Forever Friend Zoned

by C. Morgan

  “What you are doing now is a great way to warm up or cool down after a workout, but I think I could help you structure a routine that is going to give you more bang for your buck. You’re spending a lot of time doing laps and that’s great, but you could spend half your time doing this and the other half working your muscles. You’re going to see faster results.”

  “We’re fine,” I snapped.

  “I’d like to offer you some help. I can give you some tips to help you reach your goals.”

  I was going to tell him not a chance in hell, but Sue was practically drooling over him. “We would love that.”

  I had to fight not to roll my eyes. She was so obvious. It was embarrassing. He looked at me. “Are you interested?”

  The way he asked the question seemed a little misleading. Was I interested in what exactly? “Not really, but I can see she isn’t going to let me say no.”

  “Sometimes, that’s what we need in life. Someone to push us out of our comfort zone.”

  I bit my tongue to keep from spouting off a witty comeback. “Yeah, sure,” I said instead.

  “I’m starting a new pilot program and I’d love the two of you to be involved.”

  “What kind of program?” I asked with a great deal of skepticism.

  He grinned. “It’s for people that want to make some lifestyle changes. People that want to be healthier but are not quite ready to pump iron or run ten miles a day. People who want to lose a few pounds without an aggressive workout regimen.”

  He was talking about fatties like us. He was speaking in code to avoid hurting our feelings. I got it. We were fat and out of shape and people like him looked at us with pity.

  “That sounds like it was made just for us!” Sue exclaimed.

  I shot her a dirty look. It was made for us. At least people like us. I wanted him to say it. “Why us exactly?” I asked.

  “Because you two show dedication and I can work with that.”

  “You want to help us lose weight,” I said with disgust.

  “It isn’t about the pounds. It is about feeling good and making healthy decisions. I don’t subscribe to the belief that everyone has to look the same. I don’t think there is a one size fits all. I think it’s about feeling good enough to make the right decisions.”

  It was definitely a fatty program, but Sue was lapping it up. “I think that sounds great!”

  Jeff looked at me. We stared at each other for several seconds. “Signups are downstairs. I hope to see you both there.” He gave me one last look. I found myself frozen in place. I couldn’t look away.

  He turned and walked away. I was still standing in the same spot, my lips parted as I sucked in a breath. When he looked at me, it was like being sucked into a vacuum. I couldn’t blink or breathe.

  “Damn!” Sue hissed. “Did you see that?”

  “See what?” I managed to say.

  “The way he looked at you. I thought I was going to have to avert my eyes.”

  “Stop it. He did not.”

  “Um, yeah, he did. And don’t pretend you didn’t notice. You did. He did. He was ready to mount you.”

  I slapped her arm. “Stop. I swear you’re as mature as the kids you teach.”

  She burst into laughter and we started walking again.

  “Now we lost our elevated heartrate,” I complained and held up my Fitbit.

  She giggled and held up her own. “I think your heartrate is still elevated and it has nothing to do with exercise.”

  “Really? Are you going to act like a child?”

  “We have to sign up for that program. It’s perfect for us. It will help us get into bikini shape.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We have not worn bikinis in forever. I’m not about to start now.”

  “But we could.”

  “I don’t want to be part of his program. I feel like a test subject. We are nothing more than a lab experiment to the hunky guy. He wants to see if he can transform a couple of fatties into little mini Bunnies.”

  “Stop it. You always think everyone looks at you and sees your flaws. I hate to tell you this, but you aren’t fat. If you call yourself fat, you are calling me fat. We have a few extra pounds, and we aren’t wafer-thin, but we are not fat. Do not say it again or I will throw you right off this catwalk.”

  I held up my hands. “All right, all right, I’m sorry. I still don’t want to do his program.”

  “Alora, are we seriously going to keep walking around in a circle? We could do that anywhere. This is not what I had in mind when you told me you wanted me to start working out with you.”

  “You said you wanted to lose weight,” I retorted.

  “We are in the biggest gym in the city—hell, maybe the state. We are surrounded by state-of-the-art equipment and we are walking in circles!”

  “Because the equipment is the devil. It is out to kill us.”

  “You’re not an idiot. I’m certainly not an idiot. All we need is for someone to show us how to use it and we’ll be fine. I want to make a change, Alora. I’m serious about this.”

  “If we are with him, we’re going to be drooling all over him and having sexual fantasies instead of paying attention to what he is saying and doing.”

  “Speak for yourself, little miss. I might drool but there will not be any sexual fantasies.”

  “Liar. You have the hots for him.”

  “I can look at an attractive man and think he is attractive. Besides, seeing him motivates me. I want to be in good enough shape to snare me a man like that.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, men like that love themselves. They love women. All the women. They don’t want just one when they can have them all.”

  “Not all attractive men are going to be like Todd. That isn’t fair to paint them all with the same brush.”

  She was right. “It’s embarrassing to have a man like that point out my fa—”

  “Don’t you dare say it,” she warned.

  “To point out the areas I need to work on. When you see an attractive man, you want to feel pretty. You want to feel sexy. You don’t want him looking at your belly roll and talking about it.”

