Piece by Piece

Four

CADE POV

MARGOT: Cade.  The Yellowstone van series is insane.  They legit had to wait like 15 minutes for some bison to cross the road in front of them.  Can you even imagine??!  Thanks for the link! Binge watching now between working on spreadsheets so my eyes get a break.

I chuckled at her message and shook my head before tucking my phone in my backpack.

I've only known Margot for about 6 weeks but everything became even more intense after she joined me for an AA meeting.  She offered to go along whenever I felt like I could use her company which turned into an "every time I go to a meeting" event each week.

She has proven to be a fiercely loyal and caring friend.

We have a routine.  It's comforting to have someone I can rely on nearby.

After meeting in person a couple weeks ago we have grabbed coffee twice and dinner three times. We also found a diner near the Veterans center with incredible pie so that's become our late night place to visit after meetings. It gives us time to unpack some of the issues we've each dealt with in our lives while somewhere neutral. I'm pretty sure if I was in her apartment I'd be digging into drawers and peeking around her bookcases to find all the trinkets this woman keeps tucked away.

Part of me wanted to invite her to my place but that felt so loaded. May as well keep going as we are since we're both happy.  Something deeper is simmering below the surface that I don't want to mess up.  I'm attracted to Margot and find myself holding back from more affection so I don't spook her.

I can be a lot to handle.  My excitement goes a bit too far sometimes so the last thing I want is for Margot to slip away because I couldn't control myself.  It took a lot of energy to stop myself from asking her out on Valentine's Day but instead we sent memes and she shared a photo of the salmon she had for dinner.

This was safer.  Margot has boundaries in place but has been completely supportive as a friend.  I don't want to cross that line unless I am positive it will not push her away.

There was a new client ready for her first session so I headed into the designated workout room to chat about her goals.  She was the typical middle age corporate person that is too busy to go to the gym and thinks paying for training will keep her accountable.

Works for me, as long as they respect my boundaries.  I usually don't give out my personal information and have never struggled with being professional but as she took more opportunities to touch me while we spoke I found myself getting uncomfortable.

Extremely uncomfortable.

Touch is going to happen when you're training someone, especially considering how form is such a big part of properly performing exercises. We have a strict policy of no shenanigans but unfortunately plenty of clients don't care and some of the trainers go along with it just to get more people on their roster.  Any member of our gym needs to sign a disclosure agreement confirming they agree with our rules.

Personal trainers make more money than gym employees that teach group classes.

When she not so accidentally grabbed my crotch a second time I stepped back and repeated my warning.  "Vivian, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, I need you to respect my boundaries and the rules of our facility."

She quirked an eyebrow and smiled slowly, "You're just playing hard to get.  There is no wedding band so you're single, right?"

Her words registered and I shook my head, "I have a girlfriend.  I am happy to refer you to one of my coworkers if you feel like you need something I cannot provide.  The point of training is to help you reach your health and fitness goals while being professional."