“I said I’m not done!”
There’s a loud throat clearing from the doorway. Jack and I turn. Arturo rolls his weight on the balls of his feet, hands held loosely by his sides. Although Nicholas warned me about him, I’m relieved he’s here.
He shoots Jack a steady look. “What’s going on, bro?” And then to me, “Everything okay, Molly?”
Petra peeks out from behind Arturo’s massive frame.
“It’s none of your business,” my former boss says, but his voice no longer has its earlier force. He’s not an idiot. He doesn’t want to act like a bully in front of witnesses.
I yank my arm away. Reddish marks cover my wrist. Crap. I hope they don’t set into dark bruises. “Excuse me. I need to grab my things.”
I walk past Jack stiffly. Arturo shifts out of the way, his eyes still on Jack, and Petra stares at me. I nod my thanks to both of them.
Trembling, I march to the office. I can’t decide exactly what I’m feeling right now. Fury, yes, but also a bit of adrenaline and the shaky realization that I came pretty close to getting hurt. The wrist aches, and Jack is so much bigger and stronger than me. I was helpless in his grip, and he could have done whatever he wanted. I’m doing the right thing by quitting, even without another job lined up.
I grab my purse, tossing my phone into it. The laptop was issued by Get Jacked, so I leave that on my desk. It only has work stuff anyway. My résumé is backed up on my phone. I snatch the flowers Nicholas sent this morning. My wrist throbs, but I keep my chin up.
I stride past the door that separates the workout area from the back office. I want to raise my aching wrist and say something disparaging about Jack, to show these people what a terrible human being they’re giving their money to. But if I do that, I’m not just hurting Jack. The other trainers, who really haven’t done anything, might lose their jobs. Elaine, fine—she covers for Jack. But I don’t want collateral damage.
My car’s still getting repaired, and Nicholas won’t be coming by for another three hours. I start to text him to see if he can pick me up early, but stop. He’s working, and I don’t want to disrupt his day.
Huffing, I stand on the sidewalk in front of the gym and tap on Uber. Petra comes out.
“Hey. Need a ride?”
I turn to face her. “Don’t you have your shift?”
“No clients for the next two hours. So no prob.”
“Yeah, but you’ll lose out on your hourly pay,” I say. Trainers are paid by the hour and get a cut of the fees their clients pay for their sessions.
She shrugs. “I’m better than Uber.”
“I can’t possibly impose. My friend’s going to pick me up,” I say, then text Georgia before Petra gets too insistent.
–Me: Can you pick me up from the gym right now?
–Georgia: Yeah. Are you okay?
–Me: Long story. I’ll tell you when you get here.
I lower my phone, then look behind Petra at the gym. Jack’s talking on the phone, his face scrunched in distaste and anger. He glances up and shoots me a dirty look, but he doesn’t approach, since I’m not alone.
“You might want to put something on that.” Petra gestures at my wrist.
“I will, thanks. Mind if I ask you to wait with me for my friend?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” She shrugs. “So. You, uh, gonna sue or something?”
“Why? Did Jack ask you to find out?” Petra has always been nice to me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll side with me.
She snorts. “No. He’s a dick. Do you know how many times he’s tried to put his hands on me? It’s just he can’t really get a good chance because I’m always out on the floor with clients and the other trainers. But he’s constantly looking for an angle, trying to ‘innocently’ brush against my butt.”
My initial suspicion fades, replaced by shock and sympathy. “I had no idea. I thought it was just me. Elaine made it sound like I was being too sensitive.”
Petra laughs humorlessly. “That basic bitch? Jack’s banging her on the side, that’s why.”
“What? I thought she was married.”
