Uncompromising (Age Gap, gxg)

Chapter 9

Elliot – I'll be there in two weeks, I'll see you then.

That was the text I woke up to, which was good news. Maybe not for him, but it was for me. I could get the documents drafted with the lawyer, have a process server standing by to give him the divorce papers, and have his stuff packed well before his first visit. The guest room he normally stayed in didn't have much of his stuff in it, so it would be easy enough to pack up into boxes, and then I could redecorate it to get the last vestiges of him out of my home and life.

I gently moved the sleeping Swiftie and Karma off me, as they decided they needed to be on my side as I slept last night and then padded over to my closet. I threw on a pair of shorts and tank top, then walked down to the basement where the little gym was located. Most homes in Florida don't have basements, but one of the things that drew me to this house was that it was situated on a little ridge overlooking the pond behind the pool, and we got a basement dug into the ridge that opened up onto the pool deck. The main living space, one guest room for Elizabeth, and the master bedroom were on the first floor, and the other bedrooms were up on the top floor.

The whole downstairs basement was finished, though not completely useful. There was one large, empty room in the corner that I'd envisioned as an in-law suite for Elizabeth before she mentioned not liking to go up and down stairs, a large common area with a bar and pool table that would be perfect for parties, a lot of storage, and the gym. The suite in the corner would make a great bedroom, and several times I'd considered decorating it and moving in there myself, but the main floor master bedroom was too convenient. The bar didn't have a lot of alcohol in it, but a bunch of soft drinks for the girls when they had friends over to play pool and then go swimming since the basement opened right to the pool deck.

I liked the setup of the gym. The back wall was almost all glass that overlooked the pool and the pond beyond. It was a gorgeous view, and it made me feel good when I was churning my legs on the elliptical or the rowing machine. There was a TV mounted high on the center wall between the windows that I could put on if I needed, or speakers to hook into music if I preferred. There was a home gym machine that was configurable for weights in a variety of ways depending on the workout you wanted too. Hollie had been the one that used that the most though, to get more muscle for softball. I stuck with the elliptical for now, just trying to maybe get a little slimmer so I could look good when I started going out.

I had spent maybe ten minutes on the machine when I had to stop short. Yep, my little furry friends had evidently followed me down to the gym, and I was terrified that their paws or tails or worse would get caught in the working parts because they were sniffing around it. I couldn't exactly close the door to keep them out, they'd be meowing and scratching too much, but I could order them a little play area for down there that was cordoned off from the rest of the room. I was just glad I saw them before there was an accident!

That was the quickest workout ever, but considering how my heart had been racing when I was worried the cats might get caught in the mechanism of the machine, I counted it as cardio. Letting out a sigh, I scooped up the little ones and carried them back upstairs, depositing them near their food bowls before I went and grabbed a shower, since I needed to make the gym safer before I did any more.

After I was clean, I moved quietly upstairs, checking on Gracie and Jashanna. Like me, they slept with the door cracked open so the kitties could have the run of the house while we slept, and I peeked inside to see them snuggled up, with Jashanna using Gracie's chest as a pillow. I smiled, happy to see young love blossoming. I was doing my best not to embarrass them, but I was wondering if they'd said the big L word yet. They certainly acted like they were in love but there was no rush at their age.