Seen heryet?
Spencer shook her head as she typed.No. Avoided looking.
Lucy sent a smile, then:Textme when you’re done.
Spencer silenced the phone and slid it back into her bag, thenchanged into her black workout tights and a red tank. She hadn’t been to thegym in three months, but she’d been snowshoeing with Lucy and Ethan and she’ddusted off the stationary bike in her basement, had begun riding it a few timesa week. She actually felt almost good about her body. But she knew she could dobetter, that she just needed a little guidance. A little help. And she didn’tintend to let her not-inexpensive gym membership go to waste, even if Marti hadpaid for it.
So. Here she was.
Spencer stood in front of the full-length mirror as she pulled herhair into a ponytail, then blew out a breath. “Here we go,” she whispered.
Near the treadmills stood a cheerful African American womandressed in calf-length workout pants and a white T-shirt with the BodyFit logoon it. Her dark hair was in a messy twist at the back of her head and her smilewas open as she turned.
“Hey there. Spencer?” At Spencer’s nod, she held out a hand andher smile grew. “I’m Aisha. It’s really great to meet you.”
Aisha knew her stuff. That became clear immediately. She wasencouraging but firm, asking Spencer about any issues she might have with herback, knees, or any other body part that could give her trouble during certainexercises. She asked questions, made observations, and even cracked jokes.Spencer liked her right off the bat.
It was when they were wrapping up a circuit and Spencer was doingthe dreaded plank (“Man, I thought I’d at least escape this on my first daywith you,” she’d whined at Aisha good-naturedly) when she saw a pair of brightpink Nikes walk nearby and stop near her face.
“You know,” said a familiar voice, “if you make her do this longenough, you might get anMFout of her.”
“Oh, yeah?” Aisha asked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“It’s totally worth it.”
The pink shoes moved away, and Spencer dropped to the ground witha groan, turned her head just in time to catch Rebecca disappear around a corner.
“Good day today,” Aisha was saying, and Spencer mentally shookherself back to the subject at hand. “I can see some things that we need tofocus on. I’ll take the list of things you want to work on and incorporate whatI saw today, and we’ll come up with a great regimen for you, okay? We’ll worktogether.”
Spencer liked Aisha. They were a good fit. That’s what she’d hopedfor.
She’d also come for something else.
“Great. I’ll see you on Thursday.” She smiled as Aisha nodded andhigh-fived her. Instead of heading for the locker room, though, Spencer headedupstairs toward the offices.
“Hey, pretty blond lady.” Bobby Pine caught Spencer off guardhalfway up the staircase, and she blinked at him, at his unassuming smile for amoment before realizing his fist was hanging in the air, waiting. She bumpedit.
“Hi, Bobby. How’s life?”
“Life is awesome now that you’re back,” he said, with his usualexuberance. “Have a great day!”
Spencer smiled as she followed his descent with her eyes andwondered if he really had noticed she’d been gone. At the top of the staircase,she looked toward the offices and saw Rebecca looking right at her. She yankedher gaze away quickly when Spencer made eye contact with her and seemed topretend to focus on her computer screen.
“It’s now or never,” Spencer whispered to herself. Then she took adeep breath, swallowed hard, and headed in Rebecca’s direction.
She looked amazing. Again. As always. It neverdidn’tsurprise Spencerhow incredibly attractive she found Rebecca. A tingling in her abdomen was nearconstant when she was around her, and that hadn’t changed, apparently. Hand onher stomach, Spencer willed the feeling to ease up so she could think. Rebeccawore her usual workout pants, these in slate gray, and a muted green V-neck toppedwith a black zip-up hoodie with the BodyFit logo embroidered in red on oneside. Her dark hair had gotten a bit longer and now skimmed her shoulders.Spencer liked it. Rebecca glanced up, saw her, and tucked some hair behind herear, a gesture that seemed like a nervous one. Spencer found it endearing. Andthat’s when she noticed that Rebecca wore the bracelet Spencer had made her,the black leather worn to softness and looking like it belonged wrapped snuglyaround her slim wrist. A pang hit Spencer low in her body and made her falterslightly before she pulled herself back together.
“Hi.” She helped herself to the chair next to Rebecca’s deskwithout waiting for an invitation.
Rebecca wet her lips. “Hey.”
“How have you been?”
Rebecca nodded. “Fine. Fine. You?”
“I’m great.”
Rebecca’s eyebrows rose and dropped quickly, like she hadn’t meantto move them and hoped Spencer hadn’t seen. “Yeah? How was the wedding?” Asurreptitious glance at Spencer’s left hand did not go unnoticed either.
