Besides, maybe he was just being friendly. I didn't want to embarrass myself by protesting when all he wanted to be was my friend. Or my new trainer.
After Jackson programmed my number into his phone, he started reciting his. I quickly fumbled for my phone in my purse to enter his number.
"R-e-y-n-a-r-d."
"What?" I had no idea why Jackson was spelling.
"My last name. To put in your phone."
I laughed. "Are you always this forward with giving out your phone number?"
Jackson grinned. "I'm always available for my clients. That's how dedicated I am to my job."
Before I could answer, Claire, Nathan and Mia filed back in. I saw Claire give Jackson and I an assessing look, and I had to squelch the compulsion to quickly stuff my cell phone back into my purse. It hadn't seemed as though there was anything going on between Claire and Jackson, but I made a mental note to ask her about it later. The last thing I wanted to do was tread on her territory.
Nathan took a long swig of the fresh beer Maggie had set down on the table while they were gone.
"So what have you two been talking about?" Claire asked as she took a more delicate sip of her own beer.
"Jackson was telling me about being a trainer," I replied. "Actually, he was trying to convince me to become one of his clients. He doesn't realize that my definition of working out is pressing the buttons on a TV remote."
Mia laughed. "Jackson is in high demand as a trainer. You should see the gaggle of women that gawk at him while he's working out."
"Now, Mia," Jackson lectured playfully. "You're going to give Emma the wrong idea. I'm a dedicated trainer that would never take advantage of potential clients."
"Riiight," Mia said sarcastically. "And I actually think that fuchsia is a color that works on everyone. That's at least what I tell everyone when they come to my make-up counter."
"Jackson is a really good trainer," Claire said. "If you're going to hire a trainer, he's a good choice. He's helped me a lot with strengthening and elongating my muscles."
Maybe I had just imagined Claire's earlier look. She didn't seem perturbed at all by the thought of Jackson being my trainer.
"Hold on," I said. "I'm not planning on getting a trainer. I'm not even planning on joining a gym. Not anytime soon, at least. I have to work on getting a paycheck before I start spending it, even if it's for an amazing trainer with clients chasing after him."
Jackson gave me a dazzling smile. I started to question whether the second beer was a good idea. I felt a little woozy looking at Jackson's smile and I was sure the alcohol had something to do with it.
"Remember, the first few sessions are free, and I can get you a free trial membership at the gym for a couple of weeks."
"We'll see," I replied with a noncommittal smile. I checked my watch and frowned at the time. As much as I had enjoyed meeting Claire's friends, my first day of work was looming over me and I hadn't unpacked. The last thing I wanted was to be unprepared for tomorrow.
"I should get going. I haven't unpacked and I want to obsess a little more about my first day of work tomorrow."
"I'll go with you," Claire said. "I'm exhausted."
I reached for my purse to get money for my beers when Jackson stopped me.
"Don't worry about it," he said with an easy smile. "The least I can do is buy you a couple of beers as a welcome-to-town gesture."
"Are you sure?" I asked hesitatingly. I wasn't sure how comfortable I felt with someone I had just met picking up my tab.
"Of course," Jackson said. He glanced at Claire, quirking his mouth. "You too, of course."
"Thanks, Jackson," Claire said breezily.
"It was nice meeting you, Emma," Mia chirped. "I'm sure we'll be hanging out a lot, now that you're in town."
"Thanks, it was nice meeting you all too," I replied with a smile. I felt lucky that not only did I have a friend in Claire, but it also seemed that she was willing to take me into her circle. I glanced at Jackson. "Thanks again for the beers."
"No problem," he replied.
"See ya, Ems," Nathan said with a smile. "Don't forget my art show next week."
"I can't wait."
It was already dark when Claire and I stepped outside, but it was still warm.
"Thanks for introducing me to your friends," I said as we started walking the few blocks home.
"Of course," Claire replied easily. "I know how hard it can be to move to a new town not knowing anyone. I was lucky because I met Jackson in an acting class the first month I moved here and he introduced me to Nathan and Mia. We've all been friends ever since."
I took the opening, wanting to make sure that I wasn't stepping on any toes.
"Is there anything between you and Jackson?" I asked, flushing a little at my question.
Claire gave me a mischievous grin. "Why do you ask?"
I flushed deeper and gave an awkward laugh. "Just wondering. He was probably just being friendly, but he seemed a little flirty and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't overstepping any boundaries."
Claire laughed. "Don't worry. Jackson and I went out on a few dates when we first met, but that was three years ago. We found out that we were better off as friends."
I felt relief at her answer. I hadn't realized how worried I had been that there was something between them.
"So feel free to pursue away," Claire continued.
"Oh, I'm not saying I want to pursue him," I said hastily. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't stepping on any toes. It was just innocent flirting."
"Okay," she replied in a tone that said she didn't believe me. "But if Jackson shows interest in you, I wouldn't dismiss it. He's a great catch."
I nodded but didn't say anything else. I was too busy wondering if the new Emma Mills was going to have her first fling.
Chapter Two
Figuring out the subway system the next day was a lot easier than I had thought. As promised, Claire had spent some time going over the map with me when we got home from Max's Tavern and I was able to navigate it with much more confidence than I had anticipated.
Nervous that I would be late on my first day, I left much earlier than necessary and arrived at work an hour early. Sitting in a Starbucks down the street and feeling jittery, I wished I hadn't left so early.
I checked my watch and saw that I had ten more minutes left to wait so that I would arrive at work fifteen minutes early. I figured fifteen minutes said I was responsible but not overeager. My boss didn't need to know that I had been waiting at Starbucks for over half an hour.