Page 17 of Every Inch of You
Back to that again.“And what do you expect from Blonde PonytailButtgirl?”
He screwed up his face. “What?” He saw the blonde walk by, and went expressionless. “Oh. Don’t talk about my gym members likethat.”
“Fine.”
I told him I was stiff and sore and asked if we could go easy today. He said ‘no’ and reprimanded me for not stretching and not drinking enough water. He led me through some stretches, then sent me off to warm up on the treadmill. Then we did reps with free weights. When I started slowing down, he told me to use my anger towards my ex to motivate me. I told him I’d rather not “go negative.” I said I wanted to focus on how great I’ll feel once I’ve reached mygoal.
The expression on his face told me that he was impressed, but the tone of his voice told me that he was a totalasshole.
“Suit yourself,” hesaid.
When I was cooling down and stretching, in the back room, after I’d reached across my legs and touched my toes, he got down on the floor between my outstretched legs, told me to lay back, moved my right leg out straight in front of me, bent my left leg and pressed down on my left knee and rightthigh.
I let out agasp.
“We’ll do some assisted stretching exercises today. So you aren’t as stifftomorrow.”
I swallowed, but my mouth was as dry as my undiesweren’t.
“Is this okay?” heasked.
“Yes.” My mind raced, trying to think of something to say other than “it’s more than okay please don’t everstop.”
“Breathe,Vivian.”
I made a noise, something like “NUH” as I exhaled, and closed my eyes so I didn’t feel compelled to reach out and run my fingers through his sexy hair and pull him further towardsme.
He counted to thirty under his breath, then shifted my bent leg to an angle and gently pressed againstit.
“How could you afford to start your own gym at such a youngage?”
He looked annoyed that I had interrupted his counting and answered as if by rote. “My grandmother died and left me quite a bit of money, and the rest was funded by a small business loan from a banker who was one of my first clients when I was a personal trainer at anothergym.”
“I’m sorry about your grandma. I know she meant a lot toyou.”
“Thanks.”
And that was it for ourconversation.
After ten minutes of the most satisfying stretches I had ever experienced, I asked him if he wanted to grab a late dinner or a drink when he got off work. “To catch up somemore.”
“I think we’re caught up,” he said, and walked out of the backroom.
“Are you really still mad at me for not going to prom with you?!” I followed him and blurted itout.
“Shhh! Keep your voicedown.”
“Why? Are youashamedabout being mad at me for not going to prom withyou?”
“No.”
“So you are stillmad?”
“I don’t know if ‘mad’ is the word I’duse.”
“What word would youuse?”
“Annoyed.”
