Smitten

Chapter 1

Eliza Carlisle woke up tired this Saturday morning. As she shut off her 7:00 AM alarm, she thought, "Maybe I'll skip SoulCycle today." Then she remembered what a big day it was—her 29th birthday and her milestone 100th ride, and she knew she couldn't miss out. That gave her the energy she needed to throw on her favorite workout outfit—a tight, slightly cropped tee with ties in the back and matching high waisted leggings. She popped in her contacts and had a banana and some pre-workout protein milk before prepping her gym bag and rushing out the door. Once she entered the studio, she was greeted with a sing-song of "Happy birthdays!" and "Happy 100th ride!" before being bombarded by her good friend Madison.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY & CONGRATS YOU BADDIE!!! 100th ride, your birthday, your promotion, your Ph.D...seriously woman, what CAN'T you do?!" She said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Mads...you know I love you, but save your energy for our sprints, don't ya think?" She said with a wink and a smile to her loud friend as they walked back toward the lockers. They talk for about five minutes before Madison interrupts Eliza's train of thought.

"Ooohhhh shit," Madison says.

"What is it?" Eliza asks inquisitively.

"You mean you can't FEEL it? That guy hasn't stopped laying eyes on you ever since we walked over here," Madison said.

Eliza glances up to see a tall, dark-haired man look her up and down before scurrying back to his phone. Not quick enough to give him a soft smile, though, which she sees makes him slightly blush.

"Wellllll, you gonna do anything about that? Otherwise I might have to," Madison says.

"Madison, chill! Give a woman some time, will ya?" Eliza says back. She glances down at her watch. Three minutes until class started. "Alright, I'm gonna get this shit started. Walk in with me." She says to Madison; once they walk in, everyone else follows. It's a pretty full house today.

Eliza and Madison get to their bikes in the front row of the class. To Eliza's right, no surprise, is the tall handsome man who was admiring her just moments before. Eliza notices him struggling to adjust the handlebars of his bike for a few moments and walks up to him.

"Do—do you need some help?" She asks him with a soft smile.

"Oh uh—yeah, that'd be great actually. Thanks." He says back with his smile of his own.

"Of course; this one always seems to stick. Are you new here?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm doing a triathlon in a few months, and cycling is not my strength," he replies.

"I gotcha; that's exciting. I think I've got it now," she says, adjusting the handlebars so they're no longer stuck. "It should be good now."

"Thanks," he says. "So what brings you here today?"

"Actually, it's her 100th ride here. Big stuff. AND it's her birthday," Madison chimes in from her bike.

"Madison!" Eliza exclaims. "I can speak for myself, thank you." She chides.

"Oh wow, happy birthday, uh I'm sorry, I don't know your name," he says.

"Eliza," she says with another smile, extending her hand for him to shake. "And you are...?"

"Aaron." He says, shaking her hand.

"Well Aaron, welcome to SoulCycle. I hope we'll see you around again." She says with another smile. He smiles back, and the lights go down and the music turns up to signal the start of class. The song is "Level Up" by Ciara.