Training Maisy

by Samantha Morgan

  “I’m sorry, but can you please put on a shirt? It’s kinda hard to concentrate in the face of all this.” Her hand made an encompassing gesture, pointing at his chest and arms. He kept looking at her for a few seconds, seeming to want to say something, then reconsidered and walked into a small office at the back of the gym. The moment he left, Maisy let out a sigh of relief as she fanned herself with her hands in a bid to calm herself. She couldn’t believe how giddy one guy was making her feel, as if she hadn’t seen a shirtless man before. But she had to admit, she had never, ever seen one with quite as impressive a physique as her trainer.

  She looked around the gym and felt this odd sense of peace; the big complex looked quite impressive and with no one in it at this time of day. Maisy thought she understood why he would do his workout at this hour. She wished he would fix her sessions this early in the morning, partly because it meant there was no one around to see her struggle with weights or the treadmill or whatever medieval torture device he might want to force on her. But also because she felt really motivated just looking at the empty room. She just hoped she didn’t become too flustered when dealing with Carter, or she could at least make sure he didn’t know how attractive she thought he was. She snuck a look in the mirror and saw a full-length reflection of herself, and suddenly it was like someone poked her fantasy bubble with a needle. What made her think someone as physically perfect as Carter would want to have anything to do with a fat lump like her? The guy worked in a gym, for goodness’ sake, and saw bodies that were more fit and toned than she could ever hope to be. Her mood, that was a little bit up just a moment ago, suddenly went down, and she found it hard to work up a smile when she heard him come back to meet her.

  Carter put on a sleeveless t-shirt, admitting to himself he was surprised she had come back to the gym. As he walked out, he wondered exactly what it was that had made her run out the day before. And even more than that, if there was any danger of her doing the same thing after they started. It would be best to find out now, so he didn’t begin training with her until he was sure she was truly and fully committed. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d started working with someone only to have them quit when they felt the pressure. As he walked out, he remembered the look on her face when he interrupted her ardent perusal of his form earlier and had to smile at the way she had reacted. He also had to admit that he was impressed with the way she had handled herself after the initial embarrassment. He saw her still standing where he had left her with her back turned to him, and for a moment, his eye was drawn to her figure in the tracksuit. He frowned at that, wondering what her obsession with tracksuits was.

  “Hey,” he called out to her, “have you finally decided to go through with it?”

  She turned to look at him, and for a moment, Carter thought she looked less happy than she did when he left her, but he shrugged that away.

  “Yes, I am, and sorry about yesterday. I had an emergency at home.”

  Carter looked at her for a few seconds, as if he didn’t believe her at all, but after a few moments, seemed to decide not to pursue the matter.

  “I just want to make sure that whatever it was that made you run out faster than the Flash on a pizza run won’t make you quit the program halfway through.”

  “There won’t be a problem with that, I assure you,” Maisy said as she looked up at him with steely determination, the initial exuberance she had shown when she first entered a little bit muted now.

  “Okay, as you know we don’t open the gym until eight a.m., and we close at eight p.m. every day except weekends or special classes. So, we would need to find a time that would be best for both of us to—”

  “Actually,” Maisy interrupted him, “I was thinking I would much rather have our meetings when no one is around. Like right now or maybe after everyone has left for the day.”

  Carter looked at her, and for a few seconds, Maisy was afraid he would ask her why, but he ultimately decided not to and instead said, “Okay then, but as time goes on and you start doing this on your own, you may need to have someone you can work out with. Easier to stay committed that way. Let’s see what we can do this morning, and before the end of the day, you should get an email that will tell you what the schedule is going to be. Just let me know which times aren’t convenient for you, and we can see how to fix that, okay?” he said, looking at her to make sure she got everything he just said. Maisy nodded in affirmation.

  At this point, there was a part of her that was already questioning if she would be able to do this or even wanted to do this anymore. The minor epiphany she just had in front of the mirror was still fresh on her mind, and even though Carter had been nothing but nice and courteous to her, she still couldn’t help imagining him laughing at her when she started to exert herself during the program. But for now, she had no choice but to follow him.

  First, he took her on a small tour of the whole gym complex, and Maisy realized it was a little bigger than she had thought it was. There was a room filled with cardio machines and rows and rows of treadmills. Another corner of the gym had weights of various sizes and for different purposes. There were some rooms set aside for specific classes like yoga or group workouts.

  “Whoa, didn’t know this place was as big as this,” Maisy commented as they came to a smaller room at the back of the gym.

  “It’s the front of the building; it looks narrower from outside but extends to the back. So, this is where you’re going to be doing most of your training, except if I say otherwise or we need a particular machine elsewhere.”

  “Okay,” Maisy said, looking at the room. She saw that one corner had been set aside for free weights; another corner had two static bikes, a treadmill, and a workout machine. The center of the room was free and a mirror covered the wall in front of her from top to bottom. The equipment here looked clean and well cared for, and it was clear they weren’t as new as those in front. The static bikes were sporting mismatched handlebars, and the labels on some of the weights had been partially worn off.

