A Teasing Encounter

Hannah

“Only two more workouts until weigh-ins. Do you think you've got what it takes?” Ty asked as we walked up to where he was seated behind the desk at the studio.

“I guess we’ll find out,” I mused.

“My girl has got this in the bag,” Parker taunted as he smacked me on the ass.

“What the hell, Park?” I looked back at him with shock, and he shrugged. He had hit pretty hard; I was definitely going to feel that sting on the rower.

“It doesn’t jiggle nearly as much.” He nodded down to my shorts-clad behind.

“Oh my God, I hate you,” I laughed as we leaned against the front desk, waiting for class to begin. Jordan hadn’t shown up yet, but he did text me that he’d be here.

“Are you sure you’re gay, dude?” Ty asked, trying to hold back laughter at our little display.

“Absolutely,” Parker grinned as he leaned toward the attractive trainer. “Want me to smack yours too, Ty?”

“Um… no. I’m good,” Ty stuttered.

Parker laughed as Ty’s cheeks turned pink. He loved teasing straight guys to get a reaction.

“All right, people! It’s our last week of the challenge,” Mallory yelled down the hallway as she leaned against the open door. “Who’s ready to put in the work for your final workouts?”

“I thought you said Jordan would be here?” Parker asked curiously.

That’s what I thought too.

“It’s fine. I’m sure he’s got a good reason for being late,” I assured him.

Parker and I went to our treadmills in the studio and started our base pace. I aimlessly watched the numbers on the machine climb as I waited for Mallory to get us started.

I avoided looking in the mirror at the empty rower behind me. For a mostly full class, I was surprised that someone hadn’t snagged it.

“Are you all right?” Parker asked quietly as I met his eyes in the mirror behind our treadmills.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“We’re doing endurance tonight, so be prepared to work!” Mallory called out over her headset.

“I want you to use the same push speeds and bases for each interval. It doesn’t have to be your maximum speed, but it does need to be consistent.”

A month ago, endurance killed me. No matter how hard I tried, by the last one, I couldn’t maintain my speed.

“We got this, Han,” Parker encouraged as Mal counted us down.

I took off at my now jogging push-speed and felt the pleasant burn start in my thighs. It was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t giving up.

“Damn, girl, you’re almost jogging at the same pace I am,” he observed, looking over at my monitor.

“You’ve got an unfair advantage,” I panted as we slowed to our base paces in between intervals.

“Being ruggedly handsome doesn’t make me run faster.”

“No,” I laughed. “It wouldn’t even if you ~were~ ruggedly handsome. You’ve got longer legs than me.”

“Touché.”

“Next push coming up in three... two... one,” Mallory announced, and I got myself ready to speed up.

I fell into the rhythm of pushes and bases, fighting fatigue to keep the same speed each time. This workout was challenging every time, but I knew it was worth it.

I am worth it.

As she called time on our last thirty seconds all out, I put everything into the treadmill and ran as fast as I could.

Glancing over at Parker’s screen, I saw that he was running at the same speed, so I pushed myself even harder when she called ten seconds left.

“Holy shit, Han,” he panted as he wiped down his machine. I did the same and turned around, but my foot slipped as I stepped off the end of the treadmill.

“Hey, watch it. We don’t want you to hurt yourself now,” Jordan said with a smile as he caught my elbow, and I stumbled towards him. His massive arms enveloped me as I landed against his chest.

“You startled me,” I panted as I looked into his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to. I thought you knew I was back here,” he apologized.

I shook my head as I stepped back and out of his arms. I looked around, and it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed my misstep.

“I thought maybe you were skipping class again,” I confessed quietly. We hadn’t talked since our kiss, and I wasn’t entirely sure where I stood with him.

“And miss the show you just put on? ~Never~,” he breathed.

My cheeks turned even pinker at his teasing tone. I was glad the kiss hadn’t seemed to make things awkward.

“I was on a call.” He nodded toward the office. “I hopped in here as soon as I got off.”

