The return to our Paris hotel was uneventful. We had a good time aboard the ship visiting all the marvelous places along the Seine, but it wasn't as fun with Tam in mom's stateroom. Tam and I didn't have any more intimate encounters, obviously because mom was pretty much back to normal health-wise, which was nice.
We did tour Paris this time around taking in the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre Museum, along with the Arc de Triumphe. Tam was impressed with those and French cuisine All of us were unimpressed with crowds and traffic. We did pass by Princesse Tam Tam, which got a wink from Tam and tingle between my legs.
I sighed out loud recalling Tam and I trying on the lingerie as we drove by though nobody said anything when I did.
The flight home was long and tedious. I watched another four movies since I can't sleep on airplanes. It's way too loud with the engines and uncomfortable sitting up. It's the only thing about river cruises in Europe I dislike.
We went our separate ways after stopping at mom's house. I took a couple of days off work to unwind and do laundry, catch up on my sleep, and just be lazy. I felt lonely having been with Tam and mom for nearly two weeks, continually gabbing and enjoying their company. I thought about calling Tam to see if we could hook up but thought better about it. Our brief affair was in the past, I had to get over it.
I'd missed my gym time during our trip. The few times I'd spent working out didn't offset the guilt I felt eating and drinking as much as we did. I needed that rush only hard workout can give.
I went in later than my usual time, having slept in since I didn't have to go to work. The gym was a little more crowded than I expected. Then it dawned on me the women here were most likely moms that had gotten their mates off to work and their kids off to school. It's was their 'me' time.
I didn't see Tam around figuring she was with mom or her place getting over her jet lag. The atmosphere seemed a bit lighter too. They were small groups of ladies gossiping around a couple of weight machines. A pair were talking as they ran on the treadmills. It seemed more like a social hour than a gym.
I changed into my workout attire in the locker room, then headed out to my favorite elliptical to get my heart rate up. I was about five minutes into it watching some Hallmark show on the television hanging from the ceiling. My playlist was going through all my upbeat music. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman climb up on the machine next to me. Turning to her, I smiled and said hello. She smiled back, saying something I couldn't completely make out with my Airbuds in my ears.
I removed one, turning the music off, "I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said."
She laughed, "I said, hello. How's your morning going?"
I smiled, "Good so far, thank you. Yours?"
Then we started talking, something I hadn't done at the gym before. I mean being more social. Usually, I get in, get my workout done, say hello to a few of the ladies then go on my way. I guess different times at the gym you get different people with different views on working out depending on their lifestyles.
Monica introduced herself after pausing her machine. She gave me a brief 'sizing up' you might say and a complimentary smile. I had glanced at her while we were still moving. She had an adorable face, no make-up, and a smile that made me tingle.
She must have been pushing mid-thirties, her yoga pants fit nicely over her slight bubble butt. She wore a tattered tee over her sports bra and had her red hair tied into a long ponytail. Her body had just enough curves to make me want to see more. She wasn't athletic by any means, which wasn't a bad thing. She looked soft and delectable, probably due to having kids.
She asked if I were new; I smiled and told her I wasn't. I usually worked out very early before work. Explaining about my trip and the reason I was here so late. She beamed asked all sorts of questions about France and the cruise. I didn't tell her about Tam, not wanting to start any rumors. I just mentioned mom and I and that we vacation together annually. She thought that it was terrific that we could do it sighing as she did. She told me she was married, had a couple of young children who were her world. She didn't talk much about her husband, which seemed odd to me.
We talked the entire forty-five minutes on our machines. I mentioned my marathon goal, which Monica found impressive. She'd run track in High School but wasn't good enough in college. She'd gotten out of shape having her kids and was trying to work that off. The time seemed to fly, talking with her. During our 'talk time', she'd wave and say hi to other 'mom types' as they passed by. She was sweet, funny, a bit lonely I thought even though she greeted everyone. When we'd finished, we said our good-byes telling each other how nice it was to talk and hoping to do it again sometime. I went to the free weight area, and she wandered off to a small group of women clustered around an ab machine.
I focused on my lifting for the next half hour. With all the mirrors in the gym, I could see Monica move from little group to little group, use the machine in turn, then glance my way when she thought I wasn't looking. I felt flattered seeing her stare for brief moments until someone would say something, then she'd laugh or comment. Her attention gave me that familiar warm feeling between my legs that I enjoyed so much. She was married and had kids. I wasn't going to practice my flirting on her.
I finished up what I wanted to do, grabbed my things to take a shower, and change. I opened my locker, stripped-down, placing my sweaty gym clothes in my bag. I took my shampoo and body gel along with my towel to the shower. The showers are not all open but have curtains that afford a bit of privacy. I pulled mine closed with a quick swipe noting a small gap at the end where it didn't meet the wall. I could see out, but not the entire locker room.
As I was soaping down, I heard someone enter, a locker door opening, along with a deep sigh. I thought nothing of it, just another 'mom' who had finished her attempt at regaining some of her youthful figure.
I finished soaping, rinsing then lingering under the hot water. After turning the shower off, I flung the curtain back, not realizing how hard I did it. I stood there, dripping wet as a startled Monica in all her naked glory stood there, startled by my sudden opening of the curtain.
"Oh god, Celine. You scared the hell out of me!"
"I'm sorry, Monica. I didn't realize I yanked the curtain that hard."
She looked me over with an appreciative eye, "I'll live. I should have been paying attention. Celine, you are buff, I wish I could get back to that kind of fitness."
I blushed, grabbing my towel, covering up, "Thank you, Monica. Have you tried any of the trainers here? I was kind of lazy in my workouts until I had a session with Tam, I mean Tamera. She helped me set goals and also had a diet plan for me. Maybe you should talk to her or one of the other trainers."
She sighed as I looked her over. She was nice looking, sure having a couple of kids took its toll. She was curvy, far different from Tam. I kind of liked how she looked, soft and cuddly. I could picture myself devouring her lovely well-rounded breasts. I glanced down, noticing her full bush. Next to it on the inside of her hip, she had a small 'Winnie the Pooh' tattoo. Its paws were covering its mouth as if exclaiming, "Oh My." I smiled when I saw that.
"I love that tattoo, Monica. It's so cute!"
