This is a continuation of part 1. The story builds on itself, so I'd recommend reading part 1 first. This was initially a 2 part story but this part got too long so I decided to cut it off and continue it later with a final part 3.
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Leigh continued training- and training hard. She still worked out with Jim and Nick sometimes, but she trained alone a lot too. I got the impression she was putting lots more hours in than the guys.
Her body was getting even more amazing if that's possible. One day I walked into the house after work to a nice surprise, Leigh sitting bare ass naked on the floor of the living room. She didn't even seem to notice I'd walked in, and then as she moved into a stretching position, realized she was doing Yoga. Hot yoga, apparently. It was 85 degrees in the house. I watched longingly for several minutes, feeling myself grow hard. Finally, she noticed and startled slightly, but recovered quickly. "Hey babe," she said, getting up and walking toward me.
"Hey- uh... what are you doing?"
"Hot yoga," she said. "Apparently a lot of triathletes do it. Keeps your core strong and decreases the recovery time you need between workouts." She was standing right in front of me now, her petite, lean body glistening with sweat.
"Yeah but why are you, uh-,"
"Naked?" she asked? "Well Nick told me he does his yoga naked. Apparently he read that Marc Van der Loop does yoga naked. And he's the best."
I didn't like the fact that Nick was talking to my girlfriend about naked yoga, or the fact that she was thinking about other men doing yoga naked. "Who's that?" I asked.
"Only the best triathlete in the world. He's Dutch. Do you want to talk about that or do you want to come help me relax in the shower?" Easy choice there.
The next race that Leigh and the guys had signed up for was several hours away, in Nashville. We'd planned a weekend trip, Steph, Jim, Nick, Leigh and me. As we departed in my car, I couldn't help but wonder if there'd be sexual tension. After all, last time these 4 had been in a car together it had gotten pretty wild. I was curious if anyone would bring it up. Nick answered that question about 30 minutes in when we pulled up behind a slow moving double wide with an "Oversize Load" sign on the back. "Speaking of oversize loads," Nick deadpanned, "what's the wager this week Jim?"
Leigh and I both suppressed laughs in the front seat. This guy wasn't afraid to say anything. Steph kept her cool and forced a smile at Nick. "I don't think Jim will be making any other wagers. And just, so we're clear, my husband and I are happily married, we've forgiven each other for what happened, and I never want to see your little dick again."
"That's fine," Nick said, smiling. "But we all know it's not little. Right Leigh?" This guy just loved making people uncomfortable.
"Right- well, um, I don't really remember," Leigh stammered.
"Sure you don't," Nick said.
I did not like the turn this had taken, and I was relieved when Steph said, "Ok Nick, enough."
The weather the next day was perfect for the race. It was a half Iron man, the longest race Leigh had ever done. Steph and I cheered everyone on and actually had a pretty good time walking around. I noticed that Marc van der Loop was there. After Leigh had mentioned him, I had done a little research. Very few people could make a living doing triathlon, but Marc was one of them. He was an Olympic gold medalist, a 3 time Iron man world champion, and had his own brand of fitness apparel, called Loop. He easily won the race, and I was shocked to see how many fans he had at the finish line. He was a legitimate celebrity.
Dozens of other pro triathletes trickled in starting several minutes later, and about 40 minutes after Marc finished, the first woman came across the line. Professionals started first in a mass wave, one for the men first and one for the women about 5 minutes later. Amateurs started in a rolling start, jumping into the water in 5 second intervals, and were timed by computer chips worn on their ankles. With thousands of amateurs starting, Leigh had started about 30 minutes after the pro women. She'd lined up with Nick and Jim, so they'd each started seconds apart.
It didn't seem like much time had passed when suddenly Leigh showed up at the finish line. She'd beaten Jim and Nick! And it was over 5 minutes before we saw Nick and another 5 before Jim came in. They all exceeded their goals, and they were all happy at the finish line- the guys seemed surprised but genuinely proud of Leigh for surpassing them. But the real shock came when Leigh's time was posted. Steph's jaw dropped. "Um, Leigh, you finished 2nd."
"2nd in my age group?! That's amazing in a race this big." Leigh was beaming with pride.
"No, second overall. I'm comparing your times to all women, even the pros. You started way behind them obviously so you didn't physically cross the line 2nd. But you beat all but one female." We were all speechless. Leigh had tears in her eyes. I was happy for her- I knew she was a gifted athlete and that she worked hard but this was the first time I'd realized just how good she was.
Other people at the event noticed too, and we heard several people near us talking about the girl who had beat most of the pros. As Steph and the guys sat around reliving the race, hydrating, and stretching, there was a sudden buzz in the crowd near us. People were standing up and craning their necks to see something. I realized quickly that it was not "something", but "someone". It was Marc van der Loop. He was accompanied by a 40s-ish man and 2 beautiful 25-ish girls, a redhead and a blond. All wore matching Loop branded polos, and the girls' shirts were tight on their impressive chests.
It took a minute for us all to realize the entourage was headed directly toward us. The older man pointed at Leigh and said something to Marc.
Leigh straightened her shoulders as she realized who was approaching her. "Hello," he began, "sorry to disturb you Mrs. Leigh Turner." His English was perfect with only a hint of a Dutch accent. "I am Marc van der Loop, and this is my coach, Stan. Also this is Callie and Lorelei, two of our Loop brand ambassadors."