When she had asked for a personal trainer, Troy immediately said he would help her out. As he guided her through her lifts and curls, she never noticed that he was admiring her firm round buttocks or how his breathing suddenly increased as he watched her breasts rise and fall with each breath. In his mind, he had made love to her every way possible.
As they became friends, their conversations became more personal. He had found out that although she was in a relationship, she wasn’t happy. Where he once thought she had a wonderful life, he now realized she was lonely.
“Heather, are you doing anything after your workout tonight?” Troy had asked when Heather came in at four one afternoon.
Sighing in, she looked up at him and smiled. “Hmmm, not really. Why?”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to come out for a drink. We always talk in the gym. It might be nice to talk somewhere else for a change,” Troy said, hoping desperately that she would say yes.
Nodding her head, she flashed him her dazzling smile. “You know, I’d love that. I’ll just make a quick call and let’s get to work.”
The bar was relatively quiet when they walked in and found a table on the far end of the room. After ordering a beer and a white wine, Troy raised his drink.
“Here’s to a great work out and a new friendship.”
“Hear, hear,” Heather said, clinking her glass against his bottle.
“So, this might be none of my business, but why are you so unhappy? You seem like a woman who has it all," Troy said, crossing his arms and leaning forward on the table.
Heather sighed. “I don’t know. I shouldn’t be unhappy. I do have a good life − a good job and a wonderful boyfriend who treats me like a princess, I have financial stability. I just can’t put my finger on what it is, but I feel like something is missing. I just have no idea what it is.”
Troy looked at her. “So, where does your boyfriend think you are tonight?"
Heather looked at him. “Out with girlfriends. I’ve never lied to him in my life, but when you asked me out, I just didn’t feel like going home,” she said, running her hands through her blond hair. “I just don’t know what I want anymore.”
Troy nodded. “Do you love him?”
Heather looked at him and shook her head. “I don’t know anymore. I did. Once upon a time. But now, I just don’t know.”
She had felt bad lying to Tristan, but when Troy invited her out, it was as if something inside of her woke up, and she didn’t know why. Was it because it was different? For years, she would go to the gym after work and then head home where Tristan would be waiting for her unless he was showing a house. They’d have supper, a glass of wine, then cuddle on the couch watching television, usually ending up on the floor making love. Night after night. Day after Day. The same thing. Maybe that was her problem.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled. Troy reached over and took her hand in his.
“I hate seeing you so sad,” he said softly. “Life and love can be so complicated.”
“What about you? All you have heard is me whine about my life. What about you?"
“My life is pretty boring. I grew up on the West Coast and moved here when my parents split up. My mother remarried, and I hated my step-father. I started visiting the gym as a way to escape, and it just became my life. Three years ago, I opened Outward Physical, and that’s about it. I’ve had a few flings, but never found anyone that I want to start a serious relationship with,” Troy answered her. What he wanted to add was until he met her, but knew that was too cliché.
✽✽✽
Tristan checked his watch as he flicked through the television channels. Ten o'clock, and Heather still wasn’t home yet. She had never gone out with the girls after the gym before. Why was she starting now? Not that it bothered him. They were free to live their own lives, and both had other interests apart from each other.
Yawning, he turned off the television just as the front door opened.
“Hey, you’re home,” he called out.
"Are you waiting up for me?" she asked, coming into the living room.
“No, I was actually just heading to bed. I watched a really stupid movie. Kind of a waste of time. Did you have a good time with the girls?”
“Yeah, it was nice. Just a spur of the moment thing, and I think it was what I needed,” Heather said. “Well, I’m heading up to bed. I have a big day tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’m right behind you,” Tristan said, turning off the table lamp.
“So, where did you go?” Tristan asked as he walked into the bedroom and heard Heather in the bathroom.
“What?”
“I asked, where did you go?”
“Oh, I can’t remember the name of the place. It was nice, just a wine bar on the south side of town,” Heather answered, placing a dab of toothpaste on her toothbrush.
“Who went?”
Heather rinsed her mouth, then came back into the bedroom, leaning against the door jam. “Why all the questions?”
Tristan shrugged. “No reason. I’m just interested in what you do.”
“I was with some girls I met at the gym. You don’t know them,” Heather said, pulling back the covers of the bed and climbing in.
Reaching out, Tristan wrapped his arms around her to embrace her. “It’s been a while, baby,” he said, kissing her bare shoulder.
“Tristan, please. I have a bit of a headache. Raincheck?”
“Of course. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?” Tristan asked as she turned her back to him and snuggled into her pillow.
“I’m just tired, Tristan, and I have a big day tomorrow," Heather said, closing her eyes.
Turning off the lamp on his night table, Tristan lay on his back, staring into the darkness. Heather had never turned down sex before. In fact, she was the one who usually initiated it. Why did she not feel like it all of a sudden?
There had to be something that had changed, but one thing was for sure, he knew there wasn’t anyone else. Heather was as faithful as they come, and she would never cheat on him, nor him on her.
Rolling over, he closed his eyes, waiting for sleep. Tomorrow was another day, and hopefully tomorrow night, he and Heather would be writhing in passion, and things would return to normal.
Chapter 5
“You’re going to the gym again?” Tristan asked as they sat enjoying coffee and croissants, and reading the paper.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”
“Well, I have a free day today. I thought we could go for a drive, visit some of those little towns you love, roam around. Maybe stop and have dinner at the Maison Blanche. You love that place,” Tristan said, putting down his paper.
“Well, we could do that after I go to the gym,” Heather said. “I have to keep my body trim for you, you know.”
Tristan looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “I’m hoping to have a taste of that trimness tonight.”
Smiling at him, she looked at his phone as it began buzzing on the table.
“Hey, Jason, what’s up?” Tristan said after hitting the speaker button.
“Hey, what are you up to today?” his brother Jason asked.