was a huge deal. I'd been comfortable in my role as the assistant director. But I'd be a liar if I said I didn't wanna go for it. Several buddies in the industry, Tennyson among them, had told me to try.
"No more detours, man," Julian panted. "Let's hit the beach."
Looking over my shoulder, I saw he was sweating and struggling to keep up. Fair enough . I made a turn in the next cross section, and it only took us a few minutes to reach the running path.
The sky above the mountains was glowing orange and purple.
As we approached the gym farther down the beach, I slowed and checked my watch. We were good on time. Juiceheads wouldn’t be arriving until much later. After that, the beach gyms were useless.
"I need to lie down," Julian gasped.
"That’s fine." I didn't stop until I reached the bars where I could do chin-ups. "We're racing home today, so you rest while I exhaust myself."
He'd already collapsed on a bench. "That’s one way of saying I'm ridiculously out of shape."
I chuckled and pulled off my T-shirt, using it to wipe off sweat from my hands and forehead. And with the shirt and my phone on the ground next to the bars, I grabbed on and grunted as I pulled myself up.
Julian eyed me before quickly looking away. "So why are we racing?"
One .
"Because there's a prize."
Two .
Another thing I'd learned about Julian was that he had the Collins pride. We may not be related by blood, but dammit if he hadn't inherited some of our traits anyway.
I would have to be blind not to notice how much he wanted to use the baby grand piano that had arrived last week, but evidently it was getting in the way of his frugal life.
He was already paying rent, and he didn't borrow my car without filling the tank afterward. He pitched in for food and whatnot, and if he couldn’t imagine a college student affording something, then he'd do his best to stay away from that.
He took the bus occasionally.
"Do I even wanna know?" he drawled.
I huffed out a heavy breath. Nine. My arms shook on the last one. Ten. Then I hopped down and bent over, hands supporting me on my thighs. "It's about the piano." I swallowed dryly, my heart pounding. "You're supposed to play it."
"This again?"
I chuckled, out of breath, and checked my watch to set a rest for another twenty seconds. "That’s where the race comes in." I straightened up and wiped away some more sweat. "If I win, you play."
"You're faster than I am!" he argued.
"Why the fuck do you think I'm working out now while you're resting?"
Apparently, that was the wrong approach. When my twenty seconds were up, I started over with my next ten chin-ups, and I tried something new on Julian.
"Never mind," I grunted. "Not every well-rested young man can take on a fucking spent forty-year-old who can barely breathe."
He flipped me off at that, and I winked at him.
"Asshole." He fought a smile. "You never mentioned what I get if I win."
Six .
"Pick whatever you want."
That turned out to be the right approach. Noted for next time.
His eyes lit up, and I could practically hear the wheels turning.
"Okay, if I win…" He paused, pursing his lips. "Drum roll."
I jumped down one chin-up too early 'cause I had to laugh. He was a sweet fucking guy, and his good mood was infectious. I really dug having him around.
"If I win, you let me get a pet."
I cocked a brow. "A pet?"
"Yeah." He shrugged and looked out over the ocean. "We had a cat in Berlin."
I remembered. And I fucking hated cats.
Luckily, I was gonna win.
"Deal, kid. You win, you can get a pet."
*
I was almost there.
We only had the hill left, and then we were home.
Julian was all but dead on his feet, but he kept pushing. He ran some ten feet ahead of me. I was running on fumes, but challenges were my crack and I could go faster.
"You ready to go down?" I called, panting.
He gasped for air as he laughed. "Thanks, but you're not my type!"
I grinned and narrowed my eyes. We were halfway up the hill, so I reckoned it was
"No more detours, man," Julian panted. "Let's hit the beach."
Looking over my shoulder, I saw he was sweating and struggling to keep up. Fair enough . I made a turn in the next cross section, and it only took us a few minutes to reach the running path.
The sky above the mountains was glowing orange and purple.
As we approached the gym farther down the beach, I slowed and checked my watch. We were good on time. Juiceheads wouldn’t be arriving until much later. After that, the beach gyms were useless.
"I need to lie down," Julian gasped.
"That’s fine." I didn't stop until I reached the bars where I could do chin-ups. "We're racing home today, so you rest while I exhaust myself."
He'd already collapsed on a bench. "That’s one way of saying I'm ridiculously out of shape."
I chuckled and pulled off my T-shirt, using it to wipe off sweat from my hands and forehead. And with the shirt and my phone on the ground next to the bars, I grabbed on and grunted as I pulled myself up.
Julian eyed me before quickly looking away. "So why are we racing?"
One .
"Because there's a prize."
Two .
Another thing I'd learned about Julian was that he had the Collins pride. We may not be related by blood, but dammit if he hadn't inherited some of our traits anyway.
I would have to be blind not to notice how much he wanted to use the baby grand piano that had arrived last week, but evidently it was getting in the way of his frugal life.
He was already paying rent, and he didn't borrow my car without filling the tank afterward. He pitched in for food and whatnot, and if he couldn’t imagine a college student affording something, then he'd do his best to stay away from that.
He took the bus occasionally.
"Do I even wanna know?" he drawled.
I huffed out a heavy breath. Nine. My arms shook on the last one. Ten. Then I hopped down and bent over, hands supporting me on my thighs. "It's about the piano." I swallowed dryly, my heart pounding. "You're supposed to play it."
"This again?"
I chuckled, out of breath, and checked my watch to set a rest for another twenty seconds. "That’s where the race comes in." I straightened up and wiped away some more sweat. "If I win, you play."
"You're faster than I am!" he argued.
"Why the fuck do you think I'm working out now while you're resting?"
Apparently, that was the wrong approach. When my twenty seconds were up, I started over with my next ten chin-ups, and I tried something new on Julian.
"Never mind," I grunted. "Not every well-rested young man can take on a fucking spent forty-year-old who can barely breathe."
He flipped me off at that, and I winked at him.
"Asshole." He fought a smile. "You never mentioned what I get if I win."
Six .
"Pick whatever you want."
That turned out to be the right approach. Noted for next time.
His eyes lit up, and I could practically hear the wheels turning.
"Okay, if I win…" He paused, pursing his lips. "Drum roll."
I jumped down one chin-up too early 'cause I had to laugh. He was a sweet fucking guy, and his good mood was infectious. I really dug having him around.
"If I win, you let me get a pet."
I cocked a brow. "A pet?"
"Yeah." He shrugged and looked out over the ocean. "We had a cat in Berlin."
I remembered. And I fucking hated cats.
Luckily, I was gonna win.
"Deal, kid. You win, you can get a pet."
*
I was almost there.
We only had the hill left, and then we were home.
Julian was all but dead on his feet, but he kept pushing. He ran some ten feet ahead of me. I was running on fumes, but challenges were my crack and I could go faster.
"You ready to go down?" I called, panting.
He gasped for air as he laughed. "Thanks, but you're not my type!"
I grinned and narrowed my eyes. We were halfway up the hill, so I reckoned it was
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