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“They’re just my datingcoaches. I’m not actually dating them.”
Again, she laughs, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Or maybe I do, but I am nowhere near ready to admit it. Fortunately, Margo doesn’t insist on the topic, choosing to answer some emails instead before she tackles a second box of bones collected from the Owosso dig site. Hours roll by while I keep busy with my young settler’s remains, continuing to study and take notes for the binder.
By six o’clock, I’m ready to leave for my first gym session with Alex. For some reason, my heart is beating a little bit faster than usual, and I am feeling really excited about going, seeing him again so soon after Friday evening.
“Alright, Margo, I’m heading out to the gym,” I tell my boss and mentor as she looks up from her settler’s remains. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“I do wonder which one you’re going to fall for first,” she replies just as I grab my bag and phone and open the door.
“Which one who?”
“You’ve got three hunks teaching you how to ace your dating game. That can’t possibly end well,” she giggles. “Especially for a brilliant creature like yourself who is only just now discovering the perks of womanhood. We’ll see. I’m gonna hold my breath for you.”
I laugh and blow her a kiss, then head out.
Yet her warning lingers in the back of my head as I cross the museum’s parking lot to get to my car. Margo does have a point, especially since I can’t exactly deny that I’m attracted to not one but all three of the men. I’m curious, too. Which one am I going to fall for past the point of no return? Which one will end up breaking my heart or filling it to the brim? The uncertainty has its own degree of enticement.
* * *
The local gymon the south side of Lansing is much smaller than the one at the Promenade Mall—which is usually recommended for beginners such as myself, but Alex thinks I’ll get a lot more out of this place since there are fewer people around.
“It’s easier to get distracted when you’re surrounded by a lot of people,” he says during our warm-up session. “You need a place that’s close to home and easy to reach despite the weather.”
“Wow, you’re pretty religious about this stuff,” I say, smiling.
We’re rotating our arms, facing each other and mirroring movements along the way. I like the way his blue shorts hug his muscular thighs without being too tight, and the loose white shirt he’s got on gives me a good glimpse of his rippling pectorals to give me sexy dream material for the next week or so. Alex is highly disciplined and devoted to his workouts. I admire him for it, to be honest. The scar under his left knee tells the story of an injury that he hasn’t fully healed from—I can see him wincing when he spends too much time with his full body weight on that leg.
Kyle did mention that Alex has been struggling during practice but that physical therapy was helping him get farther along. As an anthropologist, I can study a man’s posture and movements and understand what his issues are. In Alex’s case, I reckon he may never return to his pre-injury performance, but I wouldn’t dare bring it up in conversation. He usually just says he’s perfectly fine and moving on, unwilling to address it further. It’s clearly a sensitive topic, and so I’ve learned to steer clear.
I like the way he steals glances at me whenever he thinks I’m not looking, but the gym walls are fitted with a multitude of floor-to-ceiling windows. Granted, I see other guys watching me too, but I seem to care very little about them.
“Fitness is a second hobby of mine these days,” Alex says. “Alright, give me three sets of ten sumo squats, first. Legs apart, toes pointing outward. Yeah, like that.”
I can feel the muscles working with each movement. I’m also a little self-conscious considering my dark grey tights are, well, really tight and probably showing most of my curves in motion, but I need to put that thought out of my head and focus on my form. Alex is so kind and patient with me, the least I can do is follow through and let him help me get healthier and stronger and infinitely more confident.
“That’s very good, Maeve, keep it up, four more to go,” he encourages me every step of the way while I have a hard time not losing myself in those big, brown eyes of his.
Soon enough, the rest of the world ceases to exist. Alex keeps me focused on my workout, and every time he gets closer to help with my form during a particular exercise, I find myself breathing faster, my skin tingling whenever we accidentally touch.
I’m working my back muscles now, pulling a bar down as Alex adds more weights with each set. “You really know your stuff,” I manage between an inhale and a ragged exhale.
“Did you think you were the only one with a deeper understanding of the human body?” he laughs, his bright white teeth shining under the LED lights above.
“Oh, I’m more of a bone lady,” I reply with a dry chuckle.
“Good, it means I can still teach you a thing or two. I’m honored,” he says.
“And I’m doing my best to be an obedient student here.”
“I can see,” he replies, his gaze darkening for a moment as I get up from the bench and do a couple of stretches since there’s enough tension gathered between my shoulder blades to make me feel like I’m about to crackle and fall apart. “You’ve got more strength than I expected. I started you off with lighter weights but you’re pulling past fifty pounds now. Well done, Maeve.”
I offer a subtle smile as I follow him across the hall. “Thank you. I’ll probably feel everything in the morning.”
“You’ll have trouble with the stairs when we leave.”
“It starts early, then. The body’s payback for this sort of labor.”
Alex laughs. “Yeah, the first couple of weeks are going to be a little rough. Training day is usually bearable, but by nightfall you’ll be paying for every set. It’s a good sign, though. It means you’ve done the work. Sore muscles means you’ve got micro-fissures in the muscle tissue, and those need a little bit of time to heal. So, we’re working on your legs and back today, and we’ll focus on your chest and arms on Friday. That way, there’s balance.”
