Chapter 4
“Core tight ladies, breathe through it—don’t fight your body, work with it.”
My classes had officially started booming.
I was completely booked out with a long waitlist. I had influencers posting clips online and women driving across HighVille just to get into one session.
I moved through the room adjusting posture and form while sweat glistened lightly across everybody’s skin.
“No arching your back, Naomi. Tuck your hips.”
“Yes ma’am,” she groaned dramatically.
“You paid for this pain, don’t complain now.”
That made the whole room laugh.
I smiled despite myself while fixing another client’s foot placement.
The studio smelled like eucalyptus, vanilla cleaning spray, and expensive perfume. Sunlight poured through the tall windows while bodies stretched and moved across cream-colored mats.
Every single time I looked around this place, pride hit me all over again.
“Last set,” I called out. “Then we cool down.”
A chorus of fake suffering filled the room.
“Oh my Goddd.”
“Sevyn please.”
“I hate it here.”
“And yet y’all keep rebooking.”
“Because your classes make my ass look amazing!”
“Exactly,” I grinned.
Forty-five minutes later, the studio had mostly cleared out.
The afternoon calm finally settled in while I sat cross-legged behind the front desk eating salmon and cucumber slices from my meal prep container.
My curls were piled into a messy bun now, hoodie sleeves pushed up to my elbows while I scrolled through upcoming bookings on the iPad.
Booked.
Booked.
Booked.
I smiled to myself.
Then slowly looked up toward the security camera mounted near the front corner of the studio.
A thought crossed my mind.
A stupid one.
But funny.
I grabbed a wrapped straw from beside my lunch and tossed it lightly toward the camera.
It bounced off harmlessly.
“Batman,” I called out casually. “You there?”
Silence.
I smirked and went back to eating.
Then—“Yeah. I’m here.”
I froze mid-chew so hard I almost choked on salmon.
The deep voice came through the studio speaker system smooth and calm.
Oh my God.
“Oh you can actually talk through these?” I asked, looking back up at the camera.
“Yes.”
“Why is that terrifying?”
“It’s an emergency feature.”
“Mhm.” I narrowed my eyes at the camera. “Or surveillance.”
“It’s literally a surveillance system.”
I laughed softly and shook my head.
“Okay fair.”
Silence settled again for a second.
Then—“You threw something at the camera.”
“It was a straw.”
“You still assaulted company property.”
“It survived.”
Barely-there amusement slipped through the speaker. “Fortunately.”
I smiled without meaning to.
“So what,” I asked, leaning back in my chair, “you just sit around watching people all day?”
“No.”
“Then why you answer so fast?”
A pause.
“I was checking system updates.”
“Mhm.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“Nope.”
Another small silence.
Then—“You’re supposed to be eating lunch.”
I stared at him. “…How you know I’m eating lunch?”
“You’re sitting at your desk with food.”
I looked directly up at the camera again. “Oh this definitely giving FBI now.”
“You asked if I was there.”
“That’s beside the point.”
His low exhale almost sounded like a laugh again.
I rested my chin against my hand smiling a little before glancing around the empty studio.
“You know,” I said, “this is kinda cool.”
“What is.”
“The studio finally feeling alive.”
His response came quieter this time.
“You built something good, Sevyn.”
There he went again saying simple shit in ways that sat heavy in my chest for no reason.
I looked down at my food for a second to hide the smile creeping across my mouth.
Then the front door suddenly opened.
“One sec Batman,” I said automatically.
The silence through the speaker afterward felt almost… offended.
“Hey boo.”
I looked up to see Steph walking in carrying two iced coffees and a bakery bag tucked beneath her arm.
Long braids. Big sunglasses. Loud for absolutely no reason at one in the afternoon.
“Thank God,” I said immediately. “You brought caffeine.”
“Obviously.” She set one of the coffees down in front of me before narrowing her eyes. “Who the hell is Batman?”
I glanced toward the camera instinctively.
Then back at her.
“…The security system.”
Her face twisted immediately. “The WHAT?”
Before I could answer, the speaker crackled softly.
“Hello Steph.”
Steph screamed.
The coffee almost flew out her hand while she grabbed her chest dramatically.
“OH HELL NAH.”
I bent over laughing instantly. “Oh my Goddddd.”
“Why is the BUILDING talking to me?!” Steph whisper-shouted, staring up at the camera.
“That’s the owner of the security company,” I managed between laughs.
Her mouth dropped open slowly. “…That fine ass man from the grocery store?”
Silence.
Then through the speaker: “You discussed me?”
I covered my face immediately. “Steph.”
“What? He fine.”
The silence after that stretched just long enough to become funny again.
“That’s not relevant to the security system.”
Steph looked directly into the camera. “See? That right there. That calm serial killer voice. He definitely attractive.”
I was damn near crying laughing now.
“Please leave that man alone.”
“No because why he talking through the walls like Jarvis from Iron Man?”
“I’m muting the speaker now,” Kasen said flatly.
“WAIT—” Steph pointed upward immediately. “Can you hear everything in here?”
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I didn’t.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I only have access to emergency communication and visual feeds.”
Steph gasped dramatically. “So you BEEN watching us?”
“I monitor security alerts.”
“That sounded rehearsed,” she muttered.
I wiped tears from beneath my eyes while trying to calm down. “This is exactly why rich people scare me.”
“Yet you keep buying expensive coffee,” Kasen replied smoothly.
Steph froze then slowly looked at me.
“…Okay he kinda funny.”
That one finally pulled an actual laugh through the speaker and for some reason hearing it through the studio speakers made warmth crawl up my chest.
Steph noticed my face immediately too because messy people always did.
“Ohhhh,” she dragged out slowly. “Now hold on?—”
“No,” I cut in fast.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You smiling.”
“I smile every day.”
“Not like that.”
I grabbed my coffee before she could keep going and pointed toward the bakery bag. “What you bring me?”
“Croissants.”
“See this why you my favorite.”
“Mhm.” Steph’s eyes slid toward the camera again. “So Batman…”
“…Please stop calling me that.”
“No promises.” She leaned against the front desk. “You single?”
“Steph,” I warned.
“What? I’m networking.”
“I’m disconnecting now.”
“WAIT—”
The speaker clicked silent.
Steph stared upward dramatically. “Damn. He hung up on me.”
I bit back another smile while opening the bakery bag.
But before I could say anything, my phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
Your friend is loud.
A smile instantly spread across my face before I could stop it.
I typed back:
And you secretly funny.
Three dots appeared.
Stopped.
Appeared again.
Then finally:
Don’t spread that around. I have a reputation.