Cupid's Contract

Nickelodeon's Nipple

Perched on her saddle, Eve tried to hide the pain that was radiating through her groin as she waited for the instructor to begin the class. She had managed to squeeze into the tight spandex but her 'emergency gym bag' was without socks, so her Nikes were rubbing in a way that guaranteed blisters. Determined to avoid any awkward explanations, she had told Daniel to meet her in the class, and rushed off before he could catch up with her. This meant that while she had not had time for a pre-exercise coffee, she had successfully gotten one half of the couple to their date, without either realising it was a date.

Not too shabby, Higgins. Not too shabby at all.

The bike seat was giving Eve a wedgie, and as she wriggled around she took in the torture chamber she had voluntarily entered. The top of the room had big glass mirrors, the type that scared away the less fit mortals and invigorated those exercise goddesses that were drawn to these trends like white on rice. Ironic, really, considering most probably didn't believe in carbs.

In front of the mirrors was a bike that faced onto the rows and rows of occupied seats, each toned body busy adjusting the pedals of their equipment. Laura, keen class-goer that she was, had chosen two seats in the second row, to Eve's horror. Rather than lurking in the back row, unenthusiastically sweating and swearing, Eve would be in the spotlight for her mortification. Laura's peachy derriere was in Eve's peripheral vision as she spotted Daniel enter, his neon tank striking against the black bike shorts he clad his surprisingly muscular legs in. Fighting back a giggle, Eve waved him over, Laura's telltale blonde hair hidden as she continued to tighten her laces, none the wiser.

"Hey, sorry! Registration took ages! I'll have to sit in the back though, it's proper busy here, isn't it?" He still hadn't clocked Laura's presence and Eve, happy for the excuse to move to the back, as well as start the love-cycle, jumped off her bike.

"Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you sit up here with Laura? I'd be much better off in the back. You're both such keen cyclists, it makes more sense really." Eve was already moving away from the metal contraption, her water bottle and towel in hand.

"Laura?" Daniel looked decidedly confused, as if it had not occurred to him that the perky posterior currently thrust into the air could also contain a face, never mind one that he knew.

"Sorry?" At the mention of her name, the woman in question straightened, turning around, and promptly flushed an adorable pink. If Eve were not a woman on a mission, she would have been jealous of the dainty display. It was much more preferable to the nuclear heat of her own blushes. "Oh! Daniel! Hi!"

If Eve didn't know any better, she'd say this crush was not one-sided. Scratch that. Eve did know better. The locket, which she had tucked into her sports bra when changing in the locker rooms, had come alive as the pair reached each other, the metal gently warming the underside of her left breast, a sensation that was currently soothing but would no doubt cause terrible chaffing and sweat once any exercise actually happened.

"Oh... hallo there, Laura..." Daniel, in contrast to Laura, had lost all colour. The lime green of the sweatband he had wrapped around his forehead was made all the brighter by the grey pallor of his cheeks. "I'm, uh, well, hi, how are you?"

Jesus take the wheel, this is uncomfortable, thought Eve, one hand gripping her water bottle, the other rubbing the necklace which had begun to vibrate slightly.

"Oh... I'm all right... how are you, Daniel?" Laura's eyes were looking anywhere but at the man himself, and landed instead on Eve, her eyebrows furrowing as she took in the female. "Eve?"