Logan was the first to cross the line and drop his tire, throwing his hands up in the air and cheering before he hoisted his kettle bell. Despite the stakes and the fact that my pride was on the line, I laughed when he did a ridiculous victory dance with the damn kettle bell in his hands.Actually, that’s not a bad idea.I could incorporate dancing with the weights into the workout for them next time.Note to self: make sure the video cameras are rolling that day.
Distracted by my amusement, I came dead last in this first leg of their daily challenge. Logan’s laughter echoed in my ears when I finally grabbed my kettle bell.
“You’re never going to live this down, bud,” Cyrus grunted between lifts. “The students are overtaking the master.”
“Keep dreaming.” I made a show of rolling my eyes, then doubled down and was the second to drop to the floor for my pushups. Smirking at Nash when he fell down beside me, I lifted one of my arms above my head to do part of the set one-handed. “I should be taken out of the running for losing just because I can do this.”
“Keep dreaming,” he huffed, repeating my earlier words back to me. “You don’t get to alter the terms of the bet just because you’re stronger than fucking Superman.”
“I don’t even have a weakness,” I said cheerfully. “No Kryptonite gets me down.”
“That’s only because you haven’t met the girl yet,” Hunter called from Nash’s other side. “If it’s the right girl, she’s going to cut you down to size. I’m willing to bet on it. Who’s in for a hundred?”
“Me,” Logan replied immediately. “Have you seen the size of this guy’s ego? She’ll cut him down to size, but my money is on no less than four months in.”
Chris chuckled, but he was so out of breath that it came out sounding a bit like a wheeze. I pushed them hard, though. Every single time they came in, I challenged them more than I had the day before.
“My money is on the first week,” he barked, completing his pushup before continuing. “She’s got to show him who’s boss right away, or no dice. It won’t work.”
I didn’t take the bait. They were forever teasing me about a girl I hadn’t met yet and a relationship I wasn’t in. Just because they’d all found the loves of their lives didn’t mean I was looking for mine, but it had never stopped them from thinking it was going to happen soon. Once they realized I wasn’t focusing on their bullshit, they moved on to let each other have it for whatever arbitrary reasons they could think of.
Their banter didn’t end until their workout was done. It was a three-way tie for last place between Cyrus, Chris, and Nash, but none of them seemed to mind much. As I walked with them back to the locker rooms to grab a shower myself before I went on with the rest of my day, Cyrus turned to me.
He gripped his towel at his shoulders, his hair damp with sweat and his cheeks red, but he still had a spring in his step. “So, when are you officially going to sell out? You must be knee deep in offers by this point.”
I chuckled and shrugged as I shook my head. “I’ve been trying to sell out, but so far I haven’t had any takers.”
“Are you serious?” Logan stopped walking. “That’s really fucking weird. You shouldn’t be having any problems. You’re sitting on a goldmine here.”
“I am, and I’ve had a couple of people interested, but they keep giving me low-ball offers. I know I have a billion-dollar franchise on my hands. Somehow, I just can’t seem to get folks to take me seriously.”
Hunter sighed loudly. “Tell me about it. Or have you forgotten that I had to get a fake fiancée to get people to believe that I wasn’t just another tech asshole who’s only in it for the sex, drugs, and rock and roll? I just didn’t think you’d have the same problem.”
Scratching my chin, I thought it over and then shrugged. “As far I know, it’s not entirely the same problem. From what I’ve been able to figure out, it’s more because people are worried that every new fitness regime is only going to be trendy for a short while. More of a fad than a lifestyle. Since I’m a newbie without a proven track record of creating a brand with staying power, it’s like people think they’d be doing me a favor by investing.”
Nash shook his head. “It’s bullshit, but it’s the way the world works. I agree that you’ve got a billion-dollar franchise opportunity here, but you’ve got to admit that therehavebeen a lot of fads.”
“Sure.” I could think of at least a dozen off the top of my head, and that was only since I’d entered the industry. “How do I prove that that’s not what this is, though? It’s starting to feel like I’m just going to have to wait a few years until my system proves itself, but I’m not the type to wait and see.”
“I might have a solution for you,” he said. “I know a consultant who works on crystalizing brands, especially for acquisitions. We volunteer at the same charity. I could put in a good word for you.”
We walked into the locker rooms that were now reminiscent of the kind of space one might find at a five-star spa. I considered the offer. I really didn’t like taking handouts and I didn’t want them to feel like I was using them for their contacts or influence, but Nash wouldn’t have said anything if he wasn’t serious and didn’t want to help.
“Since I have no idea what ‘crystalizing a brand’ is, I probably do need someone like that. Do you think you can make it happen?”
Nash’s head dropped back and he laughed like I’d said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Of course, I can make it happen. I’ll set up a meeting. This is going to be a match made in heaven. I feel it in my bones.”
I didn’t feel anything in my bones except the need to shower, but I hoped he was right. I’d poured my heart and soul into this business and I was damn proud of it. If there wasanyway I could turn it into the best it could be and keep going while making a good living from it, I was damn well going to do it.