“Fuck,” Melody said, stopping her treadmill. “There’s such a thing as overdoing it.”
I rolled my eyes and stopped my machine, too. We toweled ourselves off and headed towards the changing rooms to shower.
“I like pushing myself,” I said.
“Not me,” she said with a laugh. “I like to be comfortable, even when I exercise. I only wish I could have a body as fine as yours without all the insane shit you do.”
I laughed. “You have a great body, too.”
“My ass is not as tight as yours, and my stomach could use with a little toning,” she said. “But fuck it, I don’t mind a little flesh on my body. Gives the guys something to grab onto at night.”
“Win-win, huh?”
Melody winked at me. “How about lunch?”
“You want me to gain back all the calories I just lost?”
“Why not?”
I smiled. “There’s this cafe around the corner. We can walk there, and they have great salads.”
“Deal,” she nodded.
As I showered, I couldn’t help but think about Jake. It seemed like any time I had a moment to spare, my thoughts turned instinctively towards him. It was both terrifying and pathetic, and I wished I could be less affected than I was by his presence. It didn’t help that he always looked so handsome and suave.
I wiped myself dry and slipped on some jeans and a statement t-shirt, then I blow dried my hair quickly and joined Melody outside. After our vigorous workout session, both of us set a nice, slow pace to the café.
“You know where I go wrong?” Melody asked, picking up our conversation where we had left off. “I hate cooking, so I end up buying the cheap shit that takes three seconds to microwave, or I just order in.”
I shook my head at her. “All you need is a few basic skills, and you’ll do fine in the kitchen. I made myself some chicken last night for dinner, and it was both healthy and delicious.”
Melody sighed. “You’re so much more committed than I am; it’s annoying.”
I laughed. “I could give you some pointers. Or send you some easy recipes that’ll take you no time at all to cook.”
“Okay, I’m game.”
“Excellent,” I said. “I’ll send you over some links tonight.”
“Maybe, if all goes well, I could even cook for Gareth.”
I looked at Melody in surprise and then shook my head at her.
“What?” she asked defensively.
“I should have known this had something to do with a guy.”
“It’s not just about him,” she said quickly. “I want to cook for myself, too… It’s just that I thought making a home-cooked meal sends a sort of personalized and romantic message. It shows you’re really interested.”
“And, are you?”
“Oh, definitely.”
I smiled as we turned the corner towards the café. “Where did you meet him?”
“In the park,” she said. “He caught my eye when he was walking his dog. We happened to bump into each other and fireworks ensued.”
“He’s a dog lover?”