CHAPTER NINE
Emma
I feel so out of my element right now. So exposed. I've never worn anything anywhere near as revealing as this gym outfit. Chad seems to really like it. If I'm being honest, I kinda like it, too. I was checking myself out in the locker room mirror and Chad was right: it does show off my curves. I never really thought of myself as “curvy.” For most of my life, I was simply fat. Since I lost all that weight, I just see myself as average. I guess I do have a few curves.
Chad's really making me feel good about myself. He's motivated me to start writing my weight loss book. And he's making me feel really good about my body. I have to wonder, though, is he just running game on me? Does he do this with all women just so he can get them into bed? Or am I somehow special?
“Goddamn, Emma,” Chad says, looking me up and down, up and down.
“What?” I ask.
“You! Look at you. You look...”
“Yes?”
“You look smoking fucking hot! Seriously. I can't take my eyes off those magnificent tits and perfect ass. I'm sorry, but I'm just being honest. I've never seen you wearing anything but sweaters and baggy shirts. I knew that there was a sexy ass woman hiding under there. Now that I can actually see her, I'm blown the fuck away.”
I wonder who the first person to use the phrase “butterflies in the stomach” was because that's exactly what I'm feeling right now. It feels like I have a kaleidoscope of butterflies inside me. I think that's what a group of butterflies are called, anyway. Chad's words are making me melt inside and I bet I'm blushing right now. He looks amazing, too. Chad's wearing a revealing tank top and a pair of gym shorts. I can see his thick, muscular arms and tree trunk legs. He's got a visible vein popping out of his biceps and it's incredibly sexy. I don't know what's coming over me. I usually don't get like this. I feel like a school girl with a crush. It's not a bad feeling, though. Chad's got me feeling really, really good.
“I'm blushing, aren't I?”
Chad laughs and replies, “A little bit. Yeah.”
“I can't help it. You're really making me feel good, Chad. Like, really good. You gotta cut that out.”
“Cut it out? Are you kidding me? I'm just getting fucking started! You really do look amazing, Emma. Ready to lift some weights?”
“As ready as I'm gonna be.”
“Unacceptable. Let me ask you again. Are-you-ready-to-lift-some-fucking-weights?”
“Yes. I'm ready to lift some effing weights.”
“Good. Motivation, Emma. Use it. Harness it. You need to get excited about lifting weights. It gives you more energy and you have better workouts when you're all amped up. How do you motivate your clients?”
“By coming up with detailed meal plans and...”
“No, no, no. How do you get them excited about wanting to change their diets?”
Again, Chad's got me thinking. I don't really do anything to help motivate my clients. I just feed them a bunch of information and send them on their way. If I could learn to be more motivating, I could help my clients stay on track better. I never in a million years would've thought that I'd be learning so much on a date with Chad Taylor.
“I guess I don't.”
“Do you tell your clients about your own weight loss success?”
“Some, yes.”
“Well, there you go. Your story is motivating as fuck. Get your clients excited. Don't just tell them what to eat. Make them excited about the wonderful new life they're gonna have if they stick to their diet. It'll help them. Trust me. Motivation works. Now, let's go do some squats.”
We go over to the squat rack. Chad walks a couple steps behind me and I can feel his eyes running up and down my body. Normally, I'd be disgusted. But right now, I'm flattered.
“Okay,” Chad says. “We're gonna keep it nice and light so we can focus on using good form. I always see guys in the gym using wayyy too much weight. It's better to use lighter weight with proper form than heavy weight with bad form. That's how you get injured.”
“Won't lifting weights make me all big and muscular? I don't wanna look like that.”
Chad laughs and says, “A lot of women think that but it's not true. You're not gonna turn into a female Arnold Schwarzenegger from working out. Those big muscular chicks you see on the cover of fitness magazines workout four hours a day, have impeccable diets, and all use steroids. You're not gonna get big and bulky from lifting weights. What you are gonna get is stronger, more toned, and a nice flat belly. And on top of all that, you'll feel better all day long. Weight lifting, like running, releases endorphins and dopamine which make you feel really good.”
I gotta say, Chad knows his shit. I've known since high school that he's really smart. And tonight, Chad's shown me that he can actually act like a human being - when he wants to. All things considered, he's blowing me away as much as I'm blowing him... That sounds really bad, even in my head. Although, I wonder what it would be like to...
“Emma!” Chad yells.
“Huh?”
“Focus! Are you listening to me?”
“Yes, I'm listening.”
“Then what did I just say?”
Uh oh. I have no idea.
“You said that Arnold Schwarzenegger got strong from working out four hours a day and using steroids.”
“That's not even close to what I said. I know my glorious muscles and cool demeanor can be mesmerizing, but I need to you pull your head out of your ass and focus.”
“Okay. Sorry. I'm a laser beam. Super focused.”
