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CHAPTER 1
“All right ladies and gents. I know you have all been anxiously waiting to know, and I thought we would announce it here today. As you’ve heard, Maxx Fitness has opened up the rights to a boot camp location in fabulous Key West. The demand for it was so high, that it completely blew me away.
“I had two options. The first was to go with the highest bidder. The second was to start the Keys to the Key competition, in which current head trainers would be allowed to compete for the opportunity to buy into the franchise, leaving the price the same for everyone. That seemed fair to me.
“Nineteen of our awesome trainers went through vigorous interviews, both sitting in an office and out showing us their strengths on the floor. Out of those nineteen, a panel of three other location owners, narrowed it down to ten, then down to four. Dean Cooper, Meghan Lassiter, Jose Ortiz, and of course, our very our Catherine Eberhardt!”
At the sound of my name, the gym floor erupts into applause and hoots, and the entire class turns to me. From the back, I holler up to Julie, “I love you!” and clap along with them.
Julie blows me a kiss and touches her heart. “This is a woman who I personally trained. I have seen her grow, blossom both inside and out. She is one of the best, one of the strongest, sweetest, kindest, and funniest people I have ever met. She embodies empowerment. I am so proud that she was chosen as one of the four amazing finalists. Please, let’s give it up for our very own Cat!”
Everyone stands, and I practically hop my way past my fellow trainers Tony and Sarah to our boss and founder, Julie Maxwell. Unable to contain the excitement, not that I’d ever try to anyway, I air five everyone and woot right along with them.
Julie is clapping her hands harder than anyone, showing her pride.
When the floor settles, I pull down on the little mic that hangs from my ear, the one I use every day to lead the class. “Thank you everyone. I can’t tell you what an amazing opportunity this is for me. Even though I haven’t won yet, to have the chance at this is… It’s what I’ve been working for so hard for years. It’s my dream.
“Many of you have known me for a while, but you didn’t know me before I joined Maxx Fitness. Really, I didn’t know myself. I was a mess. Still am I guess, but at least now I’m a mess with a passion. Fitness. Being a part of Maxx has made me believe in myself. It has shown me that no matter how hard something is, if I push through the pain and never give up, I can achieve anything. It has taught me to push myself to the point of failure so that I can succeed. And it has given me a family. People I can depend on,” I say looking over to Julie.
I hug her hard and whisper, “Thank you,” in her ear.
She squeezes my shoulder. “You got this.”
Julie believes in me. She always has. Even before I believed in myself.
There are four women who’ve had a hand in shaping me into something worthwhile. First was Liz. She’s been there for me since before we were born. Even though she might come off the total ice queen to most, with an unbreakable exterior, she’s never let me down. She’s always been there to lift me up when I fall, to support me even though she thinks I’m making the wrong choices, such as having a kid at sixteen. She didn’t agree, yet there she was, always.
Aunt Jackie. The woman who isn’t related to me by blood. Who took me in when she herself was struggling. She helped me raise a kid because I had no idea how to. She supported me when I needed the financial help, watching Reese so that I could finish school and work. Her shoulder bore many of my tears, and her scent is still home to me.
Reese. My kid. Because for her I’ve pushed myself to be a better version of what I’d have been had she not been here. Fear of disappointing her makes me get up every time I stumble. And I do that often. Luckily she’s grown up to be more like Liz than me.
And then there’s Julie Maxwell. Five years ago, I tripped through her doors. Literally. It was pouring down rain, and I’d been hopping my way from storefront to storefront, trying to get from the bank, closer to my car.
A group of women rushed in just as I stood in front of Maxx Boot Camp, and unintentionally pushed me inside. I tripped on my feet and fell like a wet rag in front of Julie. She smiled down at me, offering me her hand. She was so put together, her straight hair perfectly tied in a ponytail, not one strand out of place, her shoes perfectly matched her tank top and shorts, and her make-up flawless. She looked like some fitness princess, or better yet a goddess, as she easily lifted me.
It wasn’t just a matter of being fit, although she was definitely lean. I’d always been skinny. Scrawny even. But I was never fit. Once Reese was born, I wasn’t just tall and lanky, but I’d also earned a belly pouch. Sort of looked like an olive on a toothpick.
But Julie… She was a strong woman, a proud female, and she knew it. And I knew then that I wanted to be just like her.
So, began my love affair with fitness. I’ve worked extremely hard for my position as head trainer, and now I’m fighting to the finish for that gym. I don’t know how I know, but something deep inside is telling me, Key West will be mine.
