The Beauty Within (2 page)

the few people she absolutely trusted, she had finally agreed.

Now she wished she hadn’t.

“Where is Damon?”

“He got sick. I had to cover him. Your time is ticking, lady. Some of us have

plans.”

The way he’d said it clearly implied “these plans” were of the “dating” va-

riety, something with which she would have
no
knowledge. Tyler was vaguely

aware they were also gaining an audience, and her russet cheeks burned in

anger and embarrassment.

She calmly put the weights back on the rack before walking up to the man

and poking him in the chest. Her voice was low but firm as she spoke. “I may

not be the world’s slimmest or healthiest woman, but even fat people deserve

respect. We breathe and bleed just like the rest of you ‘damn near perfect’

people; and just like us, you’ll die eventually too. So you can kiss my big,

chocolate, black ass Mr. Abercrombie. I don’t need this shit from you.”

10

Savannah J. Frierson

His face remained emotionless, but his chiseled jaw ticked. With one final

poke to his chest, she picked up her bag and left the gym with her head held

high.

Gunnar Daniels refused to look at anyone as he stalked to his office. He felt

the stares of nosy customers follow him along his walk, which only served to

send him deeper into his foul mood.

Damn her
.

Who did that woman think she was, coming into his establishment

and…what…put him in his proper place? His parents and sister would be so

ashamed if they had heard how he spoke to her. Just because his plans for the

day had taken an unexpected and unappreciated turn didn’t mean it was her

fault. If he really wanted to blame someone, he could blame the restaurant that

had served the undercooked fish that had caused Damon to go home sick. Or

he could blame Kaci for
demanding
they moved their date from Saturday to

today because she had a “prior engagement.”

What kind of plans did she have that didn’t include him? Weren’t they

supposed to be giving their on-and-off relationship another shot? Gunnar

didn’t know why he bothered sometimes, but Kaci really was a nice girl if she

kept her mouth shut for more than sixty consecutive seconds.

Gunnar groaned, plopping into his chair and throwing an arm over his

eyes. He really had messed things up big time. The woman…Tyler…she hadn’t

deserved his anger or his rudeness, and he definitely deserved the dressing

down she’d given him. She hadn’t even raised her voice or made a scene—that

had been
his
doing—but she’d effectively made him feel as small as the dumb-

bells she’d carefully put on the rack before she laid into him.

He’d tried to be unaffected by her presence from the moment he’d seen her.

Her dark skin was smooth and flawless and her almond-shaped eyes had a hint

of vulnerability that called to him. The wild riot of curls that was like a halo

around her head beckoned him to sink his fingers into it. Her body…not even

the big T-shirt she wore could hide her abundant curves. Though she was

definitely larger than the women who usually frequented the gym, Gunnar

couldn’t deny the pull of his groin when he saw her. She was of average height,

and she carried her extra weight in all the right places: breasts, hips, and

behind.

Gunnar had tried to convince her and himself that he didn’t find her the

least bit appealing. It was bad to get involved with clients, and the fact she

wasn’t the type of woman who usually garnered his interest left him confused

and disconcerted. It also wouldn’t do well to be thinking about one woman

when having a date with another in a matter of hours.

The Beauty Within

11

What did it matter anyway? Ms. Carver wouldn’t be back. Though his gym

was doing very well, any loss of business was bad. Besides, he had opened GD

Gym and Fitness to help people lose weight safely and effectively, not for it to

be the pretty people’s club. If she had come in at any other time…on any other

day…the reception she would have gotten would have been much better and

much closer to his real personality.

At least he’d like to think so.

Gunnar certainly wouldn’t have tried to sneak peeks at her as she

stretched or watched as the shirt pulled across her chest when she’d gone

through the exercises. Tyler had been a quick learner, someone who was

definitely eager to make a change in her life despite her anxiousness, and he’d

gone and snuffed that out with his mean-spiritedness.

“Way to go, Gunnar,” he muttered.

How would he explain this to Damon? Damon Wilkes was one of his best

employees, and had had been bringing in business continuously since he’d been

hired. The gym was diverse because of him, whites and blacks working out in a

relaxed environment free from the racial tensions that simmered underneath in

Durham. The fact he’d treated one of Damon’s referrals so poorly was sure to

bring that trend to a screeching halt.

Unable to think about the consequences of his actions any longer, Gunnar

packed up his bag and left the gym early. Valerie would close up…

He slapped his forehead. He should’ve passed Tyler on to Valerie when

he’d realized Tyler was a woman, and then he remembered Valerie didn’t come

in until after Tyler’s session was over.

“Shit,” Gunnar said, hopping into his Jeep and revving the engine. It was

just not his Friday at all.

He made it to his split-level home relatively quickly. He entertained calling

Kaci and cancel, definitely not in the mood for this date anymore, but then

Kaci would throw a fit and he didn’t have the patience to deal with that, either.

Kaci, with her long, curly brown hair and buxom hourglass figure didn’t cotton

to men turning her down for any reason, so why was Gunnar trying to start

something with her again?

“Because she’s easy,” Gunnar answered aloud. She didn’t make him expend

much energy. There was little passion outside of the carnal, and even that

didn’t last very long. They were very compatible sexually and made a very

handsome couple, but Kaci also loved drama. Having spent ten years of his life

in LA, Gunnar had had his fill of drama for at least the next twenty years.

So why am I going out with her again?

Damon had said he needed to get laid; he was wound too tight. Gunnar,

apparently, agreed, or else he wouldn’t be two hours away from spending his

hard-earned money on Kaci Mondale.

12

Savannah J. Frierson

“And
then
he starts talkin’ ’bout how only
God
could help me lose the

weight! I swear to all that is good and holy, Wen, I was
two seconds
from putting

my size tens in that tight ass of his!”

