I walked through to my bedroom, placing my coffee on the dresser as I pulled my workout gear from the drawer. I’d taken a few more pieces from the new collection when I’d left the studio yesterday, another matching set and just as cute, this one covered in little green stars with the studio logo and tag line printed along the legs.
Brushing through the tangles, I tied my hair back as tightly as I could. Pulling all the loose strands away, I topped it off with a little headband so there wouldn’t be any flapping about to annoy me and stick to my face. My classes were always hard, but the Saturday ones were known for being particularly savage - usually used as a way to sweat out the night before or an excuse for a massive brunch afterwards - and I poured with as much sweat as everyone taking it. I’d even known a couple of riders to run out for a mid-class vomit, much to the amusement of everyone else, although it seemed to be viewed as a badge of honor more than anything.
Spying my light hoodie on the sofa in the living room, I threw it over my shoulders, followed by my backpack, and walked out of the door, collecting my sunglasses and keys on the way. I lived a thirty-minute walk from the studio and loved taking my time, walking through Greenwich Village up to the north of theMeatpacking District where it was located just off the High Line. Even though I’d grown up in California and spent a lot of my time on the beach or surfing, there was something about the energy of New York City that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
It was relatively quiet in the reception area when I arrived. While the earlier classes were in progress, I liked to get there in enough time to set up and zone in for the hour ahead. I liked to be there greeting the riders before pushing them to their physical limits and making them as strong as they could be.
I waved to Ashley who was behind the reception desk, talking to two enormous guys with taut, thickly defined muscles. Even from the back I knew they’d definitely never been in my classes before. I didn’t often see men who looked as physically fit as they did, and for a split-second, Vegas Sex God infiltrated my brain again, like a song that was stuck, before I could shake him away.
“Hey, Emerson!” Ashley pulled shoes out from behind the counter and handed them over.
The guys’ heads whipped to face me as she called, both staring at me intently.
Before I had a second to consider their bizarre reaction, I heard my name called again and I spun in the direction it was coming from. The two ladies from yesterday were walking toward me, holding almost the entirety of the new season’s collection.
“Hi, Emerson. How are you? We came back.”
“Hey, ladies,” I looked at the one who’d called me. “Wolfie, right?”
She nodded as she placed everything on the counter for Ashley to ring up.
I turned to the little one. “And Freddie?”
Freddie smiled as she nodded.
“It’s great to see you again so soon. You both felt okay yesterday after the class?”
“Yes, we needed a nap, although that’s the norm these days.” Wolfie ran her hands over her stomach.
“And we’ve brought some more victims for you.” Freddie grabbed one of the two giant men standing behind her. “This is my husband, Cooper, and this is Wolfie’s husband, Jasper.” She pointed to the other.
“Guys, this is Emerson,” she said in a weirdly pointed way that made me feel like she’d been talking about me.
“Hey,” they replied in unison, the slightly taller of the two looked like he was trying to hide a smirk.
What was it with this lot?
“Hey, guys. Hope you’re ready for the class.”
“Yes, we are, and a couple more of our friends are coming too, but we came early so we could shop.” Wolfie smiled before a devilish smirk tilted her lip. “By the way, one of them said to us yesterday that spinning was just for girls.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh, did he now? Well, it definitely isn’t as you both know, so we’ll have to see what we can do about that.”
Freddie snorted.
“Cub,” Jasper tsked under his breath, wrapping his arm around her and shaking his head.
I laughed at her blatant stirring. “Okay, I need to get ready. See you in there.”
I walked off toward the staff locker rooms to put my things away before heading into the studio. The lights were dimmed down so it felt more like a night club than a fitness space. A sweat towel was placed on each of the bikes, and they’d need it, especially after that spinning being just for girls comment.
My classes were hard for everyone.
It was odd too, clearly coming from someone who’d never been to the studio before. The six a.m. classes always had full waiting lists of alpha males and females, all wanting to beat-out each other before heading to their busy jobs in the financial district to do it all over again. It took a special breed of person to get up and exercise at six a.m. on a Monday.
City burnout was real for a reason.
The music started pumping loudly around the room as the first lot of riders began filing in, all familiar faces saying hello and setting up their bikes before jumping on to get their legs moving and warm before we started.
