by Laura Gates
He knew she had good taste in music because they would ride in her car on the way to the gym listening to the music on her phone. He also noticed she hated asking for help unless it was absolutely necessary. She loved helping others but hated letting others help her. Beau admired her independence and driven spirit.
However, her stubbornness irritated him. He had never met anyone so stubborn in his entire life, but Beau also knew that stubborn people got the job done, so he focused on learning to accept it, considering Evie was his friend.
Beau was a little afraid to admit he liked Evie considering it had only been six months since he lost his family. He would never forget Phoebe, Chloe, or Cordell. They were his world, especially Phoebe. In many ways, Evie reminded Beau of Phoebe a lot, which scared him at times because he wasn’t sure if he was ready to open up his heart again. Evie spoke her mind and put everyone first before herself, and he admired that about Phoebe as well. Everyone loved Phoebe, just like everyone loved Evie. Beau was comfortable being in the Friend Zone with Evie for now.
Beau wasn't the only one developing feelings. Evie loved having Beau join her on various adventures with her children. When Evie took her kids to the Children's museum, Beau offered to come and played with both kids like he was a little kid. She loved the fact that Beau was a kid at heart. She remembered a time when Jude was like that, but as he entered the corporate world, he began to change more and more each day as he spent more and more time at his office. Evie always admired men who still acted like little boys at times.
Another trait she loved about Beau was he would put his whole life on hold to help a friend, whether it was a small problem or a big problem. Evie witnessed this when Luke's son, Mason, fell from his chair and bumped his head at home. Beau, although out with Evie and the kids, found a way to Luke's house to take care of the other kids while Luke and Jetta took Mason to the hospital. His expressive blue eyes sparkled, even while screaming into the mic while recording lyrics.
Evie laughed at a lot of his jokes because they were very similar to her jokes. They often bantered back and forth with their lame jokes, laughing for ten minutes. She did not care for his occasional profanities, but she knew it was so ingrained into him that she accepted it. Evie hated how hard Beau was on himself sometimes, especially how he brought up going to rehab twice. She could see that Beau felt judged for going to rehab twice and judged himself for it, so she made it a point reminding him that getting help, even extra help, was a good thing. However, his smile lit up his entire face. Not to mention, he was very tall, she loved his blond hair, and thought he was very cut. She also thought he had a nice butt. He was just an overall sweet, attractive, colorful, genuine guy who played guitar.
At the same time, she wasn't ready to open herself up in that way. Jude continued to tear her down, making her feel worthless that no man would ever want her again. She would often find herself very happy spending time with Beau and the kids, but deep down, she was sad because of her insecurities. The pain she felt every day cut her to the very fiber of her well-being, and she had a hard time admitting to herself that she believed Jude.
Walls upon walls of skepticism and trust issues went up as Beau’s laugh cheered her up, and Jude’s words tore her down. Seriously, why are you hanging out with a single mom and her kids? Do you feel sorry for her, or are you truly trying to be her friend, she thought, directing her statements to Beau. Evie managed to hide her insecurities from everyone around her, especially Beau, Levi, and Harper.
One evening after a very productive day at the studio, Evie drove to the gym while Beau sat in the passenger seat. Jetta volunteered to watch the kids giving her a break for a while. Evie would have said no if Beau hadn't stepped in and said, "You take care of everyone here. Let someone take care of you." Evie's feelings for Beau swelled inside her. She agreed to it, and Beau and Evie were soon on their way to the gym. They had begun lifting weights together after Zumba to help tone Beau's muscles for holding the guitar longer, so rushing to get the kids after lifting would not be a problem.
Evie's phone played the song Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams on their way to the gym. Beau began bobbing his head to the music. Evie looked at him for a few seconds and challenged him, "Sing." Beau stopped and looked at her in disbelief. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah, sing it how you would sing it," she said. Beau soon began singing the song in his style of voice distortion.
Evie laughed before saying, "All right, we are going to try something new. Have you ever watched Voice Impressions on the Tonight Show?"
