your resume and I’ll see what I can do.”
All I saw was his lips moving so fast as the sexual tension rose from above. He winked and an air kiss left his lips as he was departing the front desk to go work out. I sent him my resume and followed him on Instagram. Right before he left the gym, I stopped him to let him know that I sent him everything. “Great, I’ll get right on it,” he said joyfully. “I won’t be here for a week because I’ll be going to Paris to show my collection.” I won’t see him for a week. Are you kidding me?
A week of not seeing him. He was out of the country, in the city of love, to show his amazing collection, and I prayed every hour of the day that the retailers or anybody there would love it. Every five minutes, my mind was all over the place, there was something about him. His charm had my heart uneasy. There were papers I needed to scan and put into files and expenses in an Excel sheet, but that could wait a minute, the next day, or maybe when he comes back so I could make sure he was okay.
Then, he came back. Flawless skin glowing under the lights. I grabbed a towel while he was looking for his key tag to sign in. I rose up from the chair and walked a few steps to give him a hug. While my arms embraced a hug to his perfectly toned body, he followed my lead and went directly to my neck, kissing my brown skin.
“Are you trying to kiss me?” I asked.
“Yeah, I am,” he said. I chuckled and he continued. “You have a nice booty.”
“I wish I had your upper body,” I said joyfully.
The next day, he came in and I decided to make the first move. He did his normal thing, checking in and asking for a big towel.
I marched like a soldier and kissed him with my favorite Chapstick on. The Chapstick smeared all over his perfect pink lips. My hand moved slowly to wipe off the overly applied Chapstick while he grabbed my hand and whispered “no, I like it.” All I saw were pink hearts all over his beautiful chiseled face. The spotlight was on him. Our brown eyes met in the cold air coming from the door as people were walking in and out of the gym, waiting in line to get either a quick lunch, protein shake, or smoothie from the Smoothie Shop. He smiled while walking backwards before entering the stairwell to go to the gym floor.
It had been thirty minutes since our encounter. I had to use the bathroom, so I casually walked downstairs, making my way to the men’s locker room, the second door on the right, near the laundry room. I noticed him finishing a set on the arm machine. He saw me and winked at me. I took a small sip from the water fountain. He went to the shoulder press machine and I tapped his shoulder and his sweat left his body and entered my index finger.
“What are you working on, handsome?” I asked.
“I’m doing shoulders, love,” he responded.
We both smiled and before I entered the men’s locker room, he smacked my ass. He purred as I was walking in the locker room. I couldn’t find him after I finished going to the bathroom, though I knew he was somewhere in the gym. I went back upstairs to the front desk and stayed until my shift was over. 2 hours were left and time was ticking. He came back looking like a snack with his trench coat and plaid pants. We exchanged a goodbye kiss.
When he left, I texted my friend within seconds and mentioned that I was taking her advice. More weeks went on and the chemistry was non-stop sensational. My mind couldn’t let him go. He sung me sweet melodies every time he walked in with his Chicago-native charm. That mole on the right side of the chin spoke to me. He was receiving several accolades for his collection and he would receive success for this outstanding change in his life. I knew it was coming to him very soon. He deserved every minute, and I wanted to be there with him.
Intimacy filled my body with passion. I never knew how much I cared about him. My eyes would light up when he called my name and I called his: Brandon. He knew I would treat him with exceptional customer service, to satisfy all his needs and desires. He would hold my hips, tight and loaded. No one could ever replace him. His hugs. His hands. The Romeo to my Juliet. The John Smith to my Pocahontas. I had to keep the affair from my family. His pink lips were on fire to my full lips. He put sugar in my candy, and I could taste all the sweetness out of him. I would put a bullet through someone’s skull if someone was to ever hurt him. His confidence, intelligence, and attitude were sexy. I could feel fever coming to me, as if he was the sun and I was basking in him.
Many days at my gym job were horrible due to management, but when he came in, he made me forget everything. However, the day they laid me off, all I could think about was not being able to be with or see him every day.
He texted me to see if I was there. I responded, “I don’t work at the front desk anymore, so I’m freelancing right now. How are you doing?” The three dots went in and out as he typed a response.
“I moved to Morocco this weekend.”
My eyes were fifty feet wide as I gasped. I sent him my wishes on his new journey, saying “I’ll miss you, and I hope you’re having a great time in Morocco.”
Weeks went on when COVID-19 hit everywhere, and I could not seem to forget about him when I moved back home. I checked on his page here and there. Then, I noticed that he’s in a relationship with the founder and creative director of his own fashion line. They look like a happy couple; a family of two with a golden retriever.
I’ll never forget how he made me feel and what I’ll value in a relationship: love, happiness, and intimacy. If it wasn’t for this love interest, I wouldn’t know what I want in a relationship. I know there’s someone out there for me and I’ll find happiness one day.
