A Change for the Good Read online

  A CHANGE FOR THE GOOD

  By Melanie Jayne

  Copyright © 2015 Melanie Jayne

  All rights reserved

  ISBN-10: 0986418471

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9864184-7-1

  Acknowledgements

  This is my second published book and the first manuscript that I attempted to write. I have spent four years and multiple rewrites with Tony and Zoe. I’m excited to finally share their story with you.

  I want to thank my husband, he has perfected the art of the listening to me obsess over my writing, many times he isn’t sure if I’m talking about real people or the characters in my head. He has supported my dream of writing with only a few eye rolls and shoulder shrugs.

  My assistant, David, he cracks the whip, keeps me on schedule and listens to me, even when I’m not making any sense. Plus he endured twelve hours of trying to find a font that I liked. Yes, I did say, “That one is too happy, too angry, too round.” He is as patient, as he is brilliant.

  My friend/advisor/therapist/angel, Francesca Bensi, we began as friends and now you are so much more to me. I cannot thank you enough for believing in me and answering my calls.

  Lastly, Tony Chapman, he endured a multitude of questions. When I started this story, my Tony was not based on you, though you do share a few traits. The ability to love, protect and push for something more in life. You are a good man.

  For Melanie Maheras Mueting

  My best friend since our college days at Indiana University, full of rock ‘n roll, alcohol and raising hell. You are amazing, brilliant, strong and brave. Moving forward is so much better than focusing on the past.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter One

  “You need to shut the hell up and listen to me for one minute.” Zoe Crawford’s voice echoed across the gym’s open space. Thank God there wasn’t a huge audience to see her meltdown. She was paired with Daniel, the daytime trainer as part of the New Member’s Introduction, a mandatory part of the gym package. She had been sweating away for close to an hour and was so over this dumbass. She tried to correct his assumptions gently but the muscle-bound douche-bag was not listening.

  Zoe had been told that the gym was practically deserted at ten in the morning so it was the ideal time for a bigger woman to work out. She wore two compression bras to support her large breasts and a long sleeve, navy t-shirt to show less sweat. Her wide hips, big butt and strong thighs were encased in deep gray yoga pants. Women possessing her body type usually joined a gym hoping to change their shape by starving and sweating. Zoe had tried that and it only left her angry and deeply sad. Part of her “New and Improved Zoe” program was to work with her body and treat it well. If she was meant to be a size eighteen then so be it.

  She felt her blue eyes squint in anger, as she ripped into Daniel. “Maybe you misunderstood my goals even though I am positive that I communicated them clearly, using easy to understand words. I have accepted my big butt, in fact I need it because it matches my big boobs.” She thrust her finger in the trainer’s chest. “I came to this gym because I want to work on my flexibility and cardio. I don’t want to be a size six. I just want to improve what I am. You have spent the last hour telling me everything that is wrong with my body and making me feel like shit. Well guess what—YOU ARE FIRED! Get away from me. Oh and please make sure you write that down on your damn clipboard.”

  She stalked to the treadmills, muttering, “Dumbass”. Stepping onto the hated machine, she punched the buttons to start her cool down. Satisfied with the pace, she glanced into the mirror and noticed a guy with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes on the machine next to her. Their eyes met in the mirror. She could feel the blush spread across her cheeks as he gave her a nod then a small smile. He had witnessed her scene with Daniel. Well she hoped he was entertained and why not, she had just proved that she was a crazy woman shrieking like a banshee at the idiot.

  Muttering to herself, “Maybe I should just cancel my membership on the way out?” No, those kinds of thoughts belonged to the Old Zoe, the one who spent years being a pleaser. She had laid the Old Zoe to rest when she left Denver. The New Zoe was going to be proud of herself, even her mistakes, no more trying to please others instead of herself.

  Feeling calmer, she took the opportunity to check out the guy jogging beside her. Wow, he was good looking, too young but yummy. His long dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and there was stubble along his jaw as if he rolled out of bed and headed to the gym. His golden skin was shining from sweat and his gray Foo Fighters t-shirt stuck to his chest. His body was defined but not over-done. He was built for fluid graceful movement not power-lifting a car.

  Her eyes returned to his face and he flashed a grin that started slowly, but then he turned it on full blast, something pulsed deep in her stomach.

  Yikes, she had been caught checking him out, in a moment of panic, she lost her balance, stutter-stepped to correct her rhythm and almost fell off the treadmill.

  Now truly mortified, she peeked at the mirror and of course he had noticed. He was chuckling and shaking his head at her clumsiness. Oh God, I am such a klutz, so much for my first day working out, I’m totally out of my element.

  He turned his machine off and pointedly glanced at her left hand now gripping the side rail tightly, then muttered something under his breath. After pulling his towel from the handle bars he wiped his face and neck, he touched her hand to capture her attention. “You should do a session with Melissa.”

  “What? Oh were you talking to me?” Oh God Zoe, so smooth, there was no one else around.

  “Yeah. I said, you should talk to Melissa, she’s a trainer here. She’s good and she will respect you. I’m Tony Alessi, by the way.”

