Page 33 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

“So, how was your day? Adopted out any pets?”

He sat with his elbows on the table, his hand cradling his glass loosely.

“Um, no. I only volunteer at the shelter, so I don’t usually have much to do with that side of things. I work at a vets.”

“You’re an animal doctor?” he asked.

“No, not even a nurse. I’m just the receptionist.”

“Just a receptionist.” He shook his head. “I’ve worked on the front desk of the emergency department. Dealing with people is hell.”

“Try overwrought pet parents.” I slumped back against my chair. “Ones who want their precious seen right now. Others who don’t think they should have to pay. The worst are the ones that bitch the vets out.”

“Biting the hand that’s trying to help them?” He reached over and clinked his glass with mine. “Nice to know it’s not just people in hospitals that pull that shit. After the pandemic, we dealt?—”

“Hey!”

We both turned around at the sound of a masculine voice. A familiar one, it felt, but how could that be true? I stared at the doorway into the living room, hearing the sounds of boots clattering against the floor. It got closer and closer, my mouth falling open as soon as I realised who it was.

“Got caught up at the gym and…”

Rhys stood there, staring at me, then Garrett.

“Me too. The station chief…”

Rhett came around the corner and then stopped still, a smile forming instantly.

“Katie?”

Mandie theorised I’d be calling out the guys’ names before the end of the night, but it turned out they were the ones saying mine. Each man stared at me, then each other, when they couldn’t work out the reason why. Mandie told me that having a roster of guys was the only way to survive the avalanche of fuck boys out there, but she missed one crucial detail.

It was a really good idea to make sure they didn’t live in the same house.

“How the hell do you two know Katie?” Rhett asked.

Chapter17

Garrett

Everything was going to hell.

“How do I know Katie?” Rhys said. “I told you about the hot girl with the smoothie at the gym.”

“Oh god…” I watched Katie wince, her head going to her hands.

“How the hell do you know her?” he snapped at Rhett.

“Katie was with Dave.” Rhett said that like this was something we should all have known, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. “She…” He blinked, staring wide eyed at the girl, but she didn’t see the pain there. “She’s the girl I’ve been crushing on all this time.”

“That was Katie.” I shook my head. “Your Katie?—”

“Not his Katie,” Rhys growled. “You stood around with your thumb up your arse while that dickhead you worked with treated her like shit.” He turned to face us. “Babe, I would never–”

“Jesus, Rhys—” I started to say, the discomfort coming off the woman in question in waves.

“So how do you know her?”

Both of the men I called best friends stared me down, suddenly united.

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