Read Online Emma vs. The Tech Guy by Lia Fairchild - Free Book Online

on him, eh, Jaynie?”
    “What did you just say?” Emilia asked.
    I couldn’t tell if that was utter confusion on her face or disgust. It was like I offered her a salted tire for lunch. I shook my head and blinked letting her know not to go there.
    “Yeah,” Jayne said. “He certainly was a manly man.”
    At six-foot-four, two hundred fifty pounds, I had to agree.
    “I do miss the big dope sometimes. I mean, he can’t help it if he’s an idiot,” Jayne said.
    “Cliff’s an idiot too, but I don’t miss him,” Emilia said.
    “When did you two split?” Jayne asked. It was just like her to put someone else’s problems before her own.
    “Two weeks ago,” Emilia said.
    I figured this would be the perfect time to make my departure and let them bond over their common heartbreak. I eased myself off the treadmill, pointed to a cluster of machines in the corner, and crept away.
    Then I heard Jayne say, “Emma mentioned something about it when Hank and I split. Sorry to hear that.”
    Ah, progress . Feeling like the cat that ate Big Bird, I strode to the other side of the gym and sat at a machine. Keeping my arms toned was important, if not totally mandatory, but got more difficult over the years. Men lift their beer cans to keep their arms from getting flabby, and I gotta do this ?
    I rested my water bottle on the ground next to me and got into position when I heard a voice say, “You need to sit up straighter.”
    I turned to my right to see who it was, but there was no one there. Then on the left, the same. Someone was messing with me. I immediately thought it was Adam. Again, I got into position, this time pausing to see if my prankster would surface.
    “Not straight enough,” the voice came again.
    Are you kidding me? I released my hands and realized whose voice I had heard. “Guy?”
    Stepping from behind my machine, Guy stood before me grinning. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t resist.”
    “What are you doing here?”
    “The guys are taking a break so I’m just walking around.”
    “Oh,” was all I came up with.
    “So, is Howard going to play in the tournament?” He rested an arm on the top of my machine, and I tried hard not to eye Jayne’s favorite feature.
    “No … he’s not that into sports.”
    Guy smirked. “Uh, doesn’t he sell sportswear?”
    “So I guess he likes sports, he just doesn’t like to play them.”
    “Hey, that’s cool. Nothing wrong with that. Howard’s a great guy.”
    Why he was suddenly backpedaling I couldn’t figure out, but when I didn’t respond, he added, “You know, I wasn’t kidding about that machine, though. Can I show you?”
    “I guess.”
    I sat back on the seat and put my arms into position. “Like this?” I asked.
    “Yeah, make sure your lower back doesn’t leave any space between you and the machine. Here. May I?” Guy put one hand on the back of the seat, then held the other in front of my stomach, indicating that he’d need to touch me there.
    “Go head,” flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. Then Guy gently pushed on my stomach, nudging my body flush with the seat. Why does this seem so wrong? Maybe because my stomach caught fire, and then like a backdraft the flame swept up my body and to my cheeks. Since when did computer geeks have shoulders like that? Shit, I forgot about that damn water polo!
    “See, like that,” Guy said. He released me and backed away slightly. “Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? You look a little red.”
    I reminded myself to start breathing again.
    “What? No.” Because I’m so used to hot guys putting their hands on me, right? “It’s a gym. I’m supposed to be sweating.”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    To be on the safe side, I changed the subject. “So, has Nannette given you the itinerary for the trade show?”
    “Got it yesterday, but she said I should book my flight, and that she’d book our rooms,” he said.
    “I think we get a discount that way. Just make sure—” Across the room I