“Oh, you guys aren’t far from here. Did she set you up with a job already?”
“Not yet. We are supposed to meet with her tomorrow,” Leon answered.
“I’ve got a couple openings here, if you want to add them to your options,” I offered before I could even stop myself.
I wasn’t sure what the fuck I was doing, but, apparently, I’d decided these two were my problem now. Not exactly my usual way of operating, but there was no taking it back.
“Thanks,” Cassie managed. The relief in her voice told me I’d made the right choice.
Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, I nodded once and turned my attention back to what was essentially a giant closet, flipping on the lights and stepping aside.
“Everything’s organized by size. Shoes are in the back. Women’s on the left, men’s on the right, but honestly, you can take whatever you want. Clothes or shoes. Make sure you take at least a few outfits to get you through. If we’re going to keep doing these classes after today you’ll need them. The locker room is across the hall. You can try anything on. If it doesn’t fit, just toss it in that hamper there.” I pointed to it. “Then meet me back out front.”
I didn’t wait for an answer before I walked out, leaving them a moment of privacy.
On my way back to the lobby I stopped in our other storage area, grabbing my usual welcome bag for new gym-goers. It included a gym bag, a water bottle, a few pamphlets of information, a couple booklets on proper nutrition and tips for taking care of aching muscles. I also put a few protein bars and things like that in there. Not everybody wanted to rush to the store right away.
I knew Lexi always got our newcomers set up with housing and some cash to get them through, but freedom could be overwhelming. Especially if it was their first time on their own.
Since I didn’t have any other staff at the moment I put up the out to lunch sign before setting up the workout room. I dragged out a few mats and placed them in the center, mine in front of theirs.
I noticed that sometimes it was easier to do guided stretches then laps first to gauge their fitness level and see where they were at before I started on heavier equipment.
Cassie and Leon walked out just as I finished and a smile broke across my face.
Leon was wearing a black tank and gym shorts, and he had appropriate shoes now. Cassie was wearing a hot pink matching set that was similar to mine, her bare stomach showing.
They were both a little too skinny, but they’d gain that healthy weight back. If we could add a little muscle and confidence in there, too, they’d be golden.
“I’m glad you found something,” I said before handing them each their gym bag.
Her eyes lit up at the pink when I handed to her, and Leon nodded once at the black. I had them all figured out already.
As they moved past me, I froze. The scent of lemonade and sweet, tart blueberries hit me. It was too tart, twisted a bit, but it lingered long after they moved onto their mats.
My entire being seemed to focus on it and I had to forcibly push it aside as I led them through stretches.
They were honestly great students and followed each move. There weren’t even complaints as I got them running laps. Of course, I jogged alongside them.
Soon, the only thing you could hear was the faint music filtering through the gym, our heavy breathing, and our sneakers hitting the mats. It was an easy way to clear your mind and it felt like the tension slowly seeped out of them each time we rounded the main workout room.
They surprised the hell out of me, keeping up with every lap. I kept an eye on them, stopping when it looked like they’d had enough. It was my job to make sure they were enjoying it, but not taking it too far.
If only I took my own advice. Earlier, I was ready to push my body past its limits to chase away the shadows.
“Alright, time to cool down.” We slowed down to a walk.
I waited until their breathing evened out before starting a conversation. They were red faced now but looked much more settled, at least.
“You guys kept up better than I expected,” I teased.
I earned a shaky grin from Cassie. Leon just gave me an exasperated look.
“I don’t want to end today with no self-defense training, but I also don’t want to trigger you. So, this is the part where you tell me your limits. There are stances where we have a partner grab you from behind, and I teach you how to get out of it. I can have someone grab you in front, and you learn to break free. Or we can simply work on proper hitting and punching with the bags. You tell me where you feel the most comfortable.”
Cassie’s breathing picked up again as she answered, “Definitely no grabbing me just yet. I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
“Noted,” I said easily. “Leon?”
