“He’s not coming”, Michele said as she glanced at her watch, a reluctant acceptance was settling in. Here she was, standing at the movie theater entrance, dressed to kill in her flirty mini-skirt, a daring low-cut top with an exposed back, and her signature “come fuck me” pumps. Yet, in Chad’s absence, the ensemble felt less like a celebration of her confidence and more like a spotlight on her vulnerability. “Ugh, I look like a woman who gets stood up”, she thought.
With a mix of hope and irritation, she checked her phone again, expecting at least a missed call or a text. “If he wanted to cancel, he’d say something,” she reasoned. Whether it was because he was sick, caught up in an emergency, or simply lost interest, a little communication was the least he could do. But there was nothing. No missed calls. No messages. Just silence.
She had met Chad at the gym, and if you asked her, she’d confess, “Not gonna lie, I was hooked by his physique.” Nearly sculpted. He would train in the area of the gym dedicated to professional bodybuilders, feeding on their energy, but refrained from entering their world of injections and meaty muscle compositions. The result was a vigorous body possessing the appeal of a natural warrior from yesteryear. Michele would often gush, “He’s got that angled muscle thing along his abs. I don’t know what that is, but DAMN!”
While riding the elliptical, she’d watch his muscles run through their sequencing, resembling a machine. Every movement was mechanically mesmerizing. Words like horsepower and cylinder heads came to mind for her. She’d always considered herself to have the same amorous drive that men have, so when he stepped onto the cool-down mat, Michele always imagined herself lying under him as those intense arms lowered himself onto her.
Their connection was as straightforward as it was electric. One evening, Michele boiled up enough steam in her kettle of courage and approached him. A banter sparked between them, and after a playful razzing about her name possessing only one “L”, she found herself enjoying a recovery meal with him. And a bit later, she found herself in his bed.