“Neither had I since I made the shirt, but —”
“Youmadeit?”Spencer’s eyes widened.
“Designed it with my drawing of the Allegro logo, yeah.I used to watch that show every Saturday morning and had fun with it, but when I grew up, I wanted a subtler nod to it than most stores were selling.”
“I used to watch too!”Spencer’s eyes were bright, and his expression looked more animated than she’d ever seen it.“That was how I got into kickboxing.I watched the show and copied the characters’ moves during the fight scenes.My parents finally signed me up for a martial arts class after I kicked the coffee table, and a book went through a window.”
Misty laughed.“Strong even then.”
“I don’t know about that, but they probably figured it was better for me to do this in a dojo than in the TV room.”
“I didn’t take it that far, but the kids in my class were always playing Guardians at recess.”
They’d been walking as they spoke and found themselves in the cardio area.“I don’t know if playing Guardians is what we need to get you in shape for this, but let’s get moving.”
After Misty got on the elliptical, Spencer keyed in the settings.She noticed that they were a bit heavier than last week, but didn’t say anything.She was too lost in her own thoughts.
Whenever Misty designed a t-shirt for a fandom or a book, she didn’t want to take the most obvious route of “I Heart Show” or “Team Character Name.”Instead, she designed them with a beloved quote, a nod to the school or workplace where the story was set, or in this case, a popular hangout.Her references were subtle enough that only fellow fans would know what it was from without asking, and reviews indicated that such encounters gave her wearers a sense of having found their people.Odd that Spencer should be amongherpeople, but not unpleasant.
The song on the sound system changed to “2 Be Loved,” one she was pleased to recognize.The first verse went by too quickly for her to begin to keep up, but she sang along with the refrain as she worked her arms and legs.
Spencer smiled.“That’s great!If you can go at this pace and still sing, that means you’re getting stronger.Keep it up.”
Instead of answering, she shot a smile at him during the next verse before breaking into the next chorus.This was already her most gratifying session to date, and part of her wondered if it wasn’t just because of her progress.
****
“Great job today,” Spencersaid as Misty finished her cooldown.Sweat was dripping off her limbs, and her ponytail had gone limp again, but she looked great.Her skin glowed, and her smile was wide and bright enough to light up this section of the gym.
She accepted one towel for her face and another to wipe down her machine.“Thanks.I had a good atmosphere for it.”He barely heard the last half over a loud growl of her stomach.
She looked mortified.“Sorry.I had a big breakfast this morning.”
“And between your new muscle mass and this workout, it’s probably all burned off by now,” Spencer pointed out.“Let’s get you a shake.”
She wiped her forehead with a towel before following him to the café.“What do you think?”she asked, glancing at him.
It was the first time she’d directly asked his advice on her food, and he didn’t take that lightly.“I think you should get whatever looks good to you, but ask for an extra scoop of protein powder if it’s not part of the recipe.Hell, maybe ask for extra protein either way.”
As they stepped up to the register, she took his advice when she ordered a berry smoothie.Spencer asked for his usual kale smoothie with extra protein.“I got this,” he offered as they approached the register.
“Are you sure?”
“I get a staff discount,” he said, showing his work badge to the barista.Sure enough, the total dropped dramatically after she keyed in a code.
“I can managethat.At least let me Venmo you for my drink.”
“Seriously, don’t worry about it.You said no extras while you were training, and I can spot you a smoothie.”
“Thanks.”
Once that was finally settled, they grabbed a table to wait for their order.“Waiting for shakes just like at Allegro,” he said, glancing at the shirt to see sweat blooming beneath the neon logo.
“Don’t remember if these were on the menu,” she said.“It always struck me as more of a 50s diner, so regular milkshakes were probably likeliest.Strange, since protein shakes would’ve kept the Guardians in better shape.”
“True.So who was your favorite character?”Once upon a time, that had been a better insight into someone’s personality than their astrological sign.
“Team Zayn from day one.”She spoke without hesitation.“He was a good fighter but didn’t go around with a stick up his ass the way David seemed to.”
