“I say yes.”
“Well, okay then. As long as you say yes.” The laugh that bubbledout of Spencer was cute and inviting, deeper than Rebecca expected, but stillvery feminine.
“You’d better get yourself changed, young lady. You don’t want tomake your trainer mad because you’re late for class.”
Spencer groaned, dropped her head back toward her shoulder blades.“God, she’ssucha hardass.”
“Hey!” Rebecca swiped playfully at her as Spencer dodged her,hurried out of the office and down to the locker room, where she disappearedinside. Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief.
Friends.This is good.
Things had changed during class. It was obvious. Spencer was morerelaxed, even as she worked her ass off doing all the lunges and squats Rebeccademanded of her. Rebecca did her best to be encouraging and Spencer seemed towork extra hard. And there was joking. Fun teasing.
“You want to feel it deep in that ass,” Rebecca said, of thesquats the brides were doing.
“That’s what she said,” Spencer muttered, causing Lucy to bust outinto a laugh that was quickly followed by the other three women. Soon, all fiveof them and Rebecca were doubled over in fits of laughter.
“You’re all useless,” Rebecca said, waving a dismissive hand ather class, her own laughter only just dying down. “Do some stretches, then getthe hell out of my gym. See you Wednesday.” She left them, shaking her head andsmiling widely at the familiar joke, and headed to her desk, her day just aboutdone.
It had been the first time that she actually enjoyed the brideclass. They were fun. They worked hard. Rebecca was proud of them. Proud ofSpencer. She wanted to tell her how well she was doing, that she could seechanges in her, significant shifting of mass and building of muscle. But nowshe was a bit worried it could be taken the wrong way, so she’d stayed quiet,encouraging the class as a whole instead.
Now, her stuff gathered, she slung her bag over her shoulder andheaded toward the front desk and door. A glance to her right told her Spencerwas at the smoothie bar, and before she could think about it, her body turnedand walked in that direction as if she wasn’t in command of her feet.
Spencer saw her coming and held up her hands. “Back! Stay back,smoothie spiller!”
Rebecca barked a laugh. “That was so not my fault, little MissDoesn’t Watch Where She’s Going.”
“I’m on towels tonight, Rebecca,” came Bobby Pine’s voice,followed by the squeaking wheels of the cart he pushed. “I’m gonna wash ’em allup good.”
“I know you will, Bob. Nobody’s better at it than you.”
He held out a fist as he approached and Rebecca bumped it with herown. “Was it a good day for you?”
Rebecca glanced at Spencer, then back toward him. “It was.”
“I’m going to make my night good, too. I am determined!” He turnedto Spencer. “Hello, blond lady.”
“Hi,” Spencer said with a grin. “I’m Spencer.” Rebecca waspleasantly surprised to see that her face held no negative reactions to Bobby,unlike a large majority of people. No fear. No hesitation. Her smile wasgenuine and then she offered him her fist, which delighted him.
“Nice to meet you, Spencer. I’m Bobby.”
“Nice to meet you, Bobby.”
“Okay. I have to wash these towels now. And then fold them, whichI don’t like.”
“I don’t blame you,” Spencer said. “Folding is my least favoritething to do.”
Bobby’s face lit up at the discovery of common ground. He turnedto Rebecca. “She’s nice. I like her.”
Rebecca grinned at him and waved him off in the direction of thelaundry room. “See you tomorrow, Bob.”
“Bye, Rebecca,” he called as he pushed the cart away. “Bye,blond—er, Spencer.”
They watched him go until he was out of sight. When Rebecca turnedher gaze back toward the smoothie bar, Spencer was looking at her.
“You’re good with him,” she said.
“No reason not to be. He’s a good guy. Works hard.”
