L-Gym

Chapter 4 - Priceless

It was a Wednesday when Lena showed up at the gym again. She did her usual check-in, stowed her gym bag, and headed to the stretching area. Lena made it all the way through her stretching, and Kara still hadn't shown up. After giving the gym a once-over just to make sure the trainer wasn't still working with another member, Lena headed to the front desk to check on Kara's status.

The person working there today wasn't Cindy but some buff and white-toothed young man with a ready smile. "Can I help you?"

"My trainer has shown up yet. Kara?"

He didn't check the schedule, just leaned forward on the desk and spoke in hushed tones. "Oh, sweetie, she's in the manager's office in a meeting. It didn't look pretty."

"Is she in trouble with the manager?" Lena's voice was full of concern. "Kara's a great trainer. I'd be happy to vouch for her."

"No, no, no," the man assured. "Kara is the manager. Actually, she's the owner. Some haughty amazon and her bodyguards showed up, and things got a bit heated, so they went into Kara's office. If you had been here like a half-an-hour ago, you still could have heard them. It was a real catfight."

"Wait, an actual Amazon? What did she look like? I might know her. Maybe I can help."

The man looked confusedly at Lena, but before anyone could get further into their strange conversation, voices came from a hallway in the back of the gym followed by a group of people. A man in a suit who gave off a bodyguard vibe lead the group followed by a very tall, brunette, middle-aged woman who was dressed to the nines. She was beautiful, elegant, and managed to look down on everyone in the gym with one sweeping glance. Behind her came a crestfallen Kara, and bringing up the rear was another woman who seemed to be another bodyguard. Looking over her glasses, Lena did a quick x-ray of the group to see the two in suits were indeed armed.

The elegant looking woman spoke, and it was obvious that she was the one who was talking before. Though she was far away, Lena could make out every word. "Just make sure you're there on Monday, Kara. This is what your father would have wanted."

"Right, my father," Kara hissed out bitterly. "That's what this is all about, my relationship to my father."

Sighing, the tall woman said, "Oh, stop being so dramatic. That's your brother's job. You've always been the reasonable one. This is about business. Right now, it's about the family business and keeping it in the family. We need you for this."

Kara looked up sharply. "We? Suddenly there's a we?"

"Kara, you and I will be all we'll have left soon. I've tried to explain to you why I've done the things that I did. When you have your own children, you'll understand."

"When I have my own children, they'll never doubt that they're loved because I'll never give them reason."

After a few moments of staring, the woman said, "I'll expect to see you on Monday. I'll send a car and—"

"I can make my own way there."

"It won't be any trouble. The driver—"

"I said, I can make my own way there, Mother," Kara stressed with a bit more force this time.

Kara's mother nodded once then said, "Fine, but I'll send you a reminder, and a car will come around if you're late. This is a critical situation. We need you. This is everything and—"

"I know! I get it, okay!? Are you done, or do you want to tell me the sun is hot and that water is wet? The obvious has been stated."

"Snippy does not suit you, Kara. It never has," Kara's mother said as she looked down at her from her six-foot frame made taller by high-heels. "Do try and dress appropriately. I assume you have something that isn't lyrca and spandex?"