A phone call from a friend.

“Hey Ms Rivera” Lisa greeted.

“Hey Lisa. Please, call me Bella” She said warmly back, “Hey what happened to the kid you were training?”

“Oh yeah…” Lisa recalled the receptionist that she had been training, “I had to let him go… He was useless.” She smirked.

Bella chuckled and walked onto the main gym floor to start her work out. She was just about to jump onto the treadmill when Chris spotted her. He was on the phone in an office to the side of the gym, but waved to her and smiled.

“Oowee he is handsome.” A voice said next to her.

The large African-American woman who was walking on a treadmill next to her had made the comment.

“Yeah he is.” Bella agreed.

Chris finished his phone call and approached her. “Hello.” He gave Bella a quick peck on the lips.

“Do I get some too sugar?” The woman said sassily.

Chris smirked and hung his head in embarrassment.

Bella heard her phone ring in her bedroom and went to find it. It was Friday night and she hadn’t seen Chris since Tuesday, however their texting had become more frequent and they had scheduled another date for Saturday night. Her phone showed that it was Jackie calling. Jackie was one of her oldest friends, they had met in middle school and tried to stay close despite leading very different lives. Jackie was a former model and now had moved more into the photography side of the business.

“Hey Jack” Bella answered the phone.

“What the fuck Bell? I have to hear about the man your dating through your sister now?” Jackie said immediately.

Bella sighed, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you… It’s just quite new and I didn’t want you to get too excited.”

“Didn’t want me to get excited?” Jackie repeated, “You’re going on your first dates in years and you don't want me to get excited? Fill me in on everything now!”

Bella spent the next half an hour explaining who Chris was and recounting the details of nearly all of her encounters with him.

“Oh my god! I’m freaking out! This is so exciting! You so deserve this!” Jackie squealed. “So your third date is tomorrow? Are you gonna sleep with him?”

“Jackie!” Bella gasped, “…yeah probably.” She added with a laugh, “Oh my god I forgot to tell you that I saw him in a Speedo!”

“You what?” Jackie gasped in return.

“Yeah I caught him getting out of the pool that’s at the gym.” Bella bit her lip as she recalled the image of the chiseled man standing before her.

“Oh my god!” Jackie hummed, “So what’s the plan for tomorrow? Invite him up for coffee or what?”

“Yeah, I was thinking something like that.”

“What about the boys? Do you want me to watch them?”

“No, it’s all good. They’ll be at my sisters for our family dinner.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about your family dinners…" There was a quick pause, "Did you shave?”

“Did I shave?” Bella was momentarily confused, “Oh, Jackie!”

“What? This guy sounds like a keeper and I don’t want him getting away! Plus, when was the last time you got laid? You might be out of practice and forgotten or something…”

“…Yes I shaved.” Bella admitted and both women giggled, “I don’t know how long it’s been. My last was probably Dave.”

“Dave? That was like four years ago!”

“I know!” Bella sighed, “I’m kinda nervous about it to be honest.”

“Well, don’t be! You’ll be fine! Call me and tell me how it goes.”