The Trouble With Amanda

By Bella Frost

Amanda loves projects and staying busy. Her latest mission, working on her lackluster marriage to Brian, involves throwing herself into a series of crazy schemes to improve her home life. Can she transform her relationship so that it’s more like the romance novels she loves to read? 

Trouble starts when she begins working out with hunky personal trainer Ben, one of the most gorgeous and popular staff at her local gym. Unable to fight her growing attraction to Ben, Amanda finds herself caught between the man she’s stuck with at home and the man she wishes she could have. 

How will Amanda untangle the mess her life has become? And what is in Ben’s past that keeps holding him back? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bella Frost
• Release date: Apr 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524293482

Bella Frost

Bella Frost loves to read, write and spend hours wasting time on the internet. Her characters are fun, feisty and often frivolous. Sometimes goofy and infinitely relatable, they’re bound to become the best friends you always wish you had. Bella always makes time to indulge her other loves: food, fashion and football.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

WITH A FINAL longing glance at Maria, Salvatore turned abruptly and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. He was determined to prove his innocence. Nothing, not even the threat of jail, was going to keep him from the woman he loved.

A loud crash brought Amanda back to reality. Sighing, she placed the book on the table next to her, reluctantly setting Maria and Salvatore aside for the moment. She could hear swearing and more crashing coming from the kitchen. She sat for a few minutes, hoping that whatever was going on would resolve itself without her having to get involved.

She let her mind wander back to the book she’d been reading. A dreamy look came over her face as she pictured Salvatore’s muscled torso, visible through his white cotton shirt with buttons undone, his jet-black hair curling over his collar, and the sultry, steely look in his eyes as he strode out the door to rescue his relationship with Maria. Amanda loved nothing better than spending a lazy Saturday afternoon curled up in bed reading a romance novel. As far as she was concerned there was no greater pleasure than escaping into the pages of a book.

Amaaaaanda! Her husband’s gruff voice yelled from the same general area as the initial crash. There was no way she was getting back to Salvatore and Maria in a hurry. She could tell from her husband Brian’s tone that he wasn’t happy.

Steadying herself to deal with whatever minor catastrophe had set Brian off this time, she walked slowly to the kitchen, giving his temper time to subside ever so slightly before she walked into the fray. I bet Maria never had to deal with Salvatore yelling at her like this, thought Amanda, wishing she were still reading her book.

She found Brian standing in the kitchen, surrounded by broken terra-cotta pots embedded in dirt that had scattered across the tiled floor. A thin layer of soil covered his fishing boots, and his face was red with anger as he surveyed the scene around him.

What the hell is going on here? asked Brian angrily. I came in to clean my fishing rod, swung it around like I always do, and next thing I know, there’s dirt everywhere.

Amanda surveyed the scene in front of her. How would Maria handle this? Well, for starters, Salvatore wouldn’t be yelling at her; he’d take one look at her ample breasts swelling up over the low-cut peasant top she wore, and he’d be sweeping her into his arms and dragging her to the bedroom to make mad, passionate love to her. Or would he just make love to her on the kitchen floor? Amanda shook her head to wipe the image of Salvatore and Maria in her kitchen from her mind. There was no danger of that ever happening with her and Brian.

I thought I would grow some fresh herbs, Amanda replied calmly, bending over to clean up Brian’s mess. Remember, I mentioned it to you last week. They’re a great way to brighten up the kitchen.

Brian shook his head with disgust. Growing herbs? You wouldn’t know the first thing about growing herbs. You with your crazy ideas again. Last month it was furniture restoration, the month before it was knitting, he said as he waved his arms exasperatedly at the mess around him.

Amanda looked down at the mess and shrugged her shoulders. Maybe countertop gardening wasn’t for her after all. It looked so nice on the tv show I saw the other week, she sighed.  She certainly wasn’t having much luck with growing herbs, especially not with Brian around.

You know I always clean my rods in here. Those stupid pots got in my way. You never think things through, do you? With that, he stepped over the rubble and stormed out the kitchen door toward the garage. You can sort out your own mess.

Amanda cleaned up her latest project, picking up the ceramic shards. The seeds hadn’t even had a chance to break through the soil before Brian had sent the pots crashing to the floor. The TV kitchen had looked so happy and cheerful with fresh, green herbs on the windowsill. Never one to shy away from taking on a new project, Amanda had raced out to buy seeds and soil the following day, eager to recreate the look in her own kitchen.

She could hear Brian crashing around on the back deck, obviously annoyed that his routine had been disrupted. He really had become moody lately. He was obviously working too hard, she thought to herself. She had never considered that her little project would be such an inconvenience for him. In fact, Amanda hated that Brian cleaned his fishing rods in the kitchen. The watery, fishy smell made her feel ill, but she put up with it, never letting on her distaste for her husband’s favorite pastime. She preferred a harmonious home to confronting Brian about his behavior. That was how they had managed to stay married for so long—Brian did his own thing, while Amanda made do, cleaning up the never-ending mess around him and keeping her mouth shut in order to maintain the peace.

An eternal optimist, Amanda loved projects and staying busy. She didn’t mind that she moved from one to the other. As far as she was concerned it was a great way to learn things, and try out new hobbies. How would you know if you were going to like something if you never tried it?  Brian was the complete opposite. He loved fishing and sports, and spent as much time as he could doing one and watching the other. Although he’d seemed exciting and dynamic when they had been in high school, he’d become more serious and set in his ways the older he got. With his growing construction business he liked a peaceful, quiet home life with no surprises. At least that was what Amanda told herself when he lost his temper at her for trying something new. Amanda’s love of projects sometimes caused some friction between them, but it never stopped her from trying something she was interested in.

