From the Heart: A Valentine's Day Anthology Read online

  Andy thought back to that stolen kiss, because that was what it was. A stolen moment he doubted he would get again. Her lips had tasted exactly what he imagined they would taste like and to finally be able to hold her in his arms, well he had been in heaven. He would have done it a lot sooner if he had known she would have let him.

  He wanted her and not just on a sexual level, even though he didn’t doubt that would be intense, but she was such a light in what had been such a dull life these past years and he never wanted to lose that. She made him laugh, she was intelligent and she loved her chocolate. By his own rule dating a client was frowned upon and usually discouraged. Anyway he wasn’t sure she actually liked him in that way, surely he would have seen the signs if she did.

  Andy decided then and there he would find out, a cheeky coffee wouldn’t do any harm would it? He would send her a text tomorrow to make sure she was ok, especially after her run in with Simon.

  Simon was an issue all of his own, Andy unfortunately received quite a few complaints regarding his attitude towards members of the gym. Mainly from the female members and mainly about how touchy feely he seemed to be when training them. That was a job for another day. Andy grabbed his keys and locked his office for the night. Yeah he had a plan, first thing tomorrow, no! fuck that he would do it tonight, he would ask Carly out for coffee.

  ~

  Carly was absolutely ecstatic, well who wouldn’t be after she had finally reached her goal weight. She was now dressed in her fleece Pjs after a steaming hot shower and was snuggled up on the sofa with a large mug of hot chocolate. Robyn had yet to arrive home from work and Carly was dying to tell her friend her good news.

  She had already made the decision that they would go clothes shopping the next day and then venture out into town in the evening for the first time since the incident over 14 months ago. Carly hadn’t even drank one drop of alcohol since that night and instead chose to get her kicks from the gym instead. That had paid off in spades and she now felt like a new more confident woman.

  The next day now couldn’t come quick enough and she brimmed with energy instead of the outlines of a panic attack and that alone showed how far she had come. All of her hard work and dedication had paid off and she no longer felt like the “fatty” she used to be called.

  Her phone chimed with her favourite Kelly Clarkson song “The Sun Will Rise” to alert her to a new text. Expecting a message from Robyn she grabbed her phone.

  From Andy Trainer <3 11.05pm

  Peach

  I know it’s late and a long shot, do you fancy a coffee this weekend? My treat.

  Andy xx

  The text although not from Robyn was enough to make her beam. Ok yes she had a major crush on Andy and after his huge hug and oh so tender kiss she felt like she could easily fall in love with the guy. She refused to get her hopes up but quickly sent back a response.

  To Andy Trainer <3 @11.08pm

  Hey Bossman

  That sounds epic. Please no beasting though LOL. Is Sunday ok? I have decided tomorrow is my day for shopping and finally going out on the town. I hope you are proud.

  Carly xx

  Carly hoped and prayed a little that this was quite possibly an unofficial date and that he did actually see her as more than just his client. She didn’t want to seem over eager and obvious but having been around him for over a year she felt like she knew him better than anyone. He was one of the only people that knew everything from that night of the incident which is why she was so open about him knowing she was fighting back her demons. She just hoped he was happy about her being like that in her messages. Ahh she was so nervous just texting him. It had been so long since she had done the dating game, if she could even call this that.

  From Andy Trainer <3 @ 11.15pm

  Peach

  That’s amazing,you know I am so unbelievably proud of you. You are amazing. Be careful tomorrow night. Sunday is a go

  Andy xx

  Carly’s reply was almost immediate and as soon as she hit send she regretted being so quick of the mark.

  “If that didn’t make me obvious I don’t know what will” she mumbled to herself.

  To Andy Trainer <3 @ 11.17pm

  Will do Bossman, have a fab weekend

  Carly xx

  Carly threw her phone onto the other end of the sofa so she wouldn’t keep checking it and relaxed back into the cushions. For the first time in a long while she felt excited about the future and what it would bring. She was happy to be able to get out into the world again. The title of her favourite novel by Melody Dawn swam around in her head. The words To Live Again said it all.

