“How much longer until you find out?”He thought back to the message she’d first shown him but couldn’t remember.
“I don’t exactly know, but every day that passes puts me a little closer to finding out.And pretty soon, they’ll have no choice but to tell me.It’s like I’m back to applying for college.”
He grimaced.“I remember that feeling all too well.What else are you doing tonight?”
“Showering, for starters.”She gestured to her sweaty self.“Then...I don’t know, finding something to watch that’ll keep my mind busy.Maybe not a feel-good sports movie, too close to home at this point—”
“Or maybe you shouldn’t sit at home driving yourself crazy.Want to have dinner with me?”
It came out before Spencer knew what he was saying.He didn’t make a habit of socializing with his clients.At the same time, she wasn’t a client anymore.The thought depressed and thrilled him in equal measures.
Misty looked a little surprised, too, but her expression smoothed into something more relaxed.“Sure.Grain bowls and smoothies?”
He rolled his eyes.“The cafe will be closed by then, and we can do better than that anyway.Look at all the great places around here.”
As they settled on an upscale diner-type place near the gym, Spencer felt his mind racing beyond logistics.If he’d met her anywhere else but at work, how would things have gone by this point?What would they have done?
To try to imagine, he looked back on his recent dating history.Before things had gotten serious with Haley, he’d had his share of adventures and one-night stands during tournament travel, and it had taken a bout with gonorrhea to set him on a path of greater moderation.After the engagement had ended, he’d gone to the other extreme and taken a long time to get back on his feet in that area.As it currently stood, a few months had passed since his last date, and he was looking forward to this one.
****
As Misty put the finishingtouches on her makeup, it occurred to her for the first time that she could have called Tish or any of her other friends to keep her busy.But time with Tish would only have added to her worries about waiting for the combine email, two of her roommates were out of the country for work, the one in town was more interested in decompressing after her last transcontinental flight than distracting, and her kickball teammates had barely crossed her mind since the season ended.
Some might think having dinner with her one-time personal trainer was pathetic, but there was no one she’d rather be with tonight than Spencer.Suddenly, she was reminded of getting ready for a date.But this wasn’t...Was it?Did she want it to be?
She found herself taking extra care with her hair and taking a second look at her outfit.A denim jacket would pair well with this dress, offer backup in case the night got too chilly, and present a more casual look if it turned out this wasn’t a date.
If nothing else, she wasn’t checking every folder of her email and stressing out about the wait for the results.Instead of checking her phone yet again, she stuffed it in her bag, slid on a pair of ankle boots that paired well with the dress, and headed the few blocks to the restaurant.
As she arrived, Spencer was approaching from the opposite direction.He wore a light gray top with black pants and a sharper pair of sneakers than she’d expect for training.He paused at the restaurant’s oversized windows, seeming to look for something, then walked right past her, taking his phone out of his pocket.As she felt her purse vibrate from her ringing phone, she realized what had happened.
“I’m over here,” she called.
Spencer turned at the sound of her voice and did a double-take.“I didn’t recognize you with your hair down.”
“I’ve taken it...”But even as she spoke, Misty couldn’t think of a time she’d fixed her hairstyle in front of Spencer.Even the day they’d met, she’d had her hair up.
“And you got taller.”A hair taller than him, and she hadn’t noticed until he was standing right next to her.Some guys got defensive after seeing her standing taller than them, but she didn’t hear any of that in Spencer’s voice.If anything, it sounded lighter than at the gym.
“It’s the shoes.”She angled her foot to call attention to her boots’ heels.
“Looks good, though.Youlook good.”
“Thanks.You clean up pretty well too.”In the weeks she’d known him, she’d never seen Spencer in anything but gym-branded shirts and workout gear.He looked more stylish than she had ever pictured him.The cut of the shirt drew attention to the breadth of his shoulders, the tone of his arms, and the carved nature of his chest.
He held the door open, and they headed inside.The weeknight meant they could get away with walking in without a reservation, and they were escorted to a table just off the bar.
“What are you thinking of getting?”she asked as the waiter dropped off their menus.
“What?”Spencer asked, leaning across the table.With the music at top volume, she didn’t blame him.She leaned closer as she repeated her question.
“You can get anything.I’m not going to put restrictions on you.”
“I was just making conversation.”Was this going to be weird?Maybe she should have gotten straight what this was going to be before agreeing to it.
He shook his head.“Hard habit to break.I didn’t think of this as trainer and client, just as...people, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.”Her heartbeat spiked, and her mood along with it.
