EXCERPT: “What’ll
it be?” I clear my throat and shoot her a reserved smile, the one I give to new
clients who seem like they’d bolt at any hint of intimidation. “Ready to jump
into the fire with me?”
Her
eyes round, the whites embracing her green irises all the way as she nods.
“Yeah,
fire. Jumping—great. Love fire.” She pulls up short, raising a hand to
her cheek. “I mean, not actual fire, it might ruin my outfit. Not that
it’s a great outfit, but it’s the only one I really like at the moment. So …
just, you know, the metaphoric—workout—kind of fire,” she stammers, a
mess of words and wide-eyed glances that somehow amplify her charm. “Good, god.
Someone stop me.”
I
can’t help but grin and exhale. While there’s a hit of disappointment, it’s
pretty clear this woman isn’t the one from Nocté.
“Right,
metaphoric fire it is, then.” I gesture toward the mats. “How about we start
with some warm-up stretches?”
She
nods, enthusiasm waning slightly at the prospect of actual exercise, it seems.
It makes me wonder why she’s motivated to be here.
Something
to ask her when she’s more comfortable.
As
she follows me to the mats, her movements are a dance of awkward angles and
misplaced steps. To be honest, it’s endearing in its rarity in this place.
“Take
a seat and just watch what I do. Then, you do the same. Think you can handle
that?” I asked dropping down onto the mat.
She
nods tentatively, a small squeak escaping her lips as she sits down opposite
me.
I
roll through toe touches, figure fours, and even some knee and hip mobility
stretches, since it looks like her joints could benefit from a little
strengthening. Her hamstrings are awfully tight.
However,
watching her attempt to mirror my stretches is like observing a fawn on
ice—there’s a willingness, but the execution is wildly imprecise. It’s almost
comical, the way she fumbles, and with each slip or overreach.
“Good.
Feel warmed up?” I ask when we’ve made it through the full warm-up routine.
Her
eyes meet mine and despite the crimson in her cheeks, she nods. “The
metaphorical fire is stoked and ready.”
I
chuckle, gesturing to a large, inflated balance ball. “Good. That’s what we
want. I’ll focus today on core and upper body, with a little bit of cardio
thrown in for good measure. Sound good?”
“Whatever
you say, boss,” she says, standing up and brushing off her backside.
The
gleaming blue balance ball sits in the corner of the room like a challenge made
manifest. Perhaps it’s pushing my luck a bit, considering her initial
awkwardness, but we gotta start somewhere. Right?
Carlie
approaches the ball as if it’s a wild animal that might spook.
“This
is pretty basic, so don’t let it freak you out. Here’s what I want you to do …
Just sit down gently, like this, feet flat on the floor. Then, we’ll have you
do a few crunches and back extensions.” I model the position I want her to get
into and stand back up. “I’ll walk you through everything. You’ve got this.”
“Okay.”
She nods, then exhales loudly. Her hands lightly skimming the rubbery surface
before she turns around and commits her full weight to it.
The
ball accepts her with a gentle give, and for a moment, it seems like she might
master this precarious throne with perfection.
Her
smile beams at me as she glances up and declares, “I am the queen of the— Whoa!”
In
an instant, her victory crumbles as the ball skids away, sending her toppling
sideways. Her arms windmill, but without much to grab onto, it’s the gym
schedules and an advertisement for green juice she takes down with her. She
lands with a soft thud, covered in a sea of fluttering paper.
“Are
you okay?” I ask, rushing over to her.
Her
face peeks out, sheepish and flushed.
Before
I can reach a hand out to help her, she’s back on her feet, batting away the
paper with a tight laugh.
“I
always wanted to make a dramatic entrance. Consider that a rehearsal,” she
quips, though her eyes have taken on a wild, maybe even crazy edge.
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Callie Rae developed a crush on her brother's best friend, Ben Carmichael, when she was only eight. At eighteen, he broke her heart. When she gave him another chance, it ended in a heart-wrenching goodbye.
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