She breathed deeply, working her way up through the eighth squat of her set of ten. She focused, staring at herself in the mirror; 165 was easy enough for her to handle, though she would be worn by the final rep. By the ninth rep she was staring at herself in the mirror to focus, her face red and sweaty from exertion and her light brown hair sticking to her neck. She paused at the top of her squat, taking a deep breath and considering the final rep. Slowly she sunk down, catching the eye of a blond guy behind her, watching her in a mirror. She powered through the final rep and shrugged the bar onto the rack. Turning, she leaned against the bar, panting and smiling to herself. She let her eyes wander to the blond again, taking time to examine him more thoroughly.
His broad shoulders were covered in a black compression shirt, showing off the definition of his deltoids and chest. His back was covered by the machine at which he sat, but his trapezius was obviously defined. She couldn't see his lower body from where she stood, but she guessed it was just as built - her instincts told her that he wasn't one to neglect leg day. Her eyes traced up his body, and she smirked as she met his gaze momentarily.
Leaning down, she picked up her water bottle, taking a long swig from it. She set it down at the side of the squat rack and pulled a 10lb and 5lb plate off the bar, replacing it with a 25lb weight; she repeated the process on the opposite side, mentally preparing herself to max out her weight at 185lbs. She returned to the bar, positioning herself below it with the bar centered on her back. She shrugged her shoulders as she prepared herself for the daunting task. She bent over to touch her toes, letting her hamstrings and calves stretch lazily; from her position her legging-clad ass was beautifully positioned for any admirers. She stood, rocking her hips back and forth in a circle to loosen them. She spread her legs to the edge of the squat rack and placed her hands on the floor; she could feel him staring at her, though she couldn't see him. She rocked to the left, then to the right, holding her position momentarily for his sake, as well as hers. Had she the space in the rack, she would have dropped to a full center split.
She stood, pausing to readjust her phone, which sat in her bra, the headphones pulled out the v-neck of her shirt. She adjusted the music to an upbeat power song, then centered herself beneath the bar again, her legs bent. She gripped the bar widely, then stood, taking the bar on her shoulders. She stepped back, wobbling slightly. She cursed herself - she really should have a spotter, or at least a lifting belt. As she regained her balance and positioned herself she calmed, focusing on the task at hand. Her legs spread, almost touching the sides of the rack, and she stared at her own eyes in the mirror. Slowly she descended, getting a feel for the new weight. Another four reps followed, her breath slowly slipping away as she worked. She paused at the top of the fifth rep, taking two large breaths, and continued. By the 8th rep, she was struggling, her legs trembling her breath labored. She refused to give in, lowering herself once again.
She groaned, finding herself trapped at the bottom. Too proud to drop the weight she waited, trying to regain her strength. As she pushed up, she felt the pressure on her shoulders lessen enough that she could stand. Large hands pushed the bar forward from behind her, re-racking it. Her hands dropped from the bar as it clanged into place; her shoulders burned and she swayed slightly from the lack of oxygen. She stumbled forward a step, only to be caught by the wrist and pulled back, her hand placed on the bar so she could steady herself. She looked up in the mirror to find the bulky blond behind her, a concerned look on his face. She pulled her headphones from her ears, turning to face him as he leaned down. He stood, thrusting her water bottle into her hand.
"Drink." He said, firmly. He walked around to the side of the rack, taking the plates from the bar and returning them to their pegs on the side of the rack.
She took a long gulp of her water, panting as she finished. Her torso leaned on the bar, her large breasts sitting just below. He had moved to the other side of the bar when she found her words, thanking him as she pulled her cell phone from her bra, wrapping the headphone cord around neatly around it.
"You're welcome. Just don't try a new weight without a spotter. You shouldn't be squatting without a spotter, anyway. That was just dumb." He finished with the weights as he spoke.
She slipped under the bar, putting her back to it as she faced him. "I've done 185 four times now. I don't know what happened; I guess I wasn't hydrated or something." She was recovering enough to be her usual sassy self.
He lifted an eyebrow in skepticism. "Really? I mean, that is a very impressive weight for a girl. Most of the girls I know can't handle 135," he paused. "Obviously you aren't a newbie to lifting, but still a stupid mistake. Ask for a spotter; none of us mind helping you, I promise." He pushed her hand to her mouth, prompting her to take another sip of water.
She nodded as she drank. She capped her bottle then wiped her lips on her shoulder sleeve. "Yeah, I get it. I guess I'm done with squats for today..." she trailed off, gesturing to the bare bar behind her with her free hand.
He nodded to the bar. "Better let it go for now. Drink more water, rest up, and hit it another day. Get some protein!" There was a subtle change in his voice that accompanied a wide smile; flirtation? "I'm always around if you need a spotter."
"Maybe I'll take you up on that." Her voice mimicked his, but her coy smile made the situation obvious. She purposefully looked him over, taking in his tapered calves and the slight definition in his thighs that was visible at the bottom of his red basketball shorts. She saw the faint outline of abs under the skin-tight shirt. "You look like you know what you're talking about." She caught his green eyes glancing at her breasts before meeting her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm an Exercise Science major, I better know what I'm talking about." He extended his hand, giving her a friendly smile. "I'm Hunter, by the way."
She grasped his hand firmly, unlike the typical limp hand that most women offered. "I'm Faith. Biology, Psychology double major." His grip was gentle at first, then firm as he responded to her grasp.
She released his hand, putting her own on her hip. "What year are you?"
"Junior. And you?"
"Freshman."
They chatted briefly, standing in the squat rack. The corner of the gym in which they resided was slowly emptying as they covered course work and gym tactics, bitching about the dining halls and midterms. He lived in an on-campus apartment with three other guys, none of which he were his close friends. She also lived in an apartment, but the older community, and with her best friend to whom she was incredibly close. She laughed, proclaiming her love for her own shower and bathroom; he complained about the lack of privacy and explained that he showered at the gym most days for that reason. That seemed odd to her, but she didn't question it - though he took on a different tone, as if he were implying something.
She glanced at her phone. It was late and she had to be going; her roommate was waiting to have dinner with her.
"I'm headed to dinner... Would you like to come?" She was hopeful she would be able to show off this total hunk to her roommate. Though it was very seldom scored a guy that her roommate found attractive, as they both had distinct tastes in men, Faith was sure that her roommate would be impressed.
"I don't have a meal plan; I usually cook or go out." He seemed disappointed in the end of their conversation.
"Well, if you're not busy some night and you'd like to go out or study together, you should let me know." Her voice sounded a bit strained; her nervousness and desire to be nonchalant probably came off as desperate.
He smiled at her, nodding. "Yeah, that would be cool. Let me get your number." He pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocking it as she unwound the cord for her phone. A moment later they exchanged numbers and were walking lazily towards the entrance of gym.
"Text me anytime." She smiled. "And thanks again for saving me back there."