I wanna go down there and pump some iron.”
“That’s fine, Marcus. But hurry back. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Okay, Ma.”
I changed into an old T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, headed downstairs. The windows of the gymnasium were fogged from the air-conditioning. It was freezing, and I wished I’d worn long sweatpants but knew it wouldn’t be long before I was sweating like crazy. I stepped onto the treadmill and began jogging. I had my iPod, and when I put the headphones on, Young Joc began to rap in my ears. After I got my heart rate up, I stopped running and began to briskly walk on the treadmill. Slowed to a less intense pace to cool down and then hopped off the machine to catch my breath. I started stretching my muscles and then stepped over to the free weights side of the room. Just as I began to pump some iron, a familiar face showed up in the gym.
“You stood me up this morning.” Rena placed her hands on her hips. She was wearing short, tight gym shorts and a snug top that hugged her breasts.
“Oh, I forgot all about that.” I found myself smiling—I couldn’t help it. “I told you I don’t play tennis, anyway. And especially not at seven o’clock in the morning.”
Rena turned away, hopped onto the treadmill, started pressing buttons to set it where she wanted it. Her breasts began to bounce up and down as she started to jog, and I found myself staring at her toned legs as they moved back and forth. Her pink and gray Nikes matched her pink and gray outfit, and she moved to a rhythm all her own.
After I finished pumping weights, I grabbed my towel, threw it over my shoulder and headed for the door.
“Hey, Marcus, can you spot me on the weight bench before you leave?”
I thought about it for a minute, and then said, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Rena hopped off the treadmill, wiped sweat from her forehead and headed for the weights. She changed the weights on the barbell and then lay flat on her back. I walked toward the bench, helped her lift the barbell and spotted her as she lifted the weights—up and down, and then up and down again. She breathed and then released with each repetition. She was the first girl I’d ever seen work out this way. The girls on the basketball team at my school lifted weights, but weren’t as serious about exercise as Rena was. And most girls didn’t want to do anything that would mess up their hair. But it was apparent that Rena did it on a regular basis and that she was disciplined.
After she’d put the weights back where they belonged, she sat up slowly, sweat popping from her forehead. Most girls would die if a boy saw them sweat, but Rena wasn’t afraid to get her workout on. It only made her more beautiful, and worse, made me more attracted to her. She grabbed the towel from my shoulder, wiped her face with it and smiled. I didn’t even mind that her sweat was all over my towel.
“Thank you, Marcus,” she said. “You wanna go to the beach later? It’s a nice little drive from here.”
“I don’t know….” I said. Part of me wanted to explore the beach with Rena, especially since I hadn’t been yet. And what could be better than playing in the ocean with a beautiful girl? But the responsible side of me knew that this girl had a boyfriend—and the beach at night was no place to be with someone else’s girl.
“Oh, come on…the beach is nice. It’s very beautiful at night. You can actually see the stars reflecting off the water. There’s nothing like it.” She stood, threw my towel back to me. “Meet me out front at eight.”
Before I could protest, Rena was gone. I stood there for a moment, watching her walk away. I should’ve gone after her, told her I wouldn’t make it, but I didn’t. Instead, I glanced at my watch. It was 6:36. I had exactly one hour and twenty-four minutes to come up with one good excuse for not going to the beach with Rena. But by the time 7:59 rolled around, I didn’t have a single excuse.
Chapter
“That’s fine, Marcus. But hurry back. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Okay, Ma.”
I changed into an old T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, headed downstairs. The windows of the gymnasium were fogged from the air-conditioning. It was freezing, and I wished I’d worn long sweatpants but knew it wouldn’t be long before I was sweating like crazy. I stepped onto the treadmill and began jogging. I had my iPod, and when I put the headphones on, Young Joc began to rap in my ears. After I got my heart rate up, I stopped running and began to briskly walk on the treadmill. Slowed to a less intense pace to cool down and then hopped off the machine to catch my breath. I started stretching my muscles and then stepped over to the free weights side of the room. Just as I began to pump some iron, a familiar face showed up in the gym.
“You stood me up this morning.” Rena placed her hands on her hips. She was wearing short, tight gym shorts and a snug top that hugged her breasts.
“Oh, I forgot all about that.” I found myself smiling—I couldn’t help it. “I told you I don’t play tennis, anyway. And especially not at seven o’clock in the morning.”
Rena turned away, hopped onto the treadmill, started pressing buttons to set it where she wanted it. Her breasts began to bounce up and down as she started to jog, and I found myself staring at her toned legs as they moved back and forth. Her pink and gray Nikes matched her pink and gray outfit, and she moved to a rhythm all her own.
After I finished pumping weights, I grabbed my towel, threw it over my shoulder and headed for the door.
“Hey, Marcus, can you spot me on the weight bench before you leave?”
I thought about it for a minute, and then said, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Rena hopped off the treadmill, wiped sweat from her forehead and headed for the weights. She changed the weights on the barbell and then lay flat on her back. I walked toward the bench, helped her lift the barbell and spotted her as she lifted the weights—up and down, and then up and down again. She breathed and then released with each repetition. She was the first girl I’d ever seen work out this way. The girls on the basketball team at my school lifted weights, but weren’t as serious about exercise as Rena was. And most girls didn’t want to do anything that would mess up their hair. But it was apparent that Rena did it on a regular basis and that she was disciplined.
After she’d put the weights back where they belonged, she sat up slowly, sweat popping from her forehead. Most girls would die if a boy saw them sweat, but Rena wasn’t afraid to get her workout on. It only made her more beautiful, and worse, made me more attracted to her. She grabbed the towel from my shoulder, wiped her face with it and smiled. I didn’t even mind that her sweat was all over my towel.
“Thank you, Marcus,” she said. “You wanna go to the beach later? It’s a nice little drive from here.”
“I don’t know….” I said. Part of me wanted to explore the beach with Rena, especially since I hadn’t been yet. And what could be better than playing in the ocean with a beautiful girl? But the responsible side of me knew that this girl had a boyfriend—and the beach at night was no place to be with someone else’s girl.
“Oh, come on…the beach is nice. It’s very beautiful at night. You can actually see the stars reflecting off the water. There’s nothing like it.” She stood, threw my towel back to me. “Meet me out front at eight.”
Before I could protest, Rena was gone. I stood there for a moment, watching her walk away. I should’ve gone after her, told her I wouldn’t make it, but I didn’t. Instead, I glanced at my watch. It was 6:36. I had exactly one hour and twenty-four minutes to come up with one good excuse for not going to the beach with Rena. But by the time 7:59 rolled around, I didn’t have a single excuse.
Chapter
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