Chapter 2

Mark

"Okay," Mark says to the other man on the phone call. "We'll talk later when you have more information. Yep. Okay, bye."

Mark hangs up the phone and works hard not to also hang his head between his shoulders. He's in his office at work and he'd rather not be. It's been a long and trying day and he just wants it to be over. Working for the insurance company is definitely not his dream job, but he's high up and it pays well, so he shouldn't be complaining.

What would he rather be doing? He'd rather be at the gym, working out and helping others achieve their goal. He has a few clients he trains, but he'd like to turn it into a full-time job. That probably won't happen, however. The gym is swamped with personal trainers and his job just pays too well to give it up.

He glances at the clock above the door and groans. He has one more hour of this bullshit.

Placing his head in his hands, he rubs at his tired eyes. If he has to stare at a screen for another minute, he'll jab out his eyes. But, in one more hour, he can leave and head to the gym. It's hope he clings to.

Mark goes twice a day. His fitness is important to him, so he works out in the mornings and after work. Then, after his own hour of peace at the gym, he has back-to-back clients. He might as well live there.

He drops his arms back to the desk and looks around. His desk is in the center of the room, a standard office desk that he hasn't had the desire to replace for something he might actually like.

In front of the desk are two gray chairs that came with his space when he was moved up from a cubicle. There are no pictures on the wall. He doesn't care to decorate the space, even though his boss encouraged him to do so. The only thing he has that's personal is a rock paperweight that says ‘Happy birthday. Every day, around the clock, always know that you are my rock'. His mother gave it to him for his birthday last year and he didn't have the heart to throw it away, so he brought it to the office. It's a good reminder that there's a life beyond this desk.

Even though his office is large, it feels too small. He's a big man, broad shoulders and tall. He takes up a lot of space and often bumps into the chairs or the corner of his desk. Not only that, but it feels like a prison.

A knock sounds on his door and he huffs out a sigh. "Come in."

The door swings open and Sean pokes his head through the door. "Worked to the bone, are you?" He's grinning, already knowing the answer to that. He's always jovial and it annoys Mark to no end. At this moment, he's in no mood to put up with him.

Mark glances at him with narrowed eyes. "You have no idea." Though Mark isn't a fan of his job, he has an excellent work ethic, which is how he got so high up in the first place. Sean works underneath him, and Mark also has a secretary, Wynita, who does all of his tedious work, answers his phone calls, and picks up his lunch.

"Then I won't keep you." It's clearly a lie because he comes into the office and plops down in a chair. He crosses a leg over the other and leans back into the backrest.

Mark studies him. He has short-cropped blond hair and a narrow jaw that meets a weak chin. He's built like Mark, however, packed with muscle and tall. Sean is technically his friend. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes Mark avoids him. But they both go to the same gym at the same time and work out together before Mark takes clients.

They had originally met at the gym a year ago, and when Sean was at the lowest point of his life, Mark gave him a job. He had felt for the guy. Everyone goes through rough patches. He didn't want to see his gym buddy go through any more than he already had.

However, ever since, the guy has been glued to his hip like an imprinted puppy. Most days, Mark doesn't mind. But days like today . . .

"What do you need, Sean?"

"I see you're fun today."

Mark simply stares at him.

"Okay, okay." Sean puts up his hands. "The paperwork I had Wynita set on your desk last night. Did you finish it?"

"I gave it back to her." Mark frowns. "Didn't she get it to you?"

Sean quirks an eyebrow. "Would I be here if she did?"

Probably, but Mark doesn't comment on that. Instead, he curses under his breath. The phone clicks as he picks it up and dials her desk number. It rings and rings and she never answers it.

He hangs up the phone with the intention of hunting her down, but she strolls in. Her movements are rushed as she bypasses Sean and heads to Mark's desk with papers in her hand.

"Sorry, sorry, I completely forgot," Wynita says quickly. She sets the papers down on the desk and pushes black hair from her face. Her chocolate skin stands out amongst her light gray dress suit, and her high heels do nothing to hide how short she is. She's beautiful in her own right, but she's too much of a mess for Mark to see her as attractive.

"It's fine," Mark says, grabbing the papers and stacking them.

Pulling at her fingers, she lingers by the edge of the desk. Sean turns a grin at Mark, and while continuing to look at him, Sean says, "Wynita, did you know your boss is single?"

Mark curses under his breath and pins his friend with a stare that could kill. "What are you doing?" he growls.

"I did," Wynita answers. A blush rises to her cheeks and she glances down at her shoes.

"What would you say to a date with him?" Sean presses on.

Wynita's response is shy when she says, "I'd have to say no. Sorry."

"What?" Sean asks with a high-pitched voice. "With that chiseled jaw and eight-pack underneath that suit? You'd turn down those brown eyes? The thick brown hair you could run your fingers through?"

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "This is inappropriate."

"I have to agree," Mark grinds out. What the hell does Sean think he's doing?

Her hazel eyes turn to Mark. "Can I go now?"

"Yes. Sorry about this. It won't happen again." Mark pins Sean with another stare as Wynita rushes from the room. When she's gone, he asks, "What the hell was that?"

Sean waves him off. "I'm just having a little fun."

"By harassing my secretary?"

"Look," he begins, and Mark braces himself for a lecture. "You turn down every woman. I'm trying to get you out there. What better place to look for them than in your own office?"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I could get in for that?"

Sean shrugs. "Only if they knew."

Mark snorts and taps his finger on the desk. "Oh, they'll know. Remember the janitor? They almost made me fire you for dating her."

"And I thank you for that. For sticking up for me, that is. But we weren't exactly keeping it a secret either. You could. It would spice up your life."

"I don't need any spicing up." He likes the way his life is now. Right?

Yes. Having a woman would be nice, but it would complicate his schedule.

"Oh, come on, Mark. You go to work, you go to the gym, and you go home to sleep. That's your life. You need a woman, and more importantly, you need to get laid."

"I'm not going to take a date with a woman just to get laid." He's not that kind of man.

Sean wrinkles his nose and huffs out a breath. "Are you even a man?"

Mark scowls at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He points at Mark. "You know exactly what that means." He stands up with ease and snaps the cuffs of his suit. Grabbing the papers from Mark's desk, he adds, "Think about what I said."

Mark waves him off and Sean heads out of the door without another word. Instead of going back to work, he decides to kill time by playing with his phone. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, opens it up, and starts going through his apps. He's done enough for today. He needs the break or he'll go crazy.