“How’d you do for the rest of the day?”
She seemed to be thinking back.“I slept like a corpse and wasn’t nearly as sore the next day.”
“That can happen, and I’m glad it did for you.”He was also slightly flustered, having gotten thrown off track.“The point is, I was out of line and let that go on too long.”
It was easier to apologize for this than for the other thing, and he kept going.“If you’d reacted like that to one of our exercises out here, I would have stopped immediately, asked what was wrong, and tried to fix it, if not stopping altogether and switching to something else that would have achieved similar results.I wouldn’t have made you suffer through it like I did with the ice bath, I shouldn’t have done that the other day” — he couldn’t emphasize that part enough — “and I want to make it up to you.”
“How?”
The promise had been an impulsive one, and yet the answer came to him almost immediately.“Don’t you need letters of recommendation for your application?”
“I have one from Tish’s dad, one from my old boss, and I’m still waiting on my kickball captain to write me one.”She frowned.“I don’t want to bug Steve to a point where he writes bad things about me, but I don’t want to be one letter short either.”
“What if you didn’t need him?I’ve seen you in action and am in a position to write you one.”
“By the end of the week?”
“By the end of the day,” he said firmly.“Send me the information and I’ll get something together.It’s the least I can do.”
Her expression relaxed.“Sure.Thanks!”
Spencer’s muscles loosened as if he’d just climbed out of the ice bath.“Then let’s move on.”In all ways.“Ready to switch?”
“Ready.”He got a mat out for her, she got into position, and he was too busy counting reps and logging information to think about much else for the rest of the session.
“And just for fun,” he said, gesturing to the chin-up bar.
“Dude, you need to rethink your idea of fun.”But she approached it anyway and hiked herself up twice.She didn’t get all the way there a third time, but Spencer smiled anyway.“That’s two more than you could do when we first started.”
“That’s two that I did!”She couldn’t keep the thrill out of her voice, and he smiled back at her.
“Good job today, on this and everything else.I’ll have that letter ready for you by tonight.”
“Thanks.”He raised his hand for a high-five, and she enthusiastically slapped it before heading to the exit.The touch lingered on his hand for the rest of the morning.
At lunch in the cafe, Spencer ate his grain bowl with one hand and worked on his tablet with the other.Misty had emailed him the information for the letters, and he glanced from that to a letter of recommendation template he’d Googled.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to recommend Marisa Kaufman— it felt weird referring to Misty as such —for the World Winter Games four-woman bobsled combine.I am a former professional athlete turned personal trainer, and I have had the privilege of training her for this event.
The first paragraph flowed easily enough, but he stalled slightly at the next one.He chewed a mouthful of broccoli, brown rice, and chicken as he thought back on their time together and what would be most relevant to the combine.
Our training sessions have included a combination of cardio and strength exercises.Ms.Kaufman was in good physical condition to begin with, but her abilities have only grown in the time we have been working together.She has consistently shown up on time, brought her best efforts to each session, and progressed to lifting increasingly heavier weights since the training began, though not at the expense of speed.All of this points to success on the bobsled course.
That had all been true of today’s session.As he tried to decide what to write next, a reminder for his next appointment popped up.He did his best not to groan at the sight of the name.This client was always whining about something or other.
Once again, he wondered how he’d ever thought he could have kept his distance from Misty.Her good moods were too infectious, and she was too irresistible.He stirred the last of the bowl’s contents as he pondered that there had to be a more professional way of phrasing it.
However, it’s more than her physical strength that sets her apart among both my clients and your applicants.Even through the most difficult challenges, she has kept a positive outlook and celebrated every achievement, however big or small.Any complaints are softened with jokes, and her optimistic attitude makes each session a more enjoyable one for everyone around her.In conclusion, anyone would be lucky to have her.
Spencer paused as the truth and enormity of his last sentence hit him.He hastily typed “as part of their team,” added a final paragraph with his contact information, and signed it with his full name, all the while knowing it to be true.Anyonewouldbe lucky to have her, whether as a teammate, a friend, or a romantic partner.
