The Waiter by Bradleigh Collins (bill gates books recommendations .txt) 📕

so, we moved on to the heavy bags.

“I have to wrap your hands babe,” The Waiter said. He pulled up a stool in front of me and began unraveling a set of wraps. I looked down at him as he sat there, shirtless and sweaty. He took my right hand and began slowly wrapping the material around it. It was incredibly erotic.

“You ready to hit it?” He asked when he was done wrapping my hands.

“Oh, I’m ready to hit it alright,” I replied. He shook his head.

“You need to focus,” he said as he stood up. Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear. “And stop looking at me like that. I can’t be walking around here with a hard-on.”

I laughed. We went over to the heavy bags. Nick was working with Josh, demonstrating how to throw a right hook in precise detail. The Waiter was putting boxing gloves on me.

“You look sexy when you’re all sweaty,” he said.

“I feel gross.”

I started punching the bag, trying to listen to everything The Waiter was telling me to do.

“Harder! Think of somebody you’d really like to punch and knock the hell out of him!”

Well, that was easy. I immediately thought about Dalton and my punching intensified. Of course, I did this all the time in my kickboxing classes. Dalton was my go-to nemesis, and he always delivered a productive workout.

“Damn,” The Waiter said. “I’m pretty sure I know exactly who you’re thinking about.”

“Well, who do you think about when you’re hitting the bag?”

“My ex-wife,” he said. Suddenly I wanted to hit him instead of the bag. This was the first time I’d ever heard about an ex-anything, much less an ex-wife. The Waiter continued. “Actually, I think about the guy my ex-wife cheated on me with.”

“You were married?”

“Yeah. For about two years.”

“How come you never told me about this before?”

“I didn’t wanna scare you away, and it’s a part of my life that’s over. She cheated on me. I divorced her. And that’s it.”

“When did you get divorced?”

“Three years ago. When I was twenty-seven.”

“Does she still live in New York?”

“No. She married the guy she cheated on me with and they moved to Miami.”

I was stunned. It’s not like I didn’t expect him to have a past, but for some reason, I was angry at him. We had moved on from the heavy bags and climbed up into the ring. The Waiter was now holding two big pads in either hand, and I was alternating punches into both of them.

“Okay, now I’m not sure if you’re throwing punches at your ex or at me,” he said. “Are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad.”

“You look like you really wanna hit me.”

“No, I don’t wanna hit you.” I wanted to hit her.

“I know there was at least one time you definitely wanted to hit me.”

“Yes, there was.”

“And now?”

I had no intention of hitting him. Instead, I just threw my arms around him. And, of course, I started to cry.

“I’m sorry baby,” he said. “I should have told you before.”

I playfully punched him. “No, you shouldn’t have. I don’t wanna hear about any other girls before me.”

He laughed and gave me a long kiss.

“Are you guys seriously making out in my boxing ring?” Nick asked. He and The Waiter were about to do a sparring session. Both of them put on their padded face protectors and then I helped The Waiter into his boxing gloves.

“Nick, please don’t hit him in the face.”

“That’s why he’s wearing that padding, love. To protect that beautiful face of his.”

For the next forty-five minutes, Josh and I stood ringside and watched The Waiter and Nick repeatedly hit each other. Josh loved it. I didn’t. I was still feeling the pain of my own gut punch.

The Waiter was married before. And not to me.

CHAPTER 28

◆◆◆

“Breathe. Drink. Repeat.”

Lucy had become my liquid Lamaze coach. I’d just joined her and Katie at The Heights for brunch and was half-way done with my first mimosa.

“So he was married before,” Katie said. “What’s the big deal? You were practically married to Dalton.”

“Dana said the same thing. I called her in the cab on the way down here.”

“Yeah, Sam,” Lucy said. “I really don’t understand why you’re so freaked out about this.”

“I think I’m just in shock.” I ordered another mimosa.

“I’m shocked anybody would cheat on him,” Katie said.

“Yeah,” Lucy agreed. “I’d like to get a look at the guy she cheated on him with.”

“I’d like to get a look at her.”

“Why?” Katie asked. “She’s his past, you’re his present. And she’s living in Miami.”

“No, she’s living rent-free in my head. And I don’t even know what she looks like.”

“I’m sure you’re way prettier,” Lucy said.

“I’m sure she’s Cindy Crawford. And I’m Cindy Brady.”

“Stop!” Katie said. “You’re obsessing over nothing.”

“Yeah, you are,” Lucy agreed. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“How was the workout?” Katie asked. “Did Josh get hit in the face?”

“No. Josh is a much better boxer than me, but I did kick his ass jumping rope.”

“How’s Nick?” Lucy asked. “Is he still as hot as he was in De La Guarda?”

“He’s good. Still hot. You guys should have come. Even though I winced every time a punch landed, I have to admit I was totally turned on watching the two of them in the ring. Shirtless.”

“Okay, next time I am going with you,” Lucy said.

“Me too,” Katie added.

“Their startup idea is pretty amazing. Boxing, martial arts, aerial training, and now they’ve added climbing.”

“Oh, like he did in the show?” Katie asked.

“Exactly. They’ve got a lot of investors interested. Nick’s dad has all these contacts in the boxing world.”

“They’re gonna be so rich,” Lucy said. “And you’re gonna be Mrs. Rich.”

“He already had a missus, remember?”

“And we’re back to being obsessed,” she said.

Katie looked at me. “I thought you said you never wanted to get married. What would you say if he asked you to marry him one day?”

“I don’t know.”

That was the honest truth. Marriage was not something I’d ever aspired