"This is kinda weird for a
second date," I said.
It's not a date, and if you don't want to come, why didn't you say so over the phone?
WC was zipping in and out of lunch hour traffic as we negotiated down Wacker on the way to her gym. She told me over the phone that she couldn't do lunch on Wednesday, because she worked out three times a week and her spotter was only there on those days. WC had changed at her office and was in full workout gear as she threatened the feet of most of downtown Chicago as her wheels made room. She was wearing Shiny nylon sweatpants and an Itchy and Scratchy tank top over a navy blue sports bra. With small edges of her orange/red hair showing under a bandana on her head she wasn't hell on wheels, but she was in the ballpark.
Once inside the gym I ate a vending machine sandwich while I watched her go through the machines. A bodybuilder stood next to her as she benched 150 lbs. Her arms and shoulders tensed up like ropes and her face was crimson. From the waist up she was as tight and tough as anyone in the room, which is exactly what she was shooting for of course. For further effect, WC had tattoos wrapped around both biceps-one barbed wire the other strands of roses. A perfect dichotomy.
The bodybuilder noticed me watching and made a point of coming over to me as she wheeled her way over to a machine on the other side of the room-
"It's NOT for your benefit, OK? She does this weight all the time. You mess with this girl she will break your neck, I am totally serious." -then he walked away without a nod or a glance, I'm sure he thought the message was sufficient.
She worked out on five machines in about 30 minutes and seemed to be on a first name basis with several of the other lifters. If anyone was bothered with her chair getting in the way, nobody mentioned it. I was guessing she asked no quarter, gave none. She worked out there and that was it.
On the way back to her office I bought her a bottle of water and an orange. I sat on a bench outside her office while she ate her snack and cooled down. (I'll just sit here she said, straight faced). She took off the bandana and shook her hair free, small curls of wet red strands matching her bare shoulders, still pink from the exertion. I felt like I was snacking with a hunter and it was both exciting & intimidating.
She looked up at me, noticing that look in my eyes. Hey, Are you still hungry or just hungry?
I blinked and said nothing and she just winked.
's OK, I get a lot of that.
"Does that mean you would go on a real date, you know me come to your place, take a cab somewhere, you eat food with me, drive you home, that sorta thing?"
Oh, it could, if you know a taxi that could fit this chair. It's more complicated than it looks, ...I'm more complicated.
"Well, I'm thinking you would be worth that" ...again, trying to get a direct glance into those green eyes of hers,seeing if I can find a way in.
She took a pull off the water and wiped the back of her mouth. Sizing me up. Steady gaze and a half eaten lower lip.
OK, tell ya what we can do, I know this guy, he has this van with a lift...