  She burst into laughter. “You do make a good point, but he isn’t Todd, and he isn’t your boyfriend. He’s the guy who is going to help us get to a point where we can feel confident going after a man like him.”

  “You are not going to leave this alone, are you?”

  She grinned and shook her head. “Nope. Next round, we are going downstairs and signing up before all the slots are filled.”

  “Do you think he is only asking us because of who I am?” I asked her.

  “No, I don’t. Does he know who you are?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I think he asked us because he is trying to drum up business. That’s what these trainers do. That’s how they put food on the table. He needs people to request him. Maybe there is some kind of bonus program. Come on, let’s go down. We’ll sign up and then we are getting on one of those bikes. I want to get my blood pumping. I want to look like those ladies coming out of spin class.”

  “Those seats give me a wedgie.”

  “Then pull it out. Let’s go. No excuses.”

  I followed her downstairs, and as expected, there was a line at the computer. We waited our turn. Jeff was a hot item in the gym. His days were filled but we found his pilot program. It only had two other names so far.

  “I hate you,” I complained as we walked to the bikes. We climbed on and set off. Jeff was working with a client. I was surprised to see it was a male. The dude must have paid some woman off to get her time slot.

  The two men were laughing and sweating. Those were two things that just didn’t fit together in my world. If I was sweating and in pain, the last thing I wanted to do was laugh. Jeff high-fived the man after a particularly grueling round on some arm machine. He glanced over and saw me watching him. He stared back at me until I was forced to look away.

  I tri
ed to focus on what I was doing, but I once again found myself searching the gym to find him. He was doing some squatting thing, his leg muscles bulging.

  Damn, he really was one very fine male specimen.

  Chapter 13

  Jeff

  I couldn’t think straight with her inches away from me. I knew this was a bad idea. I couldn’t stand behind her and show her how to lift the kettle bell without touching her. Without smelling her hair or her skin.

  “Up,” I said, her hair moving as I spoke. “Hold.”

  Her arm was shaking. I put my hands on her hips and steadied her before moving to her friend Sue. I had to be extra careful I gave them all the same attention. I didn’t want any of them to think I was favoring Alora.

  I also didn’t want Alora to feel uncomfortable with my attention. What I was doing wasn’t out of the ordinary. My job required a lot of touching and close interaction. It was just part of the job and usually it never bothered me. It did now. I was fighting an erection like nobody’s business.

  “Good job, everyone,” I said after we completed the kettle bell portion of our session. “We’re going to move over to everyone’s favorite, the ropes.”

  There was some groaning, mostly from Alora. She hated doing the exercise. She had yet to really figure it out. “Why don’t I work on the treadmill?” she said.

  “The treadmill doesn’t give you as much bang for your buck,” I told her.

  “You always say that.”

  “Because it’s true. All right, Sue you’re up first. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  She eagerly stepped up to the ropes and grabbed them in her hands. “Like this?”

  “Yep. Go for it. You’ve got this.”

  She struggled at first but started to get the hang of it. “Yes! I’m doing it!”

  “Yeah, you are,” I said and turned to Alora. “You’re up.”

  “I think Sue is doing a great job. I don’t want to interrupt her.”

  Sue dropped the ropes before putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward. “That was crazy. I can’t believe I actually did it. I feel it.”

  “It’s a total body workout, which is why I want all of you to give it a try. Spend five minutes doing this and you are going to burn a lot of calories while increasing your strength and endurance. That’s our goal.”

  I turned to Alora. She did not look happy. “Fine,” she muttered.

  She stepped up to the ropes and picked them up. I wasn’t sure how she did it, but she managed to get them twisted.

  “Let me show you,” I offered.

  Her cheeks were bright red as she stepped out of the way. I lifted the ropes and suddenly had an idea. She was nervous around me. She looked at me like she both hated me and admired me. She was intimidated by my skill in the gym and embarrassed by her own. I knew just how to fix it.

  I picked up the ropes and stood too close on purpose. I gave them a good shake while bending over too far. The thick rope smacked me in the nose. I jerked back, dropping the ropes and covering my face. Then I fell right on my ass.

  “Oh no!” Sue called. “Are you okay?” She dropped to her knees beside me.

  “I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound frustrated and embarrassed. I got up and wiped my nose. “You don’t want to do that,” I told Alora, who was looking at me with a hint of a smile on her lips.

  “I would guess not,” she said.

  I picked up the ropes again and struggled to get them to roll. Once I got them going, I looked over at her. “Ready to try?”

  “Fine.”

  I helped her get started, standing behind her and reaching forward to put my hands on hers. It was a very intimate position. I stepped away the second I began to feel my body stirring to life. I cleared my throat and offered words of encouragement as the others took their turn.

  I spent the next forty-five minutes doing my best to make an ass out of myself to keep Alora smiling and the rest of the men and women at ease. It seemed to be working. They were far more willing to try something new. If that was what it took to help them, I would do it. I would do whatever they needed me to do to help them get healthy.

  “I’ll see everyone tomorrow,” I said as our class wrapped up. “Ice those aching knees if you need to, but don’t give up. Tomorrow we are going to have some fun with the tires.”

