“There are four other available benches.”
“This one has better lighting.”
Dean stares at me. “Better lighting.”
“For proper form. You can’t check your form without good lighting.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m an excellent liar. I’m a professional musician. Lying is half the job.”
“And the other half?”
“Looking tortured and pretending you wrote songs about experiences you actually had.”
I load the bar, lie back, and start my first set. Halfway through rep three, I see Delilah glance at the mirror in front of her treadmill.
Our eyesmeet in the reflection.
She stumbles, grabbing the handrails to keep from face-planting on the moving belt. The treadmill beeps in alarm. The guy next to her—a middle-aged man in a tank top that saysGYM, TAN, LAUNDRY—gives her a concerned look.
I rack the bar, trying not to smile. “You okay over there?”
She pulls out one earbud, cheeks flushed—from the running or from getting caught, I can’t tell. “Fine. Just...the treadmill. It’s uneven.”
“The treadmill is uneven.”
“Faulty equipment. It’s a safety hazard, really.”
“You should file a complaint.”
“Maybe I will.”
She puts the earbud back in and increases her speed, staring determinedly at the wall in front of her. But I catch her watching in the mirror again as I start my next set.
“Subtle,” Dean says as he spots me.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were thinking it.”
“I was thinking many things.” He takes my place on the bench. “Mostly about how you just added twenty pounds to your normal weight.”
“I’m feeling strong today.”
“You’re showing off.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what you’re talking about. You’re flexing for a woman you’re pretending not to notice while she’s pretending not to notice you noticing.” He starts his set, pauses mid-rep. “That sentence made my head hurt.”
“Then stop analyzing my behavior.”
“I’m your brother. Analyzing your behavior is my only source of entertainment.” He finishes his set and sits up. “This is like watching two middle schoolers at a dance. Just go talk to her.”
“I’m working out.”
