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“Even if I had a million dollars, I wouldn’t take that bet. Or your job.”
“Good, because I actually like my job. There may be something deeply wrong with me, but I like it. So, I wanted to tell you we have everything in place with security.”
“I appreciate it, very much. I know it adds time and trouble.”
“Very little of either. We have good security. Now we have awareness of a situation. I want to ask you, Morgan, why you didn’t come to me with that situation. If you thought I’d be less sympathetic and supportive than my grandmother.”
“No. Oh, God, no. You were in a meeting, the Saturday wedding.”
“Oh Jesus, Mrs. Fisk again.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “I didn’t realize you’d come in during that time slot. Would you have come to me otherwise?”
“Yes.”
The lack of hesitation had Nell nodding. “Okay then. I wanted to make sure you knew you could come to me. Because you can,” she added. “Even if it’s just to unload. I honestly don’t know what I’d do in your place. I don’t know how I’d handle it.”
“You probably wouldn’t break down in tears in front of your bosses.”
“Plural?”
“Miles walked in right after the dam broke.”
Nell’s lips curved as she stretched out her legs. “I’m not smiling at you, but at his reaction, the one that just played in my head. It goes something like: ‘Oh shit.’”
“Something like that. You could say I unloaded. I’m okay now.”
“Are you?”
“What else am I going to do? I have to live, I have to work. We’re using the alarm system at home. I’m supposed to check the gas gauge, the tire pressure before I drive anywhere. Lock the car, and still check the back seat. I ordered panic buttons, as advised. And I’m going to look into a self-defense course.”
“On the last, look no further.”
“What, you?”
“No, but… Don’t I look like I can handle myself?” Nell curled up her right arm, flexed.
“I’d have said yes before. Now, I say: wow.”
“Built by Jen. Personal trainer, and fitness center manager. Part of your benefits is use of the fitness center. You get personal training at a discount, and Jen teaches a self-defense course every quarter at Westridge High School gym. You just missed the spring class, but you should go see her at the fitness center.”
Nell checked her watch. “You’ve still got nearly twenty-five minutes. Go see her now.”
“Now?”
“Why wait? I’ll text her, let her know you’re coming.”
Don’t argue with the boss, Morgan reminded herself, and trotted her way down to the fitness center.
Inside fifteen minutes, she had her first session booked for the following day.
She had yoga pants. She didn’t really do yoga, but she had the pants. She had a sports bra even though she didn’t do sports. That seemed adequate, since she calculated she could fit a training session into her schedule once a week until she gained some skill with self-defense.
With the discount, the cost was doable even on her strict budget. Added to it, she learned that Jen—who looked terrifyingly fit—was Nick’s sister. Morgan figured that gave them a bond that would translate into easy training.
As instructed, she arrived fifteen minutes early to warm up on her choice of treadmill, elliptical, or incline bike.
She liked to bike, but the incline looked weird, and the elliptical too complicated. Walking seemed the safest choice.
A few people scattered around using the scary-looking equipment, lifting weights, doing what looked like painful stretches on mats.
