It's been afew days -3 maybe?- since the episode on the roof happened. I was on the couch in my pajamas and hugging a pillow while Tom stood in the corner of my alcove window repairing my motion detector and installing some new features.

"Will you please stop fiddling with my tech?" I said alittle harshly.

"Yea, not gonna happen" he steps back and inspects his work. "I never did trust that company when they offered you free security services."

"It was a thank you gift for saving the CEO's life" I counter.

Tom shrugs, "Whatever is free isn't always good"

I huffed and angled my head away from him. The security system that had been installed in my apartment was top of the line. I was so grateful cause it was a real pain going to bed with a baseball bat for years. To be able to lie down and not actually look over my shoulder every 2 seconds was amazing relief.

"I told you to let me do it. But do you ever listen? Nooooo" he sounded like a damn 14 year old.

I toss my pillow at him, "Just cause you have a degree in electrical engineering does not mean you're Nikola Tesla"

"Says the girl who barely finished High School" he shoots back.

I jump up from the couch and grab him in a choke hold.

"Take it back!" I yell.

"Make me!" he rounds me over his shoulder and aims me towards the floor.

Halfway down I wrap my legs around his neck and spin like a swing. Switching the position and having Tom flat on his back.

"I win" I say mock sweetly, smiling widely down in his face.

And before I could fucking blink, air whooshes passed me and now I'm flat on MY back.

Tom's whole body was on top of mine and his face was inches away from touching me.

"Did you?" he says darkly.

That unnerved me a bit, and instead of acknowledging it I cough and spat, "Get off me" at him.

He pushes himself off me and picks up his screw driver, "You need to get in shape" he comments passively while packing his equipment away.

"EXCUSE ME!?" I lift up my shirt and wave my hands at my stomach area. "Do you see these abs? My packs are fucking dynamite, they'd cut diamond!"

"You really don't have any physical strength" he replies, "You're quick and agile, I'll give you that. And compared to other girls you'll whoop their ass, some guys even. But compared to an above average height male with considerable strength? You're burnt toast. And not the good kind"

I growled at him, "That's a lot of criticism from someone who weight lifts potato chip bags"

"Hey, those weight 100 ounces" he laughs, "Lighten up Em" she adds.

"Lighten up? How can I when I'm slipping as a crime fighter!?" At that moment all my insecurities poured out. "I've had two failed encounters already and I'm paranoid as fuck!" my breathing goes into overdrive. "And I possibly have a psychopathic sexy stalker after me!?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Tom dropped his stuff and round on me, "Sexy???"

"Uh..." I blank.

"You find him attractive!?" Tom says next.

"Well I..."

"Embeeeeer"

"I don't know!" I blurt out. "He's hot and cool and-"

"Hot!? You don't even fucking know what he looks like!!"

"You know I have weird taste in men!"

"You're not even sure if he's a man!!!"

"What was that about me needing to get in shape before?" I say sweetly as a distraction.

Tom snarls dangerously but ultimately lets it go, he takes a deep breath and says, "Get dressed, we're going out"

"Huh?" I look down at my pajamas, my hands barely poking out through the sleeves. "Why?"

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"Seriously?" I dropped my workout bag onto a bench table and stared at the scene before me.

"You have something better in mind?" Tom tosses his duffel bag on the floor next to the workout bench mine was on.

I take out my hair band and tie up my long black hair into a pony tail. I was wearing normal workout clothes, a tank top that –admittedly, was a size to small– and purple stripped sweatpants. I look at myself in the mirrors that were basically the walls of the gym.

Damn, I look beyond good.

And I feel all the other men in the gym agreed so too. They would not take their eyes off me, and I don't blame them, we were at a Men's only gym after all.

"You do know there's a unisex gym right around the corner right?" I tell Tom.

"Yeah, but I prefer you to be here" Tom ushers me to a small section of the gym. "I get the feeling you'll work out harder with the idea of guys staring at you"

Dang it! He's right...

"So what will we be doing first?" I look around the racks and equipment. "Squats? Bench press? Crazy random butt exercises?"

