These were the words she repeated between deep breaths as she lifted ten-pound dumbbells while squatting. Her muscles strained with every motion, and she loved the burn. It was the release she had needed after such an intense week.
Since leaving Tim, Katherine often found herself needing a way to blow off steam so that she could focus on what was important—rebuilding her life. As she watched her reflection bend and lift in the mirrored walls, Katherine felt like she was finally on the right path.
Things were working out even better than she had anticipated, and she truly believed the future would only get brighter. Her first-grade teacher used to say that after the rain comes the harvest, and Katherine was feeling herself begin to blossom.
Chapter Six
Ben
“THAT JUST DOESN’T SEEM like a big deal to me,” Benjamin reasoned.
He was talking through the car stereo system with his cell on speak
er phone. A few new investors had called, wanting to get in on his innovative designs and Rachel was freaking out. She looked at all problems as bad, but some problems, like having too many people begging to give you money, was something Ben considered a good problem.
“They haven’t even seen the prototypes,” she reminded him.
“So, set up the meeting. Just e-mail me all the deets,” Ben instructed calmly.
“Okay, I guess we can make it work,” Rachel relented as she always did.
“Sounds good. I’m just pulling up to the gym so I’ll be off line for a bit,” Ben explained before ending the call.
He had decided against his home gym in order to have an audience. Sometimes, he felt he needed to know someone was watching in order to keep from quitting, and that was usually the case when it came to lifting weights. His personal trainer was away on vacation, so he would be alone, which was a rarity.
“Hey Claire!” He greeted the young receptionist at the gym.
“Ben! How are you?” she asked, leaning across the counter as she flashed her pearly whites.
It was obvious she had a crush on him, but he could never take her too seriously. She was far too young for him, but he had no problem soaking up the attention.
“I’m good. How are you doing?” he asked, pausing to give her his undivided attention.
“Can’t complain. You know, Barley loves that pineapple toy you gave me,” she blushed.
A few weeks back, after learning that she owned a cocker spaniel, Ben had brought her a squeaky toy in the shape of a pineapple to give to her furry friend. Now, every time he came into the gym she gave him an update about how things were going.
“That’s great. Anything for Barley,” he shrugged and the two shared a laugh.
“Have a good workout!” Claire called after him as he made his way down the long purple tunnel leading to the gym.
Hoping for an intense session, Ben stopped at the smoothie session, ordering his regular chocolate protein shake before running on the treadmill for fifteen minutes. There weren’t many people at Fitness Planet early in the morning, which was the major reason he decided to come early.
Running was his time to reflect on his week, identifying places he could amp up his business to take things to the next level. Ben never wanted to get comfortable in his success, so he was constantly striving for ways to improve.
Rachel had talked to him about being more open to building his life outside of work, but Ben struggled to see the value in that. Dating was such a gamble, and the idea of wasting time trying to get to know someone, only for it to lead nowhere, felt like too much to risk.
His time was literally the most valuable asset he had. There was so much he could do at work, or even in the community, and each would have a strong impact, much better than if he took a girl out on a few dates. As far as Ben was concerned, Rachel didn’t know what she was talking about.
For years, she had tried to set him up with girls and guilt him into including more than work activities in his schedule. What he never mentioned was that she was the same way. Rachel was the only person that knew more about his business than he did, and in the back of his mind he thought that maybe it was his turn to return the favor and set her up.
The thought brought a smile to his face, imagining his oldest friend on a blind date. Rachel was too self-conscious to go on a date without first sending a picture, afraid the guy would stand her up after catching a glimpse of her stout frame, but Ben thought she was sweet, with a heart of gold. Any guy would be lucky to have her in his life, but they would always have to share her with work, because Rachel was the most dedicated employee he had ever seen.
The treadmill slowed as the timer sounded, and Benjamin strolled to the weight room, the protein shake beginning to work its magic. Nodding to a group of men gathered in the back, Ben glanced at the brunette on the opposite end.
She was turned slightly, hiding her face with her long hair, which left his eyes to wander. She had incredible form, squatting while lifting dumbbells in each hand. She was the perfect audience for his workout, so Ben walked towards the shelves of weights, lifting two thirty-pound dumbbells. Just as his fingers wrapped around the metal handles, his eyes landed on the icy blues that had been dominating his thoughts.
It was her, the girl from the bakery who had been way less than interested in him when he popped in a few days back. Now she hadn’t even noticed him, focused completely on her squats. He could tell she was an athlete, if not now, then in the past. She moved with too much grace to be a beginner, her back straight as she bent her knees and lifted herself with the strength of her legs.