Page 4 of Tinsel Time Treasure
Just a feeling of lost opportunities—time I could have spent with a better man.
I shook my head as I turned to go back into the apartment. Sure the years were gone, but I was still in my early thirties. There was plenty of time to find a good man to settle down with, an omega who could love me as much as I would love him.
But not yet. For the time being I needed a chance to mend my wounded heart.
∞∞∞
“Ok everybody,” I called out to the class. “Time to cool down. Do some light exercises and stretch. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water this afternoon to replace what you lost. And wipe down your bikes before you leave.”
I got off my stationary bike and moved into an example of good stretching technique to keep limber after a ride, noticing how many of the attendees followed my lead.
I also kept track of how many just walked out of the class without bothering to do any sort of cooldown or stretches at all. While there was a possibility that they were just going into the main portion of the gym to continue their exercise routine, there was an equal chance that they would go home.
It was the latter crowd that always bothered me. They were the ones who would complain about having been sore following class, while they would have been in a much better position had they bothered to follow a good post-workout regimen.
Finally I gave everybody one more reminder to wipe down their bikes and we filed from the room. Most of the students headed towards the showers, while I went to the front desk to talk to the receptionist.
“How many attended today?” he asked, turning to the computer.
“I counted thirty,” I replied, handing over the sign-in sheet with names. “All bikes were full.”
He nodded. “That meets my signups.”
“Good. We’ll see how the next few weeks go.”
“Expecting a big falloff?”
I shrugged. “Of course. I spotted several people who seemed to be newcomers, and we always lose a few.”
“Just keep me looped in. I don’t want them trying to get refunds and claiming that the class didn’t meet expectations if they don’t bother to come.”
“Do they not swipe in anymore?” I teased.
He huffed. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I tapped the counter twice with my knuckles. “Any afternoon appointments?”
He shook his head. “We’re holding off on private sessions for you still.”
I nodded. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure if anybody had anything existing I still had to deal with.”
“Nope. Nobody except your regulars.”
“Any more classes for me today?”
“That was the last one. Why? You gonna spend some time on the floor?”
“Naw. I think I’m gonna call it a day. Try and get my head in order, you know? I need to get back to a full schedule but…”
“I get it. It really fucks with ya when you have a relationship go sour like that.”
“Yeah.”
I tapped the counter again with my knuckles, then headed towards the locker room. A quick shower later and I was out the door, relishing the fall weather.
The gym had been extremely understanding about adjusting my schedule when things with Linden had gone to hell, but I knew they would want me on full-time classes and private sessions again soon. Especially once the New Year rolled around. They always saw a big boost in signups then as people made health resolutions, and while I could afford a light schedule for a little bit longer, I knew it was only a matter of time before I wouldn’t have a choice, especially since I was no longer splitting rent. Though come to think of it, I’d always ended up covering almost all the bills anyway, despite Linden agreeing to share expenses.
