"Come here," his voice is gentle again.
She gives in, placing her small hand in his. Lifting the cloth, he sees her blood spill out from her palm. He inhales sharply through his teeth and presses the rag back down. They sit there like that for abo...
Kim pulls her slick, black sports bra over her head and forces her arms through the holes, before shimmying it down over her bosom. The green diamonds on the sides match the green diamonds down her black, lycra capri leggings. Standing in front of the mirror, she turns to the side, admiring how flat her stomach appears to be getting with every workout. She pulls her straight, dark hair up into a high pony tail and grabs her water bottle from the locker before closing it and twisting the key.
The butterflies dance and dive inside her as she walks down the long hall past the treadmills, to a glass-walled room filled with stationary bikes. This is the third time she is riding with Jamie but the first time they'd actually planned to cycle together. It is also the first time she's actually matched her sports bra to her exercise pants, and she feels a bit foolish about it. Jamie seemed to be sparking interests in things she'd never before been interested in, like fashionable outfits at the gym. She met the tall entertainment lawyer during her first ever spin class, a fairly new exercise trend in Los Angeles. She blows a sharp burst of air out of her nostrils and a subtle smile crosses her lips. Change can be fun, sometimes.
She enters the spacious room, finding him in the last row where he's saving the bicycle in the corner next to his. He will be the only one next to her during spin class; she hopes that is by design. Grabbing a folded towel to mop up anticipated sweat, she flings it over her shoulder and tries to glide across the floor in as athletic and attractive of a manner as she can muster. What's come over me? she wonders, continuing to focus on making a good impression.
She reaches her bike and he stands next to his, moving in for an awkward hug and a small kiss on her cheek. It feels like someone grazed her skin with the hot end of a recently used lighter, leaving an exquisite shock sensation. She smiles again, this one harder to conceal.
She begins the centuries-old ritual of small talk, but is soon cut off by the instructor, with a microphone strapped to her head.
"Welcome to your hour-long beginner workout. I'm going to get right into it because I don't want to waste any of your time. I'm so excited about this class because it is our very first hip hop theme."
Her mouth still open, Kim swallows her words and obediently mounts the bike, setting her water bottle in its holder. For the first few minutes they warm up, increasing their speed ever so slightly as directed. Then they enter into a conditioning phase, and she can't help but notice the shiny, sticky appearance of his neck as he begins to build up a sweat.
He raises off of his seat, his biceps clearly defined as he holds his weight.
A vision pops into her head of lying down, Jamie holding himself in a plank above her, longing to feel the sensation of that wet skin on his neck against hers. She shakes her head and faces the instructor, hoping he didn't notice as they enter a recovery phase. Her heartbeat spikes and she feels a catch in her breath as she stares ahead.
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