CHAPTER FOUR

RYLAN

I was not at all surprised to see Cassie show up alone for her first training session with me. 

And secretly, I was glad. 

Not only because she looked like an absolute knockout in her leggings and form-fitting tank top, but Mark's sour attitude wouldn't bring her down like it did during the consultation. I didn't want to waste my time on someone who not only had no desire to be there but ruined the experience for those who did. 

Of course, I would never try anything inappropriate and would always remain an utmost professional. 

"Hey great to see you, Cassie," I greeted her warmly by the front desk. "Where's Mark?" 

I asked only out of courtesy, not because I gave a shit. 

"Too busy apparently," she said with a slight eye roll. "He might try to find a trainer that can work around his schedule." 

"Well, I have evening and weekend availability too," I offered, just to poke holes in his obvious excuses. "But if he's not ready, that's fine too. I understand we all get busy."

"Yeah." She offered a smile that looked a bit sad. "Some things fall by the wayside. It just depends on what you prioritize in life, right?" 

"Exactly," I beamed at her. "Which is why you're here right now-- you're putting yourself as a priority and that's awesome. That's the hardest part for a lot of people. Just showing up and putting time and energy into themselves."

"That's true," she answered quietly.  

"So," I clapped my hands together. "Ready to get started?"

"I think so." Her bashful smile made me just want to wrap my arms around her. "I'm a little nervous. I'm really out of shape."

"We'll take it slow, sweetheart," I assured her as I led her through the gym. "Eventually I'm going to challenge you but I promise you this-- I will never throw anything at you that you can't handle."

"I'll hold you to that promise," she replied with a light spring in her step. 

Atta girl, I thought. No one is going to judge you here. You're free to pursue whatever you want. 

Sadly, seeing couples like her and Mark in the gym were not uncommon. Guys would bring their girlfriends here to try to make them lose weight and achieve some unattainable ideal. The girls always looked miserable and the guys usually weren't so hot-looking either. 

I straight-up told a dude once that he should lose his dad-bod and get a six-pack before forcing his normal, healthy girl to look like a skeleton. We exchanged words and I even challenged him to a match in the boxing ring but he didn't seem too keen on that. He skulked away like a coward and was never to be seen again. I just hoped the girl had enough sense to leave him. 

I gritted my teeth at the memory as I switched on a couple of treadmills for Cassie and I. Hopefully she wasn't in that bad of a situation. In any case, Mark wasn't here and their relationship was definitely none of my business.

"We'll start with some brisk walking to warm up," I explained. "Feel free to slow down or speed up the settings as you need to." 

We walked side by side at a steady pace for a few moments then to my surprise, she upped the speed and incline angle on her machine. 

"Going hardcore already, huh?" I grinned. 

"I love walking up hills and on outdoor trails," she explained. "It's been a long time since I've been on an actual hike but this just reminded me of it." 

"That's great. Did you know the gym also has a free hiking group? We can definitely incorporate that into our training."

"Really? I'd love that!" 

Her eyes flashed excitedly as she looked over at me and my stomach did a flip-flop. She looked so damn pretty when she was happy. 

"Yeah really," I answered, trying to keep my eyes at an appropriate level. "I've been meaning to join them anyway. Get out of this oversized hamster cage and spend some time out in fresh air, you know?"

"I know what you mean," she said, starting to breathe a little heavier from the effort. "Being outside is something we take for granted a lot." 

"Definitely," I agreed. "Alright, I think we're warmed up. Let's go through a basic bodyweight routine."

Over the next half-hour, I guided Cassie through a routine of squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and planks. We focused on keeping correct form to prevent injuries and wouldn't use weights for another week or so. After the main exercises, we cooled down with another walk on the treadmill, followed by some stretches. 

"Great job Cassie," I said, offering her a high-five. "You made it through the first day! How do you feel?" 

"Really good, honestly." She sounded surprised. "That wasn't bad at all. I actually feel really energized but relaxed at the same time." 

"That's how it feels on the good days so cherish it," I grinned. "You'll probably be a bit sore tomorrow, though."

"Well, that's how we know it's working, right?" she grinned and my stomach did that flip-flopping thing again. 

Damn, I was doing so good too. The whole time she was squatting and breathing heavily, I never had inappropriate thoughts because I was in my work mindset. Now that we were done and she was all flushed and glowing, it was hard not to think of her as a temptation. 

"I'll get you the info on that group hike," I told her. "I think the next one is coming up soon." 

"Yeah, definitely let me know!" she said before chugging from her water bottle. "I'd love to join in on that." 

"Right on. Oh, one last thing," I said, feeling my heart speed up just slightly. "I always treat my first-day clients to a drink from the juice bar. Just as a small congrats for showing up and getting through it because the first day is often the hardest one." 

"Oh wow! That's so nice of you but totally not necessary," she stammered, blushing slightly. 

"I know it's not," I smirked. "But I do it anyway. And it's always important to refuel after a workout." 

"Well... if you're insisting," she relented.

Not two minutes later, we were standing in line and perusing the menu. 

"Ooh, a chocolate peanut butter protein shake," she cooed, licking her lips. "That sounds amazing."

"What size do you want?" I asked, whipping out my wallet. 

"Oh no, I should probably get something healthier," she said with a dry laugh. "I'm just a sucker for sweets. I guess that's why I'm at a gym in the first place." 

A feeling of coldness swept over me. Somehow I knew those thoughts weren't hers. They were planted there by someone else. 

"The protein shake has tons of vitamins in it," I explained. "And anyway, you need calories to build muscle. You won't get any stronger if you're denying your body what it needs." 

She gave me a curious look. 

"I never thought about it that way," she said softly. 

"Stick around with me and you'll learn plenty more," I answered.