Free I Saw Your Profile by Rhonda Swan

captivating. Your pic tells me you are very beautiful
and sexy. I would enjoy

learning more about the woman you are inside.
As

for me, I am an entrepreneur. A single, divorced father of
one who loves poetry and romancing that someone special. Tell me more about you
please
.
    AGOODBODY4LIFE

 
         She didn’t know
whether to be turned on or off by his screen name. Either he was a gym rat who
was really into fitness, which she didn’t mind, or someone conceited and hung
up on his looks, which she did.
         As a writer, she liked
his poetic way with words. He was at least worth a reply.

 
    Thanks
for responding to my profile. I’m single with two children, 16 and 10. I’m a
writer and I live in Philadelphia. I love to read, dance, go to movies and play
board games. I also love to work out and I like pool, although I’m still
learning how to play. What are some of your hobbies and what do you do for a
living? Also, you have an advantage over me; you’ve seen what I look like. Do
you have a pic you could

share?
    Arianna

 
 
         Her newest admirer
replied several days later.

 
    Arianna,
      Thank you for such an expeditious
response. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I was out of town
on business. In answer to your questions, I am a self-employed fitness
consultant. We have a lot in common. I, too, work out religiously. Perhaps we
could work out together. I also love to play pool and would love to teach you.
And I am an avid Scrabble player. As a wordsmith, I assume you play?
    I’m
sending along a photo of myself. I hope you like it. Let me know in your reply.
    AGOODBODY4LIFE

 
 
         If the picture was
real, he was tall, two shades brighter than midnight, handsome and had every right
to call himself Good Body.
         He was wearing a
string tank top that exposed his muscles. An animal tattoo decorated the
well-toned triceps of his right arm and a diamond stud sparkled from his right
ear lobe.
            A smart, charming
brother who had so many things in common with her seemed too good to be true.
She wanted to get to know Mr. Good Body a little better.

 

 
    Chapter Eight

 
 
 
 
 
    It was half-time.
    Nicole had screamed
herself hoarse. She stepped into the hallway outside the community center gym
to buy a bottle of water from the booster club.
        “Let me get a candy bar,
too,” she said.
         Behind her, she heard
a familiar voice. “Careful. You don’t want all that time you been spending in
the gym with your London lover to go to waste.”
         She turned around to
see Jamal, her ex-boyfriend and Jay’s father. He wore dreads, was the color of
milk chocolate, and looked just as tasty. Nicole secretly hated that he always
managed to look so good.
       “Surprised to see you here, Mr.
Franklyn.”
       Nicole paid for her refreshments
and walked to a water fountain away from the nosy parents behind the counter.
      “Since when are you so formal with your
baby’s daddy, Nikki?”
      “That’s Nicole to you.”
      “You used to love it when I called you
Nikki.”
      “That was then. This is now.”
      “How many points my boy score so far?”
      “Six. How’d you know he even had a game
tonight?”
         “Jay told me. Guess he
knows he can’t depend on his mother to do it.”
         “Please, Jamal. I
stopped telling you about his games because you’re always too busy to come.”
         “Not always.”
         “Whatever. How come
you’re free tonight?”
         “I was hoping I could
take him with me for the weekend after the game?”
         “Does Jay know this?”
    “Not yet. I wanted
to talk to you first.”
         Jay’s team returned
from the locker room and started shooting lay ups.
         “Let’s sit down. The
second half is about to start,” Nicole said.
         As they headed for the
bleachers, Jay noticed his parents. His face glowed when he saw