“Good morning,” answered Myles huskily. She loved the sound of his voice. He knew how to make a woman feel wanted.
“Morning,” replied Maggie. “Just thought I’d give you a call so that you can keep me company on my way to my training session; the traffic’s dire as usual.”
“I still don’t know why you think you need a trainer,” replied Myles. “You looked pretty good to me yesterday and I think I saw you from a variety of angles.”
Maggie blushed at the thought. The afternoon hadn’t quite turned out as planned, but it had been special. She still harboured some doubts though. He was still Myles Cavendish; his reputation for womanising was legendary.
“Well, I’m no spring chicken, Myles. And as I know you have a taste for women half your age, I do slightly feel the pressure to up my game.”
“Mags, I told you this yesterday, it’s you I want to be with. I know what you look like. We are the same age you know. Christ, if I didn’t fancy you I wouldn’t be flying up to bloody Glasgow to see you, would I?”
“Oh I suppose not,” she replied. “It’s just it’s all so crazy at the moment. A year ago my life was so straightforward and I knew where I was. It wasn’t great, but it was under control and now everything is being turned upside down and – quite frankly, darling – I’m scared to death.”
As the words left her mouth, she actually felt slightly relieved. It wasn’t easy for her to admit any form of weakness, but she was terrified.
“Look, don’t worry about it,” said Myles. “It’ll all work out.”
“Will it, though?” Maggie sighed. “I like being in control, I’m not used to chaos and I suppose that’s why I’m enjoying the training sessions; getting fit and looking after my body is the one thing I can control. I need something normal to hang onto while we sort all this out.”
“Do you think we should tell him?” said Myles. “Just get it over and done with?”
Maggie took a deep breath. She wanted to so badly, but she needed to find the right time.
“No, I think we should leave it until after Davie’s birthday, we don’t want to spoil his party. We’ll probably be social outcasts when everyone finds out. I’ll talk to him after the weekend.”
Myles didn’t say anything and, for a moment, both of them contemplated just how big a deal this was.
“The thing is,” continued Maggie, “the girls have got exams and it’s going to be pretty traumatic for them. They don’t have a clue that anything’s wrong.”
“Well they certainly won’t be the first kids whose parents have split up, it’s probably the norm these days,” said Myles, trying to be helpful.
“Yes, I know, but it doesn’t mean it’s not without its consequences.”
“Don’t I know it,” he replied. He didn’t want to think about his car crash of a childhood, a miserable experience, spent in the confines of a sadistic boarding school while his mother, beautiful but bored, slowly seduced the majority of men in his father’s social circle. Myles had never forgiven him for taking his own life and leaving him with his mother. He hadn’t spoken to her for years.
“Anyway,” sighed Maggie, “we’ll deal with that bridge when we come to it. The most important thing today is my weigh-in. Rachael lost two kilos, so I had better have lost some weight because I’ve tried really hard this week. Honestly, the circuits class is torture, the only lunges I’d ever done before was with a bloody horse.”
“You rode me well yesterday,” said Myles, cheekily.
“Well it uses more calories than the good old missionary position, although we didn’t get very far, did we?”
“I bet the postman guessed what you were up to, the sly old bastard; unless he’s completely dim.”
“Well I hope he didn’t because his wife works in the local shop, and the only secret she keeps is the bottle of gin under the counter.”
Myles laughed. “Well you’re done for then. Let me know if they draw a cross on your door and I’ll come and rescue you again.”
“Thank you, darling. Right, I’ll have to go, I’m at the gym now. Wish me luck. I’ll text you the results.”
“Can’t wait,” said Myles. “Have a good day and behave yourself with the trainer.”
“I’m going to tell him I need to strengthen my thighs,” laughed Maggie, “and see what he says.”
“I thought I just said behave, what sort of training session is this?”
“Oh you have no idea,” teased Maggie. “But it is all for your benefit, darling. Trust me, you’ll thank him for it when he’s finished with me.”
