Having only ever fucked one man before Victor railed me, I woke confused and felt around in the bed for his warm body. Discovering nobody, I panicked mildly before calming down, realizing this wasn't the same thing I'd almost had with Justin. Spooning, having a morning chat, and enjoying a few kisses weren't on the menu.
I dressed for the gym wearing black yoga pants, a grey compression short-sleeved sports shirt, and my favorite Nike sneakers. I remembered where the gymnasium was, took the elevator down, and helped myself to a bottle of water on the way in.
As luck would have it, a spinning class on one of four exercise bikes that lined up in a row had a class starting soon. I hopped on, connected myself to its heart rate monitor, and began warming up, scrolling through my playlist for suitable music.
A woman rushed into the gym carrying far too much gear, tripping awkwardly, grinning from ear to ear. She saw me, focused on the bike alongside, throwing her bag down behind.
"Has Kayleigh started yet?"
"Umm, no."
"Thank god for that. I thought I was late."
"You have a couple of minutes."
She leaped on the bike, glancing at and weighing me up while connecting and inserting her pods.
"I'm Hannah."
"Amy."
"You're the surrogate, right?"
"Yes, I am."
The label had taken some getting used to in the weeks leading up to my selection. At first, it sounded like whore, but then uncaring mother and womb for hire took center stage. Hannah didn't reveal her judgment by intonation or insinuation, so I wasn't sure whether I was dealing with a friend or foe.
"I'm Victor's girlfriend."
The fucking what now?
"Oh."
"I hoped we might become friends."
"Umm, really?"
"Yeah, why not?"
I heard Kayleigh's voice bringing the class to order at the exact moment Hannah did, so I focused on that and the massive video display of our instructor, my fellow riders, and the warm-up phase of our class.
"Nice and slow, ease in, stretch your hamstrings by standing and leaning forward, then compress calves and quads slowly."
The class chatter dissolved, and everyone got down to the scheduled hard and hilly session. We were riding around hills near Tokyo in late spring. Cherry blossom flooded my screen with a mild pink hue I could almost smell.
"Have you guys done it yet?"
"Umm, fuck, sorry, I thought we were on a group microphone for a moment there, Hannah."
"I am; you're muted."
"Is this really the time to discuss surrogacy in front of strangers?"
"You shouldn't be ashamed, Amy."
"I'm not, but neither am I here to discuss private matters with people I don't know."
I popped my pods in, spun pedals, and focused on our ride, irked by Hannah's intrusive nature. She hadn't seemed judgemental, but nevertheless, I felt disconcerted.
Does he have a girlfriend?
I thought Victor was unattached. He said so.
She's fucking beautiful too.
Hannah was a perky cheerleader type around my age. Her long jet-black hair was tied back in a perfect ponytail similar to mine, and she wore the same yoga pants with a similar shapewear top in bright orange.
When we set off, I sprinted out in front, setting the pace while cursing my competitive nature and the ego sunspot that fired me. Hannah cruised alongside me, activating private near-field communications I dared not reject for fear others might see me as hostile.
"I'm sorry. It's just you and me now."
"Why are you sorry?"
"I realize what you are doing is important for Victor."
"Yes. It's important for me as well."
"I know, sorry. I feel like a spare tool left out when all others have been stored away."
"I don't understand, Hannah."
"Victor speaks highly of you."
"He doesn't know me."
And neither do you.
"Victor assembled a ten-man research team to discover everything about your life, history, present, and potential."
"Holy fuck!"
"Sorry, Amy, I shouldn't be telling you anything. I was warned against it."
"By Victor?"
"Yes, it was more of a polite request, though. Victor never threatens or harms anyone. It's one reason why I love him so much."
His deep dive into my life sounded sinister, although I didn't think Hannah intended to make that impression. As I thought about that, realizing Victor was doing due diligence, I was surprised his girlfriend kept perfect pace with me as we pulled away from the peloton.
"It makes sense that Victor had looked into me in detail."
"Can I ask you a favor, Amy, please?"
"Yes, of course."
"Can you slow down a little?"
Hah! Beat you.
"Okay."
I eased off the gas, tracking the group in pursuit and exceeding their average pace slightly.
I won't be beaten.
"I don't want you to overdo it, considering how your energy should be focused."
"Oh, you're not asking me to slow down because you're struggling, Hannah?"
"Do I seem to be struggling?"
I studied her and had to agree Hannah wasn't breaking a sweat or showing any signs of exertion. I eyeballed her, recognizing something, trawling my memory.
"Hannah Greene?"
"That's me, sweetie."
"Olympic road and World Championships velodrome cycling champion?"
"Yes. I'd rather not compete with you... in cycling or anything else if that's okay, Amy."
I will be beaten after all.
"Sorry."
I felt terrible about my feelings and jealousy and then considered whether I should be bothered at all. Hannah seemed nice, and from what I'd read about the iconic cycling champion, she was kind, bubbly, and well-loved by everyone, on and off the circuit.
But I had usurped her; she knew that, and so did I.
"I didn't know about you and Victor."
"It's been going on for two years now. We both keep our relationship private."
Okay. That suits me. Just keep it that way.