  “Funny, this place looks a little older than the rest of the gym,” Maisy commented offhandedly as she set her purse on a counter in front of the mirror.

  “That’s because this was the original gym before I rented the whole complex to expand it. Had to take a loan to do that, but I’m glad I did,” Carter said, giving her a goofy grin, clearly proud of his gym. Maisy realized it was the first time he had actually smiled at her.

  “Okay, first things first. What are you wearing underneath the tracksuit?” he asked her as he proceeded to rearrange the exercise machines. For a few seconds, Maisy’s mind went completely blank as the question took several different interpretations in her brain. Kicking her brain out of the gutter when she saw he was looking at her, she replied, “A tank top and yoga pants.” She hoped by now he would assume the bright red color that seemed to randomly appear on her face when she spoke to him was a physical ailment she was suffering from and not her blushing furiously at the pictures her mind painted of him.

  “That’s good. Do you mind taking off the tracksuit then? I need to weigh you. Fill in some information on your data form so it can help me track your progress.”

  “Okay,” Maisy said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She slowly unzipped her tracksuit and took off the top, trying not to imagine how he was seeing her now. When she had finished, she stood straight and looked down and little bit to the left of Carter, unable to meet his face. She could see perfectly every extra fold. Every roll of fat on her body. She remembered quite clearly how the bottom of the yoga pants had bulged a little in front when she wore it this morning and, even though she wasn’t looking at him, she knew Carter was looking at her, that piercing gaze of his taking in every single one of her flaws.

  “Step on the scale,” he told her, his voice sounding totally professional, without a hint of emotion, and Maisy was taken aback a bit. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation. Maybe he was different and nothing at all like Eric. Besides, he was a pe
rsonal trainer; helping people like her was what he did for a living. She was probably nothing to him other than a job. The depth of disappointment she felt at the fact that he saw her as just a job was so acute and clear that it shook her out of her thoughts. Why was she disappointed by the fact that he saw as her nothing more than just a client? It wasn’t like she was expecting anything more from him, or was she?

  Carter looked at the reading on the scale and wrote it down beside the part of her form where she had filled in her target weight. He noticed the drastic change in her mood since he came back from putting a shirt on and wondered what might have been the cause. He unconsciously admitted that he much more preferred the humorous, peppy, talkative Maisy to this quiet and slightly defeated version. The look in her eyes was that of someone just going through the motions, like someone who had lost a fight and was in no mood to try to fight back. Thinking about her eyes, he remembered when he had first seen her that morning, standing in the hallway looking at him, or maybe she was just daydreaming. Something it would seem she did on a regular basis, just stand in the middle of the room and zone off. It was weirdly cute, and Carter wondered exactly what it was she thought about. Shaking his head to bring his mind back to the room, he stepped back and told her to come with him to the center of the room.

  “Okay, we’re going to go through some stretches before we start anything,” he said as he stood in front of her, his hands out to the side and feet firmly planted on the floor.

  “Just do what I do, and I’ll correct you if you’re making any mistakes.”

  He proceeded to lead her through a series of simple stretches, touching her toes with her back perfectly arched, spreading her legs as far as they would go before bringing them back together. As the poses became more complicated, he noticed her difficulty in following some of them and came around to help her into them. He put his hands around her waist to steady her as she lifted her leg backward as high as she could. The action was normal, but his reaction to it wasn’t. She wasn’t the first female he had worked with, and his job required him to maintain contact with his client, so he was used to touching female bodies professionally, some with fewer articles of clothing than was between his hand and Maisy’s waist. Yet the moment his hand met her body, his gaze immediately dropped down to the curve of her derrière as he silently decided it was one of the sexiest he had ever seen or touched. The thought was made without any hint of lust or sexual undertone, more like a casual observation that nevertheless sounded so alien to him he immediately looked up. What’s wrong with me? He tried to distance himself from the heat between the palm of his hands and the waist he was holding, a heat he alone could feel.

  “That as far as you can stretch it?” he asked her, noting the strain in her back and knees.

  “Yes,” she mumbled from her position, and Carter had to look at her to ascertain what her answer was. He saw her teeth clenched in a slight grimace from the physical exertion, her face framed by her hair. He would have to tell her to get a headband for her locks, or maybe tie it up so it wouldn’t disturb her. The minute the thought crossed his mind, he instantly hated it. He preferred her with her hair down. Imagined running his hands through the long, subtle blend of golden and honey-colored tresses that fell in a cascade to stop somewhere just north of her perfect—

  Okay, that was inappropriate, Carter thought, stepping back a bit to collect himself, his hands dropping from her waist. Should have slept a little while longer, because there was no way he was entertaining any erotic thoughts about Maisy. For one, she was a client, and he had never, ever crossed the line from professional to personal; he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. Besides, he doubted she would ever be comfortable with his own style of sex.

  Maisy felt equal parts disappointment and elation when Carter’s hand dropped from her waist. The contact had elicited a visceral response in her that, for the moment, she wasn’t ready to begin to even try to figure out. When she heard him tell her to get on the treadmill, she happily complied. Hopefully, the ache would be enough to silence the part of her brain that was hell-bent on imagining his hands around her waist like it had just been but without the buffer of her clothes this time.

