The schedule on Sophie's computer showed just one more patient before she could go home for the evening. She sighed, looking forward to the end of the work day. She had a few minutes before the appointment, and she thought back over the last few years.
Sophie had married her college sweetheart, James, two years earlier. James was the man of her dreams and had seemed too good to be true initially. He was handsome, intelligent, kind, and adored her in a way that made all of Sophie's friends swoon over him. They had a small wedding in a picturesque local church and had settled into a comfortable life together. James taught math at the local high school and, for the last few years, had also helped coach the cross-country team. He had been her rock while she went through the stress of graduate school, and she loved being able to help contribute with her new salary.
Since she had finished school four months earlier, she had been working as a physical therapist and had gotten lucky with her first professional job. It paid well, and she had been given her own clinic by the company she had signed on with.
The clinic had a small waiting room with a front desk to check people in and a more extensive back room serving as a state-of-the-art gym. The company gave her input on the equipment she wanted and provided everything she needed to help rehabilitate her patients. She even had an office off the gym where she could write notes and do administrative tasks. It had been hard running her clinic at first, but she had been steadily building up her practice over the last few months and now had a full schedule most days of the week.
She looked at the clock on the wall. As much as she liked her work, she had always been a homebody and loved nothing more than curling up on the couch with a good book or something to watch. Sophie imagined this started because her family was incredibly close growing up, and she and her younger sister had always been inseparable. James was content at home with her, but he was the more adventurous of them. Part of why she had fallen in love with him in college was because of that side of him.
On their first date, he had dragged her onto the dance floor and had made a habit of it ever since. She had initially been a little self-conscious about dancing, but she had to admit that she had gotten pretty good over the years. Nothing got James revved up quite like dancing together in public. After having a few drinks, he had once admitted that he loved knowing that every man in the room wanted her but that she was all his.
They had an active sex life, and both made efforts to stay in shape as well. Sophie worked out almost every weekday and was now taking advantage of having her own personal gym most days.
A man who looked to be in his mid-60s with greying hair walked through the door into the gym area of the clinic. She knew he must be the patient she was waiting on. Her first impression of him was that he was imposing. He must have been near six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders. He looked like a former athlete well past his prime. She was familiar with the type. He had a muscular frame with a belly hanging over his belt that had undoubtedly accumulated over the years since he stopped playing competitive sports. He wore a nice suit well-tailored for his body type and carried a leather gym bag. He walked across the gym in her direction.
"They told me to come on back. You must be Sophie. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Richard," the man said with a smile and extended his large hand to her.
"Nice to meet you as well," she replied, taking his hand. She noted he held on for a beat longer than was comfortable, and his eyes went down her and back up before he let go. "If you brought a change of clothes, you can go ahead and change, then we can get started," she told him.
"Be right back," he patted his gym bag and went to the restroom to change.
A few minutes later, he returned in athletic attire and crossed the room to join her.
"So, when you made the appointment, you said your left knee was bothering you. Is that correct?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah, this damn knee has bothered me for years," he said, gesturing to his left knee, "but it seems like any time I try to stretch the leg out now, it clicks or pops."
She had him do several maneuvers and closely examined his knee. His knee popped with movement when she examined him.
"What sport did you play? Football?" Sophie asked him, trying to maintain a conversation as she continued to examine him.
"Good guess, sweetheart," he said with a big smile. "I played center in college but didn't quite cut it in the pros." She noticed his eyes stole a quick glance down at her chest before returning to her eyes.
Sophie didn't react to being called sweetheart. Despite having a doctorate, she was used to being called things like that by the occasional man. "I see a lot of people who have injuries or pain from playing sports. It's really common. After a while, you get pretty good at telling what people were likely to play," she answered him professionally.
She had him stretch and then move onto a piece of equipment to work on strengthening the muscles around his knee. The entire time she explained the exercise and what to do, his eyes seemed to wander her body. She had always attracted a lot of attention from men, but Sophie didn't like how this man looked at her.
She knew men considered her attractive, and Sophie had to admit she liked the way she looked. Her golden blonde hair fell to her midback, though she usually kept it in a ponytail for convenience. Her bright green eyes gave her a striking appearance and were framed by her high cheekbones and full lips. Her slender body was toned and firm from regular exercise, making her C-cup breasts appear more impressive. She even still had a light natural tan from her and James' last trip to the beach a month earlier. At work, Sophie wore form-fitting scrubs that hugged her hips and showed off her slim figure.
Lots of men stole a look at her here or there, but Richard looked at her like a starving animal looking at a piece of meat. Ravenously. The fact that he was older than her father just made her feel that much more gross.
"You're a stunning woman," he told her out of the blue as his eyes devoured her.
She felt the blood rush to her face and chest. "Uh, thanks," she said awkwardly, uncomfortable with how brazen he was being with both his comments and looks.
"I thought when I came in today, I would get an old man like myself. I had no idea I would have a woman like you taking care of me, but you sure made it easier on the eyes," he continued.
"Let's move to another machine, and I'll show you the next exercise," she said, attempting to change the subject.
Richard got settled on the next machine while she explained what to do.
"So just extend your leg," she said, "let me know how that weight is."
"Not bad. I can feel it around the knee, though," he answered, seemingly focused on her as much as the therapy.
Sophie leaned forward to adjust the weight on the machine he was using. As she finished, she looked up and noticed he was staring down the front of her shirt. She was wearing a sports bra, but he no doubt had a decent view of her cleavage. She quickly stood upright and pretended she didn't notice that he had been looking that blatantly.
"Mmm, damn," Richard said with a big grin on his face, not hiding at all that he enjoyed what he saw. "You are a heck of a woman."
