“I think I might be dead.”
“You’re not. How was the Fitness Nazi? Everything you hoped forand more?”
“No, it wasn’t even her. She got sick or something, so this otherwoman took over the class. Super hot, but also super tough.”
“Yeah? That’s good, though, right?”
Spencer told Jennifer about the other people in the class, thespeech Rebecca had given. “Then she wanted to see what kind of shape we wereall in.”
“Fun times.”
“Yeah, not at all. She put me on this thing that’s not quite atreadmill, but not really an elliptical, and it took every ounce ofconcentration I had to keep myself pushing the pedal thingies forward insteadof backward. I felt like an idiot. I mean, seriously, how hard is it to goforward?”
Jennifer’s laughter came through the phone. “Did you fall off?”
“Shockingly, no.”
“Then you did good. Bet you burned some calories.”
“I guess. I wasn’t on it for that long because then we had to liftsome weights and do push-ups and a plank, which almost killed me, and the hourI was there felt like seven. And I think the instructor hates me.”
“She does not. She’s supposed to be hard on you. It’s her job. Andhere’s the good news: that was the hardest it will be. From here on out, you’llonly get stronger.”
Spencer scoffed. “Of course you say that. You’ve been working outsince you were, like, six.”
“Who else is in the class?”
“There are five of us, total. Me, a couple of girls that seemnice, and a couple who seem like mean girls.”
“You always manage to find the mean girls, Spence.”
Spencer could hear the humor in Jennifer’s tone. “They find me.”
“You go back on Wednesday?”
“If I decide to, yes.”
Jennifer paused for a second or two, then said, “You know what Ithink?”
“No, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”
“Damn right I am. I think you should go back. I think you shouldgo to every one of those classes. For you. Not for Marti. For you.” When they’dspoken over the weekend, Jennifer had made it clear what she thought of Martisigning Spencer up for the class without asking her first. Her opinion had includedseveral swear words, and most of them began withF. “It never hurts to be fit, Spence. Tobe strong.”
“I know.” Spencer blew out a breath. “The reality is, I may not beable to move by Wednesday.”
Jennifer chuckled. “At least think about it. I think it’d be goodfor you.”
“I promise I will think about it.”
They spoke about a few more mundane topics, then hung up, knowingthey’d see each other at work the next day and could pick things up then.Spencer dropped the phone and returned to what she’d been doing before sheanswered: nothing. As she lay sprawled on the bed and finally started to feelcooler, she flashed back to Rebecca McCall. To her face, her eyes, her hands.Spencer had watched her a lot, had felt utterly drawn to her.Just a crush, she’d toldherself the entire time.Justa little crush.Besides, once they’d introduced themselves, Rebeccahad barely looked at her. Well, not in her eyes, anyway. She’d focused onSpencer’s legs, her arms, her torso. Whatever she’d been testing andevaluating. Apparently, Spencer’s face didn’t make the cut.
“Fine with me,” she mumbled into her empty bedroom. “It’ll be lessembarrassing every time I can’t do something if I don’t have to look her in theeye.”
At least she didn’t have to worry about it for two days.
* * *
“Good work, Ty,” Rebecca said to her client, who’d just finishedup his final reps of the day. “I see a lot of improvement.”
