Jillian’s eyes widen in panic.
Mr. Richards steps forward, his voice stern. “Is this how you represent our gym, Jillian? By belittling our members and having a heated argument in front of everyone?”
Jillian stammers, trying to regain her composure, but her usual charm is failing her now. “I ... Mr. Richards, it’s not what it looks like. I was just?—”
“I’ve heard enough. Your behavior is unacceptable,” he says, pointing to the door. “We’ll discuss this in the conference room.Now.”
Jillian’s face turns pale, her usual confidence evaporating. When she glances at us, her expression is a mixture of hatred and defeat.
Carlie lets out a jagged breath and turns to me with a triumphant sparkle in her eye. “Looks like the villain’s arc just ended.”
I chuckle under my breath. That’s one way of putting it.
Carlie steps back, letting Jillian and Mr. Richards pass. In the movement, she bumps into a gym-goer walking by with a chocolate protein shake in his hand.
The collision sends the shake flying right onto Jillian’s back as she’s ushered away by Mr. Richards. It sticks to her designer gym gear, looking like a bathroom disaster gone terribly wrong.
The gym erupts in a cacophony of gasps and stifled laughter. Carlie’s eyes widen in horror—and then amusement.
“Well, I guess that’s the messy climax this story deserved,” she mutters under her breath.
Jillian whirls around, her shriek echoing through the gym. The sight of her, covered in chocolate protein shake, looking both furious and ridiculous, draws the attention of anyone who missed the earlier confrontation.
“This is outrageous!” she yells, pointing an accusatory finger at Carlie. “You did that on purpose.”
“It was an accident.” Carlie, for a moment, looks mortified. But then, she straightens up, meeting Jillian’s fury with a calm defiance. “I’m sorry about the shake, Jillian, but maybe it’s a metaphor. Sometimes life throws messy things at you. It’s how you handle them that shows your true character.”
Jillian’s eyes darting around the gym as she realizes she’s the center of a scene she can’t control.
“You ... you did this on purpose!” she stammers again, trying to wipe the sticky mess off her clothes. When it doesn’t work, she whirl on Carlie, giving her a shove.
The gym-goer who accidentally collided with Carlie steps in, pushing Jillian back before I can step in. “Like the lady said, it was an accident, Jillian.”
Jillian looks desperately at Mr. Richards, who’s watching the scene with a grim expression. “Mr. Richards, I can explain?—”
Mr. Richards holds up a hand, stopping her mid-sentence. “Enough, Jillian. This incident, along with your earlier behavior, is completely unbecoming of our gym’s standards. Please, gather your things. You are suspended until the rest of the board can meet to discuss your future here.”
Jillian gasps, stumbling after him as the gym slowly returns to its regular buzz of activity. Carlie watches her go with an expression of vindication clear across her face.
I lean closer to Carlie, whispering, “You okay?”
Sighing deeply, she turns to me and grins. “Every good story needs a dramatic ending, right?”
CHAPTER34
Carlie
I’m still giggling as Adam and I traipse up the front steps to my apartment. The image of Jillian’s mortified face is etched in my mind like a bad tattoo.
“That protein shake fiasco”—I muse aloud—“that was comedy gold.”
“It definitely was.” Adam grins, his eyes dancing with delight. “Her face matched your hair. I mean, who knew embarrassment was that shade of red?”
“Oh, I did.” I chuckle. “But it’s nice to have someone else sporting it instead of me.”
As we reach the top step, there’s Grandma Elise, perched on a deck chair with a tabloid magazine across her lap.
“What’s so funny over there, you two?” she asks, her eyes narrowing with the kind of curiosity that could outdo a cat.