  Chapter 7

  Maisy heard someone knocking at her door, and for a moment, she remained where she was, contemplating if she could make the journey to the door and back without falling on her face. She heard the person knock again, this time louder, and she cursed silently as she slowly stood up. Taking short and slow steps, she realized that most of the aches and pains that had wracked her whole body after she finished her first session were already gone, and what was left were echoes of the grueling session she’d had to endure. When she got to the door, she looked through the peep hole and saw Chloe’s retreating form. Quickly opening the door, she called out to her.

  “Hey, Chloe!”

  “Maisy,” Chloe said as she turned back immediately, her trademark smile planted on her face. “I thought you weren’t at home or maybe you were sleeping; didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “No, I was awake. Just had a little difficulty in walking down here,” Maisy said as she opened the door wider and invited her in.

  Chloe entered and headed for the living room, clearly showing this was going to be a somewhat long visit. Maisy glanced at the clock and saw it was just a few minutes past one, and she hoped she’d still have a chance to go and do a little sightseeing today as she had planned to do earlier.

  “I saw you leaving the gym this morning,” Chloe said

  “Yeah, I decided to go super early in the morning. I’m working one on one with Carter, and . . .”

  “With Carter?” Chloe looked giddy and just a little bit mischievous. “Talk about hitting the jackpot. I wouldn’t mind if my personal trainer looked as sinfully sexy as that.”

  “Nope, he isn’t sinfully sexy. The guy is a wicked, unfeeling sadist,” Maisy quipped, with a little bit of the leftover anger and frustration from the morning’s workout.

  “Feeling the burn, are you?”

  “I hurt in places I didn’t even know could feel anything. He made me work on the treadmill for so long that when I came down, I could barely feel my legs. Then after the whole session, you want to know what he said to me?” Maisy asked. Chloe was listening with rapt attention, and the smile on her face showed how funny she found Maisy’s story.

  “He said, ‘Good job, Maisy, but I think we can do better tomorrow.’ Can you believe that?” Maisy looked at Chloe, completely expecting her to understand what she was getting at.

  “Well, you’re going back tomorrow, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, but he said ‘I think we can do better tomorrow’, as if I didn’t just bend over backwards, giving him my best right there.”

  Chloe chuckled. “You weren’t expecting it to be easy, were you?”

  “Well, of course not. I was also not expecting to end up in a wheelchair,” Maisy replied dryly.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll soon get used to it. It was that way for me, too, when I first started. But now I actually crave that burn. It’s what tells me I’ve had a good workout.”

  “Maybe,” Maisy said, still unconvinced anything was going to make her ever enjoy the aches and pains that were now wracking her whole body.

  Chloe looked as if she was dressed to go out. “So, what are you up to now?” Maisy asked.

  “Just finished my work for the day, so I thought I’d take you on a trip around town. Show you all the cool places, maybe even buy that rug you were talking about.”

  Maisy glanced at the clock on the living room wall and then looked back at her friend. “You’ve finished working for the day?” she asked, and Chloe laughed at the slightly curious expression on Maisy’s face.

  “I make jewelry for my online store,” she replied to Maisy’s unasked questions, and Maisy looked at Chloe and saw she wasn’t wearing any.

  “I know, I know. I make it but don’t like wearing it. All my friends tell me that, too. So, what
do you say to us taking a look around town?”

  “Sure, just give me a second to change clothes and get my purse.”

  “Good morning,” Maisy greeted Carter as she stepped into the gym and saw him at the reception desk, looking at some files spread out in front of him.

  “Morning,” he replied, gathering the files and placing them inside a folder. “Didn’t know you were going to show up so early.”

  “But the schedule you gave me said 6 a.m. . . . I think,” Maisy said, trying to remember if she had made a mistake when she was checking the time.

  “I know. So, ready for today?” He stood up and led the way to the workout room.

  “Of course,” Maisy replied, not sounding convincing at all.

  They got to the room, and Maisy took off the large sweatshirt she was wearing and turned to face him. “Just thought I’d let you know that most of my body aches like crazy, and I think a bone in my thigh has gotten loose or something.”

  “Well, that’s normal for a beginner . . .”

  “So it should stop?” Maisy asked hopefully.

  “Yes, to an extent. But mostly, you should just get used to it and hopefully come to like it. That’s actually how you know you just put in a decent workout.”

  “Yeah, Chloe said the same thing to me. But I’m finding it hard to believe that people actually look forward to this kind of pain.”

  “Well, pain itself is a spectrum, and people have different thresholds, or rather people react to the same amount of pain differently. Mostly based on the purpose behind the cause of the pain.” He looked at her to see if she understood what he was saying, and she just returned a blank stare. So, he tried to explain further. “Take running, for example. When you run, it gets to a point that your body releases endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good about running even though it causes part of your body to ache. Just saying that pain is subjective, and there are people who actually enjoy it.”