"You wish" he looks at my butt and gives it a slap, "That little baby is perfect as it is. And we're not trying to bulk you up with muscles. Let try and build your endurance and tone up those lovely lovely legs" he winks at them.

I laugh out loud, "What's with you and complimenting me today? You didn't get some ass last night and now you're trying to get into my pants?"

"Sorry, but your pants are too tight for me to fit in-"

"HEY!"

"Now..." he brings out a whistle and wraps it around his neck, "Get ready for the work out of your life"

He blows the whistle as loud as possible, "NOW GIVE ME 30 LEG PRESSES! 20 SECONDS! GO, GO, GO!"

I dash for the machine and get to work.

40 minutes later I am a pile of sweat. A pile of sweat that can't breath or pump enough blood around my body.

"I'm tasting blood..." I whiz out as the muscles of my entire body throbbed in agonizing pain.

"Start spitting it out, then I might care" Tom grunts emotionlessly

I lift a 40kg dumbbell and throw it at his head.

I literally see his gold hair stand on ends as he freaks and dodges the killer death instrument.

"What is with you and trying to kill me all the time!?" he yells.

"Get me ice cream!" I threaten as I feel my heart begin to spasm.

"Alright, alright" he starts walking for the exit. "Anything to stop you from murdering me"

He walks out to go to the shop across the street.

And I instantly regret it.

The hoard of men standing on the sidelines close in around me and I'm cornered around the bench table and mirror walls as my only option of retreat.

"Hey there"

"What's up doll face?"

"You come here often?"

"You smell nice and pretty..."

WTF!?

"U-u-uhm...hey guys?" I wave meekly.

The men have cocky grins on their faces, looking smug and pompous like they'd just caught a deer in headlights.

So that was their fucking plan, they'd been waiting for Tom to leave the picture to pounce on me at once.

And the fuckers thought that will faze me! Oh-ho-hoooo, well, do I have a surprise for you...

I put on my most alluring cat smile and put a sexual glint in my eyes. That alone changed the whole atmosphere of the gym, I'd turned the predators into prey.

"Now now boys..." I say seductively, "No need to crowd me all at once."

I flip my hair, taking it out of its pony tail and letting my long black locks cascade down my neck and back. I hear the men around me begin to breathe shallowly, and I see them begin to perspire.

"Good God!" I cover my nose like I'd smelled something wretched. "What smells like sweaty balls?" then I start eyeing them one by one, "Or who?"

Instantly they turn on one another.

"It was Steve!"

"What!? You sweat way more than me!"

"I smell like daffodils!"

I try my absolute hardest not to burst out laughing, I then cough my throat to get their attention. I begin fanning my face.

"It's so hot here" I say slowly, "I need to change out of this overheated clothes..." I finish sweetly.

"But..." I look around with wide baby doll eyes, "There's no place for me to change?" I look down, pretending to be deep in thought. Then shrug, "Oh well..."

I reach down, grab the hem of my top and proceed to take off my tank top. I could see these bastard dudes begin to salivate and lick their lips. The hem of my top was just over my belly button, right at the edge of my hot pink bra when-

"I leave you for two minutes and you turn to stripping?" the men freak out and jump away, like they'd been caught doing some heinous act.

I smile wickedly and get up from the bench. Tom was holding an ice cream cone with two scoops on it, bright pink and dark brown. I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk to him, he hands me the ice cream and I proceed to lick it vigorously. I didn't even look up to see if the guys were watching, I'm pretty sure they are!

"You do know you're all in relationships right?" Tom says, "Steve! You've been married for 25 years!"

"We're going through some tough times!"

"Let's go. Out. Now" Tom gets his bag, takes my own, and usher me towards the exit.

"Don't pretend like you didn't plan that" I whisper to him.

He grins, "I wanted you to work on your people skills as well. You were starting to lose confidence"

I shove my shoulder at him, "Thanks" I continue licking my ice cream.

"Now off to a night of partying!" he says heartily.

"So I can work on my 'people skills' some more?"

"Heck no! I need to get on the dance floor withsome honeys!" he says eagerly as he opens the door for me.Dq�5E�Y