The Personal Trainer's Ex-Girlfriend

Hello

Kehlani

Never in a million years would I ever have my first love facing across me in an Abercrombie and Fitch store. My eyes roam from his face to the floor while my fingers fidget before cracking them. I can't be in the same store where his presence is at. Just as I turn around to push the cart and going to Tessa; Blake respond, "How are you?" I stop my tracks and put on this half smile on my face before I turn around to observe his face. His facial hair has grown out and most of his hair is in a short ponytail as each side has a buzz cut. "I'm fine. How are you?" I timidly reply. My eyes avert from his to the floor again before I glance back at his face.

"I'm great. I'm school shopping with Kelly and Theo—"

"Mom," I turn around to face Tessa showing me the clothes she admires. "I got some of the clothes I like!" I then face Blake and his two kids; a son and daughter as she gasps with her hands piling over her mouth, "Oh, my goodness! You're Kehlani Brown from YouTube! I saw one of your videos and I trimmed my own hair all thanks to you!" Kelly gushes and I grin with honor. "Thank you, Kelly, but don't cut your hair again, okay? Because there are differences between a trim and a cut. And your hair is beautiful." I assure her. "Thank you, Kehlani." Kelly nods.

"Daddy, she's pretty!" Blake's son, Theodore stares at me with adoration in his eyes. "Thanks, Theo." I beam. "Oh, yeah! A month ago, Kelly deliberately cut her hair and her mother was really unhappy about that." I chuckle. "Blake, I'm also taking our daughter, Tessa and my four year old niece, Harper out to shop for their new clothes." I notify. His eyes glimmer with realization when he struck his gaze at Tessa. "You've grown so big!" Blake gushes and squeezes her tightly in his arms while I imagine if Tessa looks at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"You know who I am, right?" Blake asks Tessa. She shakes her head. "I'm you're—"

"Dad, can I try these on?" Kelly interrupts Blake's sentence. Thank goodness, I mentally think out of relief. I notice she holds up a pair of floral print jeans or jeggings in her hand. He turns to face me. "Kehlani, can you and the girls go with Kelly while she changes in her new school clothes?" Blake asks me. "Fine with me." I nod and give him a half smile. "Come on, Tessa." I calmly order as I push the cart full of Tessa and Harper's new clothes for school. I remove Harper from the cart before her and Tessa run with Kelly to the changing room. Kelly opens the door and closes the door to change behind the door. "Auntie Lani, when am I going to school?" Harper queries. "You're going to start school on Tuesday, honey." I give Harper a maternal smile.

"Mom, how do you know that guy?" Tessa inquiries. "Your dad and I used to date in middle and high school, sweetheart." I answer.

"That guy is my dad?" Tessa questions doubtfully. I nod and the door squeaks open, causing me to whirl around to face the six year old jutting out her hip with her arms folding in front of her chest as well as her lips parting. "You went to school with my dad? And Theodore and I have a big sister?" Kelly queries with confusion lacing in her voice. "Yeah, we were middle school sweethearts for three years," I explain, "And I like those jeans on you, Kell!" Kelly's smile tugs at her lips. "Thanks! And they're actually called jeggings." She corrects. I nod in assurance before Kelly asks, "Kehlani, are you, Tessa, and Harper going to the food court with us?"

Furrowing my eyebrows and peering at the ceiling, I rest my chin on my hand as I ponder on the thought. "I don't know, but if I do; I'll give you guys an autograph and make sure you ask your dad if you and your little brother could get a picture with me, okay?" I vow, sticking my pinky finger out and Kelly wraps her pinky around my finger. "Pinky promise!" Kelly chirps before she removes her pinky from mine and begins walking to her Dad until I almost forget something.

"Uh, Kelly? Shouldn't you change back into your original pants, so your father could pay them for you?" I remind and Kelly's eyes widen, lowering her head at her pants prior to a loud gasp escaping from her mouth. "Oh, my gosh!" She runs past me and slams the door to change back into her original pants that she has on before. Tessa, Harper, and I walk back, sitting beside the door of the changing room when I stare at Blake and Theo looming closer to me and the girls. Oh, my gosh... Beads of sweat start forming in my hands and I wipe them off my thighs while my phone is resting on my lap.

"Hey, Key, how's my little girl doing?" Blake queries.

"She almost returned to you in her unpaid jeggings." I chuckle. He chuckles. "I'm not talking about Kelly; I'm actually about our big girl." Blake refers. Oh, gosh... I wrap a curl around my finger as I chuckle nervously. "She's doing fine and is an honor roll student. So, yeah. It's been, like," I hesitate and count the years with my fingers. "Five years since high school and three years since our college graduation."

"Yeah, that was a long time." Blake nods. "So, what do you do, now?"

"As you already know, I'm one of the public figures on YouTube and I work at the gym." I answer.

"Wow! You're working at the gym, now that kind of job has a well-paying salary." Blake approves. "I'm looking for a job after my family and I lost our house three weeks ago." When I hear about the distressing news about Blake and his kids losing their house in a fire, I really need to make a contribution to him and his kids, so they won't be homeless. "Do you want me to chip in?" I offer and unfasten the zipper of my wallet when Blake holds his palms, wobbling them. "No need, Key. We're actually living at my Mom's apartment."

