Chapter 3 #2
“Alright.” I frown a little, but I don’t push.
If he has a weird aversion to locker rooms, that’s fine.
We all have our quirks. “But you might want to at least set it down, because we’re going to hop on the treadmill and it’ll probably just get in the way.
” I put my hands on his shoulders and steer him towards the row of treadmills.
“Running. Right. This’ll be fine. I run all the time. Or… well, not all the time, but I’ve run in my life. Once.” He swallows hard and unloops his bag from around his neck.
“You’ve run once in your life?” I ask. How does that even happen? I don’t think I moved at a speed slower than running until I was at least thirteen.
“It’s a rough estimate,” he mumbles, rolling his shoulders and taking a few deep breaths like he’s psyching himself up.
“Step up,” I say encouragingly, giving him a quick slap on the ass to get him moving.
Percy yelps and jumps onto the treadmill.
“Okay, listen, if I go flying off the back of this thing, I’m just hoping no one records it and posts it to TikTok. If I go viral breaking my face, I don’t think I’ll ever emotionally recover.” He grips the handles tight enough that his knuckles go white and gives me a serious look.
“You’re way more likely to break your leg than your face,” I assure him, and he glares at me.
“Not helping.”
“Relax, I’ve never injured a client.” I slap the start button and the belt under his feet starts moving at a snail’s pace.
He yelps again and then looks down with a laugh. “Oh, okay, that’s not so bad.”
“Here’s where you can adjust your speed and your incline.
This screen tells you your distance.” I point out all the controls and everything on the information panel to him and he nods along.
“This isn’t gym class and I’m not grading you.
I just want to get a baseline, so don’t push yourself.
Find a speed that’s comfortable for you and go for as long as you can. Got it?”
“Fine, but I’m going to hold you to that not judging thing when I’m wheezing after a half mile brisk walk.” He hits the button to crank his speed up a few notches.
“Judgment free zone,” I promise him again.
Once I’m sure he’s situated, I hop onto the treadmill next to his.
I haven’t done my own warm-up yet this morning, and I’m sure he’ll feel more relaxed if I’m not just standing here staring at him.
He picks up his pace to a slow jog and his skimpy shorts ride up to find a home wedged between his ass cheeks.
And I’m definitely not staring. Nope, totally professional over here.
He huffs and reaches back to pull his shorts out of his ass, then tugs uselessly on his crop top again.
“I’m going to murder Juno for putting me in this getup.”
“Your roommate picked your clothes?” I guess that explains why he’s dressed so differently from yesterday. Not that I expected him to show up for his workout in a pair of slacks and a knit sweater.
“Yeah, they…” He trails off and cocks his head. “Wait, how did you know Juno was my roommate?”
Shit.
I turn up the speed on my own treadmill and run a little faster. My brain always works best when I’m in motion.
“You mentioned them when we were at Sweet.”
He frowns a little deeper, then nods. “Huh, I guess I forgot. Anyway, yeah, these clothes are theirs.” He’s breathing a little harder now, still keeping a slow, steady pace as he glances around the gym at the other guys lifting weights and using the machines. “I’ll fit in better next time.”
I can’t resist dragging my gaze over him again with a soft grunt.
“That outfit works just fine.”
“I’m glad you get paid to be nice to me. My self-esteem definitely needs it.” He wheezes a laugh, then pushes the button to slow down to a walk and leans over a little, clutching the handles tightly as he drags in heavy breaths. “Fuck, I’m so out of shape. What the hell am I even doing here?”
“People come to the gym to get into shape, not because they already are.”
He huffs another laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”
I slow my own pace down to a walk, then stop altogether and hop off. He turns his treadmill off too but keeps a hold on the handles while he catches his breath. I fold my arms over the control panel and lean in so I can make sure he’s looking at me.
“I’ve never really been a sports guy, but I’ve always loved weightlifting and running. Do you know why?”
Percy shakes his head, looking up to meet my eyes, his face red and sweaty from the short jog.
“Why?”
“It’s just you versus you. There’s no competition here.
I mean, sure, some guys make it their personal goal to lift more than anyone else or run farther, but it’s not a requirement.
This right here is just a matter of doing better than you did the day before.
You made it three-quarters of a mile today, maybe next time you’ll make it the full mile. ”
“What if I only make it half a mile tomorrow?”
I shrug. “Then you’ll try for the mile again the next time. There aren’t any trophies in here, just a sense of satisfaction when you reach your goals.”
He holds my gaze, and I can see my words sinking in. After a few seconds, he nods.
“Yeah, okay.” A flicker of a smile spreads across his face, and a feeling of accomplishment bursts in my chest. He’s not going to give up on himself yet.
I toss him a clean towel and show him how to spray down the machines after use before leading him over to the free weights.
This is probably why I couldn’t stop thinking about him yesterday after we met. He needs a trainer, and I need to build someone up. Sure, I have plenty of other clients, but there’s something different about Percy. He’s so full of potential, and I really want to be there when he realizes it too.
“Alright, Coach, what’s next?”
Coach. I like that. And if I let my eyes wander just a little as he lies down on the bench press, that’s totally his roommate’s fault for putting him in such skimpy clothes. I’m just here to do my job.