And having parked the car and said her goodbyes, Maggie picked up her bag and headed for the gym.
* * *
Sitting waiting for Maggie, Thor looked at his diary. Interestingly he’d received a message from Rex, asking if he could have an extra session by himself. Maybe he’d got through to the guy after all and he’d realised that he needed to get himself sorted. Thor looked at his diary; he had a couple of slots on Saturday morning but as he already had the circuits class first thing and Rachael was likely to be there, he would need to offer him a session late morning. It would be so much easier if the guys weren’t being such prats, he could see it all becoming a very tricky juggling act. Thor typed a message to Rex, offering him a couple of alternatives and, pressing Send, headed downstairs to look for Maggie.
* * *
Maggie sat down. She was looking forward to this. She’d stuck to her plan this week. She was expecting a good result.
“So, how’s it been?” asked Thor, sitting back in his chair and smiling at her. She looked well, if a little tired.
“Pretty good, I think,” replied Maggie. “I’m still aching but I’ve worked quite hard this week.”
“It’s been noted,” said Thor. “Full marks for attending the circuits classes. How’s the diet been?”
“Great. I’ve been sticking to it, no gin either in the evenings, although I could have done with one,” she sighed. “Or two.”
“Why, what’s up?” he replied. He’d been looking forward to this. Having met Callum, he was dying to know the state of affairs in Dunbar Towers.
“Well, quite a lot actually,” she replied.
“Go on, I’m all ears.”
“To be honest, I can’t believe so much has happened in a week. Well, last Friday I decided to stalk my husband.”
“Stalk him?” asked Thor, surprised; he wasn’t quite expecting that answer.
“Well follow him then, stalking probably sounds as though I’m deranged.”
“Well it does a little.”
“Well basically because he’s been such a misery and, frankly, quite uncivil at home, I admit I wanted to see what the other woman looked like. So I got into his emails, which incidentally I still feel very bad about – but Myles told me to do it – and I found out her name. But the disaster is that I think I slept with Myles before he met her, which is a bit of a bummer.”
“So you started it then,” said Thor, grinning.
“Well yes, so it seems, but in my defence, he hadn’t been near me for months. Not that that’s probably a good enough excuse but, anyway, I followed him and he met her at lunchtime. To be honest, I was a bit shocked because I expected her to be a glamour puss, but she wasn’t. She was just ordinary and actually a bit on the plump side, which means she must have a nice personality. I find that upsetting, actually.”
“So did you confront him?” asked Thor, wondering whether he should find the box of tissues.
“No, of course not. I called Myles and he flew up yesterday and we had sex in the barn.”
Thor smiled. He wouldn’t need the tissues. Maggie was made of sterner stuff. He couldn’t help but like her.
“And we nearly got caught by the postman, but I think I got away with it. Luckily Callum was back late last night, because apparently, for some unfathomable reason, he’s started playing indoor football with Rex, Rachael’s husband, at least they said they were. He did go off with ou
r eldest daughter’s old trainers, but he lied about where it was because I phoned the place he said it was and they had no idea what I was talking about. Then, when Rachael asked Rex, he said it was somewhere else completely. They’re up to something but I haven’t managed to find out yet. I will though.”
So that’s what they said they were doing, thought Thor. He wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t managed to coordinate their stories though.
“Oh I’m sure you will,” he replied, standing up and pulling out the scales. “Right, lots going on and lots to do, so let’s see if you’ve lost any weight. Hop on.”
“I can’t believe that neither of them dropped dead; Callum’s never played football in his life,” continued Maggie as she stepped onto the scales. “He even played in his golf kit. So embarrassing. I hope his friends didn’t think I dressed him.” Finally falling silent, Maggie waited in anticipation as Thor looked at the scale and then at his notes.
“Well done, one and a half kilos, great effort, hop off.”
Maggie stood her ground. She couldn’t believe it.
