𝐓-𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟑- 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 (𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐔)

2

Chapter 2: She In The Gym Tonight 

"Hey Jean, I'm gonna have to head out early for the night. Would you mind closing the Gym 30 minutes early?" 

"Sure thing, Zeke. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that it's my girlfriend's birthday tonight so I'm stopping by her favorite restaurant. That's why I asked if you could close the Gym 30 minutes before 9."

"Oh no problem. I've got it."

Zeke huffs. "You sure? I trust you Jean, that's why I ask. You know how to close everything- right?"

"Zeke, I've worked here for like 2 years now." Jean places a hand on his friend's shoulder, "I'm pretty sure I can manage it."

"Alright, well... I'll see on Monday, alright?"

"Got it." Once Zeke had gone out the door, there had been at least 2 or 3 people left that Jean knew were finishing their workouts. He had figured out that they'd leave right before the gym closed, (which they did) and for the time remaining, he worked on signing some paperwork before leaving early.

I have some spare time, he thought.
I can use the treadmill and lift weights while no one is around.

And so he did.

No thoughts, no distractions- just the focus of his heartbeat. If he kept on training at this rate, then maybe he could be first in command. 

Oh how he hoped.

Once his routine came to a close, he disinfected the equipment he had just used before grabbing his stuff and turning the lights off. All while wearing his headphones on the way to the changing room. Pulling out his gym bag, the second he took his headphones off, he could hear grunts and strikes as someone shouted profanities.

Fresh after a workout, not taking the time to shower or change, he hurriedly slung the bag over his shoulder heading towards the back of the building (that happened to not be too far from the changing room).

There, he was welcomed with the sight of seeing a girl smashing a baseball bat against the sandbag.
He almost felt bad for the sandbag.

"Hey,"
No answer.

"Hey!"

In a swing of events (no pun intended), the girl turned around and without another thought, raised the metal bat aiming for Jean's way.

"SHIT WAIT!"  he covered himself before giving her a look dead in the eyes that he meant no harm as if saying, are you serious?. That was when her shoulders fell and her breathing had calmed down. "Jesus! you scared me."

"Scared you? Honey," he unknowingly said before putting a hand over his heart. "I came from the changing room the minute I heard you. Swear on my life I thought I was gonna catch a case." he explains.

"You know how bad lawsuits are these days."

"Wait," you raise an eyebrow in question, bringing you bat down.
"I thought the Gym was closed. What are you doing here if it's closed?"

Jean offered a quick smirk before taking out a silver key attached to a lanyard. "I'm the one in charge of closing." His smirk faded when he asked, "Wait a sec- how did you get back here? Only like 4 people have access to this room."

You pull the same look he did.
"Key."

"Well damn." he says before putting his lanyard away. He places a hand to the back of his neck. "How'd you get that?"