“Are you…done?” came a voice from behind her.
Spencer flinched and then looked down at her overflowing waterbottle. “Darn it!” She let go of the button and dumped out some of the excess.Glancing at the person behind her, a man who was obviously waiting to get somewater for himself, she grimaced in apology. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “No problem. I was worried you might drown.”
Spencer grinned back and indicated the fountain with a dramaticflourish of her arm. “All yours, my man.”
Heading down to the designated area where the brides always met,Spencer found Lucy where she stood with the other three women, but also a bit apart.Apparently, cliques didn’t end with high school.
“Hey there,” Lucy said with her usual perkiness, bouncing to thebeat of the Matchbox Twenty song that played over the speakers; apparently itwas a day for the ’90s channel on the gym’s Sirius radio.
They talked for a minute or two before Rebecca arrived and laidout the plan for the session. When her eyes met Spencer’s, she gave a hesitantsmile. Spencer returned it; she couldn’t seem to help herself. Seeing Rebeccasmile was a nice change, not to mention getting actual eye contact.
Maybe things would be different now.
Half an hour later, all five women were lined up on the floor, notfor planks this time, but for push-ups. An exercise Spencer despised, as she’dnever been able to do more than two.
“Keep your back straight,” Rebecca said, her voice alarminglyclose. Spencer realized she was kneeling next to her. “Lower this.” Spencerfelt a warm hand on the small of her back, gentle pressure telling her whatexactly to bring down.
Spencer obeyed. Did a push-up. Grunted.
“Elbows closer to your sides.”
Spencer obeyed again, grunted louder. “That makes it harder,” shecomplained.
“Yes, it does,” Rebecca replied, but her tone was light, friendly.Almost playful. It confused Spencer, who did one more push-up. “Good!”
Spencer dropped her body to the floor, lungs heaving. “Sugar andspice,” she said, in lieu of a curse. “That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.”
“Sugar and spice?” Rebecca repeated, amused. “Don’t you mean ‘holyshit,’ or something?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca grinned. “I’m sensing a challenge.” Then she moved on downthe line.
“We’ll get this,” Bella said, and it took a moment for Spencer torealize she was looking right at her, had directed the comment her way. Spencersmiled at her, gave her a thumbs-up from where she lay sprawled flat on thefloor like a stingray out of water. Spencer watched as Rebecca helped eachwoman with her form. At one point, she glanced back at Spencer and gave heranother smile.
What ishappening?
Rebecca had evaluated each of them, noted the strengths andweaknesses of each individual woman, and made a plan for her. “For our lastcircuit, we’re working upper body. Arms, shoulders, back.” Pointing, shedirected each bride to a specific place in the gym. Some were at equipment.Brittany was at the straps fastened to the wall that Spencer had noticed theprevious week. Spencer was sent to the free weights with the instruction tograb a seven-and-a-half-pound dumbbell and Rebecca would be right over.
As she sat with her dumbbell and waited, Spencer watched the menaround her. They were lifting what were, to Spencer, extraordinary amounts ofweight, barbells loaded with two and three plates, dumbbells three times thesize of the one Spencer had set by her feet. One muscle-bound man to her left hadhis earbuds in and a barbell at his feet, each end with two heavy-lookingplates. He grabbed the bar and stood, bringing the weight with him, then set itback down loudly. Up. Down-crash. Up. Down-crash. He repeated this eight times.At the fifth time, Spencer covered her ears.
Not hearing Rebecca’s approach, she was startled to find herstanding close, watching the man with a disapproving expression on her face.
“That’s really loud,” Spencer said quietly.
“I hate when he does that. It’s so obnoxious and totallyunnecessary.” Rebecca shook her head as if shaking herself back to the task athand. “Okay. Kickbacks. These are for your triceps.”
“Oh, good,” Spencer said, with a laugh. “Mine could use some help.I call these my Nana Arms.” She lifted an arm as if to flex her bicep, butwiggled her whole arm instead, the loose muscle and skin underneath flapping inthe breeze.
“Most women could use help in this area.” Rebecca picked up thedumbbell from near Spencer’s feet and took it to one of the several benches inthat area. She put her left knee and left hand onto the bench. The dumbbell inher right hand, she let her arm hang down toward the floor. “Okay. You’re goingto start like this. Then bring the weight up.” She bent her elbow until herupper arm was parallel to her back. “Then extend out.” Straightening her arm,she lifted the weight back toward her rear end. “Then back.” She repeated theprocess. “Slow, controlled movements. That’s the key here. None of this.” Shewhipped the weight back, using her whole body to do so.
Spencer grinned.
“Slow and controlled.” Rebecca stood and handed the weight toSpencer. “We’ll start with eight on each side.”
Spencer mimicked the movement, the first couple reps easy, thenbecoming harder rather quickly.
