365 Days With You: Part 1 and 2 (Sample only)

Chapter 5

Ali woke up early that morning and decided to workout. Everyone had fallen asleep early yesterday, giving her the extra boost to get out of bed.

              She wouldn’t be able to train at the gym anymore. Staying in shape meant a lot since it’s what she built her career off of. With a towel and a water bottle, she walked into the elevator and waited for it to drop to floor one.              

              Thankfully no one had been awake when she left. Ali didn’t want to bother them with her morning workout ritual. It was odd enough that she had to wake up at five. At home she was usually out of bed at seven. Now she would be back in the loft at that time. Hopefully everyone would be awake.

              Ali rounded the corner and stopped short. Standing at the desk was Jace. He was waiting, with an outstretched hand, as a flustered looking woman searched her desk. After an awkward minute she handed him a golden key.

              Ali tried to turn back towards the elevator but it was already too late.

              “Ali?” asked Jace. He casually walked over to her and noticed just how tense she was. Ignoring her discomfort, he continued to walk towards her.

              “I didn’t expect anyone down here so early. Did you hear me in the bathroom this morning?” she asked, fidgeting with her towel.  

              “No, I’ve been down here for about twenty minutes. They forgot to give us gym keys. Here is yours,” he said, handing her a golden key.

              “Thank you. Um, where is it?”

              “I’m going there right now. Just follow me.”

              Jace didn’t wait for her to answer. He started walking and heard her follow after a brief pause. They headed towards the gym in silence. She was glad that Jace didn’t try to talk. It was too early and she hadn’t had her coffee yet.

              “Oh my…wow,” gasped Ali, dropping her water bottle. Jace caught it in midair, handing it back to Ali with a smile.

              “Best gym in the city,” he said, walking towards the treadmills. Ali found herself jumping on the machine next to him but she didn’t care. The equipment in the gym had her beyond impressed.

              There were twenty of each machine and they were top of the line. Even the treadmill she was on had more buttons than her cell phone. There were large screen TVs everywhere, attendants walking around with towels, and a little café in the corner. Ali was sure there were other neat amenities but she couldn’t see past the metal doors. Once her run was done she would go check it out.

              Ali had set her treadmill timer to sixty minutes and was already half way through. Jace must’ve done the same because he was still next to her. She glanced over, expecting to just have a quick look at his time and found her eyes lingering.