“So it was that kind of call, huh?” I teased, slapping my hand over my mouth, and he laughed as he stepped around me.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” he whispered into my ear as he passed me. “Better get to your next station.”

He nodded toward the rower, and I quickly sat down, adjusting the footplates. My size tens weren’t quite as long as his fourteens.

He glanced back at me with a smirk as he picked up a pair of fifty-pound weights and started doing the bicep curls in his first set of floor exercises.

Parker flicked me in the side as I tightened my straps, and we waited for Mal to get the rowers going.

“Don’t let him distract you,” he teased as he grabbed his handle and got into the ready position.

“Wouldn’t want me to outrow you while you’re watching the floor show.”

“You’re on.” I bent my legs and got into position, ready for the first leg drive.

Mal gave us our instructions, and we were off, keeping an even pace with each other on our thousand-meter row for distance.

Parker quietly teasing me the entire time made me row faster, but I think his goading was on purpose.

“Not bad, Daniels, not bad. I still beat you, but—”

“Your fucking legs are longer,” I interrupted.

“No need for hostility. We’re on the same side here.” Parker laughed.

I held my pulsing squat over the rower and then quickly got ready for the next distance.

Knowing that Parker would try to get in my head to distract me, I pushed off and kept myself going. I did not let my legs slow as I became fatigued, and I pushed through it.

“You’re on fire today. Is that sexual frustration finally getting to you?” He laughed as we headed to the floor station. Jordan’s fingers caught mine as we passed, and I looked back at him.

“You okay?” he mouthed, and I nodded my head. He winked and let go, heading off to the treadmill.

“Tuck your tongue back in,” Parker whispered as I worked on my bicep curls, facing away from the mirror. It gave me the perfect vantage point to watch Jordan on the treadmill.

If he watched me, I sure as hell was watching him too.

“Quit being a douche,” I rolled my eyes at Parker’s continued teasing. I knew he just enjoyed watching me get riled up.

“Who, me?” He feigned innocence as he finished his reps and settled his weights back into the rack. “Are you sure you’re going to make it to next week? You look like you’re ready to mount him now.”

I turned my glare on him, and he cracked up laughing.

“This is fun.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” I told him as I rolled my eyes, continuing on with my set.

“I so am. It’s like watching oatmeal in the microwave. One second it’s cooking fine, and then suddenly, it’s exploding all over the place.”

“I’m gonna smack you,” I warned, narrowing my eyes and pointing my weight in his direction.

“You gotta catch me first.”

I turned away from Parker and dropped down into a plank, alternating arms for punches. When Mallory called time, I was sweating from pushing myself.

“I need to email some files, I’m gonna skip stretching,” Parker told me as he picked up his water bottle and nodded toward the door.

“Fine. Run away,” I said dismissively. I found a place next to my station and started stretching.

Jordan settled down next to me and smiled as we both focused on equalizing our breathing and working through the stretches on the screen.

“Did Parker bail on you?” he asked curiously, noting my friend’s absence.

“Yeah, but he was annoying me anyway.”

“Do you need a ride home?” he asked casually.

Unfortunately, we had ridden separately, but I was half tempted to leave my car here to ride home with Jordan.

“I’ve got my car.”

“Oh.” He looked a little disappointed, and I cursed not carpooling today.

“Maybe another time?” I asked hopefully.

“You know where to find me,” he winked.

“As long as you’re not avoiding me,” I shot back.

“A guy hides from you one time, and you won’t let it go.” He laughed as he stood and held out his hand to help me up from the floor.

“Technically, it was three times,” I teased.

“But you’re not counting.” He pulled me up, placing a hand on my hip as we stood close to each other.

“Of course not.” I feigned innocence, enjoying the heat that lingered in his gaze.

“I need to take care of something in the office. Can I walk you out when I’m done?” He nodded his head backward.

“Yeah. I’ll wait for you,” I told him as I nervously wrapped my hands around my water bottle. He left the studio, leaving me to finish my stretches.