Page 2 of A Shot at Love
Bright red hair was haphazardly pulled back into a messy bun and loose strands framed Frankie’s face. Freckles dotted her fair skin and a perfect set of dimples made her smile pop in a way that Jules knew likely captivated everyone Frankie met. Suddenly she needed to change the subject and she glanced back at the kettlebell she had been using to keep herself from getting lost in Frankie’s curious green eyed gaze.
“So, you couldn’t sleep either, huh? Or are you someone important like a doctor or a firefighter and you work crazy hours so you only have free time in the middle of the night?”
This earned Jules a laugh and when she lifted her eyes to look at Frankie again, her dimples were on full display.
“No, I don’t do anything even close to being that important. I’ve just been travelling a lot for a new job and the jet lag got to me pretty badly so I figured a workout was better than staring at the ceiling.”
That was definitely something Jules could relate to. Within the past five years she’d moved four times and she was hoping, for her sanity and her sleep schedule, that this move would stick, that this time she could put down some roots.
“I feel like you’re just being modest but I won’t push,” Jules said with a laugh. “And I’ll let you get your workout started and get back to my early 2000’s pop mix.”
“Early 2000’s, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s the best pump up music. Come Clean by Hilary Duff? It really gets the blood flowing.”
“Hmm, I might just have to add it to my playlist then.”
The conversation fizzled out as they both smiled at each other and Jules did her best to refocus on her routine, one she’d carefully crafted over the years that she could do no matter what kind of fitness equipment she had to work with.
Frankie easily settled into her own workout on the other side of the room and Jules quickly realized that focusing on her own reps wasn’t all that easy when Frankie was doing a shoulder exercise that had her looking especially…strong.
Stop it, Jules. Don’t be creepy,she told herself, keeping her eyes glued on her own reflection in the mirror in front of her.
Another twenty minutes went by as they worked out alongside one another, their own music playing in their ears, their own exercises occupying their time. Her phone rang, interrupting her final set of tricep kickbacks and when she saw the name that flashed across the screen, she signed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
She swiftly gathered her things and offered Frankie a polite smile and a little awkward wave as she breezed past her to the exit and her phone buzzed again. She threw one last glance over her shoulder at Frankie who caught her eye in the large mirrored wall and grinned, giving her a friendly wave in return.
Cam – 3:45am
Julesssss I forgot the code to get into the building.
I need to piss.
Jules knew she should have negotiated living in a different condo building than her brother when they made the move to Halifax but she'd given in. She was nearing her breaking point but every time she considered putting distance between them all she could think about was her parents, how often Cam said he didn’t know what he would do without her, how he would be lost on his own, that she was his best friend.
Cam – 3:46AM
LET ME INNNN
But hell if her brother didn’t test her patience more and more every single day.
She rode the elevator down to the lobby and spotted him outside the crystal clear glass windows of the lobby as the elevator doors slid open. His shaggy blonde hair, boyish charm and bubbly personality paired with his strong hockey build and undeniable talent made him a fan favourite in the league. Kids wanted his stick and women wanted him.
Right now though, Jules could already tell that his crisp designer dress shirt was untucked, the buttons only half buttoned up and his typically unruly mop of hair was especially messy, the sign of a very late night.
He tapped the glass with his knuckles and pointed at the entrance that required a code in order for it to open. Jules, still dressed in her sweaty gym clothes at nearly four o’clock in the morning, padded across the quiet lobby and nodded at the nighttime security guard who was sitting behind a small desk looking bored out of his mind.
“Oh my god, finally,” Cam groaned when Jules held the door open for him.
He rushed past her, practically sprinting across the open space to the gender neutral washroom just beyond the security desk. The night guard didn’t even bat an eye and Jules sighed as she trudged back towards the elevators to wait. This wasn’t her first rodeo.
He was in and out of the washroom within two minutes and swiftly followed her into a waiting elevator car, pressing the button to close the doors behind them. Jules put her foot down when it came to them having apartments on the same floor and she definitely refused apartments that shared a wall, despite her brother’s grumblings about it.
“What about emergencies? What if I need you for something right away, like if I get a cramp or…or if I’m bored and want to hang out?” Cam had said and she loved her brother, she really did, but lately he’d been a trigger for her migraines.
“We’re only a few floors apart, Cam,” Jules had reassured him. “And you don’t need me for a cramp. Besides, the last time yousurprisedme by moving me into a building with an apartment directly beside yours, I was forced to endure the sounds of puck bunny time way too often so…no. Enjoy your independence.”
The elevator made its silent climb up towards Cam’s floor and he leaned against the wall and grinned.
