Stepping out of abs class, I lowered the towel from my forehead after wiping away the sweat and walked past the cardio section. My plan to head directly to the weights room was waylaid by a glimpse of a striking young woman seated alone in the gym lobby. I recognised her from Instagram. "Lisa," I remembered.
Surreptitiously altering course, I walked towards the girl. The setting sun bathed the lobby in a dull orange glow. Seeing her distracted by her phone, I allowed myself a closer look. Her curly brown hair was tied up in a messy bun atop her head. Her skin, golden brown, had a slight sheen, no doubt courtesy of a recent intense workout. My eyes were drawn down to her pillowy lips, a beauty mark at the left corner. "Bet she's an amazing kisser," I thought just as Lisa's gaze broke from the screen and up towards me.
I quickly averted my eyes as I sat down on the bench perpendicular to hers, crumpling the plastic covering. I took my phone out of my pocket and fiddled with it, pretending to check non-existent texts but buying myself enough time to work up the confidence to ask, "Hey, you're Joelle's friend. Lisa right?"
"Yea..." she looked up warily. Lisa lowered her phone to her lap so she could give me the once over.
"Hi, I'm Jessica's brother." My sister and Joelle were best friends. I gambled on Lisa therefore knowing Jessica.
"Right, I thought you looked familiar." She was more relaxed now. Perhaps she'd seen me on Instagram as well. Lisa spoke slowly and rather huskily, almost as if she had just woken up. I found it sexy. But I would've found a voice like nails on a chalkboard sexy as long as it was coming from that mouth.
"So why are you alone out here? Waiting on someone?" I asked.
"Yea, waiting on my friend to pick me up. She says she might be another forty-five minutes." Lisa threw her head back in exasperation revealing a long slender neck.
I chuckled, "Pretty long wait. If you want, we can go hang out at my place until your friend comes. I live about five minutes away." I realised the absurdity of my proposal even as I was speaking the words but I couldn't stop myself.
She flashed a heart-melting smile, looking down at the ground for a split second and pushing a stray curl back behind her ear. Her hazel eyes met mine again. "Wait, you're finished working out? I just saw you come out of abs class?" My eyes widened in surprise. Partly because she had actually noticed me but also because I'd been expecting to hear something like, "Are you crazy, I don't even know you!"
"Yea, not really in the mood." I explained. This was true, I'd lost all interest in lifting weights the moment I saw her.
Lisa opened her mouth to speak then paused, re-assessing, "No, you know what, I'll just wait here for my friend. Thanks though." Ah, there it was.
"No problem," I smiled trying to hide the disappointment. Not knowing what else to say, we both awkwardly turned our attentions to our phones again.
A couple patrons shuffled through the lobby. "Well, nice meeting you," I broke the silence, rising to my feet.
"You too," Lisa replied. I trod off to retrieve my gym bag from the locker room, chiding myself internally for even attempting such a stupid move.
Leaving the locker room, I spotted Lisa tapping her fingernails on the front desk. She turned to me and gave me that smile again. She walked over and told me her friend was still stuck in traffic and she'd like to take me up on my offer. "All right, sure. You ready?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could muster to hide the giddy excitement bubbling within. She nodded.
The sky was darkening now and a cool breeze blew into the lobby when I opened the door. I let Lisa through first to give myself the opportunity to admire, for the first time, her slender, yet curvy body. Her multicoloured yoga pants stretched to their limit containing a perfect ass.
Lisa and I engaged in pleasant small talk on the short car ride. "How come you agreed to get in a car with...well, essentially a stranger?" I asked.
"Well, you're Jessica's brother so I figure you're trustworthy. Besides, I think I could take you."
I laughed and reached over to her, lightly squeezing her toned bicep, "Whoa, with these guns? I don't doubt it!" She giggled.
We entered my apartment. The air felt heavy and warm. I switched on the living room light and opened the window overlooking the pool in my complex. The crisp evening air flowed in, tousling Lisa's curly hair. "Better, right?" I said to her. She agreed. "Do you want something to drink? Water? Orange juice?"