Page 36 of Mr. July

All of a sudden, I was out of breath. Having visions of the blurry mystery girl from my dream in some other dude’s arms while I sat on my porch alone petting a fat tabby cat.

“Hell. Fine. One summer. One summer while I sort this mess out.”

Hunter’s fist pumped, “It’s going to be epic. Just like old times.”

“Old times? Keep your lips and hands off my sister.”

“Fine. She’ll just have to put hers on me.” I chucked my towel at him, picking up sixty-five-pound dumbbells for bicep curls. I did three sets of twenty per arm, a hundred pushups in between sets. I sweated out my anger, my frustration and need to know just what in the hell I’m going to do with the wayward renter who’s causing a shitstorm of trouble for me.

“Is it him?”

“It is.”

From behind me came high-pitched excited feminine whispers. I turned my head mid curl. From over my shoulder, I took in the two blondes wearing tight spandex with full make up on their faces. They weren’t here to workout. They were here to hunt.

“Um, hi.” One of them shifted on her feet.

“Not interested,” I muttered, turning back to the mirror while I counted my reps.

“I am.” Hunter schmoozed forward, grinning while he flexed his own biceps making them giggle. Rolling my eyes, I racked the dumbbells before picking up the heavy gym ropes on the floor to do a shoulder workout.

“He is Mr. July, right?”

“He’s shy. What about me, check out these pecs. You think I could make a calendar?”

“Ooh, definitely.” More giggling followed.

A small tap on my shoulder in between sets was met with a scowl. Unfortunately, it still didn’t deter blondie number one. “Would you take a selfie with me?”

I blew out a breath. I hated being a dick to a woman. That wasn’t me. But if I could press rewind, I would’ve told Char and Carlos to pound sand. “Sure. But as you can see, I’m sweaty.”

“Oh, I don’t mind a little sweat,” she murmured eyeing my pecs through the soaked fabric of my workout shirt.

“Can you… do you mind taking it off?”

“The last time someone asked me to do that I ended up in a calendar.” I gave her a tight smile.

“Please?”

I pointed to the sign of gym rules posted above the mirror. “Can’t break the rules.”

She cozied up next to me, plastered her hand across my pec and snapped her selfie. “Any chance you could sign my calendar if I bring it here tomorrow?”

“Um, what?”

“KZRG FM was giving them out at the station. They bought a bulk custom order.”

Both nerves around my eyes began twitching. “I’m going to kill Char,” I muttered to Hunter.

He laughed, put his arms around both ladies and walked them out. I took out my cell, feeling all the adrenalin I thought I had worked off coming back full force.

“Hey, baby bro!” She answered my call in her sing-song voice.

“I’m at the gym Char, taking selfies with my fans and they want to know if I can sign the calendars the local radio station just bought. In bulk.”

“I couldn’t refuse. They placed an order so big, the printing costs were minimal. We raised enough to rescue Kiki,”

“Kiki?”

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