Nanny

31

Mathias

I was having a very unpleasant time with this investment manager.

We were in the gym on the tenth floor, down the hall from the Nash Capital trading floor. The client was a thirty-two year old man named Gary. His goal was to build muscle mass. I had spent many hours developing and perfecting his training routine. I was certain that within three months, he would be very swollen with muscles indeed!

But Gary was an impatient man. Such was the case with many of these investment managers. They desired shortcuts. They desired immediate results. They spent every day looking at numbers on a computer screen, and if the numbers were not higher at the end of the day, they were unhappy!

After two weeks, Gary was unhappy that he had not gained thirty pounds of muscle.

I used my calm voice to explain to him that he needed to be more patient. Becoming big and strong was not something that occurred overnight! I insisted he was on the right path, and within months he would be quite strong indeed.

This greatly upset Gary. Instead of working harder, he began skipping our sessions. Instead of pumping the metaphorical iron five days a week, he arrived in my gym only three times. Then only two.

He was being a puny weakling, but I did not tell him this. I kept it to myself because I am a very considerate man.

Today Gary was in my gym for the first time in over a week. He did not acknowledge his missed sessions. He simply arrived and asked me what we were doing today.

"Very good," I said while spotting his bench presses. "Three. Four. Get to eight, come on..."

He gave up on five and racked the weight. "One sec. Someone is calling me. Gary speaking. Shannon! Of course I didn't forget our date."

I resisted the urge to grab his phone and crush it in my hand. Taking calls in the middle of a workout? Ending his set early to answer his phone?

Such disrespect!

He hung up the phone. "Sorry about that. You know how it is. What set are we on?"

I looked at the clock on the wall and smiled. "Our session is concluded."

"What? But we just got started."

"We have been here an hour," I said. "If you had not dilly-dallied on your phone, you would have completed more of your workout! Next time, you must prioritize fitness in your life!"

"Aren't you supposed to work around our schedules? We're busy managing peoples' money. When clients call, we have to answer the phone."

I decided that Gary was a stupid name.

"I am sure Shannon's call was very important," I said with a smile. "But I have another appointment. I will see you tomorrow!"

He continued grumbling to himself. I could tell he was upset. But I did not care.

It was time to see Kate!

I stopped in the bathroom to dry the sweat on my temples and comb my hair. I even sprayed myself with cologne. Not a lot, of course. A tasteful amount.

I was a tasteful man.

I took the elevator downstairs. When it opened on the penthouse level, Adam was standing there waiting.

"There's the big guy," he said, giving me a little salute. "Kate told me she's looking forward to her workout today. Is that cologne I smell?"

"You must smell my natural, masculine scent," I said. "I am a wonderfully fragrant man!"