Chapter 2
A dam took the treadmill next to me in the industrial gym. It was a no-nonsense place with no classes that promised unrealistically quick calorie burn-off or echoed the humiliating torture experienced at PE in school. This workout studio consisted of simple exercise machines, weights, and hard floor mats – exactly how a gym should be.
I joined about a year and a half ago, not long after we’d taken on this contract and moved into the new site offices, as it was on my way to work. Since I’d started coming here, I hadn’t come across any of my colleagues, which was utter bliss – not that I could picture many of them on a rowing machine or doing candlesticks and squats.
Being a committed professional, I preferred to compartmentalise my life into work and private areas; and within those compartments, there were further subdivisions.
Within work, there was the time I spent focusing on my own tasks, actively with David (either working on something together or having a stolen chat) or with everyone else – which was very little. Similarly, my private life was divided into three subsections based on how I utilised my time: spending it with my family, pure ‘me time’, and engaging in romantic or, rather, sexual encounters. Meaningful and lasting relationships, including friendships, required a lot of effort – I had neither time nor willingness to pursue them. Also, finding someone with whom I could have interesting and honest conversations was rare.
I usually figured out what type of person I was dealing with within the first few minutes of meeting them, and from that point onwards, every conversation seemed to follow a ready-made script. I could tell what they were going to reply to everything I said. Sometimes, it was entertaining to predict their responses, but in most cases, it just proved tedious. Though it seemed the lack of interest was mutual as not many tried to seek strong bonds with me either – which was fine with me.
Using the gym three times a week was a big part of my me time, and I wasn’t going to give it up because of an intruder from the office. Still, I didn’t like the idea of having a constant shadow at my workout sessions.
I stopped the machine I’d been using for the past twelve minutes and, taking out my earbuds, turned towards Adam, who was still fidgeting with the settings on his screen.
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked, catching my breath. ‘Are you stalking me?’
He, too, removed his earphones; his expression showed no emotion for once. ‘Sorry, what was that?’
After gulping down some water from my bottle, I repeated the questions.
‘No, I’m just here to exercise; I like to look after my body – is that okay with you?’ he said then forced a smile, flashing his brilliant white teeth. ‘And good morning to you too, Evelyn. Isn’t it a lovely Wednesday?’
Like yesterday, inside me, a little voice kept saying, Punch him, punch him, punch him in the face .
‘Right,’ I said slowly. ‘There are, like, hundreds of other gyms in London, but you had to pick the same one as me. What a coincidence!’
‘Probably I chose it for the same reason you did. Because it’s five minutes down the road from our offices, and I have some time to kill before work – I might as well spend it here. Or is that not why you’re here so early, to avoid the morning rush hour?’
‘But you had to choose the treadmill right next to mine?’
‘Because it’s the only one available,’ he said, looking around the busy gym with wide open arms. ‘I tried the one in the corner, but that’s out of order. Come on – what’s your problem? Is it that time of the month, and your hormones are acting up? Or is this your way of showing you’re happy to see me?
The gym was indeed unusually crowded. In a few weeks, it should be quieter when some of the newcomers had given up on their New Year’s resolution of trying to get into shape. I wondered how long Adam would last.
I held his gaze defiantly; he was still hiding behind a supposedly charming smile. Then I took a deep breath – he wasn’t worth my time.
‘Am I okay to start my workout?’ he asked.
‘You don’t need my permission.’
‘I know that. I was just wondering if there’s any more ranting or mixed messages to deal with before I put my earphones back in. I didn’t want to seem rude and ignorant to you in case there is.’
‘Stop being clever. The only message here is leave me alone .’
‘Fine, well then…’ he said, starting up the running machine.
‘Sorry, are you still using that?’ a short, plump woman asked behind me. She was dressed in the same tight pink-grey outfit as me.
‘Yes,’ I snorted, putting my earbuds back in and pressing the resume button on the screen.
I tried not to get distracted by Adam’s smug expression in the floor-length mirror. He looked a good head taller than me; I estimated him to be six foot two. He did appear to be a regular at the gym – the loose black vest over his broad chest and his navy shorts showed off toned arms and legs – so I was unlikely to get rid of him quickly.
Almost unconsciously, I compared his body to David’s, yet I’d only seen the latter fully dressed in smart clothes. David was also tall but lean, moving confidently with grace and elegance, like a ballet dancer, while Adam’s upper body looked bulkier, and nothing he did could ever be described as graceful.
I wondered which one of them would win if a panel of female judges were asked to select who was better-looking. I reluctantly leaned towards Adam… But David was definitely unbeatable when it came to ambition, intelligence, and manners. And I suspected he, too, was hiding a good-enough body underneath his fitted suit.
When Adam increased the speed and incline on his machine, I did the same. I caught his eye as he watched me with an apprehensive face. Even though I was an experienced runner, I could only keep up with him for a few minutes.
Out of breath, I stopped the treadmill before I flew off it and he thought I was just another silly blonde. Also, my shoulder started to ache from moving my arms too much – the legacy of a strenuous workout from back in December. However, I tried not to think about that much, as that catastrophic gym session and the follow-up pain were the reason I’d ended up in bed with him in the first place.
Adam sucked in his lips as if trying to hide a smile, his concerned expression long gone.
I grabbed my water bottle and phone, then looked back in the mirror one last time before heading for the changing rooms to shower. When his eyes met mine again, he mouthed one word only – ‘Tomorrow’ – and winked at me.