Instead, I pack my things, head home, and plan to pound out these training miles. To focus on the road, and the bike, and to forget for a while.
7
CHARLIE
“This place has the best frozen margaritas!” Ana declares as soon as we enter the bar for the after-work drinks I promised on Monday. It may be open-air, but the music is loud and the growing crowd of Friday-night revelers are fighting for dominance.
The bar sits on a tiny shell-laden beach on the bay. Ana assures me that the best thing about Florida is that you can go to an outdoor bar year-round. My poor frizzed hair begs to differ. The theme here is very beachy, with thatched roofing over the bar and mixed drinks available in plastic coconuts.
“You’ve got to try one!”
I nod my head as she leads us forwards. Because I hadn’t thought through the whole ordering drinks part of the evening. Training always came first in college and that meant no drinking for me. And then my immune system decided to attack my muscles and that settled it – no alcohol ever. I promised her I’d get the first round and I’m happy to have a friend to go out with. Finishing out my first full week in a new city, at a new job, is cause for celebration.Maybe one little drink can’t hurt.
Ana pushes into the throng of people pressed up to the bar for their orders. I pull my oversized purse closer to my body. Not that I’m afraid anyone will try to run off with it; it is far too packed in for anyone to make an escape. I’m more nervous about it knocking into someone and inadvertently starting a bar fight.
We get to the front and Ana waves down the bartender. The tall, tan, skinny woman behind the bar with wild fuchsia curls and a sleeve of tattoos on her right arm gives us a nod.
“Good, my ex is serving tonight,” Ana mentions as we wait our turn to order.
“Is she going to give you a healthy pour or a weak one?” I ask, trying to gauge if this is a friendly ex or not.
“Oh, she’s going to be jealous that I’m here with you.” Ana pauses mid-thought. “You’re awesome, honey, but not my type,” she says before continuing her original explanation. “She’s going to pour well and even offer one on the house. You may not have to pay for any of my drinks tonight.”
“Win!” I say, raising my hand for a high five.
Ana claps my hand. “Double win. I talked Trey into switching the room assignments, so you’ll be bunking with me on site in Kalispell.” This is welcome news. We’ll be flying out for the marathon weekend in northern Montana on Thursday.
“Thank God. I was terrified I might have had to share with Celine,” I say. I could only imagine the judgment she would pass on my night guard and flannel pajamas. I stop myself from complaining further. If Ana and Celine are buddies, then I might have just stepped in it.
“Ha! I would not subject you to that in your first month on the job,” Ana retorts before scanning the bar for her ex again. She is working her way toward us, mixing drinks as fast as she can.
“What is Celine’s deal anyways?” I ask, trying to get a better understanding of why she was so unwelcoming.
“You mean she wasn’t on hermodelbehavior?” Ana asks sarcastically.
“She was a supermodel?” I gasp.
“Super, maybe or maybe not. But yeah, she used to model professionally,” Ana responds. “The reason I don’t like her has nothing to do with her good looks. It’s not her fault she’s gorgeous or that she had a job that played to her strengths.”
I nod in agreement. I wouldn’t want my appearance used against me, not that anyone is lining up to do that any time soon. “So why don’t you like her then?” I catch on Ana’s phrasing.
“We’re women in a male-dominated industry in a male-dominated office. She should be lifting up other women, others around her. But no,” Ana begins.
It’s a dynamic I didn’t even realize I was used to. Growing up in sports meant mostly being around guys. Teammates, coaches, trainers, athletic directors. There have been shifts and better representation, but it isn’t even close to parity.
“Everyone at FIRE is competitive, and if you had yet to notice, running, cycling, triathlon, and swimming are all individual sports, if you catch me.”
I mull over her analogy. “So Celine buys into the macho alpha-male bullshit?” My mind flashes on Declan and his less than warm reception and continued antagonism. Like going to Oliver to complain about me for . . . asking questions?
“Hook, line, and sinker,” Ana says, leaning against the bar. “She benefits from it, so why change it?”
I think back on Oliver’s request to keep an ear out for anyone passing company info to our competitors. If Celine is really cut-throat and competitive in business, she may be tempted to sell company secrets. I file this information away.
“Can we please talk about the superwoman transformation from workplace Charlie to Friday-night Charlie?” Ana changes the subject, eyeing my outfit. The dress code at FIRE allows for casual Fridays. I paired my best jeans with a blouse today but chucked it into the back seat of my car after work and changed from heels into sandals. The camisole I wore under my blouse is light and low-cut, ideal for a hot open-air bar.
“What? It’s a beach bar. I’m dressed for the beach,” I explain. “And I usually wear contacts, but the pollen count in this state is off the charts. Figured wearing my frames at work would give my eyes a break, but I wanted to look cute tonight, so I popped in my backup contacts before we left.” I pat my oversized purse as I say this. I’ve learned the hard way to always be prepared with backup contacts, solution, a case, and glasses.You never know.Ana accepts this explanation without commenting on how I live my life around my allergies, around what my body demands.Maybe it isn’t that uncommon after all.
Ana peers down the bar again and waves to the woman she identified as her ex. The woman gives a reluctant smile and Ana turns round to me. “I know that smirk. Lucy will be over in a moment. I apologize in advance for her being a smidge territorial.” Ana adjusts her outfit, checking the buttons on her blouse and smoothing out her hair. We are indeed the same height and size, but Ana is still rocking her work heels and a few inches taller because of it.
