The Boyfriend Bylaws Read Online Free PDF

away. Then, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
    Erica knelt down on the floor next to an air vent and she held a finger to her lips. “They’ve started the meeting. Want me to relay what they’re saying?”
    “Is it wise to speak that close to the vent?” I stared down at Erica, who was now sprawled across the floor with her ear smashed against the grate. “I mean, if you can hear them, can’t they hear you, too?”
    Erica frowned, probably mentally shushing herself. “This is another reason I work alone.” Making several twisty motions with her hand, she zipped her lips then waved us down toward the vent that was two inches above the linoleum floor.
    In the name of duty, I dropped down on my stomach between Matt and Steve, and tried not to sneeze from the dust that coated the vent.
    Matt put his arm around me. “Cozy enough for you?”
    I definitely felt cozy against him, but no way would I let him know how he was affecting me. “Shouldn’t we focus on our jobs?”
    Matt winked at me. “Not my first choice, but whatever you say.”
    “ Rodolfo, dai .” A man’s voice, with a thick Italian accent, echoed from the vent and I pictured him gesturing with his hands as he talked the way Rudy did. “The business, it is going under. You want that we help you o no ?”
    Going under? We’d suspected it, yes, but having it confirmed gave me a horrible sinking feeling. Poor Rudy. And poor me, too. Where would I find another job in this economy?
    “You know I try to do business with you.” Rudy’s accented words were tense. “But the amount you offer is niente . Pietro , you are my cousin, my blood. You offer me fair price, I sell to you now.”
    Matt leaned away from the vent and whispered. “Told you that Zambini guy was family.”
    “You said brother,” I reminded him.
    “Never said I was clairvoyant.” Matt held his palms in the air. “Don’t start with that ‘my word is my word’ thing again. I admit freely that I was incorrect, okay?”
    “Wow.” Erica put a hand on Matt’s elbow. “A guy admitting he’s wrong? That’s positively yumzy.”
    “Can we get back to the issue at hand, people?” Steve tapped his index finger on the wall.
    We all turned back to the choppy conversation.
    “ Guarda, cugino mio. Nicollò and I here to help you, no ?” The thickly accented Pietro took on a companionable tone and I pictured him putting an arm around poor Rudy. “We keep price same ma we keep you on to manage, yes? You will receive a fine salary.”
    Rudy sighed. “ Va bene . Totally Fit, it is yours.”
    “ Bravo , my cousin. You never regret this.” It sounded like they were slapping each other on the back. “ Allora , we make some changes. Nicollò ?”
    “ Sì .” There was a rustling of papers. “I’ve been going through the books and found plenty of places to trim costs.” This Nicollò guy had a deep voice and must’ve grown up in the States because he spoke without a trace of accent. “First, your trainer, Steve Burns?”
    I turned toward Steve, who looked panicked.
    “The guy charges forty-five an hour for his services and you only keep twenty-five percent? No wonder your gym’s going under.”
    “Steve is excellent trainer.” Rudy’s voice was shaky. “He brings a lot of business and the clients, they like him.”
    “We’re going to raise his services to sixty an hour and he can keep half of that. If he doesn’t like it, we’ll get a replacement.”
    Steve’s face went pale and I laid a hand on his arm, knowing I barely scraped by on my Totally Fit paycheck. What if they decided to cut my salary?
    “ Sì .” Pietro was speaking again. “Like the one at the front desk. This guy Steve want to walk? We replace with the front desk guy. He in good shape.”
    Reflexively, I turned on my elbows to check Matt out, remembering his muscular silhouette at the door. I blinked. Had he been working out more often?
    “Why are you staring at me?” Matt’s eyes met mine.