Tish shook her head.“I can’t believe I didn’t take the initiative to try that.Dad, Coach Brynn, and everyone else said I was a shoo-in because of my speed, but when it comes to things like this...”
Tish’s self-deprecation faded against the roar of Misty’s heartbeat and racing thoughts.It had been a few days since she and Spencer had talked, and she had a lot to say now.
“You’re up again!”Ms.Coolidge’s summons pulled her forward, and Misty lost herself in the motions.The workout fired up her adrenaline for the rest of the day, but utterly sapped her when they got back to the room.She was too beat to stand up for long in the shower, never mind talk to Spencer.
****
Spencer was tryingto finish his report, but it wasn’t going well.Despite going to bed at a normal time (it wasn’t like he’d stayed up talking or texting with Misty), he could barely keep his eyes open or concentrate on this.
Maybe low blood sugar was his problem.He hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and all the little demonstrations he’d done throughout the morning might have added up to burn off everything he’d eaten.He didn’t feel hungry at all but forced himself to get up and get in a short line for the juice bar.
“...and my trainer says sour cherry juice is good for healing,” a brunette in a blue and white Lululemon set was telling her friend, a woman whose black hair matched her top and leggings.
“That’s what my guy says too, but I can’t quite stomach it.”
The brunette only seemed to hear the first part of the sentence.“Wait a sec, do you work out with Kurt Boswick?”
“Yes!I needed to lose 20 pounds for Ginny’s wedding, and he got me there.He was great.”
“I liked him too.He never made me feel stupid for having a question, and I could reach him whenever I needed him.”
“Things like that made me glad I got assigned to him.”
“Assigned?I asked for him after what Tessa said!”
“And what did Tessa say?”
The brunette smirked.“That he’s always willing to go the extra mile for a client, if you know what I mean.”
Her friend looked disappointed.“He hasn’t with me yet.”
“Maybe he doesn’t know you want him to—you know how dense guys can be.Ask him to help you stretch, or say your hamstrings are sore, and be sure to wear something tight.”
Spencer’s stomach clenched as the blender drowned out the rest of the conversation.It was one thing for his colleagues to know Kurt’s reputation as a player, but it could be disastrous if word was getting around among the gym members.He thought about warning Kurt, but what could he say?A martial arts instructor from his youth had once compared gossip to squeezing toothpaste out of a tube, because there was no putting it back, and it could make a mess.The last part seemed all too apt now, considering who else was waiting at the juice bar.
“Barry!”he nearly screamed.
His boss looked alarmed and amused at the same time.“Yes?”
Spencer hadn’t intended to say anything and scrambled for a reason to address his boss.“I don’t know if you heard, but a woman I was training got chosen for the World Winter Games combine.She’s there now.”
“That’s great.”Barry nodded but seemed preoccupied.“You haven’t seen your friend Kurt around, have you?”
“Not yet today.”
“Well, if you do, let him know I’d like a word with him.”Barry’s voice sounded extra ominous today.He accepted his wheatgrass smoothie and headed back to the office area.
“Sir?”The barista’s voice sounded like it was coming from the end of the hall instead of a foot and a half away.“Are you ready to order?”
Spencer heard his kale protein smoothie order come out of his mouth, but couldn’t imagine how he was going to get it down.He looked around for Kurt’s clients, but they’d gotten their drinks and moved on, unaware of the consequences they’d unleashed.
He gathered his drink and sipped it as he walked around the gym.Kurt wasn’t in the cardio area, weight room, or locker room.He thought about checking the pool, but there wasn’t enough time.Not with back-to-back sessions.All he could do was send a text and hope for the best.
Spencer:Brace yourself...Barry’s on the warpath.
About halfway through the afternoon, he watched Kurt go into the office.His stomach dropped.He’d allowed himself to hope Kurt wasn’t working today, and Barry would have forgotten all about what he thought he heard by the time Kurt came back.It didn’t look like that happened, though.
“Excuse me?”His client gestured to the dumbbells in her hands.“Can I switch these out for something a little lighter?”