Lately his moods seemed to switch between sheer indifference and harsh criticism, depending on what sort of day he was having. Amanda had a fairly thick skin, so she managed to ignore him most of the time, keeping busy with newer and more ambitious projects.

As she swept the dirt from the floor, her mind wandered back to the book she’d been reading. Surrounded by dirt and broken pots, along with the fishy smell that lingered long after Brian had left the room, Amanda was struck by the contrast between her own reality and the life of the heroines in the romantic books she loved to read. She felt a familiar tingle in her stomach as an idea began to take hold. Could she come up with a plan to transform her marriage? She was great at projects, she reasoned. She would make Brian notice her again, taking that fiery temper of his and transforming it into passionate love, like the love between Maria and Salvatore. With their seventh wedding anniversary coming in a few months, this was the perfect time to get started. Brian isn’t going to know what hit him, she thought determinedly.

—-

Are you still here? Matt called out to Ben, spotting him in the weights room. It was 8:00 p.m., and they were the last two staff left at the gym.

I’m just finishing up, replied Ben, straightening up to see what his friend was doing. You could always give me a hand putting these away, you know. A bit of exercise is good for you.

Matt laughed and went to help Ben, the two of them managing to get the gym back in order in no time.

Ben could feel Matt’s eyes on him as he moved around the gym and sensed that a semiserious talk was coming his way. Never one to disappoint, Matt broached the subject of Ben’s work schedule. You’ve been pretty busy lately. Every time I come to work, you’re already here training someone.

It’s great, isn’t it? replied Ben, grinning proudly. It’s taken a few years, but I’ve finally managed to build up a really consistent client base.

It’s great from that perspective, sure. I guess I just want to make sure you’re not going to burn out. I haven’t seen you take a day off in months. You haven’t been out for ages either.

Ben stopped what he was doing, noting the concerned look on his friend’s face. Matt took his role as gym manager very seriously, always checking on everyone to make sure they were ok—not just the gym members but the staff as well. Ben appreciated Matt’s concern, but he’d never been happier with his career. He’d been working on building up his reputation as a personal trainer for a while, and it was finally paying off.

Is that what you’re really worried about? joked Ben. You’re missing our nights out?

Matt rolled his eyes. Hardly. I’m glad to be rid of the competition. You were always more successful at meeting women in bars than I was.

The two of them laughed, and Ben turned away, hoping the lecture was over.

Seriously, though, you really are always here. When are you going to make time for yourself? You can’t just work all the time; you do need some kind of social life. The change of tone caused Ben to look up and catch the stern look on Matt’s face. You’re not still spooked by that thing with Tessa, are you?

Ben froze, caught off guard by the mention of Tessa’s name. It was almost a year since he’d last seen her, and he had done a great job of putting her out of his mind until now.

Come on, that was ages ago. I haven’t seen or heard anyone mention her since it all came to a head. I’m sure she and her crazy husband have moved to a faraway town by now. Hopefully they’ve both forgotten all about you, said Matt. Maybe it’s time you did the same?

Ben stared into the distance, remembering Tessa. She’d been a gym member for a while and had seemed friendly and nice when they first started talking. She was pretty and cute, in a sexy yet innocent sort of way. At least that’s how she’d seemed at first. Ben sighed, remembering how she had managed to always be at the gym whenever he was, finding excuses to talk to him, until eventually they decided to go on a proper date. Ben couldn’t remember who had initiated the date, but knowing what he did now, it had probably been her. What a mistake that was!

As if reading his mind, Matt ventured, That sure was a crazy time. It went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye, didn’t it? I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming.

Matt was right, thought Ben. No one could have seen it coming—she’d seemed so normal at first, but things quickly got out of hand. Ben had never experienced anyone with such an obsessive personality before, and his friendly, trusting nature had made him the perfect target for someone like her.

Maybe you’re right, conceded Ben. I probably haven’t been as sociable outside of work since Tessa. You have to admit, though, that kind of thing would make most guys think twice about getting involved with anyone. Besides, it’s taken me a while to build my business back up to where it used to be. There was a lot of gossip about me at the time, and that’s not something I’d care to repeat.

I can understand you feeling like that for a while, but you’re starting to resemble a monk, joked Matt. For someone who meets girls as part of their job all day long, you’re certainly missing a lot of great opportunities. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how some of the women here stare at you.

Ben laughed and shook his head, thinking how much Matt loved to exaggerate. Although he did notice the looks he got from women at the gym sometimes, he always tried his best not to encourage them. He was naturally friendly and had to walk the fine line between being attentive to clients and giving them the wrong impression. After Tessa, any woman who seemed to pay him too much attention set off his internal alarm bells. As he considered Matt’s words, he thought of how he’d been avoiding social situations lately. Maybe Matt was right. Perhaps he had become a bit too cautious.

Well, maybe they’re not the sort of woman I’m looking for, retorted Ben. Have you ever considered that I might want to meet someone that likes me for more than just my biceps? Ben pulled a ridiculous body-building pose, pumping up his muscles as best he could. There’s more to me than just these guns, you know.

Matt threw a foam roller at his friend. Get out of here. Go home and relax. But think about what I said. You don’t want to end up being the burnt-out personal trainer who hates life and resents his clients. I’ve seen it before, you know.

This time, Ben’s smile was genuine. "You don’t need to worry about that. I love my job, and helping clients is what gets