“Want me to do your back for you?” Riley asks playfully. Lying on her stomach, Charlotte can only see the sneakers in front of the lounger. Wait—sneakers?
She pushes herself up seal-style, and squints to take in Riley. She’s wearing shorts and a sports bra, hair in a bun, and one earbud in.
“Are youtryingto sound like a bad porn movie?” Charlotte asks stoically.
Riley chuckles and adjusts the bun on top of her head. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
“Why do you look like… like you’re actually about to go do something?” Charlotte vaguely gestures at her outfit.
“I’m going for a run.”
“For a what?! Look—I already knew you had a few screws loose, but I’m afraid the entire fucking building came apart up there.” Charlotte swirls her index finger around her temple.
Riley defiantly puts her hands on her hips. “Wanna join me?”
Charlotte cackles. “Ha! Join you? For a run? Listen sweetheart, because I’m only going to explain this once.” She lifts a finger for emphasis and turns onto her side so she doesn’t strain her neck looking at Riley.
“If youeversee me run, you should start running too. Because either something’s on fire, or I’m being chased by a bear.”
Exhaling loudly, she lets herself flop on her back, tucking her hand under her head.
“It’s two thousand degrees and she’s going for a goddamn run,” she mumbles, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Yeah…” Riley drawls calmly. “I guess you’re right. It is too hot for old people to get some exercise in.”
Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte walks down the hotel stairs in a tank top, shorts, and sneakers, securing her own hair in a ponytail.
“There you go,” Riley smiles proudly. “If you do well, you can relax in the jacuzzi later.”
“Or!” Charlotte holds up a hand, pretending to suddenly get inspired. “I could relax in the jacuzzi now.”
“You have to earn it first, chief,” Riley deadpans. “Now, let’s see how far we can get.”
The answer, much to Charlotte’s embarrassment, is not even far enough to not see the hotel when she looks over her shoulder, wheezing like a kettle. And Riley, showboat in human form, is literally running circles around her. Backwards. Charlotte is a few seconds away from accidentally sticking out her leg.
“I hate running. I hate this, I hate you, and I hate everything on this entire planet.” She puts her hands on her knees and lowers her head in defeat.
“Alright Ebenezer Scrooge, that attitude isn’t going to get you very far.”
“You know what isn’t gonna get me very far? Running. Know what is? A taxi.” She coughs. “Or an ambulance. I think I might be dying.”
“How are you so fit if you can’t even jog down the street without acting like you’re going through a near-death experience?”
Charlotte briefly looks up to glare. “Once again, I haterunning. I don’t hate exercising.”
“Yeah? So what do you do when you work out?”
“I just go to the gym.”
Riley finally stops hovering around her, and comes to a halt. “You go to the gym? And what do you do when you go to the gym?”
“I lift,” Charlotte says, looking up at her with one eye closed against the sun.
“Ha!” Riley throws her head back. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”
Charlotte straightens her spine and shrugs. “You don’t have to. I don’t care.”
“Alright, alright,” Riley quickly says, crossing her arms. “Humor me. How much do you lift?”
