Page 41 of Gym Bros
“I prefer harmless,” I mumble.
Calyx laughs—like a real laugh.
“Why is that funny?”
He gestures at me. “Because. You’re…”
He nods like the joke I am should be obvious, but then he sees my face and looks mildly horrified. “An MMA fighter,” he says quickly. “Like—you fight people with your hands. On purpose.”
“Oh.”
“That’s literally all I meant. That you could defend yourself.”
“I don’t like fighting women,” I say, and realize that sounds about as dumb as a box of rocks.
“Of course not. But do you wanna do goat yoga?” he asks like he’s trying to get back to safer ground.
“I mean, I’ll try it. But I can barely do a sun salutation.”
“You did great,” he argues. “And I promise—goat yoga is way more about the goats than the yoga.”
“I thought you said you’d never done it.”
“I’m making another assumption, but I’m pretty sure it’s a safe one,” he says.
I nod. “I’ll think about it. Let’s see how the week goes.”
“Sure. Yeah. That means I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He sounds like he’s looking forward to it, and I wonder how much of this is an act.
“Yeah,” I tell him. As difficult as it is for me to be bad at something in front of someone, it’s even harder to back away from a challenge. I guess I’m stubborn that way. I also, and I have to admit this to myself, sort of want to see him again. The eye candy. The hands on me. Whether he likes me or not, he’s got something I need.
“Great!” he says, brightening. His beauty is fucking blinding.
I look away this time. “See you then,” I tell him.
Before I know it, he’s beside me, walking with me to the door. “You’ll like tomorrow,” he tells me. “We’ll do strength poses. One of them is called warrior.”
I glance down at him. “Sounds good.”
“We’ll build off the sun salutation,” he goes on as he opens the door for me.
“You’re laying it on pretty thick,” I say.
“Is it working?” he asks.
“Working to what?”
“Prove I’m not an asshole?”
I think about it a moment and realize he’s not quite as scary as he was an hour ago. I feel slightly less tense. “Yeah, I guess.”
He smiles, and fuck. I wish he’d stop doing that.
7
CALYX
