I.
Seven...eight...
I counted every rep in my head, pushing the barbell with all my might, my muscles straining against all hundred pounds that stood between me and victory.
Nine...ten...eleven...
My chest was burning, arms beginning to buckle, screaming, warning me that I'd gone too far, that now was the time to stop. To give up.
C'mon, just one more,
I told myself.
You can do it.
Red faced and nearly beaten, I summoned forth what little strength remained, and completed the final rep. I barely managed to set the barbell back onto the rack, my muscles thanking me for sweet relief as I slumped, winded and worn down, onto the sweat soaked bench, aching with the sweet feel of exhaustion that I had grown to love.
Like all the good things in my life at the time, I owed this development to Miss Amber. She had convinced me to start going to the gym the morning following our first night together. I was allowed to sleep over, only on the condition that I did so on the couch.
"It's nothing personal," she assured me as she handed me a pillow, along with a thin customary blanket. "I just like to have a full bed to myself." I was in no position to protest, and despite this I slept well that night, drained and drowsy with satisfaction.
I was woken up the next morning by the sound of clattering dishes, and the smell of sizzling bacon. Groggy eyed, I sat up and saw Miss Amber hard at work in the kitchen, splitting her time between cooking bacon and eggs on the stove, and cutting up an assortment of fruit. She was wearing only a light gray t-shirt that looked to be two sizes too big, extending all the way down just past her thighs, and her red hair was tied up in a bun, fuzzy and frayed like a tangled ball of copper.
"Mmm, something smells good." I sat up on the couch and stretched, and as the fog of sleep cleared and the world slowly came into focus, I remembered where I was, and for the first time in a while I couldn't wait to start the day.
"Morning sleepy head," said Miss Amber, looking over her shoulder in my direction. "Just making us some breakfast. I hope you like your eggs scrambled."
"I love scrambled eggs," I said, and she shot me an approving smile. It was the first time I'd seen Miss Amber without an ounce of makeup, and she looked no less amazing. In fact, stripped of all the glamour she looked even more beautiful in a natural sort of way. She had faint dark circles under her eyes, and her face was marked with the minor imperfections of age.
I threw a shirt on and made a quick trip to the bathroom before joining her in the kitchen. I was dying of thirst, so I grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it with water, nearly downing the entire glass in four large gulps. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large bowl of mixed fruit sitting on the counter, a half cut strawberry calling my name, and without thinking I reached down, plucked it from the bowl, and popped it in my mouth.
"Hey, I'm not finished," she proclaimed, wagging her spatula at me. "No eating until I say so!"
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," I said. "Strawberries are my favorite."
"Well, you're just gonna have to wait." Her tone was disciplinary, but unmistakably playful.
"Yes Miss Amber." I cracked a cheeky smile, letting her know how willing I was to play whatever game she wanted.
After a quick refill of water I took a seat at the kitchen table, watching Miss Amber as she put the finishing touches on her bacon and eggs. It was another hot and humid day, and the sun was out in full force, shining through the kitchen window like the torch of god, illuminating her nubile figure. The baggy shirt couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, her perky nipples forming two tiny peaks across her chest. She wasn't wearing any underwear either, which I figured out when she "accidentally" dropped the spatula, giving me a quick flash of her exquisite ass.
"You look lovely this morning," I complimented.
Miss Amber looked amused and crossed her arms. "I thought we agreed to no lying mister," she said. "I look like shit, and you know it. And don't think you can sweet talk me after that sneaky shit you just pulled."
"Not sweet talking." I lifted my hands in the air, surrendering. "Just being honest."
I sat my hands behind my head and leaned back, looking oddly assured, and Miss Amber noticed, giving me a long, hard inquisitive look, acknowledging the understated transformation that had taken place.
She turned the burner off and brought the pan to the kitchen table, scooping heaps of eggs evenly onto two large plates. Next came the bacon, again divided evenly, four stripes each. Finally she sat the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table, scooped a spoonful into two smaller bowls, and handed one to me, which I took eagerly. I was starving, and once again Miss Amber was feeding me exactly what I wanted. She had a knack for that.
"This looks delicious Miss Amber, thank you."
"You're welcome Jake. Now lets eat."
I practically inhaled the bacon and eggs, only stopping every so often to cleanse my palate with a succulent mixture of strawberries, grapes, and pineapple. Miss Amber was much less boorish, taking her time, picking at her bowl of fruit one by one.
"So..." She leaned forward and took a bite of pineapple, giving me a tantalizing peak down her shirt. "How are you this morning?"
"Great," I said, shoveling a fork full of eggs in my mouth. Food hadn't tasted this good in long time. "What about you?"