“Have a good evening, Rach!” He called out to her and she waved her hand in response, making her way out of the office.
“Don’t stay too late, boss.”
Ben chuckled to himself as he watched Rachel pack up her things and leave for the day. As the laughter wore off, he wondered if she had a point. It had been years since he’d been in an actual relationship, but Ben liked to think it was just because he hadn’t met the right person.
No one had caught his attention, at least not until recently. The memories of the pretty barista were still fresh in his mind, and he couldn’t deny the curiosity that tickled the back of his neck. There was something different about her, something to be discovered.
Ben was unsure if she would be interesting enough to hold his attention for long, but the concern from his assistant was enough for him to consider giving it a shot. A night out couldn’t hurt, and he would get to know more about the mystery woman.
Ignoring Rachel’s advice, Ben stayed late, working well into the night to prepare for the following day. When he finally rose from his desk, he was the last person on the floor. Suddenly, Rachel’s claims appeared to be more valid than he’d initially imagined.
He did work too much, hardly ever making time for anything that wasn’t work related. The last thing he wanted was to become a boring business tycoon with nothing to talk about but sales projections. As he made his way out to his waiting Range Rover, Ben wondered if the barista from the bakery could provide the balance he was missing.
Chapter Five
Katherine
TODAY WAS THE DAY KATHERINE would start listening to the advice provided by Talia on recommendations for places to visit in their neighborhood. On their walk the previous night, she had pointed out her gym, noting that they had a referral program. If Katherine mentioned her co-worker's name during sign up, they would each get a discount on their monthly rate.
It had been a while since she had worked out, but Katherine was excited to get reconnected with a part of herself she had sacrificed for her marriage. Tim never liked her working out, claiming it would only make her more attractive to other men. He liked her weak and docile, but that was never who Katherine envisioned herself being.
The morning breeze felt great on her skin as she trotted down the steep streets winding through her neighborhood like a maze. Every new route memorized gave her a renewed since of confidence, and another connection to the city she was growing to love.
Everyone seemed so nice in San Francisco, always eager to help her. In a way she thought it was a good sign that this would be the place that things finally worked out for her.
The instant she opened the door to the twenty-four-hour fitness center, Katherine was insecure, wondering if her gym clothes exposed too much skin. No matter how badly she wanted to break free of the mental shackles placed on her in her marriage, it was a process to let go of old habits.
Wearing only a tight pair of black yoga pants, a pink sports bra, and a large black muscle shirt, she knew she might garner the type of attention she wasn’t looking for. But it was a gym, so she had to dress in the uniform.
From what she could see, there was a check-in line at the receptionist area, and then a long tunnel that led to the gym. Peeking through the group of people, Katherine tried to see if the gym had the equipment she preferred, when a young blonde woman approached her.
“Hey, I’m Claire! Welcome to Fitness Planet,” she smiled, extending her hand to Katherine.
She was confident and direct, looking right into Katherine’s eyes as she introduced herself. It took a certain level of confidence to do something like that, and Katherine was aware that it was something she no longer possessed.
She used to be so sure of herself, marching into any room with her head held high. But after years of Tim’s abuse, it was like she could barely recognize herself. Meeting this woman who reminded her of a younger version of herself, Katherine remembered something else that had faded away as they shook hands.
Claire had the kind of grip they taught in business schools. It was firm and strong, and Katherine instantly admired the woman. She wanted to reclaim her strength, and a gym felt like a safe place to do it, but she was still intimidated.
“I just wanted to see what you had to offer. I’ve just moved a few blocks over,” Katherine nervously pointed in the direction of her apartment.
“Oh, that’s great. I’d love to get you all signed up and get you going,” Claire smiled. She was almost too energetic, and Katherine began to wonder what kind of supplements the woman took.
“I’m not sure I want to sign up for a long commitment yet. I just want to see if this is somewhere I can see myself working out,” Katherine explained, hoping the woman wasn’t offended. She didn’t want to waste her time, but she knew how self-c
onscious she could be.
“No worries. I can get you started on our free one-week membership, and then if you like it, we’ll upgrade you,” Claire suggested, holding her hands in the air.
Weighing over the options, Katherine thought that a trial was exactly what she needed. A poster on a back wall displayed a schedule of group classes, and she wondered if she could make new friends in a yoga class.
“A trial sounds good,” she nodded, speaking more to herself than Claire.
“Great! I’ll just need your driver’s license.”
Katherine flipped her backpack onto the counter and dug for her wallet. “Oh, I wanted to mention that my friend Talia referred me,” she added, as she handed the license to Claire.
“That’s great. What is your friend’s name? I’ll add it to your profile and if you upgrade, they’ll receive a discount,” Claire explained.