This Isn't Working Out

Second Time's the Charm?

Still sporting a bald spot from last time, Lily nevertheless was excited to meet up with Ben. Hopefully, the physical activity would at least not result in her injury, and she had to admit she enjoyed his company. He might be an exercise bro, but she actually really enjoyed his sunny attitude. Besides, it was probably good to get away from her computer now and then.

She followed the directions to yet another unexplained address he had texted her last night. This time when she got to the large brick building, he was waiting outside for her. The sun picked up the blond highlights in his wavy brown hair and Lily's stomach gave an odd sort of twist when he smiled at her. She decided to chalk it up to exercise-related nerves.

"What are we doing today?" she asked suspiciously.

"Something fun and livestock free. Probably your new exercise passion!" Ben proclaimed.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you lowered your expectations a smidge?"

"Maybe, but then I wouldn't be me."

Laughing, Lily followed him into the building. It was filled with dozens of batting cages and the sound of cracks as people hit their balls.

"Ummm...batting cages?" Lily asked.

"I don't recall softball being on the list of verboten activities. I think you're going to love it." Ben got them both bats and batting helmets and led Lily to one of the batting cages. "Do you want me to go first to demonstrate?" he asked.

"By all means," Lily said, gesturing dramatically into the batting cage.

Ben programmed something in on the controls outside the batting cage before entering and taking his stance. "Okay," he said to Lily, "Just watch the ball and try to time your swing to connect. We'll start out on a slow speed."

Lily watched as he waited for the pitch and then swung and connected with the ball. Well, she mainly watched the very impressive muscles in his arms, but she was pretty sure she understood what to do.

"Ready?" Ben asked her.

"As I'll ever be," said Lily, entering the batting cage and trying to imitate his batting stance.

"Okay," said Ben. "Oh, wait, why is this flashing? I'm getting some sort of error message I've never seen before. Just hold on a second; I'm not sure what's happening."

Suddenly there were a series of mighty "thwacks" and balls started flying out of the machine toward Lily. She screamed and tried to back away from the plate, but it seemed like the balls were following her and gaining in intensity. One connected with her thigh and she collapsed to the ground.

"I finally got it off! Oh no, are you okay?" Ben came running into the batting cage. Lily showed him the perfect outline of the ball on her thigh, which was already turning purple. "We need to put some ice on that. I'm just a block over. Can you walk?"

Lily got up and limped with Ben back to his apartment.

He unlocked the door and pointed her to the couch, still apologizing. "I swear I've used those a million times and nothing like this has ever happened." He came out of the kitchen with a bag of ice. "Here, put your foot up on the couch." He sat on the coffee table and pressed the bag on to the bruise on her thigh gently.

"So, are you ready to admit it?" asked Lily.

"Admit what?"

"That it's just not meant to be. With me and exercise, I mean."

"Never," said Ben. "This was just a fluke. Okay, two flukes if you count the thing with the goat, but still. Your perfect exercise is still out there."

Lily laughed. "I almost admire your confidence. If I wasn't also worried it was going to get me killed."

"I've never lost a client," Ben said, shifting the ice further up her leg. Lily gave an involuntary shiver at the contact, and he looked up and met her eyes. "Anyway, I should at least make you dinner since I've injured you, right?"

Lily smiled at him. "I mean, it seems only fair now that I can hardly walk."

Ben handed over the bag of ice to her and headed into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and stared into it. "I make a mean...pasta with jarred sauce?" he offered.

"Sounds perfect," Lily said.

While he cooked, Lily looked around his apartment from her seat on the couch. It was a cute one-bedroom, much neater than most of the men's apartments she had been in in the past. The living room where she was sitting had floor-to-ceiling bookcases on one of the walls. Unable to resist, she limped over to them to see what books he had. She expected to mainly see books about fitness, but instead he had a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction.

Ben came back carrying two bowls of pasta. "Do I pass the test?" he asked.

Lily came back to the couch and sat next to him. "What test?" she asked, beginning to eat.

"I heard you on the date that shall not be named. He lost you at Ayn Rand. Which, fair."

"I'm not some kind of book snob," Lily lied. "This is great, by the way," she gestured at the pasta.

"If you say so," he said, raising his eyebrows doubtfully. Once dinner was over, he insisted on driving her home and walking her to the door. "I'm sorry, again. I promise to find the perfect activity for next week."

Lily laughed, "Don't make promises you can't keep," she said, closing the door behind her.