A shadow flicked across his face before he answered.“Sort of, but we never did anything like this underwater.”
He started dancing.There was no other word for it.“Come on!”
Misty started moving her feet and bringing her arms forward to meet his.It felt silly, but she got lost in the fun of the moment.She had no idea how much time had passed, but soon a lifeguard came up to warn them that the swim team from the local high school would be arriving any minute.They both hefted themselves out of the water.
“I have some time between appointments.Want to grab something to eat?”he asked as he toweled off his limbs.
“Let’s!”But as she answered, she wondered how this was going to work.She’d worn her dress over her bathing suit and didn’t like the thought of spending the next hour or so in a wet one-piece.But it was either that or go commando.
Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Spencer looked concerned.“You okay?”He paused in the wake of drying off his thigh, which didnothelp.
“Must’ve spaced out from hunger.”A more than plausible excuse.She couldn't say how the swimming had affected her land-based workouts, but she was certain it had spiked her appetite.
“Then go on and change.I’ll meet you in the cafe.”
Misty ducked into the locker room to fully dry off, get her hair under control, stuff the bathing suit in a plastic bag, and put her dress back on before scrambling around her gym bag on the off-chance a stray pair of panties would turn up.Nothing did, but she couldn’t leave Spencer hanging.They were only going a few steps to the gym’s café, and the dress was long enough that it wouldn’t give her away.It wasn’t a particularly windy day out for when it was time to leave either.But she was still all too aware of what she wasn’t wearing as they met up again.
She arrived to see Spencer in dry gym-branded clothes and with wildly rumpled hair, probably from rubbing a towel vigorously over it.He looked younger and more adorable for it.Hunger must have been messing with her head, and she was relieved when it was their turn to order.Misty asked for extra chicken in her grain bowl, and Spencer got a wrap.The barista got the orders ready as they spoke, and it wasn’t long before they were approaching the register.
“Are you together?”the cashier asked.Why did that question sound so loaded?
“Yeah, these are together.”Spencer didn’t seem to notice as he used his employee discount again.They took their food to a table in the corner.
He unlocked the tablet after he sat across from her.“You’ve come incredibly far since we started working together.Want to see?”
He held out the tablet, and she leaned closer to look.The screen showed an array of charts, all of which showed the lines going up.“That’s your progress.”
“Wow.”
About halfway through his lunch, Spencer spoke again.“And soon it’ll be time for the video.How are you going to do that?”
“Tish is going to film me.”
“Where?”
“Still figuring that out.I’d really like to shoot in a park, but I don’t know how we’d measure some of these exercises if I did that.”
“If you want, you can reserve space in the gym.It happens all the time with people shooting social media posts, commercials, what have you.And filming in this setting would show how seriously you take your fitness.”
“That makes sense.”
They finished the last bites of lunch and got up to throw away their paper plates.“You can make your reservation up front,” Spencer said.
“I’d better do it soon.Deadline’s coming up.”With all the work to get ready for it, she’d almost forgotten to worry about it.Fear started to eat away at the endorphins.
He touched her upper arm where it met her shoulder.“You got this, and they’d be lucky to have you.”
At the touch of his hand, all thoughts faded from Misty’s mind exceptthis.She didn’t have to look far to meet his eyes.As she tried to decide what the color reminded her of—honey?Caramel?Tea?Whiskey?Something else delicious and comforting?—the corners crinkled up with his smile.
“Thank you.For that, for lunch, and for everything as you got me ready for this.”It sounded so inadequate, but she didn’t know what else to say.
He didn’t move his hand.“It’s been a real pleasure.Best of luck.”
She stammered out another thank-you as Spencer stepped back.Nevertheless, the warmth of his touch lingered in the locker room.She should probably shower after being in the pool, and it’d be nice to do it here with the fancy products the gym stocked.At the same time, she found herself not wanting to scrub the spot.
She also felt the oddest sense of bereavement.The days without structured workouts stretched ahead blank and empty.The days without Spencer to suggest new moves or forms of torture, shout encouragement, and stretch her out at the end.She wouldn’t have believed it when she started, but she was going to miss him.
She shook her head.What she was feeling was the same thing she did at the end of kickball season, but there was one crucial difference.After this ending, she knew what was coming next.She went to the front desk, texted Tish with the open times, and made an appointment with enough time to get the video shot, edited, and sent.