  “You have a whole gym full of equipment, why are we messing with ropes and tires?” one of the participants asked.

  I gave my best smile. “Because at heart, I’m a Texas boy, and in Texas, farm work keeps a person in shape. These gyms are figuring that out and bringing those old tractor tires in because they work.”

  They didn’t look convinced. I headed for the locker room to grab a quick shower before my appointment with ERock. It was my third appointment. I didn’t feel like we were getting anywhere but I knew things could take time. I was going to give the guy a chance to fix my life, but if things didn’t start changing, I was giving up on the life coach thing. I could fuck up my own life and save a few hundred bucks.

  After my shower, I stopped by Fran’s office. She’d been riding my ass about the Alora thing. She wanted daily reports. “Hey there,” she said when I knocked on her open door.

  “I’m leaving for the day,” I told her.

  “How was it? Is she being any more enthusiastic?”

  I shook my head. “Nope, not really. Does her father know she doesn’t want this?”

  “I don’t think he cares. It’s what he wants. He’s our boss and we do what he wants. Besides, it isn’t like you are pushing drugs on her. You are trying to help her live a healthier lifestyle.”

  “Yes, but I can’t make her do anything. This has to be her decision.”

  “And it will be. Just keep pushing her in the right direction.”

  “I will.”

  “Do you think she’s lost any weight?”

  I frowned at her. “I don’t think that’s any of my business.”

  “It is exactly your business. That’s what you are paid to do.”

  “I don’t know and I’m not going to ask her.”

  “Fine, I will. Or I’ll have Bunny talk to her.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t agree with that. This group is nervous about the gym world. I’m easing them in and making them feel comfortable with the idea of being comfortable in their own skin. If you go in hard, they are going to retreat. If she doesn’t come back, we have a much bigger problem on our hands.”

  She didn’t look pleased. “Fine, but we need measurable results. I don’t care if it’s a scale or a BMI test, but we have to be able to show her father we can work with the hardest cases.”

  “She isn’t a hard case. She looks plenty healthy to me.”

  “You’re defensive.”

  “I’m protecting my clients. She doesn’t need your judgment or her father’s. No wonder she didn’t want to come here.”

  I walked away before I said anything else that might get my ass fired. I did not like to make anyone feel like shit. Alora was trying. I thought that was admirable. I knew what it was like to be out of shape and struggling with self-esteem. It had sucked to be surrounded by beautiful people when I was struggling to look at myself in the mirror.

  I drove to ERock’s house/office. I was beginning to feel a little silly for asking for help. I should be able to handle this on my own. I went inside with the mindset it was going to be my last visit.

  “Come on in,” he said. “How are you?”

  “Good. Great.”

  “That sounds forced.”

  “It’s been going well.”

  “Sit and explain what has been going well.”

  “I’m working on making friends,” I said. “It’s been difficult to keep my emotions in check.”

  “How so?”

  I wasn’t sure if there was any life coach and client confidentiality, but I had to trust someone. I was struggling. “Alora,” I said.

  “Alora? What about her?”

 
“Man, I’ve had a crush on her for as long as I can remember. I came back thinking I might run into her. I never thought I would be working for her father. Her father has demanded I be Alora’s personal trainer. You’re telling me I can’t date and all I can think about is dating her.”

  He chuckled. “Dating? Is that what we are calling it?”

  “It isn’t like that.”

  “Jeff, you’ve got it bad for her still.”

  “Still?”

  He laughed, a full belly laugh. “Dude, everyone knew you were hot for her. It was like she was a dog in heat, and you followed her around. If she would have asked you to do anything, you would have done it.”

  I groaned. “I didn’t know everyone knew.”

  He nodded. “They did.”

  “I suppose they all knew she shut me down.”

  “No one really knew what it was that happened, but there were rumors.”

  “I asked her to the last dance of the year. She shot me down cold. It felt like I’d been kicked.”

  “I’m sorry. Do you think that’s where some of this baggage you are carrying comes from?”

  “I have no doubt in my mind that is exactly where it came from.”

  “I felt bad for you,” he said. “I really did. I thought you two were great together. I think she cared about you but not in the way you cared about her.”

  “Yes, I know. She told me she liked me as a friend but nothing more.”

  “You two were really good friends.”

  “Yes, but I thought there was going to be more. I thought we would one day be married and have kids. Stupid childhood fantasies.”

  “She is the reason you can’t quite move on.”

  “I know but that is why I’m here. I need to figure out how to put away that old schoolboy crush. It didn’t mean anything. I need to get my brain to figure out that it is not happening. It’s been twelve years and I knew it was never going to happen. Then I came back here and there was this little, tiny glimmer of hope. She doesn’t even know who I am. She has been around me for weeks and she doesn’t have a clue. If I meant anything to her, she would have at least known who I was.”

  “It was a long time ago. I am going to tell you something and I don’t say it to be cruel. You were in love with Alora. She was the star of your early teens. You orbited around her, but she was orbiting around Todd. What you felt for her was sweet, but it wasn’t reciprocated.”