Conditioning Brian's Heart

Brian turned the key in the lock and opened the door to his apartment, shuffling through a pile of mail as he entered. He threw a few pieces of junk mail away and set the other envelopes on the huge stack of overdue notices and bills he already had on his kitchen table. The phone rang, and Caller ID said it was business.

"Brian Johnson, personal trainer." Brian muttered, stretching his athletic frame and exhaling.

"Hi, Brian, I'm just calling in response to your ad that I saw in the newspaper," the female, breathy voice caught his attention.

"Oh. Right. Okay, uh, how may I help you?" He perked up.

"Well, I need a personal trainer." She sounded amused.

"Okay, sure. What's a good time to set up your free consultation?"

"How about tomorrow night, say, at 7pm at my place."

"Sounds good. What's your address?"

"15225 Main Street, Apt.1, Springfield."

Brian jotted the address and time down in his desk planner. "And your name, ma'am?"

"Ma'am? I hope I'm not that old, Brian! Call me Cindy," she laughed.

"And your phone number?"

"215-555-1234."

"Great! I'll be there at 7 tomorrow evening. Take care, Cindy."

"I'm looking forward to it, Brian."

"Bye."

"See ya."

Brian hung up with a higher heart rate than when he'd first picked up the phone. Who was this woman with the charming voice? It didn't matter, he supposed. Brian never mixed business with pleasure. He couldn't afford to.

He thought he'd be able to find work and establish himself pretty fast after graduation, but he was wrong. At that moment he was a personal trainer and desk assistant at the local gym, but he didn't make much money. He could make a lot more working independently, which is what he was trying for, placing newspaper ads, hanging flyers, and passing out business cards.

A few potential clients had responded so far, including this one. Once he could get those referrals rolling, he'd be okay. But for now, money was tight. He had to take whatever business he could get, and he definitely had to keep whatever business he had.

***

"6:57. Wow, you are punctual!" Cindy exclaimed as she let him in.

"And I always will be, unless something comes up, but in that very rare event that I would run late, I would call you immediately to let you know or to reschedule."

"Good." She smiled.

As he got his bearings, he suddenly had time to notice what she was wearing: a tight, deeply v-necked purple sweater that accentuated her voluptuous breasts, slim black pants that hugged her curvy hips, and black patent leather heels. She had long, straight auburn hair, bright green eyes, and a lightly freckled complexion that reminded him of Minnie Driver's.

Her legs went on forever on her tall frame. She was only an inch or two shorter than him in those heels. She was a little heavier than he usually liked, but that's what he was there to train her for, right? For some other guy, of course, he reminded himself, because he couldn't date her while he was training her, no matter how hot she was!

These observations took about a second, and then he said, "Let's discuss workout attire first. You'll need a pair of comfortable cross-trainers in good condition, a loose-fitting t-shirt and shorts, breathable cotton socks, and since you're a lady, I would also suggest a supportive cotton blend sports bra."

"What about underwear?"

"What?" Brian raised his eyebrows.

"Well, you've covered everything else," Cindy smiled, with a glint in her eye.

Brian tried to keep his voice steady. "Health experts recommend cotton because it's breathable and absorbs sweat, which you will have a lot of working with me." He paused briefly, seeing the huge smile on her face. He continued, "Whatever's comfortable. I don't want you thinking about tugging on uncomfortable clothes while working out with me."

He tried to sound professional. It certainly hadn't escaped his notice that she had no panty lines on this particular evening.

"Would you like to sit down?"

"Sure, do you have a kitchen table we can sit at? It would probably be easier if we had a place to hold these papers."

"Right over there. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"A glass of water will be fine, thanks."

"Lemon?"

"No, plain is fine, thank you," he smiled kindly.

She beamed at him. "You are very welcome."

She cheerfully got his water and got herself an unsweetened iced tea with lemon and sat right next to him at the circular table. He swallowed hard. She was sitting awfully close, but he didn't want to seem rude and ask her to back up. Besides, she did need to see the paperwork. She smelled lightly of watermelon and roses. Despite the iced tea, her breath was sweet and inviting.

Clearing his throat, he began, "Before our first session, I will need you to fill out some quizzes to help me figure out what your interests and goals are. In there is also a form you will need to have your doctor sign that says you are healthy enough to work out."

