Assigned gym instructors
2125 Words
Caroline's POV
"Argh!" Harriet hopped around the living room with one leg as she struggled to fit into her jeans and trousers.
"Why do I find this sight pleasing?" I tapped my chin thoughtfully.
"Ah! Yes, I remember." I smirked at her. "It is because you refused to go check out this new gym with me and I find watching you struggling remarkably pleasing." I slurped my orange juice.
"You are an antagonist." She glared at me and continued pulling the jeans to fit her wide hips.
"An antagonist that wants the best for you."
"Are you sure about that? Or you just need someone to tag along with you so you don't feel lonely." She pouted and rolled her eyes.
"Fine! I need to burn down some calories and I think it will do you good as well, don't you think?" I c****d a brow at her.
"I think I'm perfect just the way I am and I can't afford to go through the punishment of exercising when I can get weight loss pills." Sweat pooled at her neck as she growled while forcing the jeans to fit well.
"But they mostly don't work and you know that." I finished my juice and disposed the pack.
"I know that they are less stressful than lifting dumbells."
"Ever heard of the saying no pain no gain? You need to work hard to gain your dream body."
"Yes, I will work so hard by swallowing my pills consistently, and you can go on lifting weights." She waved a dismissive hand and settled on the couch.
"There will be lots of hot guys there, I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss out on the view." I wiggled my brows at her. "Would you?"
"I really don't care. I just want to stalk Mason online in peace." She hissed.
"It's Jason. I sometimes wonder if you don't mistake yourself for Holly." I shook my head.
"Wait a minute!" She snapped her fingers at me. "What is the name of the gym?" She sat up immediately.
"Powerhouse fitness gym, why?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Snapchat just showed me that he is currently at the gym and he posted a video of himself on a thread mill on i********: and tagged the location." She rose to her feet immediately, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me excitedly.
"So does that mean you will be following me to check it out today?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Yes dumbass. This is a chance for me to apologize as well as have the amazing view of his rippling abs drenched in his sparkling sweat." She twirled around excitedly, twerking her ass for me while I fist-pumped the air and joined her.
"Yass b***h! Let's do this already." I drummed rolled on the table and we both rushed to our rooms to change into a gym-appropriate outfits.
Edging my way to my wardrobe which pretty much contained a box of my unpacked clothes, I pulled out my well-planned outfit. A black pair of black pin-tucked pants with a stretchy waistband and a floating purple shirt that hung almost to my knees and a pair of industrial suck-me-in underwear.
I also turned to grab my water bottle, earpiece, a novel, and a shade and immediately hurried out to meet an anticipating lovesick puppy jiggling her car key at me.
"What the f**k are you wearing?!" She eyed me from down to up.
"A comfortable outfit to shield my jiggly body when I start exercising." I shrugged.
"Oh no! Honey, go and change into some leggings and a sports bra or something. That shirt has to go." She shook her head at me. She just pretty much described what she is draped on only in a flashy pink colour.
"I'm choosing comfort over anything else so it's best we leave before we miss Jason." I bit my lips and blinked repeatedly.
"Right! That's true. C'mon." She led me out of the house into the hot Saturday morning sun as we hurriedly climbed the seat of her Nissan jeep that she bought a month ago. I can still remember popping champagne around while we tore the brand new nylon that came with it.
The radio was turned on and a reporter was filling us on the update on Russia's invasion of Ukraine with several missile strikes on Kyiv the capital of Ukraine. The President of Russia even further added that an attack would be launched on any country that dared try to interfere in the war.
Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on his official page that "peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes" and called the situation "a war of aggression." The reporter further added by ending the report with a question for the audience as he wondered if this was another cold war or a world war III manifesting again.
"My heart is with the poor citizen of Ukraine. War in the year 2022 wasn't predicted even though the threat of the invasion has been going on for months." Harriet reduced the speed of the jeep and slowly turned into the Gym's garage and packed her car.
"Vladimir Putin issued threats and went on with it. Let's hope the allied forces and united nation intervenes early enough before a massive destruction wrecks Ukrainians." I alighted from the car and slammed the door.
"Easy with my baby!" Harriet glared at me as she marched forward into the building.
The powerhouse fitness gym is a huge modernized two-story building with a touch of the latest architectural trends. The garage was covered in carpet grass and a gardener is currently trimming through some grasses to spell out the name of the fitness center in a more pronounced manner. Several luxurious cars were parked in the garage, meaning top wealthy folks visited this new infrastructure either to show off or to connect with potential business partners. I could feel my insecurities slipping up like a thick overcoat, making me feel small and the stare the receptionist spared me the moment we walked in made me doubt my decision as a part of me wanted to run back home and hide within the comfort of a blanket on a couch while feeding on glazed doughnuts, crusty KFC chicken laps, and Oreos.
"Welcome to powerhouse fitness gym," the skinny receptionist in a face cap and track pants interrupted my train of thoughts with a fake smile like she wasn't judging a few seconds ago.
