D&S Fitness

Chapter One

- Chapter One -

'I expect you in my gym no later than 4:45 AM Monday morning.'

The memory of the trainer's stern voice over the phone made my eyelids twitch open, blinking the time on the clock into focus: 4:00 A.M. I dragged myself out of bed, regretting my choice to workout so early. But I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time before my first day at my new job.

I stepped out of bed onto the cold, hardwood floor. I made a mental note to pick up an area rug for under my bed. While my new apartment was small, and I didn't have much, I still had a lot of unpacking and decorating to do to make it feel like home to me.

I walked over to the bathroom across the hall from my bedroom. The door just barely hit the toilet when you opened it. Everything here was compact, but I didn't mind. It was the first time living by myself after always having a messy roommate in college, and growing up with three even messier brothers. It was also the first time in my entire life that I didn't have to share a bathroom with anyone, and even if it was the smallest bathroom ever built, it felt like a luxury to me.

While washing my face in my clean bathroom sink, I wondered what the trainer was like. He seemed older by the way he talked. The gym's website offered no clues, it only contained contact information and a few photos of the gym itself but no trainer profiles. It was a small gym and from what I could tell, it didn't come with all of the fancy amenities my college fitness center had. But this gym had the advantage of being walking distance from my new apartment.

I picked out my workout clothes the night before. A pair of gray leggings and high impact sports bra under a mauve crop top that matched my tennis shoes. I assessed myself in the mirror, throwing my dark brown hair into a high pony. My eyes looked tired. I didn't get enough sleep. I put an extra scoop of pre-workout in my blender bottle to compensate.

I left my apartment at 4:35 A.M., it only took me a few minutes to walk there. The trainer mentioned late penalties but didn't go into detail on what they were, and I wasn't trying to find out.

D&S Fitness

The streetlight reflected on the bold, red letters above the gym entry. I wasn't sure what the name meant. It wasn't a chain. Maybe the owners' initials?

I checked my phone as I walked in the door: 4:40 A.M. On time. I looked around, there were a few people on cardio machines and one woman on a squat rack with another woman who appeared to be her trainer. They all seemed to be very athletic, more so than me. The gym looked just like the photos on the website; small, but efficient and surprisingly clean. Most of the gym was dedicated to weight lifting and open training space. There was a front desk at the entry, but no one was there so I wandered around the gym, getting a feel for the equipment and space.

"Miss Holloway?"

I could tell it was the same man I spoke with on the phone. I turned around to face him, and he immediately locked me into his gaze, but I struggled to hold eye contact for more than a few seconds. My eyes wandered, cataloguing his features. He was younger than I expected. I guessed late 20's. He was at least a foot taller than me, stormy blue eyes, dark brown hair, square jaw, and a stone-sculpted physique. There was an awkward silence as I attempted not to stare too long before finding my words.

"Scarlett," I said as I shook his hand. Firm, but it felt as though he were trying to be gentle. His hands were large and I could feel the rough calluses on his palms.

"Scarlett," he repeated. The sound of my name in his deep, stern voice startled me. He paused, almost like he noticed. Did he notice?

"Nice to meet you. My name's Vincent, my clients call me Coach Vincent, or just Coach if you'd like."