"Oh, how's your Mom?" I intriguingly question. "She's being my Mom as usual." Blake and I share a laugh before he asks me, "So, when am I going to see our grown girl? Because someone quit calling their baby's father when they started becoming independent and making money on YouTube."

Taken aback, I snap, "Please! Like, someone quit calling their baby's mother when they started going out with the high school..." I hesitate my own sentence. "Someone quit calling their baby's mother when they started going out with the high school slut," I whisper into Blake's ear before pulling away from him. "What was her name?" I narrow my eyes and the tip of my finger tap on my thumb as I begin to have episodes of recollection surfacing in my head before the name pops up.

"Ooh! Phe-Whora," I recall. Blake chuckles with his head lowering prior to raising to face me.

"It's Phedora." Blake corrects. "Phedora! That's right." I sarcastically clap my hands together. "Whatever happened to Phedora?"

"Oh, he married the slut." I pivot to face Blake's sister, Charlotte in her work attire. My eyes bug just like hers right now as we grin at the same time and swathe our arms around each other. "Ahh!" Charlotte and I squeal with rejoice. We pull away from each other for Charlotte to envelop her arms around Tessa as she has her arms wrapping around her paternal aunt.

"Thank goodness you're here! You have no idea how much we miss you!" Charlotte proclaims.

"I miss you, too, Charlotte. But Tessa and I saw you, Gracie, and Doug two weeks prior. How are Gracie and Doug doing, by the way?"I inquiry.

"Gracie just got her new hearing aid and Doug just bought another car just like Cousin Steven." Charlotte informs and goes on her phone to show me a recent picture of her, Gracie, and Doug posing with her arms draping around each other while Gracie is holding a certificate. "Gracie just got her driver's license!" Charlotte eagerly exclaims and I jump along with her around the same time Charlotte asks me, "What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm here to take Tessa and my niece, Harper school shopping for this year." I answer and Charlotte glances from me to Tessa and Harper standing beside me.

"Tessa, what grade are you going to be in his year?"

"I'm going to be in the fifth grade." Tessa vivaciously answers. I beam at her answer. "Well, it's time for my shift to start and it is really a fantastic time to reconvene with you guys! I'll message you later on Facebook." Charlotte then departs. Gosh, it is really pleasant to catch up with old friends! Yet, still, I can't believe my first love and my ex-boyfriend is married to the woman that has caused hell in our relationship when I was with Blake and the aftermath of our three year courtship.

Blake

Not seeing my old flame since— Well, not really when I saw her walking on the stage at our college commencement three years ago, not knowing that she went to the same college as me. I really got to admit; she still looks good in her early twenties, going mid twenties someday. Despite the fact that I'm a married man, she still takes my breath away with her aura and her bubbly personality. Damn, she still looks fine!

Gazing at her with awestruck, the ringing of my cell phone interrupts me out of my trance, picking it up from the pocket of my jeans, and press my finger on the answer icon as well as putting the phone to my ear. "Hello," I respond.

"May I speak with Blake Davis?" A man questions with an earnest English accent in his voice.

"Yes, this is he."I assure him.

"Good afternoon, Blake. This is Adrian Burns. It is my duty to say congratulations and believe you to be perfect for the personal training position at Planet Fitness in Medford, NY. I can confirm that we are happy to gran you employment upon completion of a background check, expected within the next five working days." Hearing the news about my employment at a new job, my first intended reaction is to jump up and down as well as making a fool out of myself at a public department store of the mall. However; I determine to compose myself and nod my head in agreement.

"Yes, thank you so much, Mr. Burns." I encourage.

"No problem, mate. I'll see you on your first day of work and I will have one of our wondrous staff to show you around the gym. Understood?" Mr. Burns clarifies.

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day." I comprehend.

"Have a splendid day to you, too, Blake. I will see you on the day after Labor Day. Talk to you later. " Mr. Burns bids his adieu to me and I answer, "I'll talk to you later. Goodbye, Mr. Burns."

After that, I hang up and secure my phone in my pocket when the voice of an angel questions, "Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, it was my boss and he told me that I got the job." I announce with a hint of joy lacing in my voice. I observe the look on Kehlani's face as her eyes broaden at the same time her mouth forms the letter "o" that quickly transfixes into the corners of her mouth quirking up on her face. "That's great news, Blake! Congratulations!" Kehlani nods her head and turns to face both Tessa along with Harper if they have their needed school attire.

"So, Key," I begin my sentence while she looks up at me. "Do you and the girls want to go to the food court with us?" I politely query. At first, she reluctantly considers her idea before she gives in with a shrug. "Okay. Your daughter, Kelly was discussing about it and I already promise to her that I'll give her and Theo an autograph along with taking a picture with them." Kehlani note.

"Oh, okay." After Kehlani and I purchase our children's clothes for school, the six of us head to the food court when something is on the tip of my tongue. "So, Key, when should I see our big girl?" I inquiry as I observe her eyes peering at the ceiling and her chin rests on top of her knuckles just as her index finger tap on her cheek. Her eyes then shift towards me with her hands holding up.

"You could hang out with us. I'm actually taking Tessa to get her ears pierced later on and you and the kids could come with us to the Air Trampoline in Ronkonkoma." She suggests. I start nodding my head in agreement as Key and I spend time with our kids for almost a day, so I can reunite and discover our daughter's likes and dislikes.