  “Right, I’m all about the respect, especially after making a scene during my first visit. I’m Zoe, the crazy woman.”

  “Daniel is an ass, plus I think you are cute. I always enjoy a little entertainment with my workout. I’m here most days around this time. I look forward to more fun.” He flashed that dazzling smile again.

  “Well, uhm, thank you.” Zoe then returned to looking at the screen on the equipment, she didn’t know what else to do. Her heart was pounding and it wasn’t from her workout.

  As Tony walked toward the locker room, Zoe couldn’t help herself, she turned her head to follow his progress and checked out his ass. It was tight with a hint of roundness, the kind that made a man’s jeans much more interesting. His gait had a slight limp which made sense with much of his right leg was encased in a brace. The weakness did nothing to diminish the effect. Tony was a dangerous combination of sexiness and that smile.

  Every few days, Zoe made the habit of checking in with her best friend who was back in Denver. She used the call as a way to unwind and look back on what she had accomplished. As the sun dropped over the horizon, she lounged on her apartment’s deck enjoying a glass of wine. “Today wasn’t so bad. I went to the new gym and had a session with the trainer.

  “I know that you were hoping to like this gym,” Anna’s familiar deep voice comforted her.

  “Well the trainer, he was a jerk. He totally pissed me off. He wouldn’t accept that I was okay with being big. I started yelling and fired him during my tantrum. I stalked off to the treadmill very dramatically. There wa
s this guy on the treadmill right beside me. Man, he was hot.”

  “Go on. This sounds like it is going to be good.” Anna’s curiosity came through the phone.

  “Well he was tall and lean and had a ponytail. I’m guessing Italian with the dark hair and golden skin. I’m sure he has a motorcycle and a leather jacket. He smiled and it was electric.”

  “Hmm, a bad boy might be good for you. Did you talk to him?”

  “He seemed nice. He tried not to laugh when I almost fell off the treadmill.”

  “What? Wait, how did that happen?”

  “I glanced up and Tony smiled and I lost my rhythm and almost fell off. You know that I am not used to men like that talking to me.”

  “Tony, huh?”

  “He introduced himself. I mean, everybody here is really friendly.” She sounded defensive to her own ears.

  “What do you mean by ‘guys like that’?”

  “Oh, uhm, he is younger and a little dirty-looking. I mean like he could be bad news.” Laughing at herself, she continued, “Oh my God, I sound so silly, like a girl in a fifties movie. He’s not the type of man that I’m used to talking with. In Denver they were the clean cut, suit wearing type of man or those artsy types.” Christ, I need to get out more and meet different types of people.

  Anna sighed. “Zoe, we all go through a Bad Boy phase. I did in college and it was quite fun.” She finished the declaration with an evil laugh.

  “Bad boys never held much appeal. They intimidate me. Although, Tony, well, he was nice. I might like working out if I can watch that guy sweat.”

  “Zoe, I am proud of you.” Anna chuckled. “I think you are learning.”

  “Wait, it’s not like I would do anything. I mean he is way too young and I’m not sure I would know what to do with a man like that. Although it was nice to hear that he thought I was cute.”

  “He said that you were cute?”

  “I’m sure he meant that I gave him something to watch during his workout.”

  “This is the first man that I have heard you mention since your divorce. I sense progress. Remember not all men are asses who cannot keep their dicks in their pants.”

  “Says the wife of my divorce attorney,” Zoe teased.

  Anna cleared her throat dramatically. “Well the best thing that came out of your split from Nate was meeting me. The second best thing is that you have changed for the good. The divorce forced you to reevaluate your life. You are not the same woman that was married to Nathaniel Baxter. I know that it has been difficult, really difficult, but you are a stronger, better woman now.”

  “Thanks Anna, I needed to hear that. I hope I never fall back into that Old Zoe role. I mean, I was raised to be a pleaser. Dad was very demanding. Then with Nate, I just let myself become a robot, a follower.”

  “Well now you can do what you want and be whoever you want.”

  “I know and I am trying.”

  “Enough with the trip down memory lane, you’re getting settled and starting over. It will take time, but I think you are doing great. Now that you have a chance of hooking up with a young stud, life could be really good.”

  “You only want to hear the dirty details. I don’t think that I am the type for a young stud. You know that I have lived a boring life, I mean, I’ve only slept with one man.”

  “Okay Sweetie, Tough Love Moment coming up, so listen. Go out and get some good sex. Go on some dates, talk to all kinds of people. You are beautiful, brave and a loyal friend. Don’t you dare cut yourself down to me. I know how far you have come and how much you have sacrificed to start over.”

  “It was only things that I gave up. You and Bill are the only true friends that I have. Everybody else abandoned me during the divorce and investigation. There was nothing in Denver to keep me except memories.”

  “You just proved my point. You saw how things were and you decided to make changes.” Anna paused so that the words sunk in.

  Zoe let out a loud sigh. “That is true. I was so tired of that life.”

  “Girl, picking up and moving move took guts, leaving everything you knew behind.”

  “Well it has been fun and interesting, this starting over stuff. “ Zoe rolled her eyes.

  “I love you. Now keep me updated, especially on Tony the Hunk.”