Beau nodded his head but looked uncertain with what happened.
"Okay, the next song that comes on, you need to sing it the way that vocalist sings it," Evie said.
Beau hesitated. "I am not sure I can do that," he said.
"Try it. I will also sing a song you put on and imitate whomever you say," she said.
Beau looked less nervous. "Deal," he said.
The song changed, and Evie said, "There you go. All Apologies by Nirvana. Let's hear it … crap, what was his name?!" Evie freaked. How could I forget the name of the Nirvana frontman!? Stupid Mom Brain, she yelled at herself in her head.
“You mean Kurt Cobain?” Beau asked.
“Yes! Thank you! Man, my brain is not working right today,” Evie replied, feeling relieved.
“How could you forget Kurt Cobain’s name? He’s an icon for grunge,” Beau said.
“After you push two humans out of your body, graduate Cum Laude from college, teach high school students, teach fitness classes, and become a tour manager for a band, then you can ask me that question,” Evie scolded sarcastically.
Beau laughed. “Fine. So All Apologies?” “Yes, All Apologies,” Evie said.
Beau tried very hard to imitate Kurt Cobain. Every now and then, Beau messed up, but he fixed it within seconds. He had fun singing differently than usual. Beau noticed that Evie provided backup vocals.
During a pause in between songs, Beau said, "Okay, Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar," he said. "Easy Peasy… Lemon Squeezy," Evie said, chuckling to herself. Beau laughed as well. When Beau found the song, Evie began singing it with ease. When the a capella part came, Evie even let her voice fall just like Pat's. Beau could feel some hormones moving around inside of him.
They kept going back and forth singing different songs by different bands and providing backup vocals for the other. They both hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Evie's favorite part of the game was when Beau sang Who's Crying Now by Journey. Beau managed to pull it off, and Evie was even more impressed with his vocal abilities. Beau's favorite of the game was when he asked Evie to sing a song by Adele, which he thought would surprise and throw her off. To his very own surprise, she sang Rolling In the Deep effortlessly. He liked that Evie's voice was low for a woman just like Adele's.
They went to another class that Evie told Beau about called Strong. Evie noticed that Beau was getting more and more comfortable at each class she took him to, but she was worried about this particular class because it was a HIIT class with lots of jumping, direction changes, and especially burpees. "So, what exactly is Strong Nation?" Beau asked, "Is it another dance class?"
"Not at all. It is a high-intensity interval training class. I attended this class twice a week in Baltimore before moving here. I noticed I was losing some muscle tone, so I started coming to this class about a couple of weeks ago. It has worked miracles," Evie said.
Beau thought back to the past couple of weeks to see if there was a difference in Evie. He remembered one time when Levi tried climbing in Evie's lap listening to her scream in pain and another time when she bent over to pick something up, and she kept exclaiming, "Ow, ow, ow, ow." She claimed sore muscles.
"So, will I be sore after this class as well?" Beau asked.
"That depends on you. You can take it at any level you want," Evie said.
"What do you do in the class?"
"It's martial arts-based with a ton of lunges, squats, burpees, bear crawls, planks, a
nd many other strength training moves."
Beau felt a little more intimidated. Beau recognized Pam at the front in a racerback tank, leggings, cross-training shoes, and her hair was pulled entirely out of her face. She looked completely different compared to when she taught Zumba. Beau realized that even Evie was dressed completely different than her regular gym clothes. Evie's hair was pulled completely out of her face, and she wore more form-fitting breathable gym clothes. He also noticed Evie grabbing two yoga mats from the closet and setting them down by Beau's and her stuff.
Soon, Pam began class with a three-song warm-up. Beau found the warm-up to be a little challenging, but he noticed it made him more limber. Pam began using strange lingo that went completely over Beau's head. He knew he would have to ask Evie or Pam about some of the moves and lingo after class so he could describe what they did to the band when they asked why he was sore.
