Once everybody was seated, he said, “You all did well today. Before you leave, tell me what we learned about men’s health today?”
The most talkative of the group spoke up. “That exercise has many facets. One, the run. But the stretches and weights we did beforehand made it easier.”
Someone else added, “If a run gets too hard, you can walk for a while.”
Two other suggestions were made.
“Great job. That’s it for this session. Take a bottle of water out of the cooler as you leave. I’ll see you all in two days.”
They filed out with warm goodbyes. This was one of the reasons he joined the collective—to help men with their health and not constantly see patients with life-threatening problems.
Heath took a bottle for himself and went to his office which had a spacious bathroom with a big shower. He sat down behind his desk for a minute to drink the water himself when someone knocked on the outer door. Sighing, he got up and walked out to unlock it.
A woman stood on the other side. Her hair was the color of dark chocolate with wild curls falling everywhere. She had cat eyes which tilted up at the ends. And dressed like a 1970s hippie. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Dr. Heath Elsworth?”
“Yes, I am. And you are?”
“Millie Michaels.”
“You sure you have the right studio? I run men’s health classes. My colleague Daisy Taylor runs a similar group for women.”
“I’m in the right place.”
“Come on in, then. We’ll sit.”
She nodded. He showed her back to his office. Under the lights he could see that her skin was flawless and she wore no makeup. To distract himself from that, he plucked at his T-shirt. “I apologize for my condition. I just got back from a run with my guys.”
“Which is what I want to talk to you about.”
Her tone was interesting. Concerned but confident.
“Go ahead, then.”
“I’d like more information than what’s on your website about your group to see if it’s a fit for my brother.”
“All right. I’ll give you a quick overview. I help men improve their prostate health, mental health, sexual wellness, and give them information on healthy aging.I coach them on improving their overall well-being including physical, mental, and emotional health.I encourage men to identify and break unhealthy patterns like excessive drinking, overworking, or poor stress management. Finally, I emphasize healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity and improving sleep.”
“Wow. It sounds amazing and advanced.”
“I have a beginner’s group, too.”
Her dark brows shot up. “That might work.”
“Maybe if you tell me about your brother I can assess if we’re a fit. Or you can bring him in so I can talk to him directly.”
“That’s not as easy as it might seem.” She blew out a heavy breath. “And the story’s hard to tell. But here goes. My fatherraped me when I was sixteen and my brother Kenny attacked him.” She bit her bottom lip here, admitting such a private detail. “When they fell to the floor, good old dad hit his head and died. Kenny had gotten into trouble as a teenager, so he had a record and they sent him to prison for manslaughter. We had a public defender, but he was green and didn’t care much about us. I heard him call Ken a lowlife.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Michaels. How awful for you both.”
“Thanks. My mother was out of the picture, so I supported myself by waitressing and cleaning houses. When I turned 21 I got a job as a bartender.”
She didn’t look like a bartender with that wild hair.
“I tame it.”
“Excuse me?”
