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  “I’ve gone on plenty of dates since then, Rachel,” Ben argued.

  “Yeah, but none of them have led to anything serious,” she shot back.

  He knew it was the truth, but what he didn’t want to say was that he didn’t want them to lead to anything serious. Ben was over his ex, but he didn’t care to replace her. Truth be told, he didn’t want anyone interrupting his work schedule.

  But now, with the business taking off in such a major way, he knew there would be another opportunity to take a step back and allow his team to do what he paid them so much for.

  “I don’t need anything serious, Rach,” Ben reasoned, stepping around his desk on his way to the dry bar at the back corner of his office.

  Lifting the bottle of whiskey in the air, he silently asked if she would like a glass, to which Rachel bashfully nodded. Ben poured the amber liquid into two glass tumblers before walking back to Rachel, handing her a glass, and settling into the leather loveseat across from her.

  “You can’t become one of those business tycoons who does nothing but work,” she rolled her eyes before taking a swig from her glass.

  “Is that what you’re worried about?” Ben laughed, taking a gulp of whiskey.

  “Yes. I’m determined to keep you from dying alone, so please accept my help,” she jokingly pleaded.

  “And exactly what help would that be?” Ben asked sarcastically, already sure of what his oldest friend wanted from him.

  “Let me set you up,” she smiled, finally to her selling point.

  Rachel loved setting Ben up, and her failure to find someone he was compatible with never seemed to dampen her enthusiasm. Some people had the skill to play match maker, but Rachel wasn’t one of them.

  “Don’t you remember the last person you hooked me up with?” Benjamin laughed, recalling the disastrous date he’d had a few months back.

  Determined to get him out of the house, or the office, actually, Rachel had set him up with a model she met at one of the product shoots. The woman was drop dead gorgeous, so he couldn’t be upset with Rachel for the introduction, but in the end, there were just no sparks between the two. None whatsoever.

  At one point, the woman literally asked him how much he was worth, and he knew things between them would never amount to anything. Their date was torturous, and Ben had promised himself he wouldn’t go on another one of Rachel’s forced interactions again.

  “Okay, so she was a bad choice,” Rachel conceded, wincing as she recalled how badly the date had gone.

  “Ya think?”

  “All I'm saying is be open to the idea of meeting someone,” she argued, taking the last sip of her drink as she stood from her chair.

  “Will do,” Ben smiled in response.

  “Is there anything else you need? I’m about to head out,” she announced.

  “I don’t think you’ll be of too much use anyway, considering how quickly you’ve downed that whiskey,” Ben smirked.

  “Oh please. You’re looking at the Foreman Hall drinking champ. One glass of whiskey barely registers with me,” Rachel proclaimed, pushing her shoulders back proudly as she reminded Ben of her title from their college dorm room years.

  “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.

  “Her name is Talia—” Katherine’s words faded as she tried to remember her co-worker's last name. She knew she had seen it written somewhere at the bakery, a weekly schedule or trainee handbook, but now her mind was drawing a blank.

  “Talia Soles?” Claire asked. When Katherine only squinted in response, she continued. “Red hair? Works at the bakery around the corner?”

  “That’s her!” Katherine pointed excitedly.

  “Everyone knows Talia, she’s so nice whenever she comes in. I’ll make sure to add her to your profile. Now, go ahead and sit tight for a moment. I’m going to input all this real quick, then I’ll come out and give you a tour of the gym,” Claire said.

  “Okay, great.”

  Sitting in the colorful lounge area, Katherine was beaming with pride. She had gone out of her comfort zone coming into the gym and it was all turning out to be a great idea. Claire was so friendly, she thought the two of them could even be friends.

  Everyone felt like family in her new neighborhood, and everywhere she looked, new possibilities seemed to appear. Before long, Claire appeared with a laminated name tag. Katherine’s first and last names were printed in bold black letters, and beneath that was a barcode.

  “This feels very official,” she noted, running her fingertips over the plastic.

  “I was hoping if I went all out on the nametag you’d upgrade without even seeing the gym,” Claire joked, and the two women laughed as they made their way down the long tunnel of Fitness Planet.

  Before you entered the glass doors leading to the gym, there was a smoothie station. Two women worked behind a counter with baskets overflowing with fresh fruits stacked on a back table. A line of people waited for their smoothies while Claire explained the benefits.

  “Here at Fitness Planet, we’re serious about getting your health in order. The sad truth is, you can work out in our facilities seven days a week and still not be healthy, and that’s because what you put in your body is equally as important as what you do to it.

  “We offer a team of nutritionists to help you best determine the right course for you, but almost all plans encourage you to implement smoothies and juicing into your diet. Here, all Fitness Planet members can enjoy one smoothie per day, included in their membership!”

  Claire announced the perk of joining like a proud parent. It was pretty impressive to Katherine, especially since she could see the workers using nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables. Trying to keep her poker face, she nodded and smiled before following Claire inside.

  As soon as she stepped inside, she understood the name of the gym. It was like another world with all the different machines, equipment, classes, and even a vegan restaurant. Unlike other gyms she had been to, Fitness Planet wasn’t overly crowded or stuffy. There was more than enough room for everything, and although she didn’t say it then, Katherine felt she would upgrade the membership.

