"I'm really glad that you're happy with it," Ryan said. "I knew that Bill wouldn't steer you wrong, but I was a little worried that you would be unhappy with having spent that much," she admitted.
"No, not at all. I tend to think about financial decisions rather carefully, as you can attest," she said with a grin. "But once I make up my mind, I don't second guess myself," she said confidently.
"Well, I know you're going to love riding and I think you will really enjoy working out, too. You're very goal oriented and I think this challenge will hold your interest."
Jamie was delighted that Ryan knew these details about her personality without explicitly being told. "So where do we start today?"
Ryan led her to a weight bench and sat her down. "Okay, we're going to start with your shoulders. Your shoulder muscles start here," she tapped the top of her shoulders, "and end here," she tapped the center of her upper arms. They are called deltoids or delts. There is another group of muscles here," she touched Jamie's back just above her scapula, "called the rotator cuff. There are 4 muscles there that keep your arm from slipping out of the socket. They are just under your delts. We're going to work on both sets of muscles. I usually use free weights for shoulders. I find they're a little easier to control. And control is very important with your shoulders. It's very important to do these exercises correctly because your rotator cuffs are easily injured."
Jamie loved the verbal instruction that Ryan gave when showing her the exercises. The explanations really helped her because she processed things by understanding them fully before she tried them physically. Ryan seemed to understand this and was very careful to make sure that Jamie understood the underlying issues.
"It's very important to do these exercises in the order that I show you. We're going to do a press, a lateral raise, a front raise and a back fly. You can lift the heaviest weight with the press and the lightest weight with the fly." She looked at Jamie with a serious expression, "Have you ever injured your lower back, your neck or your elbows?"
"No, I have never had any significant injuries," Jamie replied.
"Boy, would my father like to trade for you," she laughed. "He was in the ER with me every other week."
"I bet you were a wild one," Jamie agreed.
"You don't know the half of it," she admitted.
They worked their way through the exercises. Ryan was very attentive to Jamie's posture and positioning. She encouraged her, but did not push her on, like she had seen some of the trainers do. Ryan knew that Jamie would push herself, and she made it a point to reign Jamie in a bit, so she did not injure herself.
When they had finished with the shoulder exercises they moved on to the lower back. Ryan again launched into her explanation of the how's and why's of the exercises. Ryan told her that these exercises did not need weights at all. After she showed Jamie how to perform a back extension and a pelvic tilt Jamie recalled that these were exercises she had learned when she played golf in high school.
"You were on the golf team?" Ryan asked with interest. "That's pretty cool. You know, I have never hit a golf ball."
"Well, we're just gonna have to remedy that, Missy," Jamie replied. "I'd love to do something that I can beat you at," she laughed.
Next they moved to the abdominal muscles. Jamie knew some of these from her golf conditioning also. Ryan showed her 6 different exercises and reminded her that she had a lot of potential in this area.
At the end of the hour Jamie's mind was swimming. As she sat down on a bench to dry off she watched Ryan making notes in a little booklet. "Here, Jamie, I made this for you," she said as she thrust the book in Jamie's direction.
Inside the little leather loose-leaf book Jamie saw each of the exercises they had covered neatly named and described. On the leg exercises the position of the seat and the adjustment of the bars were also annotated. Under each description was a series of columns which indicated the date, time, number of reps, sets and one column where Jamie was supposed to indicated how she felt when she began to exercise, on a scale of 1-10. Jamie was absolutely charmed and her face reflected this. "Ryan, this is so thoughtful," she enthused.
"Jamie, that is the very, very least I can do for you after all you've done for me," she said sincerely.
"I like to take care of my friends, Ryan."
"Then I am very lucky to be counted among that number," Ryan replied. As she said this she slid behind Jamie on the bench and began to knead her shoulder muscles. She worked on her for about 5 minutes until Jamie was dropping her head forward in a relaxed bliss.
"God, you're good at that. Those hands should be registered with the government," she sighed.
"Well, they are, kind of. I do have a license to do this," she stated.
"You are a masseuse too?" she asked incredulously.
"Yep, these babies are trained and licensed," she held up her hands with a proud smile. "When I was taking classes to be a personal trainer I just figured I might as well be as fully trained as possible. I'm glad I did it. I really learned a lot about relaxing people after a tough workout. And it's a skill that comes in handy in my private life, too," she grinned as she waggled her eyebrows.
"Well, you've certainly relaxed me, I don't think I can move, much less ride my bike home," she moaned.
"I've got my bike here, let me give you a ride home," Ryan offered. "After you take a shower we could get a bite to eat and then you could drive back to get your bike."
"That sounds mighty appealing," Jamie agreed. "But are you sure you're willing to risk the wrath of Cassie if she's at home?"
"Yeah, I am. She just caught me off guard last time. I'm ready for her now." She rubbed her hands together in a menacing fashion as she narrowed her eyes.
They sped back to Jamie's house and were both relieved to find only Mia at home. She spoke pleasantly to Ryan for a few moments before she headed upstairs to her room. Jamie followed her upstairs to shower and change. Ryan offered to amuse herself and Jamie left her to do so.
