Curves | ONC 2020 Shortlist

23. Jenny Learns Something

Natalie is fine, Jenny thought as she performed the exercise outlined for her. She's efficient. She was friendly enough, but definitely as no-nonsense as her short haircut. A bit distant too. She saw no trace of the down-to-earth warmth that she'd heard in the second half of that voicemail. As promised, Jenny didn't see a single stylish hair from Danielle's head.

Nor Juliana's for that matter.

Her eyes scanned the gym for the third time since she got there, hoping for a glimpse of her favorite trainer.

"She's not here today," Natalie said as she shifted Jenny's arm into correct form.

Jenny tried hard not to blush, to not act like a moony teenager. "I wasn't looking for Danielle."

The stocky trainer leveled a knowing gaze at her. "I know."

Her face got hotter, and she nearly dropped the weight she was holding. "H-how do you know?"

"Those are seeking eyes, not wary eyes."

"Maybe I'm checking out all the people here."

A slight smile shone through Natalie's professional armor. "Are you?"

The weight in Jenny's hand drooped to her side. "No."

"It's Juliana's day off today."

"Oh." Jenny couldn't explain the disappointment that sat heavier than the dumbbell. She ventured a glimpse at her new trainer. "How, um, how is she? Is she mad at me?" She'd replayed her phone conversation with Juliana over and over in her head, and felt shame for the way she ended it each time.

Natalie shook her head. "Not at all. She thought your ex might be a deterrent to your commitment to fitness."

Commitment to fitness? Do people actually talk like that? Jenny wondered.

"So she asked me to take over your training. Other arm." Natalie instructed. "Set of ten."

Jenny transferred the weight to her other hand and resumed lifting. "Why—" She stopped herself from asking why Juliana had chosen to get rid of her instead of Danielle. The answer was obvious. Why wouldn't she? "Never mind."

Natalie seemed to study her, as if trying to decide something. "Why transfer you instead of the ex?"

Hearing it said aloud was like a punch in the gut. It was hard for Jenny to breathe. She glanced at the clock, wondering if she could escape this torture yet.

"Hey." Natalie took the weight from her, fixing her dark, serious eyes on her. "I promised you'd be comfortable, but it looks like I'm failing. I hate failing."

Jenny met her gaze reluctantly, unsure what to say to that.

"Juliana gave you up because she likes you."

Jenny's mouth parted. "She... what? That makes no sense." What about her boyfriend?

"Jules has always been a devout professional. Personal feelings never get in the way of the job."

Jenny made note of the nickname. These two must be friends.

"Turns out you made that hard for her," Natalie said in that matter-of-fact way of hers.

Jenny knitted her eyebrows. "But I didn't—I never—I wasn't going to—" Jenny exhaled, unsure how to finish that sentence. Whatever it was she wasn't going to do with Juliana, she'd certainly wanted to.

"Relax. I know. You don't strike me as the type."

Jenny bristled slightly. Was she saying she was too passive? Mousy? "What type am I?"

Natalie smiled. "The opposite of a player. Now, how about we finish that set?"

Jenny picked up the dumbbell again, thinking about what that meant. "Is that good?"

The trainer's smile didn't waver. "Yeah, it is."

Three sets of exercises later, Jenny couldn't help asking, "Is Juliana happy?"

Natalie blinked at her. "Happy?"

"You know, with Noah."

Natalie tilted her head. "I guess? Are you looking to adopt?"

Jenny nearly choked on air. "Me? Adopt? No, no. No way."

So Noah was an adopted son? That was unexpected. Then again, Juliana did seem like the noble type. Of course she would adopt someone in need.

"You're not going to a breeder, are you?" Natalie's disapproval was apparent, but confusing.

"Breeder?" They have breeders for children?

"So many dogs need homes. You should consider a rescue."

The neurons in Jenny's apparently feeble brain seemed to stop firing for a moment. "Wait, we're talking about dogs?"

Natalie shot her a bewildered look. "Well, yeah. What were you talking about?"

"Uhh..." Jenny swallowed, that familiar embarrassment creeping up on her again. How did she get herself into these situations? "Juliana's son?"

The trainer's face contorted as she valiantly prevented a laugh from erupting. After succeeding, she said, "Noah is a dog."

"A dog." Jenny's brain slowly processed this nugget of information. "Noah is a dog."

Very slowly.

"Yup. Admittedly she does talk about him like he was her child sometimes."

Jenny nodded lethargically. Why was she so slow all of a sudden? "So... she doesn't have a boyfriend."

Natalie's eyebrows went up. "Definitely not."

"And..." She considered shutting up, but she'd already embarrassed herself this much. What was a little more to clear things up? "And she likes me."

Amusement twinkled in Natalie's eyes. "That's right."

That accelerated Jenny's heart rate faster than any of the exercises could. "Are you sure?"

Natalie lowered her voice. "Look, it's not really my business. I don't gossip about these things. That being said," —she glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping—"something about you makes her light up. I want that for her."

Warmth spread through her speeding heart. "Really?"

"Your confidence could use some work, but you seem genuine and honest. So yeah, really."

Jenny didn't know what to say. In the space of half an hour, her dismal world seemed to upend itself. She wanted to hug Natalie. Heck, she wanted to hug the nearest sweaty stranger!

But most of all, she wanted to call Juliana.

Um, yeah, let's not hug sweaty strangers. Voting is safer, I think.