After twenty-five minutes on the elliptical, they left the cardio area to go through the exercises for the video.He noticed her moving faster and jumping higher, but it was hard to tell whether it was the result of their training or her having just been in the water.Probably a combination of both.
“How am I doing, coach?”she asked as she reached for her water bottle.
“Not your coach,” he corrected.He finished making some notes before looking up at her.“You’ve come a long way from when you started, but you could still be doing better.”
He watched her face fall.“Is this like a teacher saying, ‘you could try harder’?”
“No, and I would never say that anyway.Not when I hated hearing it so much in school.”
That was more than he’d meant to say.Misty’s eyes widened.“You got that too?”
“Not the point.”It came out more brusquely than he intended, which made him pause to think about how to put his thoughts in a friendlier way.
Misty filled the silence.“Well, I’m gladyouwouldn’t.My teachers always knew me first as Natalie’s little sister, acted so excited at first, and then got disappointed every time I talked in class or doodled on an assignment.”
“I guess that’s the advantage to being the oldest,” Spencer mused.“Though my sister would come home with stories about teachers telling her how much easier she was to have in class than me.”
Misty’s eyes widened.“Tish has had siblings in her class, and I’ve made sure she knows better than to say that out loud.”
Her expression of shock gave way to a pout that drew attention to her lips.“Of course, if it wasn’t our teachers in school, it’s my parents now, ever since I went freelance and Natalie stuck with her office job.”
Misty had looked outraged on Spencer’s behalf earlier, and now he felt ready to fight for her.When Mitch wasn’t going on about when he was Spencer’s age, he pointed out ways Laura’s nine-to-five job as an accountant offered greater stability and more predictable hours than Spencer’s time at the gym.Spencer would never wish comparisons like that on anyone, least of all Misty.
Least of all someone he’d found such unexpected common ground with.He’d made a practice of keeping everything close to the chest since he’d moved to New York for a bit of anonymity, but something about her had brought out that bit of his history.Maybe it was because he hadn’t known her before his life went to shit, or maybe she was that easy to talk to.
“Don’t listen to them.Listen to me when I say this,” he said, both to encourage her and get the session back on track.“You’re good now, miles above the average layman, but there’s still time to get you to a level that will help you stand out at the combine and make it to the World Winter Games.”
Misty looked somewhat reassured and grabbed her ankle for a quad stretch.He watched her go through her usual stretches before speaking up.“I can help with that if you want.”
“By all means.”She spoke as she got back to her feet from the lunge.“How do you want me?”
Of all the phrasing...“You can stay like that.Just clasp your hands behind your back.”
She followed his instructions, and he stepped behind her to slowly raise her arms.“How’s that?”
“I feel my chest opening up.”
“That’s the point.You did pretty well with your lower body stretches, but I can help with that too.”
“What do you need me to do?”
He gestured to the mat where she’d recently completed a round of sit-ups and pushups.“Lie down and cross your ankle over your knee.”
She followed his instructions, and he knelt before her.“Now put your free foot on my chest.”
She looked skeptical but did it.He leaned in to press her leg towards her chest and pull her other knee towards him.All the while, he was forcibly reminded of stretching with Haley.They’d spent time eyeing each other across the dojo before offering to help each other stretch.That had led to lingering touches and gazes before he’d pressed his mouth to hers after he’d pulled her forward, followed by a longer kiss as soon as they’d stood up.
Misty had been sending no such signals, but she let out a sound of satisfaction that nevertheless sent a stirring to his groin.She may have been a client, but he could no sooner be unaware of the softness of her bare skin than he could deny the temperature of the room.
“Let’s switch sides.”It would even it out and remind him that this was a professional setting.As he leaned in to her opposite side, he picked up the scent of coconut body wash, shampoo, or sunscreen.
“How was that?”he asked, stepping back so she could stand up.
She didn’t answer right away.“Nice.”
“Good.I’ll see you next time.”
“See you next time.”As she departed, she seemed to be moving away a little lighter-footed than usual, possibly because of the stretching.
