The gym opens at nine. Be there at 7:30. This is the chance to get exactly what you need.” He walked to the door, glancing back as he opened it. “See you then.”
Chapter Four: Personal Trainer
Lance put the odds at fifty-fifty that Tiffany would even show. It had been risky, going to her house. Even Trey told him it was insane when Lance had filled him in on what he’d done.
“You’re lucky she didn’t mace you.” They were putting up the weights as Lance recounted the visit. “I would have.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she’s more trusting than you,” Lance remarked.
“Personal trainer, huh?” Trey smiled. “Smooth.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Uh-huh. Sweet, soft little thing like her? It’s going to be Katrina all over again.”
Lance had sobered at this. “It’s not going to be like Katrina.”
It couldn’t be like Katrina, he decided, because what he’d had with Katrina wasn’t something he could likely duplicate. Behind closed doors, she’d been his little girl and he’d been her daddy—details that Lance had kept from even his closest friends for fear that they’d not understand. Only John Baxter, a former military colleague who had mentored Lance in his age-play lifestyle with Katrina, knew the full details of what they had, and Lance wasn’t about to presume he could ever recreate that dynamic with another woman. Oh, he knew he could probably find another age-play partner on the Internet, but Lance wasn’t the kind of man who sought partners online. He preferred to have things come into his life organically. He had no idea if there was any potential for a relationship with Tiffany. All he knew was that there was something special about the curvy beauty he couldn’t stop thinking about, and he was eager to have a role in her life, even if it was just professional.
So when Lance saw her Toyota 4Runner pull into the parking lot the next morning, he took it as a positive sign. He watched from his office window as she stopped feet from her car, staring at the gym as if doubting her decision. But then she tilted her chin up almost defiantly and headed toward the door.
Good.
He unlocked the front just as she reached it.
“You made it,” he said.
“Yeah.” She was wearing a baggy t-shirt and loose sweatpants, as if trying to hide herself. Negative body image. Lance made a note to work on that.
“I’m glad you came,” he said.
“I thought about it a lot last night,” Tiffany replied. “Maybe having some one-on-one training will help me focus.”
“That’s the plan,” he said. “But the first thing we should do is talk about why you’re here.”
He led her to a sofa in front of the reception area and motioned for her to have a seat.
“It should be obvious why I’m here,” Tiffany replied. “I need to get in shape.”
He smiled. “Okay,” he said. “So why hasn’t that happened before now?”
“I, um… I wasn’t always this heavy. And like I said last night, things in my life have just gotten …” Her voice trailed off.
“Out of control?”
She nodded.
“Is that what you’re seeking? Control?”
She dropped her gaze. Lance noted how she swallowed nervously, how her cheeks flushed.
“It’s all right to admit that you need it, Tiffany,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with needing someone to guide you. I happen to be the kind of person who gets a lot of satisfaction from offering guidance.” He paused. “And control.”
He wasn’t expected to see tears in her eyes when she looked up at him. He could tell she was starting to say something, but then—to his frustration—she clammed up. The encouraging ease in her eyes was replaced with fear and for the second time in twenty-four hours, she was heading out the door.
“It was a mistake for me to come here.”
This time Lance did call after her, seeking to swallow his frustration. But she ducked into her vehicle, ignoring him as he tried to get her attention. She
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