The BL Nook

Chapter 3: Welcome Gifts

After Josh gave us the grand tour of the gym, we finally started working out. And when I say we, I mean me. I found an open seated leg press machine and started warming up with light resistance, something to ease back into the groove.

Meanwhile, Josh and Tyler planted themselves in front of the wall-to-wall mirrors. Josh picked up a 30-pound dumbbell like it was nothing and started doing bicep curls, smooth and controlled, alternating arms like a pro. Tyler? He was just standing there, talking his head off like he had tickets to the comedy club. They were laughing their asses off while I was actually working out.

I tried not to be annoyed. I really did. But I also couldn’t stop glancing at Josh. He was magnetic, effortlessly confident and stupidly good-looking. His arm veins popped with every rep, and his shirt clung to him in just the right ways. I swear I wasn’t trying to stare, but my eyes kept drifting back like I was tethered to him.

‘Ah! Our eyes met.’

‘Just act casual. Let’s pretend you’re working out, minding your own business.’

‘Wait I am working out. I’m not being weird. This is normal. Totally normal.’

Tyler finally wandered over to me.

“Hey, I’m heading out. Got some errands. You good to get home, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll stay another thirty and walk it off.”

He nodded and said goodbye to Josh, who gave him a fist bump. I figured that’d be the last I saw of either of them.

But Josh stuck around, switching from curls to lat pulldowns, then did a few sets on the cable row machine. Tyler must’ve been distracting him before, because now he was fully in the zone. Focused. Quiet. Sweat glistened on his skin, not drenched, just enough to give his caramel complexion a subtle, golden sheen under the gym lights.

I was still on the leg press, increasing the weight just a little. Halfway through a set, I felt a presence beside me. Josh leaned over the side of the machine, one arm resting on the seat’s edge, flashing that signature grin.

“Hey…” he said, and for a second, it sounded flirty.

His voice had that soft, teasing warmth again. His shirt was damp now, clinging to his torso and making his abs stand out in sharp detail. I looked away quickly.

“I’m driving you home. It’s raining, and you’ll catch something if you walk.”

I hesitated, but honestly, he was right. I couldn’t afford to get sick when I’d just started my new job.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Cool. Just let me know when you’re done. I’ll be over there.”

I wrapped up with a final calf press superset, wiped the machine down, and grabbed my bag. Josh was waiting by the entrance, spinning his car keys around one finger like he was in a movie.

When we got to his car, I hesitated before getting in.

“You sure it’s okay? I’m sweaty and gross.”

He just laughed. “I’m sweaty and gross too. You’ll fit right in. Plus, I don’t care.”

I slid into the passenger seat, trying not to stick to the leather. As if reading my mind, he blasted the AC. The cool air was a relief, both for my skin and my nerves.

“You live pretty close to me,” he said as we pulled out. “Like five minutes from my place.”

“That’s good. I would’ve felt bad if I made you go out of your way.”

“That’s why I didn’t mind,” he said with a cocky grin.

“…Wait. How do you know where I live? Did Tyler tell you?”

“No, I’ve been stalking you,” he said with a full-on toothy smile.

I blinked. Okay, that definitely sounded flirty. And he didn’t even follow it up with a “just kidding.” What the hell? Do I get out now?

Trying to diffuse the weird tension, I asked, “So… Do you work nearby too?”

“Yeah, the office is like two blocks from the gym.”

“Oh, cool. What do you do?”

“I’m with a startup. They slapped the title CFO on me, so I guess that’s what I am.”

“CFO? That’s huge!”

He shrugged, one hand still on the wheel. “Eh, it’s just a title. Small team. It’s a tech startup. Kinda like… uh, think Notion meets AI scheduling. We’re building a productivity platform that automates your daily calendar based on real-life habits.”

“Whoa, that actually sounds useful.”

“Right? If it works, it’ll be huge. If not, well… back to square one,” he laughed.

“Tyler told me you’re a social media manager for some ad agency. That’s a big deal too.”

“Huh. So he does talk about me,” I muttered, smirking. “What a wimp.”

Josh chuckled. “He puts up this tough image because he’s a big shot at the company he works for, but he has a soft side too.”

“Wait. Do you know what he does for a living?”

Josh looked at me, surprised. “You don’t? I was going to ask you!” All I know is he’s rich and always busy. At this point it’s too awkward to ask. If I bring it up now, he’ll act all offended and dramatic. If you find out first, you have to tell me, got it?”

“Alright” I laughed.

The rest of the ride was unexpectedly fun. We chatted about random stuff: Bad takeout, weird gym people, machine hoggs. Josh was easy to talk to. Energetic. Goofy. Loud.

Normally, I keep my walls up around new people. But something about Josh made it easy to be myself. Like I’d known him for years instead of hours.

When we reached my building, we were still laughing over something dumb he’d said. He pulled into a spot, then leaned forward, resting both hands on the steering wheel as his laughter faded.

“Oh shit. Before I forget. I got you something.”

“What the… Something? For me? Dude, you are stalking me.”

He just laughed, no denial again. “Don’t worry about it.”

Then, without warning, he leaned over toward me. Fast.

I froze.

He reached behind my seat with one arm, bracing his hand against the backrest and brushing my shoulder in the process. I held my breath like a freaking deer in headlights. Then he sat back up and handed me a big reusable bag.

It was heavy.

“Just a little ‘welcome to Seattle’ gift.”

I opened the bag and peeked in. “Nice. An umbrella.”

“Essential, until you embrace the soggy life.”

I rummaged deeper. Local roasted coffee beans. A sleek travel mug. Protein powder (nice brand, too). And then I reached the bottom and pulled out a small box.

“…Why did you get me condoms?”

“Because you need protection, silly. What, you raw dogging it out there?”

“You’re crazy.”

“No, no. Picture this: you meet a nice girl, bring her back to your sweet new bachelor pad, and BAM. You’ve got no condoms. Disaster. Now you’re prepared. No babies. No STDs. I gotchu.”

I laughed before I could stop myself, covering my face. “You really are… something.”

Josh just grinned like the human version of chaos and leaned back against the seat.