Date Shark by DelSheree Gladden Page A

come on, you must work out. You have a great figure. You can’t honestly tell me you don’t do anything.”
    “Sorry. Ana’s tried to get me to try whatever Zumba is, but it sounds dreadful.”
    “Other women must hate you,” Eli said as he started jogging again.
    Leila was forced to follow him, but his comment made her laugh. “I make a point of not telling many people about my lack of physical activity.”
    “Good choice.”
    For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. Leila’s reasoning was that she was struggling to figure out how to talk and run at the same time without feeling like she was suffocating. Thin or not, she was not in good shape. Her muscles started to protest after only ten minutes. When they reached an intersection they were forced to pause while they waited for the light to change. Leila had stumbled to a stop when they reached the light, but Eli barked at her to keep jogging in place. Really, he said it very nicely, trying to help her in her dismal attempt at running, but to her it sounded like her old high school gym teacher.
    Leila felt a trickle of sweat slide down her spine. Eli still looked fresh, not even winded. Her self-worth would have taken a huge hit it Eli hadn’t been so incredibly supportive. He told her that keeping her muscles working while they waited would help her not cramp up. When the light changed it actually felt better to run again. But only for about six blocks. Then a sharp pain in her side showed her true inner wimp.
    “Ow, ow, ow.” She grabbed at Eli’s arm and jerked him to a stop.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Um, yeah, I think.” She winced, doubling over in an attempt to alleviate the ache. Eli squatted down in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. Gently, he pushed her up to face him. “What’s wrong?”
    “My side is killing me. Is that normal?”
    “Does it feel like someone is stabbing you in the gut?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Any other symptoms?”
    Symptoms. That almost made Leila giggle. He sounded like a doctor taking care of a patient. He went through medical school, so no doubt he could truly tell her if something was wrong. It seemed funny to her for some reason, though. It probably had to do with her confusion about her relationship with Eli. She knew she didn’t want to add doctor-patient to the mix. When Eli pressed his hand gently against her abdomen, visions of a completely different type of relationship danced in her mind. It was a challenge, but she pushed those kind of foolish notions away and answered him.
    “Other than my side, I’m fine.”
    “Good.”
    She eyed him skeptically. “Good?”
    “Just a normal cramp. Happens to everyone.”
    “Do you ever get them?”
    “I used to,” he said, “back when I was about fourteen, first year I joined the track team. My entire body felt like one big cramp for about three weeks straight.”
    “That’s fabulous,” Leila snarled.
    Eli chuckled at her. “Why don’t we walk for a while?”
    “Sounds heavenly. Lead on.”
    He moved forward at a much more sedate pace. Leila had to keep her fingers pinched into her side for several more blocks before the cramp started to ease.
    “So, tell me about last night,” Eli said.
    Leila forgot her side altogether. “Oh, Eli, it was so great. I haven’t had that much fun in a while. Luke is so different from other guys I’ve dated. For once, I felt like I was the reason instead of the excuse.”
    “That’s great, Leila.” Sometimes she could see something unreadable hiding behind Eli’s smiles, but this wasn’t one of those times. He honestly looked pleased that she had enjoyed herself. “What made this date different for you?” he asked.
    “Well, for one, there was nothing behind Luke asking me out. Part of me had worried because I met him through work and he was trying to get a contract with Ana to shoot her catalog and website photos …”
    She paused when Eli’s expression turned skeptical. It sounded even worse when she voiced