Eli gritted his teeth and pushed through one more rep before racking the barbell. He exhaled, shaking out his arms, before he sat up and wiped his forehead with his towel.
Peter grinned, offering him a fist bump. “Not bad for an old guy.”
“Hey, I held my own,” Eli shot back, rolling his shoulders. “Plus, we’re not old. We’reseasoned.”
Peter chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, but you know I had you on the squats the other day.”
“Debatable,” Eli muttered, grabbing his water bottle and taking a sip. “Anyway, you’re a cop and have to train for a living. I’m an architect and the only thing that needs to be in shape is my pencil.”
“Honestly, you’re in great shape, Eli. Not…” He tipped his head to a small group of younger men just finishing up on the Smith machine. “Like those Gen Whatevers.”
Eli followed his gaze, checking out the boys who looked like Jonah’s peers. “Yeah, not a gray hair in the bunch and so much T, I can smell the stuff.”
Peter laughed as the guys came closer to the bench press station. One of them, the bulkiest with a full sleeve tattoo, gave a nod.
“You guys done?” he asked.
“It’s all yours,” Peter told them, stepping back.
The two of them watched as the guy and his friends proceeded to absolutely destroy their previous numbers. By the time the kid re-racked the weight, Peter let out a low whistle.
“All right, I’ve officially hit my limit of humiliation for the day,” he said.
Eli laughed. “Yeah, let’s call it.”
They grabbed their towels and water bottles, stopped in the locker room to wash up and get their keys and phones.
A few minutes later, they stepped outside into the warm Florida sun. The air was thick with spring humidity and the scent of freshly cut grass from the park across the street. They plopped down on a bench just outside the gym, taking some time to catch their breath.
“So, speaking of being an architect…” Peter gave him a look. “You letting Meredith run your company now?”
Eli laughed softly. “Basically. I’m doing everything remote these days, with Zoom calls. Truth?”
Peter shot him a look. “Hey, it’s me.”
Eli took a deep drink of water and looked out toward the sunshine, thinking of the hours he’d been spending with his son finishing the apartment. “I just don’t want to leave Jonah while he’s waiting to find out if he got into the Culinary Arts program. And, honestly, man, it’s been years since we talked this much. The thing that’s keeping me here is my son.”
“Hey, that’s great, Eli.”
“It is,” he agreed. “He’s shared a lot about Carly, who is still keeping him at arm’s length while he gets his act together. We’ve talked about Melissa’s death a little, something he’s never really been comfortable addressing with me. And we’ve talked about…life, fatherhood, sports. All the stuff I’ve missed so much since he’s been away and growing up.”
“I get that. And it’s way more important than work.”
“Work’s important, too, but between Meredith and setting up a drafting desk in the back office? I’m able to cover all the bases.”
“Well done.” Peter leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “And if I may ask…how are things with Kate?”
“Oh, yeah, you can ask.” Eli stretched out his legs as he considered his response. “Fact is, I miss her more than I thought I would.”
“Ah.” He gave a smile that made Eli think his friend knew that.
“It’s weird, Pete. We haven’t known each other as adults for that long, but it feels… right. Like something I don’t want to lose.”
Peter nodded. “She’s coming back soon, right? For a long weekend at the end of the month?”
“Yeah,” Eli said, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “She and her kids—and Jo Ellen—are coming for that fashion show Tessa and Lacey are organizing for the bridal shop. It should be a good time.”
Peter chuckled. “Yeah, I know all about that. I had lunch with Vivien the other day and somehow, I got roped into being one of the models.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t say a word, Lawson.”