“Only one and a half, are you sure?”
“The scales never lie, I told you that,” replied Thor. Maggie looked genuinely gutted.
“But Rachel lost two kilos and I’ve worked much harder. I went to an extra class and I had sex in the cow girl position because some other personal trainer said it uses the most calories. Is that true?”
“What other personal trainer?” asked Thor, desperately trying to hold it together. He’d been asked a few things since he’d been in this job but the calorific burn of different sexual positions had never come up before. “I hope you’re not cheating on me.”
“Don’t worry, he was writing an article in a magazine that I was reading in the hairdressers.”
“What sort of magazine was that?” asked Thor.
“Oh you have no idea what sort of stuff is in women’s magazines these days, sweetheart, that’s why I love going to the hairdresser’s, to read all this stuff. I’m too embarrassed to buy them myself. Anyway, he was some soap star’s personal trainer, Molly or Milly something or other; I’ve no idea which one, I don’t watch soaps and these young girls all look the same to me these days. He definitely said it used one hundred and sixty something calories if you managed to keep it up for thirty minutes.”
“Christ, and did you manage to keep it up for thirty minutes?” asked Thor.
“Of course not, my thighs were killing me after five minutes and Myles was definitely feeling the pressure when I said thirty minutes.”
“I bet he was, poor bloke,” replied Thor.
“And then the postman arrived but, honestly, I think you should do some research, it’s actually very interesting.”
“OK, I will,” replied Thor, “and I’ll put a poster up in Reception.” He laughed as he handed her the body fat monitor. “It might drum up a bit more business.”
“Probably not the right type of business though,” replied Maggie, grinning. “Anyway, back to this. Why has Rachael lost more than me?” Taking the scanner, she held it out in front.
“Because she had more to lose. You’ve done really well, that’s three pounds in a week and I bet when we look at your BMI and body fat, you’ll have dropped on that too.”
“See, both readings are down. Its good stuff, Mrs. If you carry on like this, you’ll hit your goal in no time. Right, we’ll go down to the gym and I’ll give you a programme that you can follow in between classes or if you can’t get to the class. Then, next week, we’ll head outside. It’s much better in the fresh air.”
“Oh I know that,” replied Maggie, cheekily, “I’ve always been the outdoor type.”
“Behave!” replied Thor. “Now go on, take your water and head downstairs. I’ll be down in a minute.”
And as Maggie descended the stairs, she felt better for off-loading on Thor. She wondered how many other clients used him as a sounding board, just wanting someone to listen to their woes without any judgement. He was right, if her mind was a mess her body would more than likely follow. Get the mind sorted and everything else will fall into place, he’d said, and exercise was essential to the process. The mind and body were so interconnected, he’d preached, that helping one helped the other and, of course, if you helped them both, then life would be rosy. She knew he was right; she’d read a few self-help books in her time. She’d never really taken the advice on board, but what she did know was that she didn’t want the gin bottle to become her mind’s crutch; she already knew that it wasn’t the answer in the long run, her mother was testament to that. The gin had eventually killed her. The liver could only take so much. Maggie sighed. The storm was closing in. For her sanity, she needed the stability of Thor. She needed to stick to the plan.
