The Only Way is Up

Part Three

Nicole sighed, "I want to make him realise what he's about to throw away, not drive him further away."

"You will look amazing!"

She shook her head, "I'm not thinking it'll be that great a transformation."

"Eight weeks, gym, diet...you'll be amazed at how much difference that can make."

"If I last that long."

Kim squeezed her hand, "you can do it, it's not ABOUT what you look like, it's about how you feel. You aren't that different, you've just lost your confidence."

She sighed, "I don't think that eight weeks with an opinionated boy pushing me around will be enough for any of that...IF I tolerate him that long."

Her ears almost pricked up cartoon fashion, "young boy?"

"Russian kid, Max. He's a bastard."

Nicole rarely swore and she expected Kim to jump on that, instead her eyes widened and she called out.

"MICHAEL! Can you come here a moment?"

A grunt came from the adjacent office and Nicole stared questioningly at her friend as she glared at the door. When it opened she continued to glare at her husband.

"Young Russian? You've given Nicole the bastard Devil?"

He had the decency to blush, and whilst Nicole wasn't exactly sure what they were arguing about, body language made it obvious that Kim was furious.

"He is the best Kim."

She shook her head, "you call him the Russian fucking Devil Michael." She shook her head, "I expected better when I asked you for a favour. You tell me the gym is full of nice guys, older, experienced people. Couldn't ANY of them have looked after Nicole? You KNOW she's not comfortable there."

Glancing at Nicole she grimaced, "sorry, I don't mean anything bad by that."

She shrugged a response, unsure of how she felt. She didn't expect to be wrapped in cotton wool, but then was Max the best person to bring out the best in her? He made her angry, hell she'd barely been able to breathe most of their training hour tonight. Would she have done that with one of the other trainers?

She was pondering that thought when Mike answered his wife, "do you think I wouldn't do the best for your best friend? Max...he's good, he's motivated, bloody hell he knows fitness, training, nutrition inside out. He lives and breathes fitness. He maybe an arrogant bastard, but he is the only person at the gym who isn't bias towards power lifting or boxing." He turned to Nicole, "I'm sure he isn't the easiest in some ways, but I swear he's the best."

"I'm...err..." she shrugged awkwardly. "I'm here for dinner, I'm really grateful for everything you're doing for me, honestly." Turning to Kim she grinned, "look I ran for eight minutes solid tonight...don't think anyone else in the gym would make me do that. I need a kick up the backside mate, you know that."

She was scowling at her husband, "but the Devil?"

Mike shook his head, "it's a nickname darling. Believe me?"

Kim wasn't about to give in gracefully, but by the time they'd finished dinner, the two were back to being the picture of romance and love.

The next day in work, Nicole could barely lift her arms above her head. Everything ached and by lunchtime she wanted to curl up and sleep. But it was busy, as usual. She managed several huge accounts, and as it was approaching the end of the financial year, that always made for chaos.