she was going to find it hard to keep food in her apartment. As she picked up her fork and started to eat, Billie couldn't help but wonder why her bringing up the topic of wolves had caused Royce to react the way he had.
* * * *
Billie caught herself looking at the clock hanging on a wall in the main gym for the hundredth time in the last half hour. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the day before. This time she got smart and didn't use her ability to see where Royce was every few minutes. But it still was annoying that she should feel so attached to him that being away from him for a few hours would do this to her.
Royce was going to be meeting her at the gym when her shift was over. He had at first insisted he would drop her off and then pick her up, but Billie had quickly vetoed that. Even though she was going over to Royce's place right after work, she didn't want to put him in the position of having to drive her back to her apartment in the morning so she could get her car. It just made more sense for her to follow him back to his house.
To help pass the time until Royce was to arrive, Billie was keeping busy by making sure all the free weights were put back in their proper places. She was in the middle of pulling forty-five pound plates off the barbell at one of the flat benches when Finn came up to her.
"Billie, do you think you could take a prospective member on a tour of the gym?"
"Isn't there anyone else who can do it?" Showing people around the gym while trying to sell them a membership wasn't something she enjoyed doing. Given her state of mind at the moment, she didn't know if she could trust herself to stay in the salesperson mindset that she needed to have to convince someone to buy a gym membership.
"Nope, just you. I would do it, but I have a training session to do. The others are busy as well, and Dad is out at some meeting."
She slid the last plate onto the rack of weights and nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."
Finn flashed a smile at her. "Thanks, Billie. I owe you one."
Heading for the front desk, Billie took another quick look at the clock. Royce would be arriving in fifteen minutes. If she was quick enough maybe she could have the tour done, and the paperwork finished if this person decided to join the gym before Royce arrived.
At the front desk Billie could see a man standing by the counter. He was tall, very tall, probably only an inch or two shorter than Royce. He was standing with his back to her, but he turned around when he heard her approaching. She noticed he was extremely good looking, and from the way he smiled at her, well he knew it. The only thing about him that set Billie on edge was his eyes. His light brown eyes had a hint of cruelty to them. The friendliness that he was trying to portray with his smile didn't seem to reach them.
Billie stuck out her hand to him. "Hi, I'm Billie. I understand you're interested in joining the gym?" He took her hand and gave it a quick shake. Before he released it, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. Billie resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her pants.
"I'm Gren. Yes, I'm very interested, especially now that I've met you."
Plastering on what she hoped was a believable smile, Billie motioned for Gren to follow her. "Well then, let's get started on the tour. Once you've seen the gym, we then can talk prices."
"By all means. Lead on. So far I definitely like what I'm seeing."
Billie ground her teeth together as she led Gren onto the gym floor. His innuendo wasn't lost on her. Ignoring his last comment, she took a deep calming breath then started her sales pitch. As she took him around, she could feel Gren's eyes watching her every move. Completely out of character for her, she felt a chill of uneasiness run down her spine. There was just something about him that had Billie wanting to get as far away from him as possible. Hoping to get this over with quickly, she picked up the pace.
* * *