  Saturday 12th February

  “Oh My God!! Carly you have to try this dress on. It screams ‘buy me’, “ Robyn laughed and threw the spectacularly tiny dress onto the already huge pile of outfits that Carly was carrying around, trailing after her friend. Robyn’s version of celebrating Carly’s awesome weight loss was a “shop till Carly literally dropped session”. Her arms ached and so did her feet and they hadn’t even tried anything on yet. Carly didn’t remember shopping ever being this exhausting.

  When Carly had asked Robyn about a possible shopping trip she had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she had been dive bombed on the couch by a squealing blonde. So here they were, Carly following Robyn around the department store as she picked up every item known to man and placed into Carly’s already over laden arms.

  “Chunky butt come on, we need to try all of these on and then we will need shoes, handbags, oh and you will definitely be needing some new underwear.”

  “Oi pigeon legs there isn’t anything wrong with my underwear,” Carly fired back from behind the mountain of clothing. Their banter always gained looks from other people, but the insults that they fired to and fro had always made her laugh.

  “Right yeah whatever ‘Mrs granny panties’ or should I say ‘belly warmers’. Come on Carly my nan wears sexier panties then you, she even has thongs”

  “Ewwww I did not want that mental picture Robyn, I may actually need mind bleach,” Carly snorted, then started to giggle. “I may never look at Nana Phillips the same way ever again.”

  “My nan rocks and she damn well knows it, come on arse face hurry up,” Carly shook her head and trailed after her best friend, she couldn’t help but feel excited, it was damn near infectious. Robyn took this to a whole new level of fun and the constant name calling helped Carly feel less nervous.

  “Wench slow the hell down; I can’t see where I’m going. Oh and we can’t take too long, I have an appointment at the salon later.” Carly shouted unaware she had basically told the entire store before she followed a bouncing Robyn into the largest cubicle in the changing room.

  “Hun this is the disabled cubicle, we are not meant to use this one,” Carly stepped inside and Robyn whipped the curtain closed.

  “Carly honey the store is empty today I’m sure they will shout at us to move if we need to, besides your arse needs the extra room,” Robyn winked and pointed to a small stool to drop the clothes onto.

  “So spill! Why are we going to the salon when your hair was only done the other day and looks as per usual, amazing?” Robyn crossed her arms and looked at Carly with her “Don’t lie to me face” or also known as “resting bitch face”.

  Carly blushed bright red and moved to perch upon the edge of the stool, she fidgeted with her finger nails before she blurted out “Well I need my eyebrow and lip waxed as well as my err lady garden.”

  Carly turned in her seat and grabbed a dress, she placed it back on the hanger and waited for her fabulous best friend to start taking the piss.

  “Oh wow, my ickle Carly bobs is all grown up and wanting her foo waxed” Carly looked up to see Robyn, she held her hands against her heart and the look that was on her face caused a snort to fire from Carly’s nose in a very unlady like fashion. Her pouty lips almost trembled as she mock cried.

  “Fuck off bony ass,” Carly retorted, “Now hel
p me with these damn dresses already.” Robyn grinned and grabbed the first dress, the tight fitting material of the LBD looked miniscule. Carly was certain she would never get into it, but again realised this was when her demons would surface. They would make her feel like she was that bigger size when in fact she was so far from it.

  “When I’m finished with you honey bunny you won’t even recognise yourself, damn I may even turn gay myself with how good I’m going to make you look,” Robyn winked. “So kit off lard arse, time for me to be a fucking genius.”

  ~

  “I am so damn hungry my stomach thinks my throat has been cut,” Robyn moaned and rubbed her non-existent podge. They had seated themselves at a table and had dumped the numerous shopping bags into a spare chair. They had literally shopped till they dropped and then some. After that the well expected salon visit had happened. Carly was still feeling the after effects of her treatment and was positive she would be scarred for life. She winced as she gingerly sat in her chair, then wiggled about for a more comfortable position.

