Page 19 of Falling for Leanne

She filled in for Greta at the last minute because Zumba was going to have to be canceled if she didn’t pitch in.

“Sure,” she had said when I called her.

“Is this the late class?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s at 8:30. Can you make it?”

“Yeah, I'll be there. I’ve subbed in for Greta once and she had really good notes on the routine they’re working on.”

“You’ll get a kick out of this group. Hank used to bring his wife and just wait outside in the reception area, but we started teasing him because he’d be sitting there reading the paper or whatever and his feet would be tapping to the music. We got him to join the class. He loves it and made his brother-in-law join up, too.”

“Sounds fun,” she said and hung up.

Most evenings we had a big crowd, and this was no different, but by nine, when the class was going strong, most of the machines were unoccupied. Only a young guy on weights and a couple people using the treadmills were in the entire building besides me, the Zumba class, and the part-time night receptionist. I told her she could head out early since it wasn’t busy. She told me where she parked, and I walked her to her car.

Once I knew her car started, I headed back inside. The guy on weights ducked into the locker room and came out showered and changed, nodding as he left. The two on treadmills had stopped for water, and I knew from their sign-in times they’d both been there over an hour already, so they’d be winding up soon. I finished some paperwork that I brought out to the reception desk in case anyone had questions or needed anything. The door to the Zumba class swung open, laughter and loud music pouring out, and older women plus the two men flooded out, toweling their faces and checking their phones or talking.

“Good class?” I said as a group passed my desk.

“The best. This girl—she should do a comedy show. And she’s got pep,” Margaret told me.

“So peppy. That’s the word!” Olive chimed in.

They all left, the last couple students trailing out a few minutes later. I ducked into the studio to see if she needed help moving anything. I handed her a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” Leanne said, pushing her hair back from her flushed face. “You didn’t tell me this group was like Zumba boot camp—they’re hard core.”

“You’re telling me that the seventy-year-old outlasted you at aerobics?”

“That is one savage seventy-year-old. I am not ashamed.”

“Okay, are you all ready here?”

“Why? Do you need to lock up or something? I hope you haven’t had to wait on me. I just wanted to wipe everything down and leave it the way I found it for the next instructor. I guess I took a minute.”

“You’re fine. I’m not in a hurry.”

She rolled up the cord for her Bluetooth speaker and put it in her backpack with her towel. “Okay, that’s everything, I think. I’ll get out of here so you can leave.”

“I’m not leaving yet. I’ve got work to do.”

“You just want to be alone? Are you—meeting someone here? Am I cockblocking you on your date?” her eyes got wide, and I had to resist the urge to laugh.

“No, you’re not. I don’t hook up with women at work, for one thing. And I don’t--even know how to untangle that suggestion. That’s not what’s going on. I’m gonna walk you to your car. It’s a decent neighborhood, but I don’t send my staff out in the dark on their own.”

“You don’t have to. But thanks,” she said, shouldering her bag and breezing out toward the door.

“I’m going to walk you to your car. I’m not trying to insult you. The streets and parking lots are dangerous, especially at night, for a person walking alone.”

“For a woman, you mean,” she said stubbornly.

“Yes,” I replied, and she raised her eyebrows, surprised I agreed with her. “You can be mad at me and the patriarchy all the way out to your car, but I'm still coming.”

The corner of her mouth tipped up a little like she was trying to hold back a smile. I followed her out and told her that Greta and Olive said she did a great class.

“I had fun,” she replied, beaming at the praise.

“You’re doing a great job all around. The other day when Malcolm was having trouble adjusting the weight and you just went right in and twisted the key to change it, you were so casual about it. You handled it right—didn't make a big deal about how you knew how to use the machine better than he does when he’s been a member for two years. You have good instincts for people, I suppose is what I'm saying, and you’ve taken to the business like a duck to water.”

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