My grip on the coffee cup he hands me tightens. “She was talking about Carlie?”
“I’m assuming. Unless you got fired because of some other girl,” Dylan says, raising an eyebrow in mock exasperation. “Jillian’s got a mean streak a mile wide.”
I frown, thinking thinks through. If it’s true, and Carlie quit her sessions, something’s not right.
“Adam, you still with me?” Dylan’s voice pulls me back from my thoughts.
“Yeah, just thinking,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck, my gaze drifting off.
The conversation I had with her last week about wanting to open my own gym floats to mind. Her immediate response was light but sincere—she said that if I ever opened my own gym, she’d be my first client.
As sweet as that was, I still hadn’t give it a whole helluva lot of credence.
But now … it ignites something in me, a spark of possibility that hasn’t been there before. Even for as much not-so-subtle nudging Brian and Dylan have offered, pointing me in this exact same direction.
I don’t have a gym—at least not one like St. Mary’s.
But I have my home, equipped enough for personal training.
It’s not the sprawling fitness center I’ve imagined, but it could be a start.
Could I really train Carlie at my place?
Would she even be comfortable with that?
I find myself weighing the pros and cons, trying to gauge how she might react.
Especially knowing how things went down with Jillian—and our developing relationship.
Maybe she wouldn’t even want my help anymore.
However, the idea of training her, helping her on her fitness journey in a way that’s supportive and positivefeels right.
It’s personal, yes, but it’s also a chance to prove to myself that I can do this—that I can be more than just another employee at a gym.
“Dylan, maybe it’s time to bring Foxx Fitness to the world,” I start, turning back to face him. “I think I might have my first client. At least, I hope so.”
Dylan’s eyebrows shoot up as surprise and excitement lighting up his face. “You’re serious? Man, that’s great! Who’s the client? Wait, don’t tell me …”
His grin widens.
I nod, feeling a rush of adrenaline at the prospect. “Yeah, Carlie. But it’ll have to be at my place for now. Just gotta run it by her.”
“Your place, huh?” Dylan leans in with a conspiratorial gleam in his eyes. “That’s one way to get personal training on a whole new level.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Not like that, Dylan. I want to help her. She deserves better than Jillian. Who knows what kind of bullshit she pulled to get Carlie to quit.”
“Right?” Dylan agrees, his expression turning serious for a moment. “You know, Brian’s gonna flip when he hears about this.”
“Yeah, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Don’t clue him in just yet,” I warn, giving him the stink eye because I know Dylan’s propensity for running his mouth off. “I’ve still got to ask Carlie if she’s even up for it.”
“You got this, man,” Dylan says, giving me an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “And hey, if you need any help setting up or anything, you know where to find me.”
I nod, appreciative of his offer. “Thanks, Dylan. I might take you up on that. But for now, I think I have what I need.”
“Good, because I had no idea how I’d help,” Dylan chuckles, wiping down the counter.
“You know, I’m gonna head over to Carlie’s,” I say, a sense of purpose in my voice as I take a big swig from my coffee cup. “Talk to her about this personal training idea and make sure she’s okay.”