  “How’s the Lady Garden chief?”

  Carly glared and then leant back in her chair to read the menu. “No thanks to you I feel like I’ve had intimate relations with a damn sand castle. There was no need for you to tell them to wax me completely…like bald.” Carly leant forwards towards the table and whispered, “Even back there! Fuck Robyn, that hurt like a bitch. I nearly kicked the girl in the face.”

  Robyn cracked up loudly and gained more than a few looks from the other patrons, Carly couldn’t help but grin back.

  “That’s the absolute last time I ask for your help, Cow.”

  Robyn’s reply was the simple lift of her middle finger before she buried her nose into the menu.

  “Hello, my name is Marie and I will be your waitress today. Can I get you both something to drink?” Carly smiled up at the young waitress and attempted to not giggle as Robyn moaned at the menu like it was some sort of porn magazine for women.

  “Yes thanks I will have a pint of blackcurrant and soda water no ice, and my obnoxiously loud friend here will have a white wine spritzer.” The waitress nodded as she quickly penned the order down onto her note pad.

  “Have you been to a Toby Carvery before?”

  Carly was about to answer before Robyn chimed in “Have we been, oh honey you are about to see something special. Joey Tribbiani have sweet FA on me” Robyn winked at the waitress as she passed and made a beeline for the carvery queue.

  Carly smiled her apology at the waitress and watched as she scuttled off to make the drinks. By the time Carly had caught up with Robyn she was already giving her order.

  “Brian honey give me a bit of each, oh and make it the extra-large plate too,” Robyn kept a permanent grin on her face as she chatted up the chef whilst he carved her chosen meats.

  “God Robyn I didn’t know you were on first name terms with the chefs now, how bloody often do you come here?” Carly chuckled and held out her plate as Robyn glared and moved down the line to fill her plate with veg.

  “Just turkey please Brian,” Carly almost shouted so Robyn would hear and smiled her thanks before she followed suit and loaded her plate up with veg.

  Once loaded she headed back to the table and joined Robyn who as usual hadn’t waited and was ploughing through her food as if she hadn’t eaten all week.

  “Good god slow down woman, I ain’t burping you if you get wind.” Robyn just looked and slowly placed a fork full of food into her mouth, with a raised eyebrow.

  Carly held up her hands “All right all right I’m off your back, you are so bloody grumpy when you are hungry.”

  Marie the waitress arrived with the drinks and set them down with the usual “Everything ok with your food?” They both nodded and she raced off again. Carly’s phone then filled the restaurant with “The Sun Will Rise” as her phone went off. Confused to see who would be texting her as the usual suspect was sat filling her face.

  From Andy <3 @ 4.25pm

  Peach

  How was shopping? Did you have fun ?

  Andy xx

  Carly’s face erupted into a full out grin and she quickly typed out her reply.

  To Andy Trainer <3 @4:30pm

  Bossman

  Shopping was exhausting, So was the waxing!! Leg DOMS have nothing on that shit! #ThatBitchHurts LOL.

  How was your day?

  Carly xx

  As soon as Carly had hit send she started to panic.

  “Oh Fuck!! I cannot believe I did that.”

  Robyn looked up mid mouthful, “Did what?”

  Carly blushed and grabbed hold of her glass and took a large swig as she thought of what to tell her best friend. She had never been brave enough to tell Robyn of her crush on Andy. Mainly because she would have encouraged her to act on it. Carly placed her glass down and started to push her carrots around the plate.

  “Carly spill already, it’s got to be something juicy, ‘cos your face is the same colour as my fav hooker red lippy.”

  Carly looked up to find she had Robyn’s full and undivided attention. Bugger!!

  “Remember Andy?” Carly asked.