CHAPTER 44
Heading into his office, once again without a bacon roll, Rex placed his bottle of water, black coffee and two slices of tepid toast and Marmite wrapped in a dodgy serviette on his desk, and rummaged in his pocket as his phone beeped. He opened the message. Thor was offering him another session on Saturday morning and there was no reason he couldn’t make it. He was suggesting that Rachael might go to the circuits class first thing so he could easily slip out after she had left. That would definitely work. Typing a quick confirmation, Rex pressed Send. Then replacing his phone in his pocket, he picked up the toast. He was starving and desperate for a coffee but he was pleased with himself for once again resisting the bacon, even though Mad Mary had given him the death stare when he’d said he was giving up on meat for a while. Pacifying her momentarily by asking for a couple of slices of toast, she’d lost it again when he’d asked if she had Marmite instead of butter. He’d never tried Marmite but Amy had said that if he liked Twiglets, he’d like Marmite and it was full of vitamins and basically good for him. Mad Mary had said she was talking shite. She’d also said that Marmite tasted like shite. There was nothing wrong with a bacon roll, she’d had one every morning for the past forty years and she was still alive. It hadn’t done her any harm or her husband Rab. Rex had declined to comment. Mad Mary was definitely alive but she wasn’t exactly the best advert for the benefits of a bacon roll; she’d been in and out of hospital more often than he’d ordered a pint lately and Rab was more of a shuffler than a walker. But to calm her down, he’d ordered a coffee and eventually cheered her up by asking about her son. He was still in prison, she said, but he’d recently managed to get an SVQ in baking so she was quite chuffed with him. Hopefully they’d let him out next year. He was a good boy really, he was just a bit hot-headed. He hadn’t meant to stab anyone.
Remembering Mad Mary’s look of motherly adoration for her misunderstood killer son, Rex chuckled to himself and then grimaced as he took a bite of the Marmite toast. Mad Mary was right. He liked Twiglets but this tasted like Twiglets on steroids. It was obviously an acquired taste. Rex sat down; he was really stiffening up now but he wasn’t going to give in. Rachael could take the piss all she liked about him playing football, but she’d eat her words when he lost more weight than her. She might change her mind about him then and then change her mind about the divorce. If he was going down, he’d would definitely go down fighting. His marriage was definitely worth fighting for. If Thor could turn him into Brad Pitt, it was worth the investment.
* * *
Having warmed up on the treadmill, Maggie looked around the gym as Thor led her though some stretches. There were so many pieces of equipment, most of which looked terrifying; she hoped that Thor’s circuit wouldn’t be too complicated, she couldn’t think of anything worse than trying to work out how to use equipment with seasoned gym-goers watching her every move. She didn’t want to look totally inept.
“So, are you going to tell Callum that you know about his affair?” asked Thor as Maggie stretched up and then touched her toes.
“He already knows I know,” replied Maggie. “He also thinks I’m having an affair but I think he thinks I’m having an affair with you. He has no idea about Myles
.”
“With me?” said Thor. “I hope you put him right.”
Maggie straightened up. “Well not really,” she replied, “it’s actually quite convenient. If he thinks I’m having an affair with you then it will keep him off the scent and stop him finding out about Myles.”
“But I’ve got a reputation to maintain,” he said, thinking about his chat with Callum. It was obvious now just what they were up to. They both thought he was shagging their wives. Looking back, he was impressed by their restraint. He was surprised they hadn’t tried to deck him. “And no offence, Maggie, you’re very appealing but I make a point of not having sex with my clients.” Briefly he thought about Molly from the circuits class. That didn’t really count. “It’s just not very professional.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but if he finds out about Myles, he’ll be raging. He might even have a breakdown. I have denied it and I’ve vouched for your professionalism, but I’m not sure he believes me.”
Thor didn’t know what else to say. He would have to see what Rex had to say about it all on Saturday. He just hoped that they hadn’t been spreading rumours. It would definitely affect business if gossip like that started and he didn’t need that right now.
“OK, let’s work on these sit-ups first,” he said, trying not to think about it. “You’ve not quite been getting it in the class and I don’t want you hurting your back. Right, lie down and I’ll hold your feet until you get the rhythm going. Here, use this ball,” he said, handing her a soft football. “If you put it behind your head and then roll up, we can hopefully get a bit of momentum going.”
Maggie lay down, with her knees bent. Thor’s head was a little too close to her buttocks for her liking. Clenching her stomach muscles, Maggie pulled herself up. She hated sit-ups. It frustrated her that she found it so difficult.
“That’s good,” said Thor, “but try to relax a bit though; use your stomach rather than your back.”
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