Note:
This is the second chapter of a series. This is a slow-burn story, with some build up. Please read Chapter 1 in the series first to follow the progression.
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All characters are 18+
Dad & Daughter Vacation
Chapter 2
Walking into the ship's gym, I felt a sense of peace. As an engineer, I'm wired to break things down into parts, in order to make sense of how to fix the whole. But life doesn't always work that way. I learned that the hard way with Suzi's passing. It was out of my control. No matter how much I tried, there were just some things I couldn't fix.
That feeling of being totally out of control was terrifying. I hated that. Working out gave me some sense of control back. And this moment, with Amy, felt out of control for me.
Not that Amy was out of control. But the feelings I was having
for
Amy --
for my own daughter
--Â was way out of control. It stirred up things I had never felt before. Not even with Suzi. It was a passion that seemed to well up from somewhere deep inside of me, like it had been locked away. And Amy had unlocked that for me. And now, I was feeling overwhelmed.
I stepped onto the treadmill and pressed the button relentlessly. The beeping bringing the band below me to life. Soon, my feet were pounding on the rubber. The entire deck flexed beneath me with each step. I reached my max speed, going as hard as I could -- but going nowhere. What a metaphor, I thought to myself.
I kept grinding. My legs burned. The harder I ran, I kept telling myself, the less I'd feel the pain.
After ten minutes of an all out sprint, I hit my limit. I banged on the console. The band slowed instantly, and I nearly stumbled trying to adjust my pace. Within seconds, the band came to a complete stop. I stood there, catching my breath, dripping sweat. I wiped my face with the towel I had grabbed on my way in and stepped down, finding my balance as I placed my feet back onto the solid surface of the gym floor. I found a dispenser on the wall behind me and pulled a few disinfecting wipes. I walked back, stepped onto the machine, and began to wipe it down.
"You're so nice to do that!" I heard from the machine beside me. I was so lost in my own thoughts, that I hadn't noticed anyone there before. "I feel like people don't do that anymore!"
I tilted my head up. It was Amy's brunette from the pool and the bar. She was just starting up her treadmill. I nodded and gave a little laugh, unsure what to say. "Yeah, well... you know!" Real smooth, I thought to myself.
I went back to wiping down the console and grab bars. I glanced around and noticed that most of the treadmills were empty. Why did she choose
this
machine, I wondered to myself?
"You were at the bar last night, weren't you?" She continued, quickening her pace to a faster walk.
"Uh, yeah." I said, as I finished cleaning. I grabbed my towel and turned towards her, finally taking a good look. I tried my best not to stare, but the truth was that up close, she was even more stunning than Amy had suggested. Her hair was sleek, tied up in a high pony tail. Her brown eyes had a little glints of golden specks, and a well-defined smile with the cutest little dimple. She was wearing an olive green sports bra that did an amazing job of holding what I knew were larger breasts, but a terrible job of hiding her very hard nipples. A belly piercing shimmered as she moved, her taught tummy showed just a hint of abs. Her leggings molded around her ass, making it literally pop out. Perfectly white sneakers completed the look. I was stunned into silence.
She laughed. I looked back up, clearly caught checking her out. "So..." she tried to bring me back, "did you like the band?"
"Uh, yeah! They were pretty good." I said nonchalantly and looking away.
"It looked like you and your... " she glanced down, I presumed looking for a ring on my left hand, "girlfriend?" She hesitated before continuing, "seemed to really enjoy it!"
I laughed nervously. Girlfriend? No, sweetheart, that was my daughter --Â I almost said. "Yeah... I, uh... I mean, yes. They put on a good show." If i hadn't already been sweating from my run, I thought, I'd probably look like an even bigger idiot.
"You guys put on a pretty good show, too," she laughed, looking back at her console and pressing buttons to speed up.
I didn't know what to say to that. I tried not to be obvious, but it was impossible not to appreciate her form as her legs began to pump along the treadmill.
"You know," she said between breaths, "your girlfriend might not be thrilled with you staring at me like that." She smiled as she said that, and gave me a knowing look.
"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I mean, you've just got great form. I... I didn't mean to stare."
"Like you didn't mean to stare at the pool, or at the club last night?" Trying to laugh in between breaths.
"Yeah.... like I said," sheepishly, "I'm real sorry." I guess Amy and I had been more than a little obvious too.
"Don't be," she quipped. She raised her hand and covered her mouth as if to share a secret. "I kinda liked it."
I smiled. Embarrassed. She turned back to the console and pressed buttons. Her pace picked up more speed. Her breathing heavier. A natural end of the conversation, I figured. I turned to walk away. I couldn't just stand there and watch her body bounce for her whole workout -- could I? What a weird moment, I thought. First Amy, and now this woman.
I grabbed a water from the cooler, and headed towards the weights. I needed to lift heavy things.
I picked up a pair of fifty pound dumbbells and laid back onto a bench nearby. I grunted as I lifted them up and over my head. My chest, arms, and back muscles contracting, my core engaged. I managed five solid reps, the last one causing my body to shake as I reached the top. I dropped the weights onto the floor with a loud thud. I sat up and looked around.
I could see the line of treadmills in the mirror, and my new friend still bouncing away on it. I smiled, she smiled. It was still early and the gym was fairly empty. Other than the brunette and I, there were only five or six other people there, plus the attendant. It was a large room that took up two stories of the upper decks of the ship. There was a track that encircled the top floor, and large windows that let natural light spill in. The sun was just coming up on the horizon, streaking the sky with hues of purple, pink, and pale blue. I thought about Amy, back in the room. I wondered if she was still laying on the bed in her yellow sundress and yellow thong.
I grabbed the weights and laid back into position. Lifting, grunting, releasing, thinking. I repeated the steps for four more sets, and then gently placed the weights back onto the rack. I checked the time, had it only been a forty minutes? I looked over at the line of treadmills. The brunette looked like she was slowing down. She made eye contact and smiled. I smiled back. She waved. I waved.
I watched her bounce off the machine and return to wipe it down. I smiled, how nice of her.
I made my way to the bars. I racked two forty-five pound plates and added another twenty-five along side each one. I ducked under and positioned the bar against the meaty part of the back of my neck. I pressed up and held it there, getting used to bearing the weight on my shoulders. "Metaphors everywhere," I mumbled out loud.
I sank down into a squat, straining to hold my head and chest up. I felt my butt nearly hit the back of my heels. I strained for a moment as my quads burned, pressing up against gravity. I could feel the bar bend around my shoulders as I stood tall. I sank back down again and started over. Four reps done, I racked the bar with a loud clang.
I took a deep breath in, and relaxed for a moment.