Brian turned the key in the lock and opened the door to his apartment, shuffling through a pile of mail as he entered. He threw a few pieces of junk mail away and set the other envelopes on the huge stack of overdue notices and bills he already had on his kitchen table. The phone rang, and Caller ID said it was business.
"Brian Johnson, personal trainer." Brian muttered, stretching his athletic frame and exhaling.
"Hi, Brian, I'm just calling in response to your ad that I saw in the newspaper," the female, breathy voice caught his attention.
"Oh. Right. Okay, uh, how may I help you?" He perked up.
"Well, I need a personal trainer." She sounded amused.
"Okay, sure. What's a good time to set up your free consultation?"
"How about tomorrow night, say, at 7pm at my place."
"Sounds good. What's your address?"
"15225 Main Street, Apt.1, Springfield."
Brian jotted the address and time down in his desk planner. "And your name, ma'am?"
"Ma'am? I hope I'm not that old, Brian! Call me Cindy," she laughed.
"And your phone number?"
"215-555-1234."
"Great! I'll be there at 7 tomorrow evening. Take care, Cindy."
"I'm looking forward to it, Brian."
"Bye."
"See ya."
Brian hung up with a higher heart rate than when he'd first picked up the phone. Who was this woman with the charming voice? It didn't matter, he supposed. Brian never mixed business with pleasure. He couldn't afford to.
He thought he'd be able to find work and establish himself pretty fast after graduation, but he was wrong. At that moment he was a personal trainer and desk assistant at the local gym, but he didn't make much money. He could make a lot more working independently, which is what he was trying for, placing newspaper ads, hanging flyers, and passing out business cards.
A few potential clients had responded so far, including this one. Once he could get those referrals rolling, he'd be okay. But for now, money was tight. He had to take whatever business he could get, and he definitely had to keep whatever business he had.
***
"6:57. Wow, you are punctual!" Cindy exclaimed as she let him in.
"And I always will be, unless something comes up, but in that very rare event that I would run late, I would call you immediately to let you know or to reschedule."
"Good." She smiled.
As he got his bearings, he suddenly had time to notice what she was wearing: a tight, deeply v-necked purple sweater that accentuated her voluptuous breasts, slim black pants that hugged her curvy hips, and black patent leather heels. She had long, straight auburn hair, bright green eyes, and a lightly freckled complexion that reminded him of Minnie Driver's.
Her legs went on forever on her tall frame. She was only an inch or two shorter than him in those heels. She was a little heavier than he usually liked, but that's what he was there to train her for, right? For some other guy, of course, he reminded himself, because he couldn't date her while he was training her, no matter how hot she was!
These observations took about a second, and then he said, "Let's discuss workout attire first. You'll need a pair of comfortable cross-trainers in good condition, a loose-fitting t-shirt and shorts, breathable cotton socks, and since you're a lady, I would also suggest a supportive cotton blend sports bra."
"What about underwear?"
"What?" Brian raised his eyebrows.
"Well, you've covered everything else," Cindy smiled, with a glint in her eye.
Brian tried to keep his voice steady. "Health experts recommend cotton because it's breathable and absorbs sweat, which you will have a lot of working with me." He paused briefly, seeing the huge smile on her face. He continued, "Whatever's comfortable. I don't want you thinking about tugging on uncomfortable clothes while working out with me."
He tried to sound professional. It certainly hadn't escaped his notice that she had no panty lines on this particular evening.
"Would you like to sit down?"
"Sure, do you have a kitchen table we can sit at? It would probably be easier if we had a place to hold these papers."
"Right over there. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"A glass of water will be fine, thanks."
"Lemon?"
"No, plain is fine, thank you," he smiled kindly.
She beamed at him. "You are very welcome."
She cheerfully got his water and got herself an unsweetened iced tea with lemon and sat right next to him at the circular table. He swallowed hard. She was sitting awfully close, but he didn't want to seem rude and ask her to back up. Besides, she did need to see the paperwork. She smelled lightly of watermelon and roses. Despite the iced tea, her breath was sweet and inviting.
Clearing his throat, he began, "Before our first session, I will need you to fill out some quizzes to help me figure out what your interests and goals are. In there is also a form you will need to have your doctor sign that says you are healthy enough to work out."
He handed her a packet of sheets stapled together.
"Your first session will begin with your first workout, of course, for which I usually do a variety of different exercises just to get you started until the next session. I will also take a fitness assessment and we will go over your fitness goals and discuss nutrition. Any questions so far?"
"Not so far," she smiled, brushing his leg with hers. "But if I think of something, I'll be sure to speak up."
She touched his arm briefly. Each time she touched him he felt miniwaves of fire coursing through his skin. His heart started pounding again.
"Great, so let me tell you a little bit about my training and some types of programs I've designed for people before. I have a B.S. in kinesiology, but I've been working out and been interested in sports since I was a kid. In high school and college I played football, basketball, and soccer, and in the summers I swam for my local swim club team."
"You were busy!"
"Yup, I barely had time to do anything else, all right."
Intuitively, she said, "Must've been pretty lonely."
Cindy was right. He hadn't really dated anyone seriously since his high school sweetheart, Charlotte, broke his heart at graduation. Penn State was his next destination, whereas she was staying closer to home at Temple University.
Charlotte had said that since he never had time for her in high school, why would he once he was a couple hundred miles away from her? He couldn't come up with a good argument for that, because he knew she was right. Once he was at college, he was so busy with sports and studying kinesiology that he'd had no time to start a relationship.
He lived alone. He was a health fanatic, so going to smoky, alcohol-filled bars and clubs wasn't his thing. He hung out with friends a lot, but that usually meant going to the gym and shooting hoops, running laps, or lifting, nothing with real conversation and certainly no place for meeting romantically inclined women. Sometimes he went camping and hiked with a couple buddies he knew from college on the weekends on the Appalachian Trail, and they'd talk then once in a while. That was about it.
He continued, "So, since college, I've been working at the Sporty Gym and slowly developing my personal training career. I've helped bodybuilders, runners, high school and college athletes, grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads, and dozens of people who just want to get in shape and needed a little guidance.
"So, those are my qualifications. I will work with your schedule as best I can, and I will work with your fitness goals and interests every step of the way to develop the program that's best for you. Just drop those quizzes and the doctor's form in the mail in the postage paid envelope within the next couple days, and we can set up a time for our first session for next week."
