Dom laughs darkly and then kisses me. “Perfect. Let’s see if we can make this work then, peaches.”
Story ideas are already running through my head. I could do profiles on some of the members and trainers. Demystify what they do through tweets and Facebook posts. Revamp their Instagram so it looks really beautiful. And I’d have time to do what I love, too.
I trail my fingers through his beard, smiling. “I can’t wait.”
Epilogue
Dom
Six months later
“To Amelia!”
I repeat the toast heartily and raise my glass of champagne as the gallery owner finishes her speech about Amelia’s opening night. We’re in the little gallery in the inner east, the one Amelia always wanted to exhibit in. Her new series of paintings, Stronger, are hanging on the walls.
Amelia accepts hugs and kisses from the guests, and I watch her, smiling, enjoying how much pleasure she’s getting from this evening. She’s earned it.
Over the past six months, we’ve become partners. Not just romantic partners, but partners in the gym. She cares about it just as much as I do. She’s been able to invest more time in her painting, and I’ve watched her blossom into true happiness.
Not that she’s not my little brat every now and then, just for fun, because we both like it so much.
I finish my champagne, casting my eyes around at the walls. There are paintings inspired by Amelia’s awful experience where a fellow painter ripped her off. There are paintings inspired by the gym, too, all on themes of strength, vulnerability and power. She likes to explore the idea that you don’t have to be big and muscly to be strong, and it comes through in her work. I think a lot of people can relate to that. Even I, with my height and strength, can appreciate it. Not everything can be solved with muscle and strength. That’s not how I make Amelia happy. I do that by being soft and real with her. Strict, yes, but never overbearing.
Amelia makes her way over to me, her eyes dancing with happiness. She’s wearing a long, satin dress that shows off her beautifully toned back and arms. I put my arm around her waist and press a kiss to her lips.
We stay for another half an hour and Amelia talks to the last of the guests, and then counts how many red stickers there are on her paintings.
“Five!” she squeals under her breath, squeezing my hand. “I know it’s not heaps, but five paintings in one day. It’s never happened to me before.”
“It’s wonderful. Well done, peaches.” As we head out to find a cab, I ask her, “What do you think about having to do this all over again tomorrow?”
Tomorrow we’re attending another opening, this time of a second branch of Dom Fitness. Watching the gym grow these past months has been the most exciting time of my life. Doing it with Amelia is even better.
“I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to anyone,” she says, grinning at me as I flag down a cab and help her into it. We sit very close together in the back of the cab. It’s not long before she’s getting her hand inside my suit jacket and stroking my chest.
“Maybe we should just skip our workout and lay in bed all morning. What do you think?”
I fix her with a mock-stern look. “Now, babygirl. You know that’s against the rules.”
She wriggles against me, smiling impishly. “Rules? But daddy, I don’t know the meaning of the word.”
“You don’t? Then maybe I’ll have to teach you.”
I look forward to doing just that, all night and maybe all morning as well. Maybe we will skip our workout after all, because why not? Sometimes rules can get a little bendy. Especially with my bratty little girl, whom I love with all my heart.