“Oh, look. Carlie’s here.With wine,”Anna drawls without even looking up.
How she knows that is beyond me, since her face is still plastered to her phone. She extends a hand to Vivian, who slaps money in it.
When Vivian catches my gaze, she smiles sheepishly. “Anna said you’d remember.”
“Ah.” I nod once.
Translation:she didn’t.
When I glance at Tasia and Lily, they’re both shaking their heads, but have big grins on their faces. I have to admit, their smiles are contagious, and I can’t help but grin back, even as I gingerly lower myself into one of the new wingback chairs, grateful for its plush embrace.
“Of course, I remembered the wine. After the week I’ve been having, it’s a necessity at this point,” I mutter, all the while the dietary drill sergeant in the back of my head says,‘But is it, though?’
Curse you, drill sergeant.
Lily looks up from her tablet, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “So, what’s been going on, Carlie? Besides plotting world domination one romance novel at a time,” she adds with a wink.
“More like surviving my own personal boot camp,” I sigh, setting the wine on the table and massaging my aching thighs. “My new trainer is on a mission to reacquaint me with muscles I forgot existed.”
Tasia reaches out, opening one of the bottles and pouring wine into each glass. Her eyebrows are raised in amusement.
However, it’s Lily who cuts in again, “And how has Ada been? Is she nice?”
“Uh,” I hedge.
Looks like I forgot to fill her in thatAdais actuallyAdam. Whoopsie.
I take a deep sip from my glass, feeling the wine’s warmth spread through me. Truthfully, it’s a welcome contrast to the soreness that’s become my constant companion.
I bite the side of my lip and fiddle with the fabric across my thighs. “Well, about Ada ... turns out there was a tiny misunderstanding.”
Lily’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?”
Vivian’s eyes also narrow on me and I flinch slightly under their scrutiny.
“Turns out, Ada isn’t Ada after all. My trainer is Adam.” I shake my head. “As in, a very muchmaleAdam.”
Anna’s head slowly rises and her eyes leave her phone. “Hold up. You’ve been getting trained by a guy this whole time and you didn’t know his name?”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, feeling all of their eyes on me. “In my defense, the email from the gym had a typo. It said ‘Ada.’ I just assumed they knew how to spell their trainer’s names …”
Vivian leans forward in her chair and bursts into laughter, nearly spilling her wine in the process. “So, you were mentally prepared to meet Ada, and in walks this Adam? I would’ve loved to see your face.”
My cheeks flush at the memory. “Let’s just say I was ...a bit surprised.”
“So, what’s he like?” Lily takes a sip of her wine, her eyes dancing with curiosity. “Is he the gruff, silent type, or more of a chiseled Adonis?”
I can’t help but laugh at the thought. We’ve only known each other a few months, but she already knows my adjectives so well. “He’s certainly ...fit. And maybe a little too enthusiastic about squats and lunges for my liking. He’s the reason I hobbled in here like my eighty-year-old grandma.”
Vivian’s grin is feline. “Enthusiastic about squats, huh? That paints a picture.”
Anna turns to Vivian with a sardonic eyebrow raised. “Did your mind just take a detour into the gutter?”
“When doesn’t it?” Tasia fires back, a huge smile spreading across her lips before she takes a sip from her glass.
Lily nods in agreement. “So, how have the workouts been? I assume he’s good, since you haven’t swapped him out for a female trainer.”
A soft smile floats to my lips as I think back to our yoga session. “He’s ...surprising. Challenging, but in a good way, I guess.”