“I don’t know how they do it,” I muttered, nodding toward the group of women with accomplished smiles on their faces.
“Ah, it’s not so bad,” said Erica as she unzipped her hoodie and tossed it into a locker. “Plus, I heard the 5 a.m. instructor is easy on the eyes.”
“Probably why there are so many women in that class,” I said with a smirk.
Erica plopped down on the bench across from me. She didn’t look tired in the slightest as she tightened her ponytail atop her head, her long, dark hair falling against her shoulder. I didn’t understand how she lookedthatgoodthisearly. Meanwhile, my hair was slapped in a bun to try and tame its unruliness. It was the best I could do as I rolled out of bed to meet her here this morning.
I had to admit, once I got to the studio it wasn’t so bad. Waking up was the hardest part, though the classes were usually hard, too. I knew it was the only thing that kept my legs looking the way they did. They were the one thing about me I was somewhat proud of, though I hardly ever showed them off. Aside from keeping my legs toned, working out also helped my stress levels, and working for Jeremiah had them bouncing off the charts.
Between his demanding to-do lists and the long hours he was working me, I was mentally and physically drained. It also didn’t help that he easily wound me up like some children’s plaything. Yes, he was an asshole, but a really sexy asshole all the same. One that I had slept with, thought I had tried blocking it from memory. I failed miserably and relived that night at his penthouse and the kiss in the elevator every time I found his eyes on me, dark with thoughts that made the hair on my arms stand up.
I smoothed my black leggings with the palms of my hands and pulled my phone from my small nylon gym bag. Erica was still lacing up her shoes and they were readying the room for the 6a.m. class, so I thought I would check my bank account. What better time than now when I’m about to go sweat all my worries away? I typed in my password and felt my stomach sink as the welcome screen disappeared and my accounts popped up.
Another auto draft had gone through, racking up more debt on my credit card. I did a double take when I saw that I now owed just under $20,000.What the hell?I thought to myself. Re-reading the number over again. I clicked on the account and saw that my interest had been building up, on top of the last month of rent for my old apartment. The one that Nick, my ex-boyfriend, still lived in. At least, he would be out after this month and I wouldn’t have to keep paying for a place I no longer lived in. A place with warm memories that soured in the end.
I still couldn’t understand how he had talked me into letting him stay in a place I was paying for. I just figured it would be easier to not get into it, and find a new living situation. Because he was on the lease, I didn’t have the authority to kick him out, not that I would ever work up the nerve to anyway, despite the hurt he put me through. He sweet-talked me into thinkinghewas the one who was a wreck, telling me how strong I was, and that of the two of us, I would be the one who could figure something out. It was laughable, looking back on it now.
But the amount of debt he caused me was staring me straight in the face, and that was far from laughable. It was my own fault for being so generous. It just felt so good to play the heroine, swooping in when he needed me. I was addicted to that feeling. To the way he love-bombed me when I helped him out of a bind.
I took a deep, shaky breath and tossed my phone back in my gym bag before shutting the gray locker door.
“Everything okay?” asked Erica, eyeing me warily.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just dreading this class,” I replied as I hooked the lock on the handle of the locker. I turned the numbered dial a few times before standing up from the bench.
“You’ll be glad you did it,” Erica said in a singsong voice before looping her arm through mine and tugging me into the dark room
She was right. I was glad I went. The class kicked my ass, but the house music lifted my mood and the routine the instructor put together was fast-paced. I loved the mix of dancing and light weights. She kept it interesting, which made the forty-five-minute class go by fast. By the end, my body was slick with sweat and my hair was at odds with the hair-tie. Of course, Erica looked as if she were simply glowing as she swung her leg from the bike and found her footing on the dark wood floor. I shakily did the same, my hands clutching the handlebars firmly for fear my legs would give out on me.
We walked into the locker room, the chatter from the other classmates filling the room. We removed our spin shoes, tossing them in one of the large bins, before grabbing our gym bags. I slid on my black hoodie and followed Erica out into the small lobby. She checked the time on her phone.
“It’s five ’til seven. You have time for a smoothie?” she asked. “My treat!”
“Sure,” I answered with a single nod.
She pushed open the frosted glass doors and we were met with the city’s morning air. I breathed it in, enjoying the mostly empty sidewalks that would soon be filled with morning commuters. We walked the short block to our favorite smoothie place, still trying to catch our breath from class.
We approached the small cart that already had a few workout-clad customers in line. Erica and I slid behind two women we had just taken the spin class with. I already knew what I wanted. A chocolate-peanut butter-banana-protein smoothie. It was my go-to.
“We’ll have two of your Chunky Monkey smoothies,” said Erica without having to ask for my order. She slid the vendor twenty bucks and we stepped to the side to wait, the sound of blenders whirring in our ears.
“Thanks,” I said, nudging her.
“Of course. You got mine last time, remember?” She waved me off.
I nodded, glad she didn’t see through the fact that I had no money to spend. Once our smoothies plopped down on the metal countertop of the cart, Erica grabbed both while I sat down at one of the little yellow tables set out. She sat across fromme, handing me my smoothie. I took a long sip and leaned back in my chair, the morning sun warm against my face.
“I wish I could just stay here all day,” I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head back more.
“What? And not go in to work with your sex god for a boss?” asked Erica with a smirk.
“Ugh. Don’t remind me,” I muttered, bringing my head back up and fiddling with the white Styrofoam cup between my fingers.
“So, things aren’t getting better?” she asked, her eyes searching mine.
“They’re worse. Jeremiah is a tyrant. I’ve never met anyone like him before. He’s merciless. He’s been pushing me even harder this week.” I shook my head. “Did I tell you he’s fired two more people?”
“Seriously?” she asked, her brows lifting high on her tan forehead.
