Page 28 of The Dicktionary Club

‘Yoga,mmmm.?.?.’ He raised a brow suggestively.

I began turning back to my friend, unimpressed and not wanting to hear a clichéd yoga flexibility joke when Philip grabbed hold of my arm.

‘What is your name?’

I felt my jaw drop slightly at his boldness.

‘My what?’ I repeated, completely off guard.

‘Your name,’ he repeated again, not shying away from the question or the numerous men walking around us overhearing our conversation.

I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Why was I getting nervous?

‘My name is Philip, for instance, and yours is .?.?.’

I didn’t like giving out my name to strangers, especially not when there was no need to. I had no urge to ever see this arrogant, overconfident man ever again. I wondered why he wanted my name. To stalk me? Katy did say he had money; he could hire a private investigator no problem.Shit, he already knew where I trained. What was he planning?

My eyes suddenly caught on the glass wall behind him and the class full of stretched-out bodies, and I panicked. ‘Pilates.’

‘Pilates? Sorry,’ he tittered. ‘Your name is Pilates?’ he repeated, with a proper snigger appearing on his lips.

I gulped down. Why the fuck did I not make up a normal, boring, bog-standard fucking name?

‘Yip! Why? What’s wrong with that?’

‘I wonder what your mum was up to when you were being conceived, eh?’

‘And I’m K—’

‘Carol!’ I interrupted Katy’s introduction; her face twisted at the new name I had created.

‘Lovely to meet you, Carol.’ Philip shook Katy’s hand. ‘I see you are the bubbly one out of you and Pilates over here.’

Katy immediately giggled hard at his compliment.

‘Mr Khan, would you like to try the new energy drink we’re marketing today? It’s a freebie.’ She held out a can of the drink, and he finally accepted it.

‘Thanks. I’ll hold on to it for later,’ he said. ‘Well, it was nice meeting you girls, and if you fancy promoting this energy drink at the House of Fitness, then you’re more than welcome to.’

‘House of Fitness?’ I repeated, utterly confused.

‘Yes.’ Philip took a few steps back, with a slight grin on his annoyingly handsome face. ‘I kind of own the place. Phone reception and ask for Patricia. She’ll arrange it for you.’

I felt my own face redden with utter cringe. ‘Oh .?.?.’

‘And Pilates?’

‘Uh huh?’

‘I’ll be sure to sort out the women’s changing facilities, too.’ He laughed, shaking his head and walked off.

We watched Philip Khan disappear into the changing rooms, both of us standing in stunned silence. Eventually, Katy turned to me, slapping me gently on the arm.

‘Pilates,Carol? What the fuck, Ella?’ she whispered.

‘I panicked, OK? I thought he was a stalker. He was very intense, asking me loads of questions. Who does that?’

‘So, I get landed with my fucking great-gran’s name, and you go all exotic with Pilates?’ She huffed, indignant.

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