Tyler chose to ignore the knowing look that crossed her sister’s pretty face,

too caught up in her righteous indignation to recognize she was admitting her

attraction to “Mr. Abercrombie.”

“Tight ass, huh?”

Tyler rolled her eyes. “I may be mad, but I’m not blind. He had a really nice

ass…for a white guy…”

Wendy laughed out right then, plucking a fry and pointing it at her.

“While I admit homeboy was wrong for comin’atcha like that, are you more

upset at him being rude or at yourself for still being attracted to him despite

it.”

Tyler scowled before she slouched in her booth seat. “Both. And the fact he

seemed cool as you please while I proceeded to make a complete fool of myself

in front of him. Damn Damon…I hope he feels better, of course, but damn him

anyway.”

Wendy chuckled and shook her head. Tyler had been all set to sulk into a

bag of potato chips while watching a movie from her extensive DVD collection,

uncaring she was only proving Mr. Abercrombie’s point, when Wendy had

called and demanded she accompany her on a night on the town. Wendy

wasn’t above coming to Tyler’s house and stripping her down and dressing her

in appropriate clothes, either, so Tyler had grudgingly agreed. Tyler had asked

if Damon was okay with her going out considering he was sick, and Wendy

had said Damon was knocked out on medicine and would be okay for a few

hours. The doctor had said he needed to sleep it off since it seemed he’d purged

all of the contaminated fish out his system already.

“I don’t see how Damon can work with someone who’s such a jerk,” Tyler

muttered, stirring her straw in her sweet tea. “And he said he loved being a

personal trainer too. He should find someplace else to work.”

Wendy shrugged. “Maybe you caught him at a bad time.”

“Bad time or no, I’m a client. He should know how to squash all that when

he’s on the job.”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. He didn’t have a bad suggestion

about getting a treadmill, though.”

“No, but dag, can a sista get some respect? White man or no I still deserve

it!”

“Preach!”

Tyler shot Wendy a look but ended up chuckling. Wendy had an uncanny

knack for dragging her out of her dark periods, and for that, Tyler was grateful.

The other woman, a producer for one of the local news stations, could have

easily been in front of the camera instead of behind it with her caramel skin,

The Beauty Within

large eyes, and short and sassy haircut, courtesy of Soul Cuts Barbershop—

Tyler’s business. In fact, that was where Wendy had met Damon almost three

years ago. Wendy had come in for a rush while Tyler had been putting the

finishing touches on Damon’s fade. It had definitely been lust at first sight for

both, but the pair had formed a deep and loving relationship.

Tyler would have hated Wendy if she didn’t love her sister so much.

“Well, you know how I feel about this whole ‘losing weight’ thing. You

better be doing it for yourself and for the right reasons and not because of some

man.”

Wendy had been the most vocal about her concern for Tyler’s sudden body

consciousness. Tyler wanted to say it was easy for her, who had taken after

their mother’s side of the family with her tall, slim form. Tyler took her father’s

genes, the X-chromosome he’d given her more reflective of the women in his

family with their plentiful curves and tendency to hold weight. There were

many times people didn’t think she and Wendy were sisters, and whenever

Wendy would introduce them to people, sometimes Tyler would say, “Why,

yes, I am the fat one.” It would irritate Wendy immensely, but it was worth it

to see the other person brought down a peg or two.

Tyler pulled a face. “What man? There hasn’t been a man in forever!”

“I know that. That’s not because of your weight, either, I hope you know.”

Tyler didn’t respond to that.

“I’d kill for your curves,” Wendy added.

“For what? Damon loves you just the way you are.”

Wendy grinned and shrugged. “Yeah, but I feel like a stick compared to

you. I wish I had more meat on my frame. Mama Dee, may she rest in peace,

was always complainin’ Mama wasn’t feedin’ us and yet I ate more than you

did half the time!”

Tyler smiled remembering Sunday dinners their paternal grandmother

would always attend. Tyler and Wendy knew Mama Dee and their mother

barely got along but tried for the sake of their father. Tyler missed those

dinners. “You got Mama’s metabolism.”

“Hmm,” Wendy murmured, her eyes staring covetously at Tyler’s plate.

Tyler pushed her unfinished plate of fries over to her. “Have at it. These

should definitely help slow it down!”

Wendy rolled her eyes, but she did take her fork and transfer the fries to

her plate. “You don’t know what you’re missing!”

Tyler looked longingly at the fries. “Yeah…I do…”

It would be his luck Tyler Carver would be at the same restaurant tonight.

So far she hadn’t noticed him, and for that he was grateful. His date, on the

other hand, was a grade-A disaster, especially since Kaci flirted with the waiter

14

Savannah J. Frierson

and a table full of men opposite them as if he weren’t even there. He was

irrationally angry with Kaci, and part of him wanted to leave her to her own

devices. But his mother raised him to be a gentleman, so he would stick it out

until the end.

His eyes searched out Tyler again. How different she looked when she

wore clothes that flattered her frame. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who

appreciated it, either, for plenty of men kept looking at her table, and it wasn’t

Tyler’s companion who was pulling the attention. Gunnar groaned. What the

hell had he been thinking talking to her like that? He should go over there and

apologize, but considering the way she’d spoken to him earlier, he wasn’t in

the mood for another telling off.

“I gotta go to the bathroom, ’kay?” Kaci announced absently, looking at her

reflection in a spoon.

“Whatever,” Gunnar said, taking out his wallet and throwing bills on the

table. This had been a horrendous waste of time. “I’ll be ready to leave when

you get back—”

“But I’m not done!” Kaci pouted, still staring into the spoon.