Page 11 of Maid in Heaven

Madison chewed her hangnail, gnawing it like a rodent. “You’ll hate me more if you don’t hurry the hell up.”

The duo wove their way through gym equipment. The scent of s, body odor, and bleach stung Ava’s nostrils. She trailed behind Madison with a look of disinterest mixed with mild disgust. The bright overhead lights made the dark circles under her eyes pop, and her rat’s nest of auburn hair was held in an untidy ponytail with a lavender Scrunchie. A purple sports bra hung out from the stretched collar of her sweatshirt, which read:Not today, Satan.

Large aquarium-like windows framed the perfect scene of Jackson Hole just beyond the treadmill-filled cardio area. Late morning sun glinted across rolling hills, illuminating the landscape like something from a postcard. The gargantuan mountains in the distance, ones Jackson Hole was so notorious for, were dusted with freshly fallen snow beckoning skiers, summoning snowmobile owners, and granting steady work to the ever-ready plows that hibernated in sheds during the warmer months.

Madison spotted the leg press beyond a gathering of gym rats, all engulfed in deep conversation. She signaled for Ava to follow.

Ava didn’t budge.

Madison slammed a fist into the hip of her painfully bright, lime-green yoga pants. Most of her outfits were the colors of the highlighter spectrum, bold and visually irritating, and this ensemble was no exception. “So help me God, part of my workout can be dragging your ass from machine to machine if I have to.”

“Ugh!” Ava’s shoulders slumped. She looked around self-consciously at the undulating sea of spandex around her.

Madison slapped her hard on the ass, sprinting ahead of her, beating her to the machine without competition. Clad in a neon green sports bra and hot-pink mesh tank, she patted one of the machines, signaling for Ava to take a seat.

“We’re getting you back on the dating scene. If you’re at rock bottom, then, byGod, you could at least have arock-hard bottom.”

“You have such a way with words.” Ava laughed, begrudgingly taking a seat on the leg press.

“You need to getlaid. How long’s it been?”

“It’s been… awhile,” Ava mumbled, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

“What’s ‘a while?’” Madison asked with an arch of an eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Ava mumbled, giving an awkward nod to one of the muscle-boundattractive men who walked past. “Over a year-and-a-half maybe.”

“Wait. I thought you and Dan only divorced a fewmonths ago.”

“We did. But the months before that, he just was never, you know,in the mood.” She shook her head and chuckled. “Well, turned out hewasin the mood, just not withme.”

Saying the words felt like a punch to the stomach.

“We’ll get you through this shit. It sucks. You know I’ve been where you are. That’s why I’m not gonna let you get away with anything.” Madison grabbed Ava’s legs and put them into place. “Now, you’re going to act like you give a damn and do some fucking leg presses.”

“Fine, ten presses, and we go home,” Ava grumbled.

“No. Let’s tryfifty,and then I’ll take it easy on you at the next machine.”

“How aboutfifteen, and I don’t lose myshiton you?”

“Thirty.”

“Fine. Deal. Twenty it is.” Slowly, a smile crept onto Ava’s face.

Madison stacked some small weights on the machine. Meanwhile, Ava took a look around.

That’s when she spotted him.

Those electric-blue eyes. The ones that seemed to bore right through her.

They were staring now, crinkled in the corners above that knee-weakening grin across his stubbled face.

It was the maid.

What was his name?

Will?

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