Jamie stood in the shower for a good long soak. She dried her hair quickly and was just finishing getting dressed when Mia came in.
"What did you do to Ryan?" she inquired with a glint in her eye.
"What do you mean?" Jamie gave her a puzzled look.
"Do you want to see something kind of cute?" Mia mysteriously replied. At Jamie's nod, she beckoned her out to the hallway. They both looked over the railing to where Ryan had been left, sitting on the couch. Only now her shoes were off and she was sound asleep, her lean form stretched out on the short couch, long legs hanging over the arm. Her hands were folded peacefully across her chest and she wore a sweet, perfectly contented expression on her face. Jamie marveled at how very young and innocent her friend looked as she slept.
The roommates walked back into Jamie's room and both burst out laughing. "I'm glad to see she feels so comfortable around here," Jamie continued to laugh.
"She seems like a nice person," Mia admitted.
"I can't even express how nice she is," Jamie replied simply. "She is just an extraordinary woman."
"Does she still flirt with you?" Mia asked a little hesitantly, knowing this could be touchy.
"No. Not at all," Jamie said without hesitation. "We actually talked about it, even though it was hard for me to bring up. She admitted that she had been flirting but that she was really over it now that we're friends."
"God, weren't you embarrassed?" Mia cried. "I can't imagine asking her that!"
"That's what is so cool about Ryan. I can say anything to her. She never judges me or acts hurt by what I say. I really felt amazingly comfortable talking about it with her. I wish you could get to know her a little better," Jamie said. "I know you would like her."
"I absolutely trust your judgment about people, James. I'm sure I would like her. Maybe we could all have dinner some night."
"Thanks for trying, Mia. I want you to be comfortable with her. Your friendship means a lot to me." Jamie hesitated for a moment before she
broached the next subject. "You know, I was really angry that you told Cassie about Ryan flirting with me," she said simply.
Mia started to defend herself, but Jamie cut her off. "I'm not angry any more, really. I'm sure you didn't do it to be malicious. But Cassie really dislikes her. She got Jack all worked up about the whole situation and we had a major fight. So please don't talk to her about Ryan. It will just make matters worse."
"Okay, Jamie. I won't ever bring it up with her again. I'm really sorry that I hurt you. It was stupid of me to tell Cassie anything about you. I know she tries to get in the middle of stuff. Sometimes I wish she would just move in with her boyfriend," she said disdainfully.
"Yeah, I know, but we've been together this long, I think we can hang on," she said hopefully.
After Mia returned to her room Jamie took her time finishing her preparations. She combed her hair carefully and put on a little blush then chose an emerald green rough wool sweater and a soft yellow turtleneck. Then she picked out a pair of khakis and a pair of black loafers. She checked out her image in the full-length mirror, but she chided herself briefly as she did so. It's just Ryan, you know. This isn't a date. When she walked back down the stairs she was a little surprised to find that Ryan was still asleep.
She sat down in the upholstered chair next to the couch and just watched her for a few moments. Ryan was remarkably still as she slept. Jamie was struck by the thought that she had never seen her when she wasn't in motion. Ryan was usually very active, sometimes a little hyperactive. Even when her body wasn't moving Jamie could almost see her quick mind processing something. She again marveled at how peaceful and open her face was in repose. Ryan rarely looked severe but she often had a cool, composed expression on her face. She watched her chest raise and lower and observed her lips slightly parted in sleep. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming urge to place a kiss on those soft looking lips. She resisted the urge with a violent shake of her head. Get a grip for god's sake, Jamie! Where in the hell did that urge come from?? She sat in the chair for several more minutes mulling over the conflicting thoughts in her head. Maybe I just feel protective over her. She has such a confident exterior, but now that I've seen her vulnerability it just makes me feel so tender towards her. When she sleeps she just looks like the little girl who lost her mom. And that's the part that makes me want to kiss her. She looks so sweet, just like a child, she thought fondly. Yeah, and how many little girls have you ever wanted to kiss? Finally deciding that she would not resolve this jumble of thoughts tonight, she quietly moved over to the couch. She leaned over and gently placed her hand on Ryan's shoulder and gave her a tiny shake.
Ryan was awake immediately and amazingly seemed fully alert. Jamie was surprised as this response, and her face must have shown it. Ryan detected the startled look and asked, "What's wrong? Was I asleep too long?"
"No, no, I was just amazed at how quickly you woke up," she explained.
"Oh, that's from years of practice," she said easily. "I need about 8 hours of sleep but I only get around 6. I've trained myself to sleep almost anywhere whenever I have a few minutes down time."
"That's truly amazing," Jamie marveled.
"Not really. You can train your body to do a lot of things if you really need to."
"I'm just glad you felt comfortable enough here to be able to sleep."
"Well, I do feel very comfortable around you, but truthfully, I can sleep almost anywhere. I can even sleep pretty well sitting up in a chair. And once I got a good 15 minute nap while leaning against a wall," she stated proudly.
"You certainly do have many skills, Ryan," she admitted as she leaned over and ruffled her bangs.
"And you haven't seen half of 'em," she grinned in response.
