“You should feel that here.” Rebecca touched a finger to Spencer’striceps.
“You mean the fire that’s burning through my muscles like lava? Ishould feel that?”
“Exactly that.”
“Then I’m good.”
Rebecca chuckled, then seemed to grow serious. “Listen, Spencer.”She paused, as if gathering her thoughts, and Spencer was glad to have theweight in her hand, something to concentrate on rather than feeling awkward.“I’m really glad you came back. Again, I apologize for last week, and Iappreciate you giving me another chance.”
Spencer nodded, unsure of what words to say. She wanted to askwhat she’d done to cause Rebecca’s initial dislike of her, but it didn’t seemlike the time or place. Instead, she offered a friendly smile, and that seemedto alleviate any discomfort either of them felt.
When Spencer finished the first set, Rebecca said, “Rest for oneminute, then do another set. Both arms. Rest for one minute, then do a third.I’ll be back by then.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Spencer watched Rebecca walk back toward whereBrittany was pulling on the wall straps and realized she was seeing her in anew light. It was kind of amazing how easily that had happened. Just fromRebecca being nice, friendly instead of standoffish and cold. Today, she woretight nylon workout pants and a light blue racer-back tank that was alsofitted. It showed off her body nicely, and for the first time, Spencer foundherself looking.Reallylooking. Rebecca was trim and fit, unsurprisingly. But she was also feminine.She had curves. Hips and breasts and a round ass that Spencer had troublepulling her gaze from, wondered what it would feel like to have it in herhands…
Okay. Enoughof that. Marti. Marti. Marti.
She shook her head and turned her focus back to the exercise athand, doing her best to keep her movements slow, to concentrate on her form,which Rebecca had told them endlessly today was very important.
Rebecca returned as Spencer started her third set. After threereps, her arm started to quake.
“It’s okay to rest,” Rebecca told her, and Spencer immediately setthe weight down in relief. “Just don’t wait too long. Give yourself a fewseconds, then get back to it. You can rest as many times as you need to, justfinish the reps. You’ll be surprised how quickly you improve.”
“Will I? That seems to be a tall order right now.” Spencer pickedthe weight back up, did three more reps before dropping it again.
“I promise. If you do the work, we’re gonna get you results.” Hersmile was reassuring. “Finish up, and meet us over in the corner.”
This time when she walked away, Spencer forced herselfnotto watch.
“What happened to her?” Lucy whispered in the locker room tenminutes later. “Was she body snatched by aliens? Visited by three ghosts?”
Spencer shook her head. “I have no idea.” She popped her lockopen, then sat down to take off her Nikes and sweaty socks. “But I like it.It’s nice.” That was the truth.
“Me, too. I hope it’s not a fluke of some kind.”
“Yeah.”
Spencer was well aware that this might, in fact, be just that: afluke. Maybe Rebecca had been in a great mood today, and that was the onlyreason she’d been as nice as she had. But her apology—hersecondapology—toldSpencer that maybe she reallyhadhad a change of heart. Either way, Spencer would take it. It had been a goodworkout, and for the first time since the class had begun, Spencer started tothink about what it would be like to be in better shape. More importantly, howwould it feel?
“What are you up to tonight?” Lucy asked, tugging her back to thepresent. “Anything fun?”
“On a Monday? Doubtful. I’m going over to Marti’s, I think.”
“Ethan likes to go out on Mondays. Monday Misadventures, he callsit. It’s a thing he has.” Lucy giggled. “It sounds silly, but I love it. Onetime, we went bowling. Another, to a new ice cream place. Last week, it was awine bar. He’s always got a new place picked out, and I never know what it isuntil we get there.”
“I don’t think that sounds silly at all,” Spencer said. “I thinkit sounds amazing.” Marti would never do something like that. She was routine,almost rigid. Spencer predicted she’d get to Marti’s, Marti would come homefrom work some time around eight. Maybe later. Spencer would have eaten dinneralone. They’d chat about work, maybe a few other things, then they’d go to bed.Predictable. They had become so very predictable.
“I can’t wait to see what tonight is.” Lucy’s smile was wide, herexcitement palpable.
“I expect a full report,” Spencer called as Lucy shouldered herbag and headed out of the locker room. With a sigh, she went back to her ownstuff. Yeah, envy was big right now, sitting on her shoulders like some sort ofraven.
She didn’t like feeling that way.
Doing her best to shake it off, she drove to Marti’s. As expected,nobody was home, so she went in and scoped out the contents of the fridge beforetexting Marti.
ETA oncoming home?
She set the phone on the counter, pulled out a jar of sauce and abox of pasta.
