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Since my car was still at the office and I was dying to get an early start on things, I asked Syd to drop me off at the warehouse to make up for yesterday. I texted Levi to meet me here instead of picking me up, just to text him again when I returned back to my place, telling him there was a change of plan. A string of upsetting texts from Hillary—and her stupid lawyer who was enquiring about my legal representation—had me seeing red. I hurled my phone at the couch in anger. As I was still fuming, Syd honked to let me know she was outside. I ended up having to hop in my car and drive back home to fetch my phone since Levi doesn’t have the office number. He told me to stay put and he’d pick me up.
Fun morning all around. Not!
“I don’t think so. Ladies first,” he sets me straight.
“Thank you, sir,” I say, stepping inside.
He offers a small smile.
He’s been very quiet during the entire ride from my home. He was nothing like he was yesterday when we were at Zia Josefina. I’m guessing opening up about his mom and fiancée opened up the floodgates of heart-wrenching emotions. Been there, done that. Poor soul.
I turn on the lights and guide Levi to the back of the warehouse where the fitness equipment is stored. I drop my handbag and phone on one of the tables and turn my attention to him.
“Talk to me,” he says.
“Let’s do a show and tell instead.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I press the start button to power up one of the bikes. When I do, the large screen mounted between the handlebars turns on, but quickly starts displaying a distorted image. I curse under my breath. Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed. This guy is so successful. I just hope he doesn’t think I’m wasting his time. Pushing those thoughts aside, I hop on the bike. I dressed for the occasion, choosing a comfortable outfit—yoga pants and a light turquoise long tank top. I opted for a pair of Converse instead of heels. The only way to understand my father’s creation is to show it in action.
I start pedaling at a slow pace.
“So, this is the main problem,” I point to the screen. “The bike is top-of-the-line-everything. Daddy refused to cut corners, but without the app, it’s just another stationary bike, albeit a very expensive one. When the app works, it opens up a whole world of possibilities. Daddy’s vision is for riders to be able to find a riding partner with just a few taps. There are different circuits and each competitor would be able to see the overall progress of the ride. There’re four levels of rides––the quick twenty-minute workout, a half hour one, a forty-five minutes one and an hour-long ride. Everything is customizable. There are music options, but there are ways for you to upload your favorite tunes. If let’s say there isn’t anyone online when you need to get a workout, you can program the machine to recall your last best ride so you can try to match the results or beat them. This way, you always keep your workout at optimum levels. Also, because you’re interacting with the app, you’re not tempted to watch a TV show. It’s supposed to be exercise, not channel surfing.”
“Wow!” Levi exclaims. “You weren’t kidding when you said these were smart bikes.”
I shake my head. “Daddy spent years on the concept before he had the first bike manufactured.”
Levi circles around the bike, checking out all the features.
“Can I hop on this one?” he points to a bike next to me.
I guess great minds think alike.
So far, I’ve only seen Levi in perfectly cut suits. This is the first time I’ve seen him dressed more casual. It’s undeniable he commands attention––and respect––when he’s clad in a suit. That said, even when he dresses down, he’s hard to miss. He’s wearing a pair of fitted dark wash jeans, a red t-shirt with an artful design on the front that clings to his muscular chest, exposing his muscular arms. A pair of Iron Man high top Converse adorns his feet. His Chucks are custom. Yep, he’s sexy as all hell in whatever he wears.
“Be my guest,” I extend a hand.
He hops on the bike.
As he pedals, he pushes different buttons.
He keeps nodding his head, his lips pursed.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
“I’d like to see the other equipment,” he tells me, meeting my gaze.
“Not a problem.”
We both hop off the bikes and I guide him to the other smart equipment.
I power up each one of the prototypes, and just as expected, the screens display distorted images.
“The app is the only issue?” Levi asks.
“Yes, it is,” I confirm.
