"I won't ask if I've got the job, yet," Kalista said with a smile, swinging her elbows forward and getting her palms under the barbell. She lifted it off the pins into front squat position in one smooth motion. "But I'll admit I'm hoping this arrangement works out. It's a wonderful place you've got here."
Mateo had intended to leave her alone while she worked out and just email the contract, but he couldn't help wanting to see Kalista again. Now they were alone in the weight room. He stood sidelong to her as she began her set, and found himself mesmerized by the way her quads flexed and her glutes rounded as she went low in the squat, bottomed out with her butt almost touching the floor, then exploded back up with a fierce exhalation. As she went down into the next rep, Mateo reminded himself to keep his eyes on her face, where they belonged.
His fixation on her body bothered him. He'd been working out in gyms for twenty years and knew perfectly well that finding his fellow athletes attractive was no license to ogle them. For some reason, Kalista made him feel like a horny teenager. His self-control just evaporated around her. Mateo slipped back into watching her lower body work in its powerful rhythm as she went through her set. By the time the crash of the barbell slamming home in the squat rack snapped him from his daze, his cock was stiff and his face was burning.
*Christ,* he admonished himself, *get a grip.* His cock throbbed unhelpfully at the word "grip". *Smartass.*
Kalista turned towards him, leaning against the rack, catching her breath. Below the sheen of sweat on her brow, her eyes glittered. Mateo was grateful she didn't look right at his erection, but her expression told him how aware she was of the effect she was having. He couldn't tell if he was more mortified or turned on by her amusement.
"I said, wonderful place you've got here," Kalista repeated, grinning. "How many members? If I can ask a question like that without signing an NDA."
Mateo released the breath he'd been holding and laughed nervously.
"Oh yeah, no worries," he said. "Look, I definitely want you--" *poor choice of words, bro* "--uh, for this job. You taught a great class, you're obviously comfortable in the gym. Out of curiosity, how long have you been lifting?"
"Usually when guys ask me a question like that, what it really means is, 'I can't believe a girl can deadlift three plates'," Kalista smirked. "But I know that's not what you mean. I moved away for college, lived on campus, and it took a while to make friends. I just started going to the gym because I didn't know what else to do with myself. Fell in love with it, ended up changing my major from psych. I never really knew what I wanted with that degree anyway, it was just, get out of high school, go to college, gotta major in something..."
He nodded, with a little guilty pride in himself for paying attention to what she was saying instead of letting his eyes run up and down her curves, like they were desperate to.
"But between psych and becoming a fitness instructor, it's obvious you have a drive to help people," Mateo said. "I respect that."
"Thank you." She gave him that high-wattage smile again, and he stiffened further. And blushed deeper. But Kalista continued, "I see people's potential, what they could become. What they're craving to become, even, but don't know how. Helping them reshape their bodies and minds is very fulfilling."
Mateo nodded along. The way she put it *did* sound fulfilling. He supposed he ran the gym for similar reasons.
"You know," Kalista added playfully, "you did a clever job deflecting my question about your membership."
"Ah! I forgot all about that, sorry. Wasn't trying to be coy. We've got around a hundred paying members right now, most of whom never come in. Hoping to change that up by offering more training, you know? So..." He opened a hand to indicate her presence.
"Makes sense," Kalista said. Her expression became mischievous. "I suppose if you *were* trying to be coy, you'd have deflected again by asking if I can really deadlift three."
Mateo relaxed a little. Gym banter was something he could do all day, regardless of how attracted he was to her. Talking about the mechanics of their workouts could be an obvious way to flirt--he'd done that plenty in the past--but it could also be a great leveler: they were all in the gym for the same reason, to reach their potential.
"I don't think I'd ask a guy that question, so it'd be pretty rude to ask you. If you say you can deadlift three plates..." He couldn't help his eyes roaming her body again. "Look, you're obviously strong."
