An (Almost) Perfect Love Story (Love Story Book Three) by Rachel Schurig Page B

throttle. Then I wouldn’t have time to worry about my mom at all.

    Chapter Ten
    “I cannot believe I let you talk me into this,” I said to Ryan, bending over and resting my hands on my knees while I tried to catch my breath.
    “Sissy,” he shot back, grinning at me. It was just my luck, going through something like this with Ryan, who looked amazing as ever in his perfectly coordinated black workout gear which I was pretty sure was genuine Armani. Even the sweat on his face looked good. He could have been a model for some expensive running shoes. I, on the other hand, probably looked like a drenched, panting hippo. I had naively come to the gym in my rattiest clothes, not realizing this place practically had a dress code. And after twenty minutes of our first boot camp session, I had already sweated through my old pink T-shirt.
    “Seriously,” I said, straightening up so I could wipe the sweat from my face. “Are we almost done?”
    Ryan just laughed.
    “How you guys doing?”
    I spun around to see our instructor, Tate, walking up behind us, a big grin on his face. He, too, looked barely winded, though he had been going through with the exercises right along with us. “You guys about done with your water break?”
    “Sure,” Ryan said, grinning right back. I’m pretty sure I whimpered out loud but Tate mercifully didn’t comment. “He is so not bad,” Ryan muttered, watching him walk away.
    “I would agree with you if I had any capacity to think right now.”
    Ryan took my hand, laughing, and led me over to the stationary bikes, where the rest of the class was now assembling. “You’re doing great for your first time, Ash. Seriously.”
    “I don’t feel great,” I said, climbing up onto my bike.
    “We’re going to start with a gentle warm-up,” Tate called from the front of the room. “Get your cardiovascular systems going.”
    I started to pedal at what I thought was a gentle rate. I looked over at Ryan, feeling dizzy from the speed of his feet on the pedals. “Crap, Ry, is that what you call a warm up?”
    “I’ve been taking all those spin classes, remember?” he said, his breathing completely normal, like we were lounging at home on the couch. That thought was so appealing I could have cried. I tried to focus on Ryan instead.
    “Oh, yeah. How’s the hottie vegan doing?”
    Ryan’s face fell. “Haven’t seen him in a while. I was hoping he’d be teaching this boot camp, actually…”
    I, for one, was happy that he wasn’t. Ryan might have a thing for him, but he didn’t sound like the nicest guy to me. “Well, maybe this is a sign,” I said. “Why don’t you forget about him and focus on someone else? You were right about Tate, he is pretty darn cute.”
    It was true. Our instructor was tall and totally built, his shoulders almost frighteningly broad. He had longish, jet-black hair, which he kept tied back. He had the most beautiful, smooth, caramel-colored skin that I’d ever seen, and his eyes were that gorgeous chocolaty brown color. And even though he’d been kicking my ass from the moment I met him, he seemed pretty nice.
    “That guy is totally straight,” Ryan said, shaking his head at me. “Can’t you tell? He totally checked out your chest when he was talking to us before.”
    I snorted. “He was probably just amazed to see someone sweat as much as me.”
    “All right, everyone, your heart rate should be nice and active now,” Tate called from the front of the room. “Let’s get started.”
    “Get started?” I whimpered in disbelief. My legs already felt rubbery. Next to me, Ryan laughed. “Damn it,” I muttered.
    Half an hour later the boot camp, mercifully, was finished. I could barely feel my legs as Ryan and I made our way to the locker rooms. “That was terrible,” I moaned, rubbing my arms. “I had no idea it would be so hard.”
    “That was nothing,” Ryan scoffed. “He was obviously starting us out easy.”
    “Easy?” I cried, stopping dead