The Understanding (Bk 1 Otago Series)

Chapter 5- The Gym

Max's point of view:

I was sitting at my desk, staring intently at the pen I was spinning in my right hand. It had been something of a party trick when I was young, but now I was just doing it instinctively, as my mind tried to process what had happened on Saturday night. I had tried to make sense of it often this past week but found myself drawing a blank.

Cassie seemed to enjoy the night, I had known I was pushing it when I had organized to collect her from her home. But with me knowing Dave, helped to set her at ease a little. What had I been thinking? Was she used to guys letting her take the lead more? giving her more space? As I thought about the night I realised I had taken charge at every turn. It wasn't like me to second guess myself, usually I was determined and pig headed, blind to a fault, of others opinion of me. But something about Cassie had me looking for her reactions to me and what I said.

I smiled a little as I thought back to walking in on Cassie and Trace cleaning up after the meal. They had clearly been discussing something personal. I came up behind Cas, wondering if my proximity would put her off guard enough that she would fold and tell me what it was. She looked quite embarrassed and uncomfortable, only it backfired on me because all I could think about was keeping her close to me all night. I even manipulated her into sitting next to me, although she didn't seem reluctant. I wondered if this could have been why she was so uptight by the end of the night?

I had pulled up on the drive home to simply to reassure her and explain my involvement in the night of the riot. I shouldn't have left her in the cell, I couldn't remember a time I had used my position to meet a woman, what had I been thinking? But before I could find the words to get started the moment had passed, then she had got so angry. Strangely the whole episode had only fueled my attraction to her and my curiosity.

Considering how she had been that night, I didn't know if she would have taken my phone call, if I had rung. I had considered getting her number from Dave. Clearly she didn't trust me, but I found my resolve, to get to the bottom of why she felt that way, growing. One thing I had decided on was that I needed to see her again. The attraction I felt for her was unexpected, but short of turning up at school again I wasn't sure how I was going to pull that off, but I smiled to myself, I was confident I would!

"Ryan," I called out as I approached the front doors of the gym. Work had been quiet over the last couple of days, wet weather seemed to do that, and a group of guys from the squad had been determined to come down and do some weights as stress release. Ryan wasn't going to let me get away with not coming. I didn't come to the gym often, preferring to exercise outside, but I enjoy hanging out with the squad, and leading by example when it came to health and fitness.

Ryan punched me in the arm good naturedly,  

"Good to see you've already made an early start on your workout."  

"I had to go in to finish a report before my days off, so I thought I would jog out, its not far," I smiled easily. Ryan had never been big on jogging. Weights, yes, but not so much the cardio fitness workouts.  

He rolled his eyes, 

"Are you kidding me? 15ks? I guess you'll come on in and do a full work out with us now as well? on second thoughts, don't answer that." I laughed while he groaned. The automatic doors opened in as we headed inside.

As gyms go, this was a great place to hang out. Down to the left there was a large weights room, and central in that an elevated platform held a sparring ring. To the right of the entrance treadmills, cycles, group session rooms. I could hear the guys loud noise and chat down towards the sparring ring before I could see them. I was wearing my oversized hoodie with shorts, I pulled my hoodie off, leaving me in only an exercise singlet, and grabbed up a gym towel. I rubbed over my face and short cut hair and then flung the towel over my shoulder.