Chapter 1:
12 Months ago.
The party was in full swing. College students crammed into every room, even the stairs were full. Lisa felt herself being pulled along; her small hand held firmly by her boyfriend as he guided them through the throng. They made it up the stairs, pausing at the landing. The music was incredibly loud, Lisa had to shout into his ear to make herself heard.
"What are we doing here?"
He didn't answer, he just continued to lead her by the hand. They paused at a door, he took a look inside the room before closing the door again and moving on. At the third door he pulled her inside. It was a small bedroom; the bed was half covered in coats from the people at the frat party. He pushed the coats to the floor and pulled Lisa onto the bed beside him.
They had only been dating a few weeks but Lisa really liked this guy. He was handsome, intelligent, and really seemed to care for her. Lisa moaned as he began kissing her passionately, his hand already inside her top.
Present day.
Lisa stood outside the building and read the sign above the door, 'Tithonus Gym and Health Club'. On the door itself was a smaller sign, 'Members only gym, apply inside'.
She glanced back to the parking lot, took a faltering step towards her car and stopped. She turned again towards the door, as she went to open it, a woman emerged. She was tall, much taller than Lisa who stood at 5'3" barefoot. Not only that but the woman was ripped. She was just wearing workout shorts and a muscle tee shirt, her midriff bare. From what Lisa could see, every muscle was toned and defined. She felt soft and weak just looking at her. Lisa stepped aside, the stranger blowing past her without acknowledgment.
She stepped into the building, the lobby was quite small, a chest high counter in one corner, two internal doors to either side, frosted glass panes in the doors. The one on the left appeared to lead to the gym given the sounds emerging from it.
Behind the counter a bored looking woman was idly tapping at a computer keyboard. She was similarly dressed to the woman who had just left. Her arms also muscled and strong looking. Her hair was shaved high on both sides, the short hair that remained was dyed a dark purple in color. One eyebrow was pierced and she also had a collection of studs in both ears and one nostril. Lisa cleared her throat looking for attention. She tried again but the woman still failed to turn from the screen. She looked left and right wondering if there was anyone else around.
"Help you?" came a bored voice.
"Oh hi!" Lisa said doing her best to sound upbeat and friendly. "I am looking to join the gym, maybe take an introduction lesson or something?"
Lisa's friendly manner didn't seem to impress the woman behind the counter. She stared at Lisa for a long moment before casually looking her up and down. Lisa was slim, she had small breasts, a petite frame and long blonde hair. She had a doll like face, almost flawless and beautiful, seeming younger than her twenty years of age. Apparently, what the woman saw didn't impress her any more than Lisa's friendliness.
"Don't think we are the gym for you" she finally said in a bored voice. As she said this another woman emerged from the other door on the right. Lisa didn't even look at her though, she was nervous already and acknowledging an audience wasn't going to help.
"Why not? I mean you are open to new members, right?" Lisa said.
"What makes us so lucky that you want to join?" the woman answered, never turning from the screen.
"Well, I am looking to get stronger, its not just fitness I am looking for, it's a strengthening conditioning. I also liked the fact that you are women only" Lisa answered.
"Yeah, still not really your kind of place" came the bored reply.
Lisa could feel the prick of tears forming. She quickly cuffed both eyes with the sleeves of her top and tried one last time.
"Well can't I at least try?"
The woman turned slowly from the computer, she put a fake smile on her face, all teeth but her eyes remained flat.
"Look, go north a couple of blocks. There is a gym there that does a decent spin glass. Good luck, good bye" and she turned her back completely on Lisa.
"Oh, ok, well, ok, thanks" she said softly and fled before the tears could begin.
The woman who had been watching from the nearby office started a slow hand clap.
"What? Oh, come on Ashley, you can't give me shit on that one. Not her" the woman behind the counter protested.
Ashley walked towards the door, opening it to see Lisa stumbling towards the parking lot. She turned back to the counter.
"Jaz, what the fuck am I paying you for?" Ashley asked.
"Look, look, you saw her. She'd have taken the introduction class and then we'd never see her again. What's the point in me wasting time filling in paperwork for a crappy $20 introduction fee?" Jaz protested.
Ashley leaned over the counter, she had a quiet intensity that got peoples attention and she had Jaz's now.
"I catch you pissing off potential clients again and you will find yourself heading two blocks north to a shitty spin class because you won't be working here anymore. Am I understood?"
Jaz nodded quickly and let out a sigh of relief when Ashley headed out the front door.
Ashley caught up with Lisa beside Lisa's car. The smaller woman was crying and so hadn't managed to get her keys out of her bag yet. Ashley made her presence known but didn't try to start a conversation until the younger woman had gotten control over her emotions. Eventually Lisa choked off her tears and looked directly at Ashley.
Ashley didn't exactly tower over Lisa, she was just 5'7", also blonde but a darker shade than the other girl. Her confidence and the ten-year difference in ages though made her seem so much more self-assured. She was a friendly person too, the kind who people opened up to naturally. Combine that with her attributes as a trainer and it was small wonder that the gym was doing so well. She introduced herself to Lisa, offering her a handshake.
"Sorry about Jaz, she means well normally. I think you caught her at a bad moment" Ashley apologised, the excuse seeming thin but Lisa didn't seem to mind.