After they finished their dinner of falafel and Greek salads they discussed the workout schedule for the week. Jamie decided that she would take her bike to Jack's and do her long ride on Saturday afternoon while he studied.
"Ooooh, Saturday," Ryan said with pleasure. "I haven't had a Saturday free in years. This new level of freedom is going to take some getting used to," she said with a happy expression on her face. She had decided that she really didn't need to work on the weekends any longer. Jamie had 10 hours of private training per week lined up for her. Since $1250 a week was more than enough to live on Ryan decided to take weekends off to study and relax. But she truly didn't know what to do with the spare time. She'd had one job or another since she was 16 years old and all of them had consumed her weekends. "This is the happiest quandary I've had in years," she allowed.
"Why don't you come down and ride with me on Saturday," Jamie offered. "You could see the peninsula and maybe help me pick out some good rides."
"Is that really a good idea, Jamie?" she asked slowly. "I mean, wouldn't Jack mind?"
"Why would he mind?" she asked, a little confused. "He'll be studying and he doesn't ride a bike anyway."
"No, um, I mean," she stammered, "I thought he wasn't very happy about having me around...at all."
"No, Ryan, that's not true. He was mad at me for not telling him things that he thought were important. I don't think it had anything to do with you, personally," she lied.
"If you're sure," she said slowly, "I would enjoy coming down. It might be nice to see a different part of the bay. And I have heard about some really great rides down there."
"Then it's settled," Jamie agreed. "Oh, but how will you get your bike down there? Should I pick it up from you on Friday?"
"No, I can get it down there. I can borrow my father's truck if I need to. When do you want to meet?" she asked as she grabbed her ever-present organizer.
Chapter 4
"Castro Fitness Center, this is Ally speaking," rang out the clear alto voice.
"Hi Ally, guess who?" Ryan asked.
"Hmmm," she mused, "Is this a really hot brunette, 6 feet plus, legs for days?"
"Yeaah," she purred.
"I don't know anybody like that, who the heck are you?" she asked as she tried to hide a laugh.
"I'm just a lonely woman looking for a little companionship," she said innocently. "Do you know anyone who might be free on Friday night?"
"Friday night? You actually want to see me on a Friday night?" she asked incredulously. "I thought you were only allowed out of the house in the afternoons."
"I've had a change of schedule," she said happily. "My weekends are now my own."
"Really? You haven't had a weekend off in all the time I've known you. Do you have any idea how to fill a weekend?"
"I hoped you could help me out with that," she asked hopefully. "What do you say to Friday night?"
"Best offer I've had all day," she replied. "Do you want to go out or stay in?"
"I can go out with anyone," she said in a dangerously low tone. "I want to stay in with you."
"I'll be home by 6. Bring dinner with you, Hot Stuff, cause you're not leaving until Saturday."
Ryan buzzed over to the Castro on Friday night, thinking about Ally. They had met shortly after Ryan had graduated from high school. She had started to take classes to become certified as a personal trainer and she lucked into a job at Castro Fitness. Ally was just 2 years older and had started at Castro just a few months before Ryan had.
Ryan was sure that Ally had barely noticed her and she was a little surprised when the near stranger approached her one day and brought up the topic of safer sex. Ryan was just starting to feel comfortable with her lesbian identity. She had spent the previous year engaged in some fairly risky behavior but Ally sat her down and read her the riot act. "Listen Ryan," she had told her. "You just can't run around and be wild with everyone you meet. You've got to use safer sex practices every time you're with someone."
"But the chance of contracting AIDS isn't very high for women having sex with women," Ryan said defensively.
"No, it's not very high, but any chance is too high. You're 17 years old, Ryan. Don't risk cutting your life short just to get a little action. Besides, AIDS i
sn't the only thing to worry about. I guarantee you'll contract a venereal disease within 6 months if you haven't already. Herpes and chondyloma are permanent, Ryan. And no matter how attractive you are, your popularity will hit the skids if you have lesions or warts on your fun parts."
"But I don't know how to have safer sex," she admitted as she blushed.
"Come over tonight after 8 and I'll show you everything you need to know," Ally had offered.
Ryan laughed when she thought about how easily she had succumbed to Ally's charms. They had spent that first night at 'Good Vibrations', a woman oriented sex toy shop in the Mission district. Ally explained all of the sex toys and latex barriers that Ryan could use to protect herself. Then to make sure that her student understood everything perfectly they had gone back to Ally's apartment and tried out every item in her little bag of tricks. By the next day Ryan was terribly sore but very well trained in the science of safer sex.
After that initial foray they had hit it off almost immediately. They both enjoyed working out, riding bikes, and having sex, lots of sex, with lots of women. Ryan had actually found herself falling for her new friend. But Ally made it clear that she was not in the market for a girlfriend. She continued to date anyone who caught her eye and she never made an attempt to hide her lovers from Ryan. After a while she came to understand that Ally really was not going to return her affections and she began to think of her as an occasional sex partner. And as long as she kept it very casual Ally was always willing to spend a day or two with her.
Their normal pattern was to see each other quite a few times in a two or three week period. But as soon as things started to get too intense one or the other would stop calling. They would let 3 or 4 months pass and then start up for another round.
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