Ch 3: Meeting my Celebrity Crush

“Hi. I’m Luke.” That smoldering gaze I admired up on the billboard was now staring back at me in real life. I was so surprised that Daniel’s celebrity client was Luke Mulligan. THE Luke Mulligan. I cracked my gum like a teenager, shocked at the revelation.

“Hi. I’m…Stella.” It took me a beat, but I wasn’t that star struck that I forgot my name. Just my manners. I cracked my gum again, unable to blink. The man I had watched for hours upon hours onscreen was standing before me. “The trainer,” I managed to blurt out as Luke’s intense chocolate eyes stared back at me.

He looked at me quizzically. The sound of heels clacking on the marble floor broke up my mesmerizing moment. A smartly dressed middle-aged woman with a smooth bob of honey colored hair approached the door.

“I thought you hired a male trainer, Katie?” Luke asked, turning toward her.

“I did. Who are you?” She scooched in front of Luke in the doorway. I remembered Daniel telling me about Katie approaching him, wanting to keep everything confidential.

“Yeah, about that,” I said, “my cousin, Daniel, was the one you hired, but he had a little accident. I’m sure he’ll be fine in a day or two. He sent me in his place.”

“Uh-huh,” she sniffed. “Did he tell anyone else about this? Who else is going to show up at the door?”

“No, no. I’m sorry, Luke.” I turned to look at him again. “Daniel didn’t even know you were the client. He just didn’t want to miss out on this great opportunity.”

“Are you even licensed?” Katie asked, putting her hands on her hips in a take charge posture.

“Yes.” I didn’t want to provide any more details like how I’d only had my license for a few months and how my only client so far was old Mrs. Rosa. I reminded myself to stay confident so I didn’t lose this client for Daniel and so I could continue to stay in Luke’s presence.

Luke looked me over and said, “let’s give it a try,” as he stepped aside so I could enter.

“OK, I’ll just be in the office for awhile. Let me know how everything goes,” Katie said as she clacked away toward a room off the entryway.

Inside, the place looked like a modern palace with a white and grey marble floor, plenty of natural light coming in through large windows and a stately staircase set back from the entrance. The interior seemed to glow with the morning light as Luke led me down a hall and into a workout studio.

As we walked, I noticed Luke’s height and breadth. He was a large guy, not a giant, but bigger than I expected - his butt, round and tight, with a broad back and strong shoulders. I knew Luke was more muscular than your average man, but seeing him up close made me quiver at his strength. I could tell he had a gained a few pounds, his love handles a little droopy in his gray t-shirt. Nevertheless, it was no dad bod. It was a sexy, hulking frame, and I couldn’t believe I had the chance to be so close to him.

When we arrived at the studio he asked, “OK, boss, what should we do first?” I looked around and saw enough weights and gym equipment to rival a professional gym. Daniel would love it.

“Well, what I usually do with my clients is ask them about their goals. So what is it that you want to work on?” I tried to look Luke in the eyes, willing myself to be professional. The first step of which was to swallow my gum.

“I just need to lose a few pounds. I gained some weight for my last role.” He tapped his belly indicating the extra flab on his stomach.

“Sure,” I said, nodding my head. “But anything in particular? Any special stunts you need to prepare for?”

“No.” He immediately shook his head, barely letting me finish. Something there hit a chord, but being my celebrity crush, I didn’t want to push it.

“I can help you,” I said, nodding, trying to convince myself as much as Luke that I was up for the job. His eyes staring back at me were unsettling.

“Let’s see about that,” he smirked. “I want to see if you really have what it takes to be a trainer. You know I wanted a guy trainer, to push me, try to keep up with me.” He walked over to a rack of weights and picked up two 50 pound dumbbells which he pushed straight over his head.

“I get that,” I said, amazed and turned on by his strength. He put the weights down and walked over to me. “I’m game.” I stared back at him.

“How about a push-up contest? For every two that I do, you do one.”

