Page 1 of Convenient Rivals

CHAPTER1

GREGORY

Gregory wrinkled his nose in disgust!

What was it about men with muscles? The bigger the muscles, the smaller the brain, and personality. Not that he knew much about personalities. Gregory was self-aware enough to know he didn’t have one, but you didn’t need one to be successful. You just had to be respectful to other people, and the guy sitting across from him was his own biggest fan.

He was practically bursting out of the sharp suit he was wearing. What was his name? Oh yes, Brad, or Chad, or something jocky. On a regular Friday morning, Gregory would get hard thinking about what he could do to a guy like this, but that would be inappropriate in a professional setting.

“What is about the role that appeals to you?” asked Gregory.

“That’s a brilliant question, Greg,” he replied, showing off perfect teeth.

Gregory had to use all his restraint not to wince. He hated being calledGreg; it brought back some difficult childhood memories that he wanted to leave in the past. His best friends would call him Greg occasionally, but he never got upset when one of them did, as he knew there was no malice behind it. They were just trying to get a rise out of him, in the way true siblings did. He was a lot closer to his four best friends than his own blood brother, or any of his family for that matter, and when you were that close to someone, it didn’t bother you as much because you knew there was love behind it. This guy had never met Gregory before, and he was trying to be far too matey for his liking.

Having built his company, Legs Up, from scratch, Gregory insisted on meeting anyone before they were hired. It wasn’t about his control freakery, which he was well aware of, but he’d seen what one toxic person could do to a company, especially a small one, and he wouldn’t have that happen here.

“I’ll just say that I have a lot of offers on the table,” said Brad.

Gregory had confirmed his name by glancing at the calendar invite. There was no CV. His team had been through that already, and he would have been put through his paces. Gregory just wanted to know if he was going to fit with the rest of the team. His calendar told him Chad was up next. He’d be having a word with Hannah about the scheduling, which he knew she’d done deliberately. She liked to wind him up, knowing full well the entire company would collapse without her. Hannah might appear like she was just a receptionist, but she protected Gregory like a guard dog, and he paid her handsomely for it.

“Tell me about these other offers,” said Gregory, cutting him off.

Brad look flustered for a second.

I call bullshit!

“Well, it wouldn’t be right to name drop, but they are some of your competitors.”

That was interesting. Legs Up didn’t have competitors. That wasn’t an arrogant thing. Of course there were a million fitness apps out there, but nothing like his. It’s why they’d been so successful. Less than five per cent of the population looked like the jacked guy sitting opposite him, and those who maintained it all the time were less than one per cent. It was an unachievable aspiration for the majority, but they could still be healthy. The personal trainers who delivered his on-demand content came in all shapes and sizes, but their mindset was most important: there’s always room for improvement, there is no one way to achieve a goal, and it’s okay to learn from mistakes. If someone didn’t have that mindset, they weren’t right for his company. It wasn’t something that could be taught, as far as he was concerned. When he’d launched the app, Gregory had wanted to create a sense of community for those who were marginalised by society, so he catered to everyone but the masses.

Not to make assumptions, but the straight white jock in his twenties sitting opposite him was not his target demographic. Well, not for his customers. If they’d met in a bar, things might be different. His dick twitched in his trousers – traitorous thing. Ever since school he’d had a thing for muscular guys, and Gregory was the biggest geek going. He was well aware of what a cliché he was.

“What makes this job stand out against all theseoffers,Bradley?”

“Please call me Brad. Bradley reminds me of being told off at school,” he chuckled. “I’m sure you get it,Gregory.” He laughed again.

Gregory gave a polite smile, then raised an eyebrow to imply he wanted the question answered.

“I like what you’ve built here, but I think you could go bigger if it was more mainstream. Content created by me would bring in big numbers. I’ve already got fifty thousand Instagram followers, and that’s in the last twelve months.”

“If we went mainstream, wouldn’t we then be just like any other fitness app?”

“I think many people start out wanting to reach a certain community that means something to them. I mean, I get it, I’m bi myself, but that doesn’t lead to long-term success.”

So, not straight. Or was he one of those social media bisexuals who gay-baited for the pink pound? Gregory hated those people, but it would be wrong for him to make any more assumptions. He gave a brief smile and nodded for Brad to continue.

“I mean, not to be big-headed or anything, but people are jealous of the body I have, and I can help them achieve it in a way all those fitness gurus online with millions of followers can’t.”

“I see. Why don’t you set up on your own then? If you bring something unique to the table. Wouldn’t you like to be your own boss?”

“No, I enjoy being part of a team and working together to help people.”

Was the guy about to redeem himself?

“And you don’t maintain looking as hot as I do working behind the scenes doingbusinessstuff.”

Perhaps not!

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