  Putting the cell down on the table, Zoe shook her head at her friend’s advice. Talking to Anna always made her feel better. Noticing the chill in the air, she gathered her things and went inside, locking the sliding door behind her.

  In bed, Zoe put her e-reader down and turned off the light. Settling into the pillows, her mind wandered to Tony. I bet that man would know how to give me an orgasm. He would probably enjoy the work. Oh my God, where did that thought come from? Stop. No crush on a bad boy, totally unacceptable, Zoe. Well it might be a little acceptable, since he is so sexy and I haven’t had good sex in years. Maybe I should shop for a vibrator since I am thinking more and more about what I’m missing.

  Chapter Two

  Promptly at nine-thirty a.m. Tony’s cell rang. He didn’t have to check the screen, his brother Geno was dependable, doggedly so. “Hey, Geno.”

  “Dinner tonight at seven.”

  “You and Patty don’t have to feed me. I can fend for myself.”

  “Shut up. It makes Patty happy to cook for you. So be there.”

  Typical older brother bullshit.

  “You goin to the gym?”

  “Getting in the truck now, just like yesterday and the day before.”

  “Don’t get like that. I know it’s hard coming home and all, but you stick with the therapy program and soon you can be out there catching bad guys again.”

  Older brother knows best.

  “We’ll see what happens.”

  “Later.” And with that, the phone beeped. Geno was a good brother and Tony had idolized him growing up. Both, he and his wife, Patty, checked in with Tony daily. He knew they were showing him their love and support although some days, he got tired of being the injured little brother. He was making progress physically but there were decisions to be made about the future. It was time for Tony to become his own man again, follow his own path.

  Tony felt grouchy this morning and hoped sweating at the gym would help. Working out might shake off the effects of last night’s dream about Atlanta. He had tossed and turned, reliving the meeting that ended with Ice swinging a pipe and breaking a rival’s ribs. He woke slowly feeling out of sorts, as if he was out of touch with himself. Not surprising, the psychiatrist had advised that living life as another person for four years would take a toll on his psyche. Identity issues, he had called it. Agreeing to take the deep cover assignment had changed Tony’s life, leaving him with a broken body and an uncertain future.

  He started the truck’s engine and cranked up the volume on his sound system. Metallica’s Enter Sandman blasted through the speakers. He turned onto the street, heading toward his workout.

  At the gym, Tony stowed his bag in a locker and headed out to the elliptical machine to warm up. Today was upper body work. From that vantage point, he watched Zoe enter and everything stopped. She was wearing an ocean blue dress. It was feminine with a skirt that floated around her ankles and the top hugged her full breasts in a mouth-watering way. Tony’s eyes followed her as she made her way to the women’s locker room. He had been hoping to run into her since last week. He wanted to get her number and make plans for a date. Fifty gut busting minutes later, he hobbled to the treadmill for cool down. Zoe was already walking and humming to her music player. She glanced over and shyly nodded a hello, then quickly looked away. He wondered if she had noticed his limp. He felt a twitch of embarrassment and quickly squashed it. The doctors had all agreed that by following the physical therapy program the limp would diminish.

  Tony was lost in Rob Zombie’s music when he felt a light brush over his knuckles. His body jerked but he recovered quickly, tearing out his earphones.

  Zoe stood beside him with an uncertai
n expression on her face. She looked like she might run any second. “Hey, sorry. I just wanted to thank you for the tip on the trainer. I saw her a couple of days ago and it went smoothly. Well, almost anything would have been better than Daniel but there was no yelling. I promise.” She smiled and his adrenaline spiked.

  Tony was captivated, her eyes were the color of a twilight sky. Her skin was rosy and carried a slight sheen from her workout. She was a bit older than he had first thought, the smile brought out a few lines at the corners of her eyes. Recovering he turned off his machine and picked up the conversation.

  “That’s great. I was hoping to see you again. Since we are finishing at the same time, let me buy you a juice or something.”

  “That isn’t really necessary.” Her words came out in a rush. She took a step backward, as if to start her escape.

  “Of course it is, you have to rehydrate. I insist.” He gave her a determined stare, tipping his chin as his eyes captured hers, daring her to look away. If he had to intimidate a little, so be it. He wanted this woman and he had not experienced sexual desire since coming home.

  “Well if it wouldn’t be holding you up, then okay.”

  “I’ll meet you out front.” It didn’t matter that he still had twenty minutes left on the treadmill. He grabbed his towel and followed Zoe to the locker rooms.

  ****

  In the shower, Zoe wondered why she was going to meet Tony for a drink. I didn’t even get the chance to say no. It was the stare. His eyes were so cold, but as he watched me I swear I saw them thaw. I had to agree. Remember that for the future. Do not give in to the stare. Wait, what future, no future with this guy.

  Tony was waiting at the front door, even more attractive in jeans and a long sleeve, red shirt that made his shoulders and chest look so wide and strong. He smiled and held the door open for Zoe. “I thought we’d go next door.”

  “That’s fine with me,” she said, a nervous giggle escaping past her words. God help me, I just giggled like a teenager. Get hold of yourself, she ordered.