Page 7 of Passion in Store

Chapter 7

Connor

At first, when Minnie won’t come on a date with me, I’m pretty crushed. I know I’ve come on too strong, scared her away.

I’m worried that I’m not good enough for her, but there’s something about the way she looks at me. I’m going to keep trying.

I’m determined to get my PT business thriving again as well. I’ve finished emailing all my clients with my promotion, but the phone just isn’t ringing yet. I decide to ask Tor her opinion of my new campaign when she’s got her next session.

As we do a boxing set in the corner of the ladies’ room early one morning, I notice she’s getting really violent with me. She’s so strong I always find it hard to match her stroke for stroke.

“Easy, tiger. Got some pent-up aggression in there, have we?” I ask, joking with her. She’s always so mysterious, I’m thinking there might be a grain of truth in it.

But she doesn’t flinch in her battering, except to laugh. “I love beating up on you, Connor. You know that.” She bounces on her toes and shakes her arms out, doing a quick couple of alternate jabs. She’s a living, breathing advertisement for how regular workouts can give you the edge.

“Hey, did you see my email? The one for half price sessions?” I ask hopefully.

“Sure, I did. But I’m in the middle of my twenty-session pack so it’ll be a while before I need it, I guess. Have you had any new customers?” Pow-pow. I catch her fisted gloves.

“Well, I’ve just got old clients on my list, so it’s about getting them to return, and overall, only one guy got back to me.”

“Oh, dear. You need some new blood, don’t you? Otherwise, you are just giving yourself away—and Connor, I have to say, if you have a fault, it’s that you are already too generous.”

I wonder if she’s right, although it’s a weird suggestion. I clarify. “What do you mean? I don’t give myself away. I don’t do anything for anyone.”

“Come on, Connor. You are always giving me extra time, you are the first to help people… take Jimmy, for example! You are always covering for him, and everyone knows he’s an asshole.”

“Ha. Okay, if that’s what you mean. It’s nothing special though. Doesn’t take long.” She’s giving me everything she’s got with a left that’s got me really bracing myself.

“Yes, Connor, you should keep track of the start and finish times of sessions, look at your watch more. Time management is going to help. All those minutes you give for free are minutes that you could be charging.” Her adrenaline might be making her a bit aggressive, but she pauses and looks at me, exhales, and lifts one corner of her mouth in a smile. “Eh, don’t worry about it. I guess you just can’t help being a nice guy.”

“You’re kind, Tor, and I am trying to change. Do you have any ideas about how I could get new clients?”

She cocks her head to one side. “Have to say, when Minnie and I saw you at the beach last week…”

“What? You saw me at the beach? Minnie was at the beach? Why didn’t you come say hi?”

“Minnie’s a little shy of you but I’m not giving away her confidence.” She’s raising her eyebrow suggestively as she says this, with a hint that she might be hiding something with regard to Minnie. My heart does a thump, but then she gets back onto the other topic. “Ahem. You asked me a perfectly appropriate business question, and I do have a great idea for you. Why don’t you do a boot camp at the beach? You could build in some special promotions around that, and lots of potential clients would see you.”

She’s got a great idea there, and the ideas keep flowing while I put her through her paces. I’ve been accumulating quite a bit of equipment that I could use to do boot camps, so I wouldn’t need to buy much. The time goes quickly as we train together, and I work up quite a sweat.

I spend the rest of the day thinking up sets and scenarios that could work in a boot camp program. My thoughts follow me to bed, and I toss and turn all night, thinking things over. The next day, although I’m tired and feel drained while with my clients, I’m optimistic for the first time in months, feeling like the fire is lit for a new phase of my career.

The positive mood has me so carefree that when I’m finished at the gym, I’m inspired to try asking Minnie to go out with me again. I know she’s still at work, and I decide to go all out. I arm myself with a large bunch of sunflowers from Wilson’s Florist on the second floor of the mall. I stand just out of sight of her when she’s bussing the outside tables, obscuring myself with the blooms. I just love the efficient way she walks her neat little frame around the scattered seats. When she looks my way, I’m not quick enough to evade her eyes and I have to smile and wave. Then my feet carry me over to her.

“Hey, Connor,” she says. “Nice flowers.” I can see there’s no line at the counter for once, and there’s only one group inside. It looks like they are almost finished. This is a relief, because I wouldn’t want to distract her from her work or have her be stressed by me being here, doing anything that might embarrass her.

“Hey yourself, Minnie. The flowers… are for you.” I pass them over with a flourish and my most winning smile, and her eyes go all round and doe-like, which makes my heart flop over like a hot pancake.

“Awww, Connor! Thank you. I was just going to take a break for a second while it’s quiet. Can I get you something?”

“Nah, don’t run around after me! Sit and have a rest. Or I could watch the café while you go to the bathroom? Do some shopping? Looks like you are on your own here.”

She gently places the flowers on a nearby table and sinks into a chair. “Oh, I just want to get my feet off the ground for a minute. Jimmy’s been gone all day and the customers haven’t stopped. We’ve run out of so many ingredients and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed!”

I shake my head in disgust. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Jimmy. He’s going to lose customers for sure.”

“Definitely. I know sales are down this week because customers were discouraged last week when the wait times were so long. They are going elsewhere. There are so many cafés in the mall that he won’t survive with this work ethic.” She’s looking around as if watching for any new potential customers.

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