Page 3 of Training Maisy

Chapter 2

Carter watched Jesse walk into the gym and had to work to hide his smile.

“You know this isn’t your office, right?” he said as he kept an eye on the aerobics class he was leading.

“Sure, but the view from my office doesn’t compare to the one I always find here,” Jesse said with a wink as he smiled appreciatively at the class, taking special note of the women in their tight gym outfits and jiggling parts. Carter smiled at his statement, and with a wave of his hand indicated that the class was over, happy to see everyone struggling for breath and even a few of them falling to the floor.

“Okay, that’s it for today. See you tomorrow,” he told them as he joined Jesse, and the two of them walked to his office.

“You know, most of the ladies in there just come so they can stare at you lifting weights and flexing your muscles,” Jesse said.

“Now, why would you say that?” Carter asked jokingly, knowing Jesse was right. He couldn’t begin to count the number of times women, and men, had asked for one-on-one coaching, hoping to start something with him.

“Well, they can look all they want,” he said as he sat down behind the desk. “So, how did your meeting with the buyer go?” he asked Jesse, aware he had gone to meet Maisy.

“Great, actually sold the place. Can you believe that?” he asked as he brought out his laptop to start working.

“One of these days, I am going to start billing you for my Wi-Fi.”

“Sure, as soon as you settle my bill for all the referrals I bring to your gym.”

“What referrals? You mean Tiffany?” Carter asked.

“Yeah, but not only her. I also brought other people,” Jesse said defensively.

“Really, like who?” Carter crossed his hands behind his head as he watched Jesse with a smile on his face.

“I brought Susan.”

“You mean the blonde you were trying to hook up with last year?”

“Yes, Carter, the blonde I was trying to hook up with last year; at least until she fell in love with you.”

“Hey, you can’t blame that one on me, and don’t try to change the subject. We were comparing the cost of bringing two people to my gym with the cost of you using my Wi-Fi every day for almost three years.”

“Make that three people. I gave Maisy your card today,” Jesse said triumphantly.

“Maisy? Who’s Maisy?”

“The girl I sold the house to. She’s just moving into town, and she asked if there was a gym nearby she could join, and I gave her your card.”

“Come on, Jesse, don’t tell me you’re trying to make a move on a new client again.”

“No, I wasn’t, but thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jesse said, feigning hurt.

“Yeah, right; why don’t I believe you?”

“Okay, so I thought about it, and actually asked her to Sal’s. But she said no, was actually gracious about it. I get the feeling she’s recovering from something, a bad breakup maybe.”

“Well, it would seem like it, going by how quickly she bought and moved into that place,” Carter said, thinking about when he himself moved back to town. He and Jesse had grown up in Ashborne as best of friends, a relationship formed right from the day Carter had defended Jesse against some bullies at the playground. From then on, they were close friends, sharing everything. But while Jesse was content with life in their town, blending in seamlessly and even going to the local college, Carter felt stifled by it, and two weeks after their high school graduation, he left for the city. But he soon found out that life in the city wasn’t as glamorous as he thought it would be; the people were harsher and more cynical than he was used to. Still, he was determined to make a way for himself and got a job working as a valet at a restaurant. Then one day when he was coming back from work, he was accosted by two would-be muggers who asked him to hand over his wallet.

Knowing that if they went away with his money he would be flat-broke till the next payday, which was still about three weeks away, he struggled with them. He was easily overpowered and was soon trying to defend himself from their blows. But just when he was losing all hope, he felt someone grab a hold of the guy on top of him and fling him away. From the ground, he watched as his Good Samaritan easily beat up the two assailants and then chased them off. After checking to make sure Carter was okay, he invited him into the gym he owned. That’s how Carter met Jesse. Soon, he was spending most of the time he wasn’t at work in the gym, working out and helping Jesse run the place. Then, when he needed an assistant to help him in the gym, Carter asked if he could do it. Carter loved working at the gym, loved the challenge of helping people set a goal for their bodies and making sure they reached that goal. Jesse also encouraged him to go back to school, and Carter soon enrolled at the community college, earning a degree in kinesiology. But six years after he came to the city, he realized he missed his hometown, and while life in the city was great, he was tired of the everyday hustle he had to go through. With the blessing of Jesse, he finally moved back to Ashborne. He opened his gym, and with the wealth of experience he got from working with Jesse, he turned it into a success. Sometimes he still missed the city, but overall, he was happy to be back in the peace and quiet of Ashborne.

Thinking about Maisy, he decided that even though he didn’t know what she was looking for here in town, he was pretty sure Ashborne was the best place to find it.

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