"The horse with forelimbs raised high is our coat of arm that signifies efforts and results." She pointed to a huge sculpted black horse that was attached to the name of the gym and placed by the wall for all to see.
"We are here to register for a month, if we see results then we will pay to subscribe and if we don't, we will bolt." Harriet blew a gum and said nonchalantly.
"Hmm! I'm afraid that is not how fast losing weight works but we can schedule a private gym instructor to help you with recommended exercises to work on whatever part you are trying to trim." She said with a repeat of her fake smile.
"How do you know we are here to trim our weights? What if we wanted to build our gluteus maximus?" Harriet crossed her hands over her chest.
"Glutes Maximus?!" She raised a brow at us.
"It means ass, butt, buttocks, or whatever it is y'all call it." I rolled my eyes at her.
"I just assume-" she was saying when Harriet cut her off.
"Assumption was what killed the cat." She bit back.
"Nah! Curiosity was what killed the cat, try mouse perhaps." I whisper-yelled to Harriet while she made an "oh!" Sound.
"The gym fee is just $2000 per individual." She rubbed her hands together before picking a book to register us.
"Now that's a huge rip-off! I'm bolting." Harriet tried to walk back right through the door and she unlocked her car with the automatic key in her hands.
"C'mon Harry! It is a new place and even the category of people here are high-profiled." I pulled her back.
"High-profiled my ass. I'm outta here, I don't need no gym, and don't ever call me that." She tried to pull away from me with a frown marring her features.
"Harriet!" A waving Jason hollered as he stepped inside the gym. He looked like he stepped out hurriedly to pick up his water bottle from his car because he had a towel over his neck already and he dripped of sweat.
"Hey, Ma-" she facepalmed and tried again. "Hi, Jason." She waved excitedly.
"What are you doing here?" He smiled at her.
"I was just registering." She let out a peal of cackle. "I'm trying to burn down stomach fat and keep fit because weight loss pills are a total rip-off." She jumped to express herself better while I facepalmed.
"Hey Jason, it is nice meeting you again." I finally spoke up.
"Hello Caroline, it's good to see you too." He extended his hands for a shake.
"Yeah, and I will be leaving her in your company for a while because I need to work on myself." I accepted the handshake.
"Sure but not before you issue a warning to her not to puke all over me again." He grinned at us, displaying his deep-rooted dimples.
"You have no idea how sor-" Harriet squinted her eyes shut.
"Shh!" He made eye contact with her and pulled her to himself.
"You have no idea how much I have missed seeing you, C'mon guys." He said as he dropped four thousand dollars on the receptionists' table before ushering us in.
I sucked in my stomach and inspected myself in front of the mirror in the reception office of the gym before sighing heavily. Today marks the day everything changes. I want Jack to stumble across me months from now and fall on his knees to beg me while I stand there adamantly and look pretty.
I pushed the door open, shaking my back-length hair and attempting to greet the day with complete confidence. I have got this s**t handled and that will be my mantra from now henceforth. The air conditioner blasted cool air the moment I stepped in and the sight of people working out aggressively greeted me. Harriet and Jason were at a far-end corner with an instructor training them.
"Hello miss, welcome to powerhouse fitness gym, your assigned instructor will see you soon." A petite lady in the same attire and face cap as the receptionist said.
My gaze shifted between the people in the room. A guy with arms the size of a Christmas turkey sat on a bench, elbow on his knees, lifting a heavyweight bar while watching his biceps in the mirror. His eyes seemed to fall in love with himself every time his veins bulged.
And all of a sudden, I had the craziest idea ever. I decided I was going to do something new. If the young brunette lady over there could lift heavy weights and squats at the same time then I can do better.
I walked towards the weight lifting section and reached for a heavy lifting bar stacked in a corner of the room. Sweat trickled down my face and back as I struggled to lift it. I soon began to grunt and groan loudly as everyone stared back at me in amusement. Embarrassment crept into my skin slowly but I wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"Need some help?" A voice asked from behind me.
"Nah! I'm good and usually very strong. I feel like this bar is the stubborn one." I chuckled nervously and continued struggling with more groans and grunts.
The person didn't leave, instead, he chuckled in fascination. I continued struggling, not paying attention to the stranger.
"The offer for help is still valid you know?" He pressed on.
I sighed tiredly and continued struggling. "Fine! Just a little help."
He chuckled and lifted the weights with me from behind, for two minutes before dropping them safely on the floor. I turned to say thank you but it got stuck in my mouth when I saw whose help I just accepted.
"Mr fragile little ego?" I let out an exasperated sigh as I stared at him with wide eyes.
"The one and only predator who considers himself king over all werewolves." He bobbed his head.
"I didn't know you come here, I have never seen you around."I swallowed hard as I watched him glistening with moisture and sparkly abs.
"I don't just come here, I work here and I'm your assigned gym instructor." He smirked at me, mischief dancing in his eyes.
- Writer