  “Oh yeah, Mr Hunky pants who sees to your every gym need and looks like every girl’s wet dream,”

  Robyn grinned and waggled her eyebrows suggestively Carly bristled at her friend’s comments, an unexpected wave of jealously hit her. It was so foreign it took her by surprise.

  “Robyn!!”

  “What!!” She fired back, “He is, I honestly don’t know how you concentrate in that place.” She sighed and fanned her face “I would be a drooling mess watching all those muscles flex.”

  Carly snapped her fingers in Robyn’s face to pull her out of her lustful daze. “Focus tart!” She took a deep breath and blurted the next part out, “Well I’m meeting him tomorrow lunch time for coffee, no you can’t come with me and the reason why I’m about to die of embarrassment is because I may have inadvertently told him I got waxed.”

  Robyn’s eyes grew wide before she snorted then started to laugh. “Oh my god, you didn’t? Now that is bloody brilliant.”

  Carly snapped, “You are not helping me feel any better, he’s gonna think I’m such a knob and he’s definitely going to cancel on me.”

  Robyn wiped her eyes and sat forward in her chair, the food forgotten as she got a gleam in her eye.

  “No he won’t honey because I’m guessing he likes you,” she just smiled at Carly, who glared back in response.

  “What do you know Robyn? Why are you so sure?” Carly’s heart had taken off on a swift gallop at the thought that Andy may just like her in a different way than her being his client.

  “Ok so the gossip on the “gymvine” is Andy has been single for about 2 years after a particularly shitty break up with a fitness model. SO because of this he made it his numero uno rule not to date clients.” Robyn held up her hand to stop Carly from speaking, “and that includes “coffee”. Carly, honey, that tells me in itself he likes you more than you think he does.”

  Robyn grinned and sat back in her chair, the look on her face said “my work here is done”, “So has he replied yet?”

  Carly simply shook her head and frowned hard, her voice a whisper, “I’ve shit it haven’t I?”

  “Carly honey give it time, he may just be at work and can’t answer straight away.”

  Carly nodded and looked down at her phone, she was such a dick.

  ~

  From Carly xx@4:30pm

  Bossman

  Shopping was exhausting, So was the waxing!! Leg DOMS have nothing on that shit! #ThatBitchHurts LOL.

  How was your day?

  Carly xx

  Andy nearly dropped his phone as he read the text. Waxing!! What the fuck!! That’s all he needed, now he was imaging what she had waxed. Fuck, that alone was able to give him a raging hard on.

  Thank fuck his last client had already gone and he was sat behind his desk hiding from the rest of the gym. Today was what he
had nicknamed as Dolly Day. This was because the entire gym seemed to be taken over by skinny blondes with fake tits who acted like they owned the place and flirted with any bloke around. This also meant his bitchy, two faced slut of an ex-girlfriend would be in.

  It was hard to believe that only two years ago he had been convinced she was it for him. He had even decided he was ready to make the ultimate commitment. Well until he had overheard a few of the regulars talking about her particular skills in the oral department.

  He had been completely blind to the fact that she had banged nearly every male member of the gym, and even managed to shag some of the women too. So he sat in his office and avoided the poisonous bitch, kept his door shut and watched the CCTV in case she headed in his direction.

  Andy shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts that centred on his ex and focused back on the text from his Peach.

  His? Yeah he classed her as his, he had done ever since she had walked into his gym. He picked up his phone and reread the message. He wanted a decent comeback and he didn’t want to sound like a dick.

  To Carly xx @4:40pm

  Peach

  Waxing?? Now I’m intrigued

  Still on for coffee tomorrow?

  Andy xx

  It wasn’t his best response to be sure but that girl had managed to tie him in knots. It had been like that since the start. He really hoped she was still up for coffee, he wanted to spend more time with her and not as her trainer.

  Andy turned back to his computer, he had best get some more work done and he also had to check out the alarm system as it had been going off randomly at night That added to his ever growing list of shit that needed fixing. His only enjoyment now was waiting for a text from Carly.