Page 40 of Accidentally Joining His Cult

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My heart is still racingand my muscles ache as I leave the kickboxing class that was held at the Kyla gym for our morning workout. Pretty much everyone in town participates in some sort of group fitness activity. It’s one of the ways that we can keep up with the healthy mind and body routine that the Kyla nutritionists and doctors have created under Viktor’s guidance.

Viktor is always so disappointed when someone tries to skip out on exercise, so he’s created accountability programs with financial incentives to help motivate everyone to attend classes at least five times a week. I love working out and would do it anyway, but it’s also nice not to lose money.

The gym offers a great selection of activities to choose from: hiking, swimming, yoga, dance, spin classes, you name it. If you want there to be an activity and it isn’t offered, you can even suggest it for them to add.

I love that I get to start my day with exercise to wake me up; I always feel more energized after the intense workouts. The classes are pretty early to ensure that everyone has time to participate before they need to work, and it’s so cool that I get to see my friends first thing.

My best friend, Nick, one of the personal trainers at the gym, recommends which classes I should take, and they’re always so much fun. Now that this morning’s class is finished, I’m meeting up with him so he can let me know what other classes he’ll be running while I’m in town and so we can catch up.

We meet at the coffee shop next to the gym, and after I grab our drinks, I join him in one of the booths near the front of the store.

“Hey man, it’s been too long!” Nick says with a big smile. He’s like me in that we’re both usually upbeat and energetic. Nick is about my height and super fit from all the work he does at the gym. He’s also got really pretty eyes. Actually, he’s hot, now that I think about it.

“What’s that look for?” he asks in a teasing tone.

I'm unsure what look I’m giving him, so I just go for honesty. “I didn’t realize how hot you are.” He starts choking on the sip he’d just taken, and I can’t help but laugh. “Sorry. That was probably random, but I have a lot to catch you up on.”

So I tell him how I met Beck, that he thought I was flirting with him, and how we actually went on a date, but I thought we were just hanging out like I always do with people I meet while traveling. Nick purses his lips as I talk, amusement shining in his eyes, but he doesn’t interrupt, so I go on. “We kept in touch, and I invited him to the Florida retreat. They were overbooked, so we ended up sharing a room.” His eyes go wide, and I chuckle. “He went to kiss me, and I was shocked because I’m oblivious and didn’t recognize the tension between us until he explained it.” It all sounds so strange when I say it aloud.

“We ended up hooking up, and I realized that I’m bi. Now I’m looking at everything with this new perspective, and I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.”

Nick is obviously trying not to laugh.

“Go ahead,” I say with a grin. “It’s funny.”

He bursts out laughing, and it takes a minute before he can calm down enough to say anything. “Congratulations on realizing that you’re bi,” he begins.

“Thank you!” I say earnestly.

“And thank you for thinking I’m hot,” he teases. “If I’m being honest, though,” he continues, and I frown, unsure where this could be going. “I’ve always assumed that you were into both men and women,” he admits with a shrug.

“Wait, really? Why?”Do I give off some secret bi vibe that I didn’t know about?

“You unintentionally flirt with everyone,” he says like it’s obvious.

Which it’snot. Sure, I flirt with Beck, and in the past I’ve flirted with the girls I wanted to hook up with, but definitely noteveryone. My face must express my confusion because Nick laughs again before he continues.

“Cody, you’re constantly giving people flirty grins, casually touching, asking about details of their life that most people would forget. You use a lot of eye contact…” he trails off.

“None of that is flirting,” I insist. “It’s just being nice! I’m nice.”

“You’re very nice,” he reassures me. “But most people aren’t. So when you’re your normal nice self, I think that some people confuse that for interest.”

“Huh.”I’m not sure how to react to that.

“I’d bet that most of the people here have you specifically in mind as a potential partner when they commit to having an ‘enlightened relationship’. Both the men and the women,” Nick adds.

There are very popular programs run here in Linna that Viktor teaches on modern relationships that focus on avoiding the capitalistic downfalls of relationships in popular society today. So many people are with their partners because they feel trapped in the relationship financially or legally. People care more about their image—competing with other couples for likes online or with the neighbors for the best date night or the newest, shiniest car. Basically, people waste time and money ignoring their desires and needs to fit the mold of what society tells them a relationship should look like instead of supporting and empowering their partner.

I’ve never taken one of these programs because I haven’t been in a serious enough relationship to consider learning more than the basics that Viktor has shared with me. I’ve never been against being in a serious relationship the way that Beck seems to be. I just haven’t felt drawn to someone enough to put in the effort, with how much I travel and would be away from them.

Still, I know enough about the enlightened relationship idea to understand what Nick means. After the workshops, some couples decide they’d benefit from less traditional views on monogamy or from redefining what their relationship looks like. In fact, many people here choose to remain emotionally committed to their partner, living with them and maintaining their marriage or relationship while pursuing physical connections or even additional emotional and physical relationships outside of that initial pairing.

A lot of people also explore their sexuality for the first time as a result, which I’ve always thought was cool.

The concept of enlightened relationships reminds me of the swingers’ parties I’ve seen in movies. Personally, I’ve never understood the appeal, but I’m glad that they all feel comfortable pursuing what makes them happy.

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