“You’re on.” I dropped onto the black foam mat, barely thinking about what I’d just agreed to. I wanted to prove to Luke I could do it. Push-ups weren’t my forte but I could hold me own. Luke dropped to the mat, too, directly facing me. As he dropped his chest to the floor, I dropped mine. For the first few reps I was keeping pace, every other push-up Luke did, I did one too.

At first I kept my gaze on the mat, but pretty soon I looked up to see Luke’s forehead only a few inches from my own, a bead of sweat starting to form on his brow. Around rep 15, Luke’s 30, I started to feel my shirt drooping from my chest, wondering how much of a view he was getting. Thank God I had worn a flattering workout bra.

I tried to stay focused. Then my shoulders started to burn and my mind wandered to thinking about what a great story this was. If nothing else, I could tell Daniel and my best friend, Michelle, about my push-up contest with Luke Mulligan, the movie star.

I started to fall behind. Luke was around rep 50, and I was struggling to keep the pace. He really was one strong dude.

He lifted his gaze, and I saw him smirk. I didn’t want to give up just yet. I pushed for two more reps, pausing at the top to see if he really was trying to catch a glance down my shirt, but I couldn’t hold it anymore and collapsed on the mat.

“You win,” I said. He pushed out a few more then sat on his knees.

“Not bad, but you see why I need a man?”

“Maybe I can’t do push-ups or lift 50 pounds over my head, but I have other talents.” I got to my knees, too.

“Oh yeah? Like what?” He looked doubtful. “You’re not slim enough to be a runner. You’re not tall enough to be able to jump high. I can tell you’re strong, but that’s one area I got covered.”

Basically, Luke just sized me up, and it didn’t feel good. He was right. What could I offer him?

“Motivation?” I asked.

“Motivation,” he repeated, “I have a 20 million dollar movie contract for that. Look, it was fun, but I need to get serious. I’m sure you’ll do a great job with some other clients.”

“So basically, you were never really into giving me a chance, were you?” I smiled, trying to not seem upset that he had been toying with me.

“As a trainer, no. But you’re cute, so I thought we could have some fun.”

Luke Mulligan called me cute. Repeat. Luke Mulligan called me cute.

Nothing else could ruin my day after that. Cute! I bet he had been looking at my boobs during those push-ups. I tried to recover from that comment with the most dignity I could muster. While I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to make sure I stayed in Luke’s good graces, at least for Daniel’s sake.

“I’m sure my cousin can challenge you then,“ I said.

“Sure, it was nice meeting you, Stella.” He stood up and offered his hand. I reached out my hand to shake his. His handshake was forceful, yet even with our sweaty palms touching together it felt comfortable like a soft blanket.

“Yeah,” he smiled, “I’ll show you out. “ He gently pushed me ahead as I walked down the hall. I felt like a failure. It was fun meeting Luke in person, fun while it lasted. I didn’t want to seem like a crazed fan asking for an autograph or a selfie. I tried to think of a way to stay in Luke’s presence a bit longer, just a moment or two. And I hoped I hadn’t ruined Daniel’s chances. He needed this job. While I would have loved the extra money to pay my debts, he needed it just as bad.

When we neared the entryway, Luke paused behind me. “Wait here. I’ll get you some water.” I was standing in the hallway, close to the office door in which Katie had disappeared earlier. As I waited for Luke, I heard Katie talking on the phone.

“Yes, he’ll be ready in two months. Don’t worry. We’ll find someone to teach him to swim. He can do the water scenes.” There was a pause.

My mind raced. Swim? That was Luke’s secret? He couldn’t swim?

Katie continued,” Yes, I know how much money you’ve already put into the project. Those other trainers just weren’t up for the job. He’ll be able to swim in two months, I promise you.” She hung up the phone.

I nearly jumped up and down with excitement. Ever since I was a little girl, my dad took Daniel and me to the pool. He’d throw us around and we’d swim back to the wall. Then we joined the swim team and later jr. lifeguards at the beach. We were around water all the time. If there was one thing Daniel could do, it was train someone to swim.

Except HE couldn’t. The broken arm. The cast.

It would have to be me.