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yourself anymore." Now he lets out a full blown laugh. I should be laughing at myself, too, but I am too pissed. "I think you should stay away from anything mechanical." 
    I keep walking , holding up my middle finger in his direction as I go. I have to save face, somehow, and hope he will get the hint and just go to another spot in the gym so I can salvage some of my workout.
    I hate that h e's right, though, I don't know how to do any of the machines. I sure as hell don't need to make a fool of myself anymore. I walk up to the chin up bar, I haven't done these in forever. My brothers and I used to have competitions. They always beat me, but I could still do ten easy. I wonder if I still can. I'm just about to grab the bar when I hear him behind me. 
    "Chin ups?"
    "Why do you care what I am doing, don't you have a little girlfriend around here somewhere to annoy?" I snap at him. It's like he knows what he does to me and he is trying to make it worse. 
    "Why are you so snappy?" he throws back at me.
    "I guess you bring out the worst in me."
    "You know, yesterday when I said that I wasn't interested in you, that wasn't entirely true," he says with that half sexy grin that makes my knees weak. Fuck man, what are you doing to me?   
    "That's too bad for you, because what I said was true." I hold my head up, not wavering an ounce.
    He winces at the rejection. I'm pretty sure he has never been rejected before. "How about a little wager then?" He raises one eyebrow like he is challenging me.
    "What did you have in mind ?" I do love a good challenge.
    "I can see by your sexy , little lady six-pack that you are in good shape," he says, staring at my belly.  Yeah, I've worked hard for that, mister . I place my hands over my stomach because damn if his comment didn't just make lava run through my body. 
    "Your arm s are toned, but not muscular. So I bet you can't do five full chin ups." He grasps the bar with one hand, making me see his very muscular arm. More heat, oh God, where is it coming from?
    "If I can't?"
    "You let me take you out on a date." He takes hold of the bar with his other hand and the cocky son of a bitch does ten chin ups with ease. The muscles in his back and arms are like rippling waves of gorgeousness. God, would I love to run my hands all over that body .
    "What if I can?" I look away when he jumps down, hoping I don't have drool hanging from my mouth. 
    "If you can, it's your call. I'll leave you alone if that's what you want," he says this like there is no possible way that is what I would want. 
    "Deal." I reach out and take his hand to seal the deal. That damn spark runs through me again the moment he touches me. Like always, my mouth goes dry and my breathing stops. I let his hand loose as fast as I can. I know he knows he is having an effect on me, which just perturbs me even more.
    I reach for the bar, but it is too tall for me. Before I know what is happening, his hands are around my waist lifting me. "There you go, Petal." Even though I can't see his face, I can hear the sarcasm in his voice. Fuck you !
    It's like riding a bi ke, I do five chin ups easily. Just to be a smart ass, I do seven before my arms start burning. I jump down very satisfied and turn to see a look of astonishment on his face. "Damn, girl." He whistles through his teeth. 
    "Farm girl!" I smile and walk away. Grabbing my jacket and keys from the locker I had stowed them in, I walk out of the gym, not looking back. 
    I go to my two classes and by the time I am done with my home work it is time to go to work. I can tell already that between school and my new job I am not going to be having much of a social life.
    I go in early that afternoon hoping to catch Matty.  Before I change into my uniform, I knock lightly on his office door. I hear him say come in and open the door. I almost want to shut it immediately.    Across the desk from Matty is Liam, sitting in a chair balancing it on its back two legs like a teenager