No matter what, people had the wrong idea about me. The wrong assumptions.
I crossed the street at a quick pace, wanting to get out of the drizzle. It seemed it’d rained all night.
The gym was a wide-open space. A freaking boxing ring in one corner, a large section for gym equipment, and sealed-off rooms—with glass walls anyone could see through—for spin classes, yoga, and whatever. Mirrors, motivational posters, and flat-screens competed for wall space.
Gah, what was wrong with small and cozy?
I opened the door and was immediately assaulted by a cold blast of the AC—and the smell of disinfectant and leather. The front part was a shop where I could pick up shoes, yoga pants, and training bras in neon colors. Supplements too, of course.Oh God. What was I doing here? I didn’t want protein powder with my pancakes. I wanted syrup and butter. One shelf had a ton of water bottles lined up in Pride colors. I liked that bit.
I took a breath and approached the circular front desk in the center, where a young woman with a bright smile waited.
Given the hour, the place was fairly empty, so I had that going for me.
“Hi! Welcome to QFC!”
Oh shoot, I was hoping for KFC.
“Hi.” I smiled politely and tried to unclench, but I fucking couldn’t. I was so tense and uncomfortable here. “I would like to sign up for a membership and hopefully talk to someone about a workout schedule and diet plan.”
“How fun!” She was lying. This wasn’t fun at all. But over the next few minutes, Laurie, as she introduced herself, got my first workout out of the way just by rambling a mile a minute and robbing me of all energy. Holy crap. Monthly fee this, key deposit that. I signed papers, I received a key for when the staff went home at ten every night, instructions on how to get in and out at night, general tour of the place—as in she pointed in all directions. We didn’t leave the front desk area. Where to sign up for classes—there were three screens on the other side of the desk. Locker rooms both up here and…evidently, they had a downstairs area in the basement too. That’s where the pool was.
Last but not least, I was handed a water bottle and a tote bag with the Quinn’s Fitness Center logo…and an iPad to scroll through their list of personal trainers.
“We have two dietitians and nutritionists on staff,” she explained, scrolling down to one man and one woman. “If you’re going all in with both diet and a custom workout plan, I highly recommend Ethan Quinn. It’s his place. Cathy is also amazing, of course, but she specializes in men’s rehabilitation—mostly work-related injuries and such.”
I bit my lip and glanced between the two profiles. My gut feeling told me to go with the woman, with Cathy, but… I didn’t know. Ugh, Ethan looked like a stereotypical gym-bro in his latetwenties. Even wearing a T-shirt with the company logo, I could tell he was one ripped motherfucker. What could he possibly know about me and what was best for my journey?
On the other hand, if he had the most experience…
I suppressed a sigh and killed my insecurities for the moment. “If you highly recommend Ethan Quinn, I’ll trust your judgment.”
Laurie lit up. “I don’t think you’ll regret it, Natalie.” She accepted the iPad again, then returned her focus to her computer screen. “He’s actually downstairs in his office right now, so I’m gonna check his schedule.”
A noose tied itself around my neck. I wouldn’t mind a few days to let everything sink in?—
“He’s available right this minute!”
Oh Christ.
What had I done?
“Ah—” She nodded to herself. “He’s had a cancelation. I was wondering, because he’s usually fully booked on Tuesdays.” She lifted her gaze to me once more and beamed expectantly. “So what do you say? Want me to send you down there now?”
No, not at all. Jesus. Fuck no.
“Sure.” I swallowed hard.
Kill me.
CHAPTER 2
Natalie Nolan
The basement wasn’t as bright. If anything, it looked like they’d had to make do with what they had. The pool area was small and intimate, definitely geared toward classes that had fewer participants. The pool itself couldn’t be more than thirty feet long.
Laurie guided me down a dimly lit hallway and pointed out more locker rooms and their rehab area. She rambled along the way. Ethan helped rehabilitate athletes and veterans too. Good to know if I ever enlisted or aspired to join the Olympics.
Please let this Ethan guy be nice. I couldn’t believe I was actually handing over my health to a damn kid.
