The Recruit(12)

Jaz settled into a rhythm, pounding against the pads on Bags’ hands.

‘Bloody hell, Jaz,’ said Bags shaking out his hands. ‘Whose face are you imagining?’ But he didn’t wait for her answer as he got her to do some uppercuts.

After another thirty minutes, when he was sure that she was hurting, he called a stop. ‘That will do you today, I think you’ve vented enough. I know you could keep doing this all day if I let you.’

‘Thanks, Bags, that was great,’ said Jaz in between deep breaths.

‘No worries. Look, I better head off. Say hi to the guys when they get in and I’ll catch ya soon.’ Bags threw her towel over the top of her head.

‘Righto, bye.’ Jaz towelled some of her sweat off as she watched him leave. She had the gym to herself. This was so much better than school, even if she had mats to wash today.

Ten minutes later Jaz had her earphones blaring music, bucket and sponge by her side as she bent over and scrubbed sweat from the mat. Dark silk cascaded over her shoulder and shook with each push of her arm as she scrubbed the large blue mat. She stood, throwing the sponge back into the bucket and then broke out in a little dance as she sang a few lines from her favourite Avicii song. Jaz bopped away and then squeezed out the sponge.

A tap on the shoulder caused her to jump.

‘Yeah,’ she yelled before pulling out her earphones.

The tall, gorgeous guy in front of her smiled and she dropped her voice down a few decibels before asking, ‘Can I help you?’ She wouldn’t mind helping the stranger with his deep dark eyes that gave her chills. Or maybe it was the way his jeans hung off his hips. Why did he seem so familiar?

‘Is Pax here?’

‘Nup.’

‘It’s still his gym, yeah?’

Jaz flicked her hair from her eyes before answering and gave the stranger a head to toe inspection. Why was he so familiar? His grey t-shirt fitted his muscled chest to perfection. God she loved working at the gym.

‘Yep.’

Who was he and how did he know Pax? He didn’t look that old, maybe twenty-five at most, so what would he want with Pax? His body was long and lean; he definitely kept fit so maybe he was an instructor or something. A scary instructor at that. As handsome as he was, her radar was screaming ‘danger’ and she couldn’t read his expression. His eyes were so dark and almost menacing, like he could kill if he was ordered to. And that’s when she realised why he was familiar. He was the bouncer guy from the nightclub. The one who reminded her of a soldier. She never forgot a pair of muscled arms.

‘I’ve come to work out for a while; do you have short-term memberships?’

She threw her sponge into the bucket with precision and nodded her head towards the front desk. He followed obediently.

‘Fill in this form, sign here and the amounts per month are there. Take your pick,’ she said pushing the paper towards him.

‘So, you been working for Pax for long?’ Mr Mysterious asked.

‘Yep, you could say I’ve been working here for most of my life, but I’ve been getting paid for the last seven. I’m running it at the moment while Pax is away.’

Those dark eyes were studding her closely. Jaz felt like she was being stripped bare.

‘You seem familiar. Have we met?’

‘I think so. You’re a bouncer right? You probably don’t remember me from a few weeks ago — ’

‘Oh, the girl in the black dress,’ he said. ‘How could I forget?’

Jaz swallowed hard. He remembered her and her dress. Wowzers.

Ryan began to fill in the paperwork. ‘You know, I’ve been here a few times before and I don’t remember you.’

Jaz just shrugged. ‘Yeah well, I don’t remember you either.’

She saw his eyes flash with humour; did he find her smart mouth amusing?

‘So when will Pax be back?’

Jaz put her hand on her hip, and leant the other one against the table. ‘Whenever he wants.’

The guy sighed and rested his hip against the desk. ‘Are you always so curt?’

‘Do you always ask so many questions?’

The guy smiled at her cockiness.

‘My name’s Ryan,’ he said holding out his hand.

‘I know,’ she said shaking it. He tilted his head at her curiously. ‘It’s on your form,’ she said pointing to his paperwork and laughing.

Ryan dragged his hand down his face before glancing at her.

‘My name’s Jaz, it’s nice to meet you Ryan. So how well do you know Pax?’

‘Um, we see each other from time to time and I try to keep in touch but it’s hard with work. I’m travelling a fair bit but I’m home for a while and I’m going nuts with nothing to do, and so I’m here.’