#Chapter 6 He's mesmerizing

“So what if I am?” Barnett asked. I yelped as Barnett’s other arm wrapped under my knees and Barnett lifted me in his arms as easily as a rag doll. I had no choice but to put my arms around his neck and lean in close to his chest to maintain my balance. “Why don’t you take her bags to her new apartment?” Barnett said to Lily. “We’ll follow behind you.” “Sure thing.” Lily grinned like a schoolgirl holding in excited laughter. I wanted to stick my tongue out at her, but that would have ruined the front we were putting up for Bob—whatever that was exactly. Barnett glared at Bob. “Don’t follow us.” We left a stammering Bob behind as Lily climbed into her Lamborghini and Barnett carried me to his Rolls Royce. How could he handle me so effortlessly? I weighed at least 200 pounds! “I am so sorry about all that,” I said once we were out of Bob’s hearing range. “Think nothing of it. Anything to give a jackass like him what he deserves.” “Well, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet.” “You made it easy.” Barnett winked. God, he’s not even breaking a sweat, I thought as we approached his car. It’s like this really is nothing to him. Still, something about the situation made me squirm inside. What if he had gone to lift me up and it had been a problem? What if he’s just being nice about all this? I vowed right then and there to start losing weight. After all, I didn’t always look this way. This surely wasn’t the way that Barnett would have remembered me. A sexy photo wouldn’t hurt, either…in about six months, once I got to lose some weight. Once we got to the passenger’s side of the Rolls Royce, Barnett gently set me back on my feet. With a brilliant smile, he opened the door for me. “After you, my lady,” he said. I smiled back and stepped in as delicately as I could. With how self-conscious I suddenly felt about my weight, it was a difficult task, but I managed. Barnett closed the door behind me. Once Barnett got in and we buckled our seatbelts, Barnett wasted no time in following after Lily’s Lamborghini. “So, what are your next steps?” Barnett asked once we pulled out on the highway. I chewed on my lower lip. What were my next steps? Sure, I had given it a lot of thought, but everything seemed so pointless when it all headed to the same end. I couldn’t share that with Barnett. “I’m going to try to get a job. You know, so that I don’t have to rely on Bob for alimony.” “From what I’ve gathered, I wouldn’t rely on him for anything.” “Exactly.” I sighed and rested my head against the window. “It’s going to be so hard after spending eight years as a housewife.” “I’m sure that you’ll find someone who will appreciate your domestic experience.” I huffed. “You make it sound so much fancier than it actually was.” I caught his lips quirking slightly. “That’s how you’re going to have to frame it on your resume if you want to up your odds.” “Thanks for the tip.” “I have plenty more, if you just ask.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” We sat in silence for a few minutes, him watching the road and me watching the mix of buildings and empty lots as they rushed by. I couldn’t get my mind off the fact that all this planning was worthless, that it could just come to an abrupt end any day. I startled as Barnett cleared his throat. “Are you okay?” I flashed back to the night of the dinner party, and I chastised myself for going down that path again. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “Why?” “Lily mentioned that you were in the hospital recently…” “Oh, that. I just got a bit overly stressed from Bob cheating on me and finding out that Marsha was pregnant from it. That’s all.” I subconsciously rubbed my stomach as the gremlins of pain attacked. They seemed to be coming back more and more frequently. I caught Barnett watching me out of the corner of his eye. To my relief, whatever he suspected, he didn’t pursue the matter any further. Instead, he said, “So, a job. Anything else?” “I’m thinking about trying to lose some weight.” I held my breath, expecting to feel judgmental eyes on me, but he just kept them on the road. “I think you’re fine just the way you are,” he said, “but if you’re trying to get healthier, that’s always a noble pursuit.” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of his response. What did he mean by “fine just the way I am”? Did he not want me to change? Still, he wanted me to get healthier. I wanted to get healthier, too, and be the way I used to be. And sexier. “I’m just saying that you should do it because you want to be healthy and happy, not because you think you should look a certain way,” he said as though he could read my mind. “Oh. Well, thank you. That’s sweet of you.” I hesitated. “Honestly, what I’m really not looking forward to is the lawsuit against Bob,” I finally said. “I know a good divorce lawyer. Andrew Thompson. I can give you his contact information, if you’d like.” “Yes, please, please!” I could barely contain my relief and gratitude. “Thank you.” “No problem. I’ll give you his card once we get to your apartment.” “You have his card at the ready?” I laughed slightly. “I just hope that you’ll never have to use him.” Barnett laughed, but it faltered. • * * We soon pulled up in front of my new apartment complex and parked next to Lily’s Lamborghini. Barnett took a business card out of his wallet and handed it to me as I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Here’s Thompson’s information,” he said. I grabbed the card and tucked it into my purse. “Thank you again.” I was about to get out of the car when Barnett grabbed my wrist, causing me to turn back to him. He reached back into his wallet and pulled out a plastic black-and-gold card. On the front were the letters V.I.P. “Take this, too,” he said, holding out the card to me. I hesitated. What could this card possibly be for? “What is it?” “It’s a V.I.P. card to Stand Up. You know, the gym just a block away from here.” My eyes widened. “Stand Up?” That place was incredibly expensive. Was he really just giving me a V.I.P. card to one of the most state-of-the-art gyms around? “Yeah. They’re looking for more members willing to share their progress on social media as part of some sort of promotion. So, if you make some viable progress within three months and share it on vlogs, then not only will you not be charged for this card, but you will receive a lifetime V.I.P. card.” I gingerly took the card from his awaiting hand. I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. The offer seemed almost too good to be true.