“That's better. Now watch closely.”
Chad gets under the bar and picks it up, resting it on his shoulders. He takes a step back and slowly starts squatting down. I do everything in my power to focus on the movement and not on Chad's body. It's not enough. I can't help myself from checking out his statuesque physique. As Chad bends down, his butt looks incredible. I wanna just walk up to him and give it a pinch. With the bar is resting on Chad's broad shoulders, he slowly ascends back up. He returns the bar to the rack and turns around.
“See? You want the bar to rest right here,” Chad says, putting his hand on my upper back. “Then you bend down slowly, going as far down as you can. We call those ass-to-grass squats. Deep squats. They work your legs and butt really good. Ready to give it a try?”
“As ready as I'm gonna...”
Chad coughs and gives me a look.
“Yes. I'm ready!”
“Good. Now come over here and get under the bar. Don't be afraid. I'm gonna spot you.”
Chad gets right behind me. Like, right behind me. He presses his body up against mine and wraps his muscular arms around me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was trying to cop a feel. I know that he's not, though. I've seen him training his clients at Fit World and I've seen him spotting both guys and girls the same way. Still, I can't help myself. Having Chad's magnificent body pressed against mine feels amazing. For a split second, my mind leaves the gym and I imagine what it would be like to have Chad's body pressed against mine in bed. That thought sends a chill down my spine.
I need to focus right now, though. Focus, Emma, focus. Chad helps me rest the bar on my neck and I lift it off the rack. Like he instructed, I take a step back and start squatting down. Chad's body is pressed against mine the entire way, supporting me on the way down and back up. It feels amazing.
“Good,” Chad says as I complete my first rep. “Again. Slowly.”
I squat again, going as far down as possible. Ass-to-grass as Chad called it. He braces my body with his and even though I have a forty-five pound bar on the back of my neck, I've never felt safer. Chad's got me and I never want him to let me go. I feel safe and secure. Not just that, though. I feel aroused. The smell of his cologne fills my lungs and I never wanna exhale. With every passing second, I melt a little bit more.
We come back up and I put the bar back on the rack. Turning around to look at Chad, he doesn't say a word for several seconds. His eyes, once again, travel up and down my body.
“Well?” I ask. “How was that?”
“Excellent. Good form. How'd it feel?”
“I could really feel it right here,” I say, pointing to my thigh, then to my butt. “And here.”
“That's good. You wanna feel it here in your quads,” Chad says and firmly squeezes my thigh. Then, he pats my butt and continues, “and in your glutes.”
He gives my butt a quick little pinch, making me jump. I wasn't expecting it but I guess I probably should've. Whenever I see Chad touching his female clients, it always makes cringe. Now that he's doing it to me, though, I like it. I hate myself for liking it, but I do. I can't help it. His hands are big and strong. When he touches my leg and my butt, I can't help but wonder what they'd feel like all over my naked body.
Chad shows me a few more exercises. He gets more and more touchy and flirty with each one and I'm loving it. I keep catching him checking me out and it's driving me wild. Knowing that the guy who can have anyone wants you - well, it's really flattering, to say the least.
“You've showed me so much, Chad,” I say. “I can't thank you enough. I'm starting to get a bit worn out, though. My ass is really burning.”
“Wait until tomorrow. It's gonna be on fire. But that's a good thing. It's called DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Basically, it means your workout worked. There is one more exercise I'd like to show you before we leave. This one won't make you sore but, when done right, you may feel a slight tingling sensation run down your spine.”
“Um... Okay, sure. I guess I'm up for one more.”
Chad glides up to me, effortlessly closing the gap between us. He runs his fingers gently down my sweaty arms and takes my hands into his. Suddenly, it dawns on me what this final spine-tingling exercise is. Chad pulls our sweaty bodies together and wraps his arms around me. Reflexively, I throw mine around him. Our eyes meet and for a moment, time stands still. Not only does it feel like we're alone in the gym, in this moment it feels like we're alone in the world.
Lost in Chad's eyes, I'm paralyzed. I can't speak and I can't move. All I can do is feel my heart beating faster and faster with each passing second. I see his handsome face coming toward mine and our lips meet for the first time. There's that tingle Chad was talking about! The second I feel his soft lips upon mine, my whole body starts vibrating. I can't think. I can't breathe. All I can do is feel and I feel on top of the world!
“Your lips are as soft and wonderful as you are, Emma,” Chad whispers in my ear.
Before I can respond, our lips meet once again. Chad pulls me in tightly. He playfully tickles my tongue with his. They dance together for what feels like an eternity, right here in the middle of the gym. I'm sure people are looking at us but I don't care and I know Chad doesn't either. For the first time in a long time, I don't care about anything except this moment right now. All my anxieties about the future and regrets about the past disappear. Chad has me under his spell and it scares the shit out of me – but I never want it to end.