Chapter Five
“Isent my applicationpackage last night.”Tish shared the news at the table in her father’s Village apartment about a month after she’d told Misty about the team.His chef had just served Tish her usual egg-white and vegetable omelet with a small mountain of dry whole-grain toast.Misty was having a savory breakfast too, as well as a fruit salad with honey-yogurt dressing for dessert.She wasn’t used to the combination, but the big meal would keep her going all morning, and it was part of Spencer’s nutrition plan.
“Of course you did, Ms.Overachiever,” Misty grumbled good-naturedly but raised her mug in celebration.“You’ve got this in the bag.”
Tish clinked her black coffee to Misty’s latte, but her father appeared in the kitchen before they could speak again.Nearly thirty years had passed since he’d won his gold medal in the 400-meter relay, but anyone would be foolish to underestimate him on account of the gray at his temples.He still looked like he could beat anyone in a race because he’d barely slacked off his Olympic training regimen into his late fifties.“Nothing’s in the bag until you’re there.The minute you get cocky is the minute it all comes crashing down on you, so don’t let it.”
Ever since Darnell Douglass had pivoted to motivational speaking after his success as a sprinter and later an investor, he sometimes seemed to speak entirely in inspirational athletic quotes.A person could make a drinking game out of it, and yet Misty figured it carried more weight coming from an Olympic medalist than someone like their middle school gym teacher, whose greatest achievement had been taking the softball team to district championships in the eighties.“Definitely not,” she answered.
He seemed to like that answer.“How’s your training going?”
“My new trainer is whipping me into shape, and I’ve asked my kickball team captain and old boss to write two of my letters of recommendation.”
“Keep up the good work, and I’d be happy to write your third.”
“That would be so great!Thank you.”
His stern face softened into a smile.“I wish I could’ve done the same for Tish, but Uncle Jon came through for her.”Jon wasn’t a blood relative, but one of his Olympic teammates.
“I also got letters from Coach Brynn and my principal,” Tish added.
The mention of three of the people who thought the highest of her still sounded like she had this sewn up, but Misty knew better than to say that in front of Mr.Douglass.He turned to Tish.“After you’re done eating, we’ll give it half an hour before stretching.”
It was a polite but pointed way of dismissing Misty.Tish nodded at her dad, but cringed once he was out of earshot.“Sorry about that.”
“I couldn’t have stayed anyway.I have a session with Drill Sergeant Spencer today.See?”She held up her phone to show her the event listed:11:00—Butt-whipping time.
“Is he really that tough?”
She considered it carefully.“He’s good, but I think he sees himself as more of a life coach than a personal trainer.Pushing me on my workouts, my diet, my days...”
“Pushing you is kind of his job, but is he giving you too hard a time?”Tish looked concerned.
Misty thought about her stance.“I wouldn’t call him mean or controlling, just rigid as hell with this schedule.Not to mention, I’m lucky to get a facial expression out of him.”
Even when he let an occasional quip escape, it was never with a smile to accompany it.She’d thought she’d heard a laugh a while back, but maybe he’d only had something caught in his throat.What would that sound like?Was she up for the challenge of finding out?
She forced herself back to the present.“Though I have to admit the guy keeps me on my toes.He said to bring a bathing suit for today.”
Instead of meeting Spencer at the front desk, Misty met him on the deck of the saltwater pool, which she’d barely acknowledged was part of the gym.In another departure from a typical day, he was wearing dark green swim trunks and a tight swim shirt that clung to his chest and showed off every muscle detail beneath.She sternly told herself not to stare.
“Do you need to change?”
“I’m good.”She tried to keep her movements nonchalant, but the atmosphere seemed charged as she pulled her t-shirt dress over her head to reveal the bathing suit beneath.A one-piece seemed the most appropriate for the gym, and yet she was all too aware of showing more of her chest and ass to Spencer than ever before.