He handed her a packet of sheets stapled together.

"Your first session will begin with your first workout, of course, for which I usually do a variety of different exercises just to get you started until the next session. I will also take a fitness assessment and we will go over your fitness goals and discuss nutrition. Any questions so far?"

"Not so far," she smiled, brushing his leg with hers. "But if I think of something, I'll be sure to speak up."

She touched his arm briefly. Each time she touched him he felt miniwaves of fire coursing through his skin. His heart started pounding again.

"Great, so let me tell you a little bit about my training and some types of programs I've designed for people before. I have a B.S. in kinesiology, but I've been working out and been interested in sports since I was a kid. In high school and college I played football, basketball, and soccer, and in the summers I swam for my local swim club team."

"You were busy!"

"Yup, I barely had time to do anything else, all right."

Intuitively, she said, "Must've been pretty lonely."

Cindy was right. He hadn't really dated anyone seriously since his high school sweetheart, Charlotte, broke his heart at graduation. Penn State was his next destination, whereas she was staying closer to home at Temple University.

Charlotte had said that since he never had time for her in high school, why would he once he was a couple hundred miles away from her? He couldn't come up with a good argument for that, because he knew she was right. Once he was at college, he was so busy with sports and studying kinesiology that he'd had no time to start a relationship.

He lived alone. He was a health fanatic, so going to smoky, alcohol-filled bars and clubs wasn't his thing. He hung out with friends a lot, but that usually meant going to the gym and shooting hoops, running laps, or lifting, nothing with real conversation and certainly no place for meeting romantically inclined women. Sometimes he went camping and hiked with a couple buddies he knew from college on the weekends on the Appalachian Trail, and they'd talk then once in a while. That was about it.

He continued, "So, since college, I've been working at the Sporty Gym and slowly developing my personal training career. I've helped bodybuilders, runners, high school and college athletes, grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads, and dozens of people who just want to get in shape and needed a little guidance.

"So, those are my qualifications. I will work with your schedule as best I can, and I will work with your fitness goals and interests every step of the way to develop the program that's best for you. Just drop those quizzes and the doctor's form in the mail in the postage paid envelope within the next couple days, and we can set up a time for our first session for next week."

"How about Wednesday at 7pm?" She stood up.

"Great, I'll see you then." He stood up and extended a hand to shake.

She took his hand and held it for a moment.

"It was really great to meet you, Brian. I can't wait to start working with you." She released his hand and walked him to the door. She hesitated, and then she said, "You know, if you don't have anywhere to be, I could make us some coffee and we could talk a while longer."

"I really can't. I have a session early in the morning. Thanks anyway," he said reluctantly, and left.

***

Brian shivered walking out to his car. It had started to flurry. Another glorious February in Pennsylvania, of course. His feet squished through the slush as he walked through he parking lot.

Brian got into his car and turned the key. No dice. He tried again. Nothing happened. He slammed his fist into the dashboard. The impact and the cold made his knuckles raw and red. He should just forget this piece of crap!

Part of him was angry about his car, financial situation and Cindy being oh-so-there but unavailable. Part of him wanted to march right back up to Cindy's apartment and make it all go away and be with her, a beautiful woman who seemed genuinely interested in him, for just one evening. He decided to compromise and go up to use her phone, "But that's it!" he told himself. "No talking, no coffee."

***

"Oh, hi, Brian," she answered the door with a puzzled look.

He quickly explained the situation, and she exclaimed, "Well come in, of course!"

"I don't want to impose; I'd just like to use your phone to call for a tow and a cab, and then I can go..."

She interrupted, "I insist that you stay while you're waiting for your cab. It's dark! What will you do outside in the cold for goodness knows how long waiting? I'd drive you, but my sister's borrowing my car to go to work tonight because hers is in the shop."

"Are you sure?" he asked shyly.

Maybe he just needed the reassurance, or maybe he needed to talk to keep looking at those clear, green eyes. She took his coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

"Oh, absolutely. The phone's right over here. Do you drink coffee?"

"No thanks, I mostly avoid caffeine."

"Decaf?"

"I suppose a little decaf would be okay."

