The Only Way is Up

Part Three

Chapter Three

The hour had passed with a minimum of conversation. They were both holding the other at arm's length, and Nicole had to keep remind herself that he was helping her, that she needed his help. The session was gruelling, leg presses, arm weights, more treadmill.

When he finally stopped, her own personal dictator, Nicole was fit for nothing. If there had been a mattress on the floor she'd have dropped onto it there and then. As it was she had promised Kim that she was going there for dinner. Suddenly Pringles and wine again, alone...maybe in her bed sounded like heaven.

But she couldn't let Kim down. She glanced in the direction of the female changing rooms, they were barely that, there was no way she was changing and showering there. A permanent scowl on her face, she glanced at Max, he was once again leaning against the wall near the water fountain, watching her intently. Grabbing her bag she tossed it over her shoulder, but she hadn't reached the door, before he caught up to her at a jog.

"Friday?"

Of course they had to organise their third session, there was a work night out planned that evening, but she wasn't in a rush to go, so she nodded. "Five?"

He studied her face for a moment, chocolate brown eyes, that surprised her, until that moment she'd avoided meeting his eyes. "Perfect. Thank you."

By the time she got back to her home, showered, changed, then drove to Kim's, it was almost eight. Her pregnant friend was in bed by half past nine most nights, so she wasn't anticipating a late night, thankfully.

Kim opened the door and pulled her into an embrace. "Well, you haven't wasted away. You're surviving the workouts."

Nicole rolled her eyes, "no. But it's early days." She could feel Kim's eyes on her as she walked into the lounge, "no ridiculous questioning Kim, please?"

She flopped onto the sofa, groaning at the aches already appearing in her legs.

Chuckling Kim sat down opposite her, "so is the place unpretentious enough for you?"

Closing her eyes, letting her head fall back, she nodded slightly, "spit, sawdust, a boxing ring. Not a Yummy Mummy or a Rich Lady Who Lunches in sight."

"And that's a good thing?"

She laughed, "it's a 'what the hell am I doing' thing?"

Kim curled her legs up under her and studied her friend for a moment; Nicole could sense her eyes on her.

With a groan she opened them, "can we please just eat?"

Laughing Kim nodded, "it'll be about five minutes. And it's healthy. Don't want you undoing the good work." After a moment she added, "so how's work been?"

Working in the same building your husband used to be the boss of was hard enough, but now that their split was becoming common knowledge, it was becoming increasingly more awkward for her. But with the parents that she had she'd become the master of hiding her emotions and her insecurities, Kim was probably the only person who could see through that.

These days she didn't try to hide, instead she moaned, "it's amazing. NO one looks at me, NO one gossips when I leave the room, some do it whilst I'm still there. And now...the ball has taken over everyone's conversation."

She rolled her eyes, knowing that Kim read her sarcasm perfectly.

Typically, she smiled, "well there I have good news. A new boutique has opened across the road from my office. You want to see it, the dresses are beautiful and this will BLOW that bastard away."