Sam’s leg lightly, feeling the muscles move under her hand.
“You jog?” she asked.
Sam was conscious of the hand that rested against her thigh as she breathed hard to finish the set. “Used to. But not in a couple of years. I make do with a stationary bike now.”
“Better than nothing. Your legs look like they’re in good shape.”
“Thanks.” For some reason, that made her feel better. Then she leaned up. “Why aren’t you working out?”
“I’ll do it later tonight. I promised I’d help you,” she said.
“Can’t we do both? I hate that you’re just standing around watching me.”
Tori raised her eyebrows. “Could be worse,” she teased. “I could be stuck watching Sikes or somebody.”
Samantha grinned. She loved it when Tori was relaxed and teasing. “Why don’t you work out now with me? Then I’ll treat you to dinner,” Sam offered.
“Dinner?”
“Yes. I doubt you’ll take the time to eat if you’re planning on working out later. Come on, we’ll get a burger or something.”
Tori stared. She hadn’t been asked out to dinner in so long, she hardly knew how to respond. Who knew? Apparently, Sam liked her. So she nodded.
Samantha flashed her a smile and reached out and squeezed her arm.
“Thanks.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re getting off lightly,” Tori said. She took the machine next to Sam. Leg curls. She stretched out on her stomach and hooked her ankles beneath the bar. She closed her eyes and took a breath, then curled her legs behind her in a steady rhythm, counting silently to herself.
Samantha stared at the legs stretched out beside her, calf muscles bulging with each repetition. She looked at her own thin legs, wondering if she’d ever have that much definition.
“Come on, Sam. Another set,” Tori said beside her.
“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled.
They moved through the various weight machines, Tori helping Sam reacquaint herself with them. It had been years since she’d been in a gym. She actually felt invigorated by the exercise. She followed Tori’s instructions, not at all self-conscious as she struggled through some of the weights. But later, in the locker room, shyness overtook her as she undressed only a few lockers down from Tori. Tori apparently didn’t have a shy bone in her body. She stripped where she stood, walking naked into the shower.
“Good God,” Sam murmured as she watched Tori walk away. The woman was a goddess, sculpted body head to toe. She looked down at her own body, still clad in sports bra and shorts. She certainly wasn’t embarrassed by her body. In fact, Robert said on numerous occasions that she had a wonderful body. It just wasn’t as defined as Tori’s. Well, that’s why she was here, she told herself. She slipped off her bra and shorts and grabbed a towel, walking quickly into a shower stall.
Tori was already dressed when she walked out. She was bending over tying her shoes, and she glanced once at Samantha, then away.
“I’ll wait outside for you,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll just be a sec,” Samantha said.
She dropped her towel as soon as Tori left, dressing quickly. She pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, ran a brush through her damp hair and shoved everything into her gym bag. She found Tori sitting on a weight bench when she walked out.
“Better?” Tori asked.
Samantha smiled. “I feel great. Thank you.”
Tori stood and shoved both hands in her pockets, waiting.
“How about Albert’s over on Pearl?” Sam asked. “It’s casual enough.”
“Sure. I’ll follow you.”
Samantha was conscious of the Explorer behind her and she looked up several times in her mirror. She was nervous and she couldn’t imagine why. Maybe because she hadn’t told Robert. Then she glanced at her cell phone, which was off. She could call him, but she doubted it would be a short conversation. No, she would talk to him afterward.
Albert’s was crowded for a weeknight and they had to sit at the bar until a table opened
“You jog?” she asked.
Sam was conscious of the hand that rested against her thigh as she breathed hard to finish the set. “Used to. But not in a couple of years. I make do with a stationary bike now.”
“Better than nothing. Your legs look like they’re in good shape.”
“Thanks.” For some reason, that made her feel better. Then she leaned up. “Why aren’t you working out?”
“I’ll do it later tonight. I promised I’d help you,” she said.
“Can’t we do both? I hate that you’re just standing around watching me.”
Tori raised her eyebrows. “Could be worse,” she teased. “I could be stuck watching Sikes or somebody.”
Samantha grinned. She loved it when Tori was relaxed and teasing. “Why don’t you work out now with me? Then I’ll treat you to dinner,” Sam offered.
“Dinner?”
“Yes. I doubt you’ll take the time to eat if you’re planning on working out later. Come on, we’ll get a burger or something.”
Tori stared. She hadn’t been asked out to dinner in so long, she hardly knew how to respond. Who knew? Apparently, Sam liked her. So she nodded.
Samantha flashed her a smile and reached out and squeezed her arm.
“Thanks.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re getting off lightly,” Tori said. She took the machine next to Sam. Leg curls. She stretched out on her stomach and hooked her ankles beneath the bar. She closed her eyes and took a breath, then curled her legs behind her in a steady rhythm, counting silently to herself.
Samantha stared at the legs stretched out beside her, calf muscles bulging with each repetition. She looked at her own thin legs, wondering if she’d ever have that much definition.
“Come on, Sam. Another set,” Tori said beside her.
“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled.
They moved through the various weight machines, Tori helping Sam reacquaint herself with them. It had been years since she’d been in a gym. She actually felt invigorated by the exercise. She followed Tori’s instructions, not at all self-conscious as she struggled through some of the weights. But later, in the locker room, shyness overtook her as she undressed only a few lockers down from Tori. Tori apparently didn’t have a shy bone in her body. She stripped where she stood, walking naked into the shower.
“Good God,” Sam murmured as she watched Tori walk away. The woman was a goddess, sculpted body head to toe. She looked down at her own body, still clad in sports bra and shorts. She certainly wasn’t embarrassed by her body. In fact, Robert said on numerous occasions that she had a wonderful body. It just wasn’t as defined as Tori’s. Well, that’s why she was here, she told herself. She slipped off her bra and shorts and grabbed a towel, walking quickly into a shower stall.
Tori was already dressed when she walked out. She was bending over tying her shoes, and she glanced once at Samantha, then away.
“I’ll wait outside for you,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll just be a sec,” Samantha said.
She dropped her towel as soon as Tori left, dressing quickly. She pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, ran a brush through her damp hair and shoved everything into her gym bag. She found Tori sitting on a weight bench when she walked out.
“Better?” Tori asked.
Samantha smiled. “I feel great. Thank you.”
Tori stood and shoved both hands in her pockets, waiting.
“How about Albert’s over on Pearl?” Sam asked. “It’s casual enough.”
“Sure. I’ll follow you.”
Samantha was conscious of the Explorer behind her and she looked up several times in her mirror. She was nervous and she couldn’t imagine why. Maybe because she hadn’t told Robert. Then she glanced at her cell phone, which was off. She could call him, but she doubted it would be a short conversation. No, she would talk to him afterward.
Albert’s was crowded for a weeknight and they had to sit at the bar until a table opened
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