Fine, let her play hostess, even though he didn't usually take decaf either. Maybe it would calm his nerves.

She smiled, playing with the heart on her silver Tiffany heart necklace. This drew his attention to her pale, firm cleavage for a split second, and then he looked away. She saw him, of course, and the corners of her mouth tugged upwards slightly.

"I'll go put that pot on right now." She walked away, and he watched her round, shapely ass sway back and forth as she left the room. He felt a stirring below the belt.

He looked around, trying not to picture her less clothed. The living room was a nice size, white leather couch, white walls, green burlap chairs, beige carpets, black coffee table, pink flowers on the side table in a black vase. There was a television in an entertainment center, also black, across the room. Yep, a woman definitely lived here with no sign of any man living here, either.

Cindy returned to find him sitting on the couch. She sat down next to him, bringing him the cordless phone. He made his calls. The news was bad, then worse. He hung up, shook his head, and put his head in his hands, exhaling sharply.

"What's wrong, Brian?"

"The tow truck can't be here for another two hours and the cab can't be here for another three. This is a nightmare!"

"I know we've only just met, but you can't find my company that awful yet, can you?" Cindy joked, patting his knee.

Brian smiled, feeling those hot sparks again from his leg to his groin. "The company is great," he admitted.

"Can I get you anything to eat? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine for now. It's okay. So, I guess we have plenty of time now to talk about your fitness goals. What are you looking for?" Her hand hadn't moved from his knee. He pretended not to notice.

"Well, I'm definitely looking to increase muscle mass, decrease fat, and improve my flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and strength."

"Did you ever play any sports?"

"Back in high school," she laughed. "Not now. Do you play sports?" She drew a circle with her finger around his knee. He jerked back slightly. She gave him a smoldering look. His cock jumped.

He stood up suddenly, willing his hard-on to shrink back to normal with thoughts of basketball. "Yeah, sometimes. Um, I think I need to explain something to you, Cindy."

"What's that?" Her eyebrows knit together. She frowned slightly, and she sat up straight, hands clasped at her closed knees.

"We are entering into a business relationship, here, meaning I'm a personal trainer, a fitness consultant, if you will, and you are my client."

"I know," she nodded.

"Well, we can't--"

"Can't--?"

"Damnit, Cindy, we can't--" his face turned bright red. What was wrong with him? It sounded so right in his head just a few minutes ago. "Maybe I should wait for my cab outside after all."

"Why?" She stood up, too, looking confused.

"Look, can I be perfectly honest with you, Cindy?"

"Of course!"

"I can't afford to lose any clients right now, and that means that I absolutely cannot get into any flirting games with any of them."

"Who's flirting?" She asked innocently. Was she just playing dumb or what?

His face suddenly reddened. "Never mind, look, I'm sorry if I jumped the gun, there. I wasn't trying to offend you. Maybe I should go."

"I don't think you should."

"No?"

"No, I think you should sit down and let me get you a cup of coffee, okay?"

Brian sat down. "Okay."

"I think you're still a little flustered about the whole car situation, and to be honest, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. Really, it's all right." She smiled, turned, and headed for the kitchen.

Incredible, he thought. Well, what now?

A moment later, she returned with a tray, steaming carafe, two mugs, creamer, sugar, napkins, and two spoons. She poured coffee into both mugs. "Here we go. I don't know how you take your coffee."

"Just black, thanks." Brian took the mug of hot, bitter liquid and sipped. "This is pretty good."

"Thanks, I got it from one of those mail-order coffee clubs. Some Scandinavian company."

"Mmm."

"So, what were we talking about?"

"Sports?"

"Oh yes, I play basketball and I run track right now. I'm also trying to get into bodybuilding more. I've been lifting for years, but now I really want to get sculpted, you know?"

She smiled, letting her eyes travel over his broad shoulders for a split second. "You mean more, um, sculpted?"

He smiled back, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. So, uh, you mentioned you had played some sports before?"

"Yeah, field hockey in high school. Oh, and basketball one season."

"Why just one?"

"The coach pissed me off."

"Oh, that's a bummer."

"Yeah." She downed the rest of her mug and stood up. "So, you want the five-cent tour?"

"Okay, sure." Brian stood up.

