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I walk the room with her, and we find a few places Barley used the bathroom on the floor. I get cleaning supplies from downstairs and help her clean up.
"Hop on my back," I say to Clover at the top of the stairs, trash bag in one hand. "I'll lead Barley down on the leash."
Clover rolls her eyes and huffs, but she jumps onto my back. The three of us make our way down the stairs to find Russ at the bottom looking up at us.
"That's what I like to see," Russ says. "Competitors working together."
Clover slides down my back and steps around me, trying to fix her hair.
Russ is oblivious to her discomfort. "Who's this little guy?" he asks as he crouches to pet Barley. Russ might be in his early sixties, but he's still fit as hell and he squats like a man with much younger knees.
"This is Barley," Clover says. "I'm keeping an eye on him for my sister."
Russ rises and smiles wide. "You two training together?"
"We are," I say. "I've got no clue how to train for a race and I figured I could offer Clover a few strength training tips."
"Excellent," Russ says. "I had a feeling you two would get along. You should go to breakfast. There's a special at Tate's Diner. Two pancakes for the price of one."
"Oh, no," Clover says. "I should—"
"It's on me," Russ says. "No matter who buys this gym, I figure you two kids will end up working together, might as well enjoy a meal together."
"I really—" I start.
"I insist," Russ says. "You don't have any clients this morning, do you, Asher?"
"Not until nine. But I'm sure Clover has a class to teach this morning." I don't know why I'm giving her an out, other than she looks just about desperate to escape.
"She sure doesn't," Russ says. "Honey Weston, over at the diner, told me Clover's got a wide-open morning."
I wouldn't want to be Honey right now, judging by the look on Clover's face.
Clover forces a smile that almost looks real. "I'd love to have breakfast with Asher. I do still need to give him a training schedule so he can move forward on his own."
Russ claps once. "Fantastic. Take your time and charge it to the gym account."
I am fully aware the only reason Clover is agreeing to breakfast is to stay in Russ' good graces as he makes his decision about the gym. I have to admit, I'm not above going along with whatever Russ wants at this point to keep my hat in the ring. "Thank you, Russ. That's very generous."
"I can afford to be generous," he says. "I'm about to retire."
I would think retirement would have a negative affect on his finances but I choose not to point that out.
Together, Clover, Barley, and I head out of the gym.
"We could just tell him we went to breakfast and skip it," Clover says as soon as we're on the sidewalk out front.
I gasp and press a hand to my chest in mock shock. "You want to lie to Russell?"
She narrows her eyes. "Why do we have to tell him anything? Go eat at the diner on his dime, then go back to work. He'll never know you and I didn't eat together."
I give her a disbelieving look. "He knows you don't have any classes or clients scheduled for today."
"Ugh. This is why I hate small towns." She stops a few feet from where her car is parked next to the curb. "What am I going to do with Barley while we eat?"
I shrug. "They allow dogs in the diner. Why not kids?"
"Maybe we'll get kicked out," she says hopefully.