  “So, is there anything else I can show you? Any questions?” Claire asked, after she had shown Katherine everything there was to see.

  “Well, which of these areas is for women only?” she asked, unsure of the rules. Tim had made sure her old gym had a gender-based separation so she wouldn’t be seen by men as she bent over or stretched into positions that could be seen as provocative.

  “We have separate locker rooms, but all the workout areas are co-ed. Is that a problem for you? We have very low tolerance for any type of sexual harassment if that’s what you’re worried about,” Claire added quickly, feeling the sale beginning to slip away.

  No, no. It’s not a problem,” Katherine lied. “Where is the women’s locker room?”

  “Right down that hall,” Claire pointed to the right.

  “Thanks so much for the tour,” Katherine smiled.

  “No problem. I’ll see you around, Katherine.”

  Now, alone in the massive gym, Katherine felt like the new kid in school as she entered the locker room as quietly as possible. To her surprise, it was empty and far too fancy for an ordinary gym. It resembled a spa bathroom more than a locker room, and she added it to her growing list of reasons to upgrade to a membership.

  After securing her backpack in a locker, Katherine returned to the gym, ready to get started. Enthusiasm quickly turned to fear as she looked around the many rooms, intimidated by the options. Deciding to start where she felt most comfortable, she picked the room labeled ‘Cardio’ and picked a treadmill.

  When she was younger, Katherine was the star of the track team in high school, so running had always held a special place in her heart. A smile swept across her face as she slipped one ear bud into each ear, starting her Cold Play album as the treadmill picked up pace.

  Above the music, she could hear her feet hitting the rubber, and the rhythm was intoxicating. Nothing cleared her mind like a good run, and with each step she continued to dream of what a life in San Francisco could look like for her.

  Talia had been so helpful pointing her in the direction of the gym, and now that she was liking her experience, Katherine wondered what other recommendations she might try out. Even without a car, there was so much to do and see in the few blocks that surrounded her new home, she was beginning to feel excited.

  Lost to her thoughts, the speed continued to climb until Katherine was running at an all-out sprint. What was a fun and relaxing exercise had quickly shifted to panic as the same anxiety from the night before crept into her belly. Slowing the machine, she took one deep breath after another until she felt herself calm down.

  She hated that an activity she had loved so much had been ruined by her constant state of fear. It was impossible for her to run without thinking about someone chasing her, and that was unfortunate.

  Still, Katherine wanted to push forward and exercise, so she switched rooms instead. There were less people in the weights portion of the gym. A group of young guys in a corner turned to the door when she walked in, but she was grateful when they went on with their workout after a short wave.

  Looking at the shelves of weights, she reminded herself that most of her fear was in her head, a side effect of paranoia. She didn’t need to worry about men trying to approach or attack her. It was all unwarranted fear.

  These were the words she repeated between deep breaths as she lifted ten-pound dumbbells while squatting. Her muscles strained with every motion, and she loved the burn. It was the release she had needed after such an intense week.

  Since leaving Tim, Katherine often found herself needing a way to blow off steam so that she could focus on what was important—rebuilding her life. As she watched her reflection bend and lift in the mirrored walls, Katherine felt like she was finally on the right path.

  Things were working out even better than she had anticipated, and she truly believed the future would only get brighter. Her first-grade teacher used to say that after the rain comes the harvest, and Katherine was feeling herself begin to blossom.

  Chapter Six

  Ben

  “THAT JUST DOESN’T SEEM like a big deal to me,” Benjamin reasoned.

  He was talking through the car stereo system with his cell on speak
er phone. A few new investors had called, wanting to get in on his innovative designs and Rachel was freaking out. She looked at all problems as bad, but some problems, like having too many people begging to give you money, was something Ben considered a good problem.

  “They haven’t even seen the prototypes,” she reminded him.

  “So, set up the meeting. Just e-mail me all the deets,” Ben instructed calmly.

  “Okay, I guess we can make it work,” Rachel relented as she always did.

  “Sounds good. I’m just pulling up to the gym so I’ll be off line for a bit,” Ben explained before ending the call.

  He had decided against his home gym in order to have an audience. Sometimes, he felt he needed to know someone was watching in order to keep from quitting, and that was usually the case when it came to lifting weights. His personal trainer was away on vacation, so he would be alone, which was a rarity.

  “Hey Claire!” He greeted the young receptionist at the gym.

  “Ben! How are you?” she asked, leaning across the counter as she flashed her pearly whites.

  It was obvious she had a crush on him, but he could never take her too seriously. She was far too young for him, but he had no problem soaking up the attention.

  “I’m good. How are you doing?” he asked, pausing to give her his undivided attention.

  “Can’t complain. You know, Barley loves that pineapple toy you gave me,” she blushed.

  A few weeks back, after learning that she owned a cocker spaniel, Ben had brought her a squeaky toy in the shape of a pineapple to give to her furry friend. Now, every time he came into the gym she gave him an update about how things were going.

  “That’s great. Anything for Barley,” he shrugged and the two shared a laugh.

  “Have a good workout!” Claire called after him as he made his way down the long purple tunnel leading to the gym.