I made my way out of the bathroom, Sophia was waiting for me. “Oh, that’s adorable.”
I looked down at my red and green striped short shorts, my black tank top that said ‘Elf Me’ and then my matching red and green tennis shoes.
“I was going to order some longer socks, but I wasn’t sure whether that would be a good idea or not. I wasn’t sure if I’d get hot,” I admitted.
Just as I said the last bit, a clapping started, causing us all to start working our way to the lit-up bikes near the front of the room.
I held back, not wanting to get too close in case someone noticed me, and waited for instructions on what I had gotten myself into.
The owner that had greeted me went on to explain today’s workout, and then split us into two groups, girls on the left, boys on the right.
I was nervous as hell as I allowed my gaze to move down the line of people.
Sadly, I did not see the one I was looking for, and almost felt a sense of betrayal that he would lure me here to this torture chamber and then not show up himself.
Only, just as I thought that, the door opened behind me, allowing a blast of arctic air to flow in, and causing the entire room to look to see who the latecomer was.
“Ren!” several of the men and ladies yelled. “You made it!”
My entire heart seized in my chest as I watched the sexy man make his way inside.
He was wearing a pair of nice black slacks, a button-down shirt in a deep red, and black dress shoes.
All of which he stripped off the moment he walked in the door.
I’d never felt like I’d had an out-of-body experience before, but I did right then.
The moment he reached the button on his pants, I felt my entire body tense with excitement.
All of the men went back to what they were doing, obviously used to this kind of behavior from ‘Ren’ or Soren as Madden had called him. The ladies, on the other hand, all watched him strip himself of his clothes.
I was almost sad when I realized that he had a pair of knit shorts underneath his pants.
Knit shorts that were really quite short, and fit him like a glove and left very, very little to the imagination.
Just as he got his pants off, that’s when I noticed his socks.
They were red and green striped just like mine were, only a bit longer and up to about mid-calf.
He tossed all of his clothes in the corner, then went a step farther and ripped his shirt off and tossed it into his bag before bending over and pulling a pair of shoes out of his bag.
Black ones that were big, and…
“Any questions?” Madden asked.
There was a short, hesitant silence before one of the ladies said, “Sorry. We all lost you at the sight of Ren ripping his pants off.”
There were a few agreements from the ladies, and a flash of a grin from Ren who was now on the floor putting his shoes on, but thankfully Madden started his explanation over.
By the time he was done with the second explanation, Ren was standing at his end of the long line, completely catty-corner to me.
And I sank a little farther behind, hoping that he wouldn’t see me.
Why?
Because the man was built.
I had no idea, none, that he was that built.
Sure, he looked good in his brown uniform, but I had no clue just what that uniform was hiding.
Now I felt silly for coming.
Because before, though he was sexy as hell and had invited me, I hadn’t felt out of his league.
Now, though, seeing what all he had to work with?
Yeah, now I was more than sure that I was kidding myself.
I wished I could disappear.
Even better, I wished that I could rewind to a few days ago when I didn’t immediately tell him ‘I really suck at working out, and the best I can do workout-wise is run up and down my stairs when I forget my phone that I leave in my office.’
Hells bells.
“Now, I want each of you to line up and stretch out your calves. We’re going to do a little light running,” I heard Madden say. “We’re going to play musical weights.”
Musical chairs.
“When the Christmas music stops, that means you stop, too, and find a weight. Make sure it’s one that you can lift or you’re out,” Madden called.
And then we were