She showed him the kitchen, bathroom, dining area, and the bedrooms. "I live with my sister," she explained, "Or rather, she lives with me. She's trying to get her act together."

"What does she do?" He tried to follow along, but an unbelievable scent gripped his senses. It was just like Cindy, but it was coming from her bedroom.

"She's a waitress for now."

"And you?" he managed.

"I'm a math professor at the community college."

"Oh, okay. Did you wear that outfit to work today?" He suddenly changed the subject, intoxicated by the tension. They were standing next to the doorway to her bedroom. It smelled of roses and watermelon, like her. She was so close, standing right in front of him, less than two feet away. Her eyes were so mesmerizing.

"Yes, why?" she smiled.

"No reason, I guess," he blushed, trying not to be too blatant staring at her firm, gorgeous breasts. "It's a nice sweater."

"This old thing? I've had it for years. It's so comfortable."

"It's nice."

"Well, thank you. You know," her voice lowered, "You're very nice, too." She stepped forward so her lips were inches away from his.

Brian wanted to jump out of his skin. Here was this beautiful woman, who obviously wanted him to kiss her, and here he was, stuck on his principles! His heart pounded and he felt this heat overtake his entire body. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"We should get back to the coffee, Cindy. It'll get cold, won't it?"

"I think I've had enough coffee." She didn't back up. "Why, do you want more?"

"No."

"Why don't you step into my office, Brian?" she whispered, glancing towards her bedroom.

"Cindy, you're my client." Brian made one last ditch effort to resist.

"And you can't afford to lose me. So just step into my office, okay?"

"Excuse me?" At any other job, this would definitely be sexual harassment, wouldn't it?

"Please."

"Okay."

She walked over to her desk and took a photo album out of a drawer. She opened it and showed him a picture. "This is me ten years ago."

She looked to be at a formal event, maybe a grad school dance or something. She was wearing a basic black cocktail dress, which made her hair look like flames atop her head and set off her pale skin beautifully. Her heels were tall and sexy, like tonight's footwear. Her body was trim and fit. Brian fought for air and words. She was stunning.

"Th-that's a nice picture, Cindy."

"Thanks. I think it's a great picture, actually. That's how I want to look again. All these hours working and doing academic research have made me start to get chubby and I'm definitely out of shape." She smiled up at him. "You can help me change that."

She stepped closer to him so that she was almost leaning on him and patted him on the arm. Brian ached. He ached all over. His heart, his mind, and his erection that kept fighting to arise that he kept fighting against.

"Cindy."

"What is it, Brian?" She set the photo album down and stepped even closer, so that she was once again face to face with him.

"I know this is, oh--" She silenced him with her kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her soft lips to his over and over, soft little kisses. Then they deepened to longer, wetter kisses until she was exploring his mouth with her tongue.

His heart leapt into a rhythm he'd never felt before, and he stopped fighting his cock from poking through his boxers to tent his pants. It had been so, so long. His whole body shuddered as he held her tighter, not wanting the kiss to ever end. But it did, eventually.

"Brian, it's really okay. Shh, shhh, don't say anything right now. Let's just sit down over here."

She silenced his helpless mumblings with a finger over his lips, touched his hair and caressed his face, an almost motherly gesture. She led him towards her bed and sat him down, and she sat down next to him.

Brian wasn't sure he could find the words anyway. His heart thundered in his ears, and more than anything, he just wanted to kiss her again. She put her hand on his and clasped it with both of her hands. When was the last time he even held hands with a woman? But he couldn't sleep with this gorgeous woman. Not tonight. Not ever, as long as he worked for her, right?

"How long has it been since you had a date?" She asked softly.

"Five years."

"You're so handsome! How can that be?" Her eyes searched his.

"My first girlfriend, my high school sweetheart, I guess you could say, broke up with me at graduation. Ever since, I've been so busy training with my career, I haven't had the chance to really date. I've hung out with a couple girls here and there, but nothing you could call dates."

"Brian, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, anything," he smiled at her.

"Would you like to go out to dinner on Monday?"

"I can't, Cindy. If you weren't a client--"

"You never would have met me. Monday's Valentine's Day, and we're both going to be all alone. Why not just be alone together?"