Chapter Ten

Sullivan grabbed a towel from the folded stack by the elliptical machines and swiped at his face while Spencer grunted as he lifted ridiculously heavy kettle bells in the corner.

It was way too early in the morning, but per their daily ritual, the twins were in the warehouse, working out and starting the day off with some well earned sweat.

Sullivan had never been an iron pumper like Spencer, but he had to admit it was a good way to stay fit and healthy, and besides, if they didn’t keep their physiques similar, how could they ever play the twin card?

Sullivan smiled to himself as he walked over to the floor mats to do some crunches. He and Spencer had scammed and schemed over the years with their identical looks – hoodwinking their parents, their friends, and sometimes, even a girlfriend or two.

They’d pulled a lot of harmless pranks, and once, had managed to get Spencer a passing grade in junior high math because they had Sullivan take the final test.

It was dishonest, they both knew now, but at the time it seemed like a much better idea than the alternative – facing their mother and father.

Sullivan laughed as he remembered some of their hijinks and flopped onto the mat.

Nonetheless, Sullivan still resented having to get up so damn early to maintain their healthier lifestyle. It had always been Spencer who liked the ripped body that, admittedly, got him a lot of female attention.

“Hey, be sure to wipe down the mats, will ya?” Spencer said, picking up a heavier weight and doing dead lifts. “I have a new appointment coming in early this morning and I don’t want your sweaty funk everywhere.”

“Boy or girl?” Sullivan asked, beginning his reps.

“Boy,” Spencer said. “Wants to try and train for a triathlon but is having trouble doing it himself. Wants some gym time and some guidance until he’s race ready.”

“Cool,” Sullivan said, breathing in and out as he crunched his abs. “How’s everyone else doing? Any other new recruits?”

“No,” Spencer said, wiping sweat from his brow. “Same crew as usual, except for Mark since he just moved to LA. I guess Lucy is my newest person, other than the triathlete.”

“And how’s she doing?” Sullivan asked, only half interested but needing conversation to keep him going as he did the grueling muscle work on the mat.

“She’s doing good so far… we’ve only had a few sessions, but she’s done better than I expected, and she’s just… really cool. I mean, she’s already cutting up with me, and she’s really pretty funny. She’s not scared of me.”

“Do you want her to be?”

“No, but a lot of people are intimidated by trainers. She was at first, but we’ve gotten over the first date jitters. I think she could become one of my favorites.”

Sullivan raised an eyebrow. Spencer didn’t usually play favorites – or at least he rarely admitted it. “How come?”

Spencer shrugged. “I don’t know, something about her. I really want her to succeed, and she seems like she’s ready, even if she doubts it herself.”

“Is she cute? Is that the reason, as it usually is with you?” Sullivan inquired, thinking back to the number of clients that Spencer had dated – right after they were no longer clients. He had a strict ‘no fraternizing’ policy, so it was always convenient that they ‘went to another gym’ the minute they showed interest in each other.

Spencer flipped him a middle fingered salute. “I mean, she’s just funny and nice. And she’s got a really pretty face – great red hair – but you know…”

Sullivan did know. Spencer placed a pretty high premium on looks – not vanity or anything, just liked girls who were the picture of health. Sullivan placed a pretty high premium on their mind and their wit, rather than their body.

Classic brain versus brawn, only in twin form.

“You keep mentioning her, is all. I just wondered if you liked this girl,” Sullivan said placatingly.

“I do,” Spencer said. “But not like that. She’s just…”

“Yeah, you said. Cool,” Sullivan answered for him, setting up for another round of crunches.

**

“So,” Lucy said, slamming the door to the warehouse behind her. “Treadmill of Hatred or Bicycle of Doom?”

Spencer laughed and came out of his tiny office. “How about Elliptical of Fun?”

Lucy groaned. “To start? I just got here. Have mercy on me. I’m starving, I’m cranky, and I hate the elliptical. There is absolutely no fun to be had there.”

“I know, that’s why I’m making you get on it,” Spencer said with a grin. Lucy stuck out her tongue at him, but did climb aboard the machine and turned it on.

They chatted for a few minutes about her food intake for the last few days, and Spencer admonished her about getting hungry. He forced her to eat a protein bar before they continued their warmup on the elliptical.

He also asked about additional fitness, and she admitted that she had taken a forty five minute walk up and down the beach the day before, “just to keep moving, you know?”

“That’s really great, Lucy,” Spencer said genuinely. “Great progress!”

“It wasn’t a hardship,” she said, breathing more heavily now. “I love the beach. God, I’d go crazy if I didn’t live by the ocean.”

“Me too,” Spencer said. “I’m mean, I was born and raised in Carmel and was always near the water, but now that I live on the water… I can’t imagine anything else.”

“Yup,” Lucy huffed. “Love me a beach.”

“Are you going to the bonfire tonight?” Spencer asked, fiddling with her resistance setting, ratcheting it up and hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“The tourist thing on Del Monte beach?” Lucy wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t planning to until Brandt mentioned it yesterday. Isn’t it just to attract more people to using that beach and to put on a party for the tourists?”

Spencer nodded. “It’s actually a pretty great stretch of beach, but hardly anyone uses it. I guess they are throwing a bonfire and barbeque to try and get more people to go. I don’t know if I’m going, but since you mentioned beaches…”

“Brandt wants to go to see if he can drum up some local business on the real estate front,” Lucy said, sweating profusely now. “He sees everything as either a business opportunity or a hook up opportunity.”

“That’s all life is, isn’t it?” Spencer said with a grin and Lucy whacked his shoulder playfully.

“Shallow, shallow,” she teased. “Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll go with him or not. We’ll see.”

“Well, maybe I’ll see you there,” Spencer said easily. “Okay, let’s hit the boxing corner.”

**

Lucy slipped her phone into her pocket and her car key into the ignition, thinking again about the bonfire at Del Monte tonight. Normally, she would have found a reason not to go with Brandt, but now…

She hated, hated to admit it, but she found herself a wee bit interested in knowing more about her trainer.

She realistically knew that he would never be interested in someone like her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t nurse a teeny little crush while she was getting fit.

It made going to the gym so much more tolerable…

Besides, Brandt would be with her, so if Spencer didn’t show, or the bonfire was lame, she could always grab him and head home to an oceanfront view and a bottle of pinot.

It was a win-win to go, really, she rationalized.

Plus, she thought wryly, I might even get some exercise in.

12384/50000