He glanced down.“Let me see you again with those first.”
She did a bicep curl to demonstrate, and he adjusted her grip.“See if that’s better.”
“Yeah, a little.”
“Good.”This had to be the most half-assed session Spencer had ever led, and he wasn’t proud of it.When it was over, he bypassed the office and headed to the men’s locker room, where he was greeted by a loud thud and the sound of swearing.The few other guys in the room looked startled.
“What the fuck?”He rushed to the end of the room to find Kurt cradling one hand in the other as he sat doubled over on a bench in front of a locker that was swinging as if someone had just hit it.“Dude, what happened?”
Kurt looked up.“I got suspended without pay.Barry overheard Naomi and Callie talking and determined that I was violating our anti-fraternization policy.”
“Oh, man.”It was all Spencer could think of to say.He’d known Kurt wouldn’t have gotten away with his womanizing scot-free, but this was the last time forI told you so.And yet, if that was the only consequence, it seemed his friend was getting off lightly.“I’m really sorry.”
Kurt’s eyes glittered with tears that Spencer suspected weren’t just from the pain in his hand.“He made it out like I was raping teenagers in the locker room.This was all people around my age, on our own time, off the premises, so what business is it of his?Everybody does it.Youdo it.”
“Keep it down,” Spencer hissed, seriously resenting that.Not only had he never done anything to the degree Kurt had, but his time with Misty felt more meaningful than Kurt’s hookups with more of his clients than Spencer could name.
Kurt pulled himself off the bench and started packing his duffel bag.Spencer hung around helplessly.“You gonna be okay for the next...”
“Month,” Kurt grimly filled in the blank.“I’ve gotsomesaved, but I’m gonna have to crunch some numbers and figure out what to do.Freelance training?Go temp somewhere?Shit, I don’t know.”
Spencer watched with a sinking feeling in his stomach.This reminded him all too much of what he stood to lose if he lost this job, and he couldn’t take the idea.Maybe that was one upside to Misty’s ghosting: he could be assured of keeping his job.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Okay, ladies!”In whathad turned into a daily ritual, Ms.Coolidge addressed them over breakfast in the dining room.“Today’s the day we officially start bobsledding, and this’ll be the turning point that helps us weed some of you out.If you try it and you’re not comfortable with it, now’s the time to tell us.No questions asked, no judgment, and we’ll get you on the next flight home.”
Misty’s heartbeat spiked.They’d been getting ready for this day since they’d arrived at the combine, and here it was, a week and a half later.She was excited and nervous at the same time.She made a pit stop in the room to rub her lucky duck’s head, then raced down to join the others.
This time, instead of going to the rink after a morning in the weight room, the group kept going to the bobsled track on the back of the property.Ms.Coolidge stepped forward with a plastic bin in one hand.“I need to emphasize again how dangerous this sport can be.When you’re in the sled, you need to have your wits about you at all times.As such,no oneis to bring their phones with them to the sled, and I don’t want anyone texting, taking selfies, or engaged in any digital distractions whatsoever on the sidelines.We’re not starting until I have everyone’s here.”
“But what if...”Angela looked too aghast at the thought of being cut off from her family to finish the sentence.
“You will be more help to your families or your bosses answering their call later than being injured in a crash,” Ms.Coolidge said firmly.No one else spoke until she’d collected all their phones.
“If there are no other questions, I need eight pilots.”Misty watched Tish step forward with other women who’d expressed interest in the position.