The first section, or Quadrant 1 as Pam and Evie called it, started off with some jacks and knee lifts. Then it shifted to a side lunge and core rotation. Beau felt like he was very uncoordinated for this class. Soon, everyone transitioned into squats, followed by three side kicks to the right. Even though Pam wore a wireless mic to lead the class, Beau's brain couldn't think that fast. He looked at Evie for some guidance like he usually did during a Zumba class. During the scissor lunges and punch, Beau noticed how intense, accurate, and quick Evie's punches were. He also noticed her side kicks. They were incredibly quick. He thought he saw a hint of rage behind every punch and kick. He could not help but feel terrified about what would cause such a happy woman to have such anger.
Soon, the song morphed into a push-up challenge where you would alternate between wide-arm push-ups, tricep push-ups, and then traveling in the plank position left and right. In between each sequence, they would rest in a pike position, which didn't make it any easier for Beau. Again, he looked over at Evie, and still, each push-up and travel was intense with anger. What is causing this girl to be so angry, he thought to himself. Soon, his arms began to hurt, but he did his best to push through the pain. He followed the beat precisely and started counting out loud with the class to help take his mind off the pain. It helped a little, but his arms shook uncontrollably. Soon, the push-up challenge was over, and everyone stood up. Beau shook his arms out to release the tension.
After the third song in the section, which consisted of a ton of deadlifts, squats, and lunges, Beau’s legs felt like they were going to fall off. Beau wondered how Evie was able to keep up, had martial arts training, or even a certification in this class. "Are you certified in this class, too?" he asked. "Yes," Evie said after swallowing a massive gulp of water. Of course you are, Beau thought to himself, how else did you get those arms and that ass?
Soon, Quadrant 2 began where it was a bit more intense with a section in it called gorillas. Beau decided to stay on Level 1, which was just shuffling. He looked over at Evie and watched her glide on her hands and feet, and then he had a come-apart when he watched her turn around in that position, get back up, and do the interior kick. Oh my Hell! What did she just do, he thought to himself. He decided to try Level 2, the gorilla move without the turn. He was amazed at how fast his entire body began to burn. The dance sequence, which Evie called the Recharge, began. Beau and Evie ran to get some water. He noticed how much he was sweating as well as how much she was sweating. He shook out his muscles as he watched Evie take deep breaths.
It was Quadrant 3 next, which Evie nicknamed the Death Quadrant. Beau began to wonder what he got himself into as he began following Pam as she led the class in some sumo squats and alternating punches. This quadrant had way more intense moves in it. Evie, knowing she needed the extra push, added the tuck before the burpee, and she heard Beau gasp when she did it. She laughed for a split second before refocusing. The second song in Quadrant 3 had a movement where Beau realized he was swinging a sledgehammer, which was kind of fun, until his obliques started to hurt. Beau was so relieved when this quadrant was over. His entire body felt like jelly. "Totally normal," Evie said, sounding out of breath herself. She wiped her sweat off her forehead before grabbing her mat. Beau grabbed his mat and laid it out next to Evie's.
Quadrant 4 took place on the floor, which Beau was very grateful for until Pam led the class in hip dips in a forearm plank position. Beau didn't realize his shoulders were also tired until he was in place. He pushed through his weaknesses, managing to make it through the entire class in spite of his weak muscles, but he eventually had to place his knees on the floor.
The cooldown felt very good on his muscles and joints. He was so proud that he finished his first Strong Nation class. He chugged the last little bit of his water while Evie rolled up her mat. Beau had pulled his mat off to the side by his stuff and rolled it up.
He and Evie walked out of the cross-training room where they ran into the same guys they always ran into who would often hit on Evie. "Hey, Beau!" one guy said. Beau smiled. "Hey, guys. How ya' doing?" Beau responded, trying to be polite. "We're good. Can we get a picture?" said another guy. Beau nodded. "Here, I will take it for you," Evie said. Soon, the guys began drooling over Evie as she took the picture just like last time. It bothered Beau a lot because he liked her, but he tried to ignore it.
