Page 84 of Santa Has a Six-Pack
“Keira, no, you’re welcome to stay!” Matt shouts after her, but she’s gone.
“Was it something I said?” Eugene looks to me. “That woman really knows how to make a quick exit, doesn’t she?”
I sigh. “Lately, yeah. She does.”
Each day, I feel more and more strongly that Keira should tell Eugene about this unfortunate tie that binds them. I know the affair between Tagg and Elinor is in the past, but still. Shouldn’t Eugene know all the important information about his fiancée before he marries her?
“Hey, Eugene!” I say, keeping my voice light. “Matt mentioned you’re getting married.”
He nods as he grabs a protein shake. “I am, yeah.”
“Cool. When’s all that happening?”
“New Year’s Eve.”
Damnit.
“Wow! That’s– That’s um. That’s really soon!”
“Right?” he chuckles. “Tell that to your friend Matt here. He’s still dragging his feet on bringing a date. Seriously, dude, if you don’t give us your plus-one’s name by this weekend, Elinor says you can no longer have one.”
“Ah, Elinor,” Matt sighs. “Such a sweetheart.”
“Anyway, I’m off for a run,” Eugene says, ignoring Matt’s sarcasm. “Penny? Always a pleasure.”
“Likewise,” I say.
I wish so badly that I could tell him the truth. But Keira swore me to secrecy. And it’s not my place. Right?
“Shall we?” Matt gestures to the main workout space once we’re alone.
I smile and join him in the center of the room. I arrived in my workout clothes, so I’m ready to go.
Matt hands me a long, thin PVC pipe and keeps one for himself. He demonstrates how to warm up my shoulders, and I copy his movements as we talk.
“Is Keira okay?” he asks. “I’ve been meaning to ask you that.”
“That’s um. That’s not the easiest question to answer. Has she been better? Yes. Has she been worse? Yes. Will things continue to improve for her? I have full faith.”
“Why do you sound like a troll at a drawbridge saying riddles?” Matt laughs. “Your voice even sounds funny.”
Because this topic makes me nervous as hell, that’s why.
“Ha! I don’t know.”
Be honest with him.
At least as honest as you can be.
“Keira and her husband are in a bit of a rough patch,” I say. “But they’re doing their best to work through it.”
Matt keeps his pipe overhead and drops into a squat, then stands back up, nodding for me to do the same. I do.
“Yeah, I kinda picked up on that,” he says. “At the World’s Fittest Santa audition, she yelled at all the guys in the hallway. Something about us keeping our peckers in our pants? But, ya know, that first day she came in here, she was super emotional as well. And kinda cryptic too. Let’s do a series of five.”
We drop into our squats and stay in perfect sync with each other. I’m still so new to this Bossfit stuff, it amazes me that he can carry on full, unbroken conversations while we’re doing this.
“Cryptic?” I huff.
