Chapter 2: Close Encounters
It had only been a few nights, but I found myself checking the corner mirror out of habit now. And sure enough, she was there again. Rae.
Same hoodie, same loose hair tied in a messy ponytail, same quiet focus.
But this time, she glanced up the moment I walked in. A quick look, almost like she was surprised—but not displeased—to see me.
I gave her a small nod as I passed. She returned it, then looked away quickly. Cute.
I went through my warm-up, all while stealing the occasional glance. She’d ditched the dumbbells tonight and was trying the cable machine, slightly fumbling with the pins. Her brows furrowed in concentration. I couldn’t help it.
“Need help?” I asked, casually strolling over with my bottle.
She jumped slightly. “Oh—no, I think I got it… maybe.”
I chuckled. “This machine’s a pain. You’ve gotta jiggle the pin a bit.”
She stepped back, giving me room. I crouched down, adjusted the weight, and double-checked the clip.
“Done. No injuries today.”
She smiled, sheepish. “Thanks. Still figuring out where everything is.”
“Hey, you’re already doing better than most. You actually read the diagrams.”
That got a small laugh out of her. I liked that laugh. Soft and shy, but warm. Like it didn’t come out often, but when it did, it meant something.
We worked out side by side for a while after that. Not together exactly, but close enough that it felt like something unspoken was there.
I’d catch her sneaking glances when she thought I wasn’t paying attention. And once, when she bent over to grab her water bottle, our eyes met—me caught staring, her cheeks going pink.
“Sorry,” she muttered, quickly looking away.
“For what?” I asked, shrugging. “You’re just... kind of hard to ignore.”
She shot me a look—part flustered, part trying-not-to-smile. “You’re not very subtle, you know.”
“Nope,” I said, grinning. “But I figure honesty’s better than pretending.”
That made her pause. Then, a soft smirk tugged at her lips. “Maybe.”
By the end of the night, she was lingering by the lockers, sipping from her bottle like she wasn’t quite ready to leave. I tossed my towel into the bin and leaned against the wall near her.
“Same time tomorrow?” I asked.
She looked up at me, a little surprised. “Are you always here this late?”
“Every night,” I said. “But now I’ve got a better reason.”
Rae looked down, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear again. Her cheeks were slightly pink.
“I’ll see how tired I am.”
“That’s not a no.”
She laughed softly, shook her head, and walked out with a quiet, “Goodnight, Zach.”
I watched her go.
Yeah. This was getting interesting.
[To be continued.]