After Evie took the picture, she handed the phone back to the guy and said, "I need to use the restroom. I'll see you guys later." As she waved goodbye, all the guys and Beau watched as she walked towards the women's locker room. "Who is she again?" another guy asked. "That is my tour manager. She actually introduced me to this gym," Beau said. That same guy nodded his head. "So, are you guys dating also, or is she available?" the man asked Beau.
He had no idea how to respond because Beau didn't want any other guy sniffing around Evie. "We aren.... are dating," Beau responded. "Oh, well, in that case, she's hot, Beau! I'm glad you're getting back out there!" the guy said. Beau, still lying through his teeth, said, "Thanks. We've been dating for a month now, and it's been going great. She's amazing." Beau knew that last little bit wasn't a lie. "Well, congrats. Good luck with everything!" the guy said before walking off with his friends. "Thank you. See you guys later!" Beau said. "Bye, man!" the guys all said before walking over to some other machines.
Beau could not believe he just lied to a group of guys just so he could keep Evie all to himself. However, when he saw her walking back towards him, he felt a sense of relief. "Want to go get tacos?" Beau asked after Evie got back from the bathroom. Her face lit up with excitement. "Sure, but I am paying for myself this time," Evie said. "You really are stubborn," he said. "It's my best and most annoying quality, I think," she said, laughing. Beau laughed, too.
Little did Beau know that Evie went into the bathroom with Jude's words screaming in her head, Those guys won't love you like I did because you gave birth to two kids. Your body is wrecked, and they will only see you as a mom. She sat on a bench by the lockers and cried for a minute. How can I be so happy and sad at the same time, she thought to herself. Evie was truly happy to be at the gym with one of her favorite people in the world, but sad because she couldn’t silence that voice inside her head telling her, Those guys didn’t even see you. Jude was the only one who saw who you used to be. Beau doesn’t see it either, and he will never see it.
Evie wiped the tears from her eyes, walked over to the sinks, and rinsed off her face trying to hide the puffiness. She looked at herself in the mirror. Anxiety is a tricky thing, she thought to herself. When she walked out of the bathroom and saw Beau standing there without the other guys, she felt calm. He had no idea how much she needed him. Then when he made the suggestion to go get tacos, Evie instantly cheered up. The man gets me, she joked in her head.
They walked outside of the gym to the parking lot and climbed into her car. Evie drove to El Burrito Taqueria and ordered food for her and Beau. Beau tried to get his money out, but Evie paid for both of them, and Beau scowled as she did it. She simply smiled as she grabbed the drink cups and sat down at a table.
>
As Beau went to grab salsa and guacamole, Evie's phone rang. She looked at her phone and saw Jude's name. She gulped, hoping this was finally the phone call that he was ready to come visit his kids, and answered. "Hey, Jude. What's up?" she asked, sounding as calm as she could. "I was thinking of taking Levi to go tour the White House when you come to Annapolis for Thanksgiving. Is that all right with you?" Jude said.
Not exactly what I was thinking, but hey, I’ll take it, she thought to herself. "Yeah, that's fine. I think he would love that," Evie said, trying not to sound too excited.
"Awesome. I will make plans. How long will you be in Maryland for Thanksgiving?"
"Three days," she said.
"Okay. Will Friday work?"
"That's fine."
"So, what are you doing now?" Evie knew that Beau was a touchy subject for Jude, but she didn't want to lie. "I went to the gym with Beau, and we are just eating dinner real quick before picking the kids up at the Jeppsen's.'' Evie could hear the steam leaving Jude's nose, but he wasn't letting his anger get the best of him. "I would love to see that rocker at a Zumba class. Has anyone posted anything about it?" he asked. "Not that I am aware of." "Well, let's see," Jude said as Evie heard his various clicking.
Once Jude stopped clicking, Evie could hear some music playing in the background on Jude's phone. She recognized the music and soon realized that the song was Tumbao. Evie smiled, remembering how she felt after the class was over. After two minutes of the music, Jude's fumes resumed again. "Why are you dancing with him like that?!" he scolded. "Because it's Zumba. I dance like that with all my friends. You knew that."