Friends with a Tryst: Thirsty Hearts, #5.5

Chapter 1

Erin

D own! The bark came with that familiar New Yorker punch.

It was still too dark outside to see the condensation of my breath, but I knew I was huffing clouds in the frigid Austin air.

No time to think.

I dropped into a brief squat before sprawling onto my stomach, legs extended. One push-up. Two push-ups. Thhhreee...

On my left, a stout firefighter named Gabriel did his push-ups with one leg in the air and then sprang into a tuck jump. On my right, Skinny Mini, whose real name I could never remember, pulled her legs back under her and jumped, clapping her hands high over her head.

Nine! The others screamed in unison as I scrambled back to my feet and just managed a toe raise. Dear God, no more jumping.

It wasn’t even seven o’clock yet on a wintry Saturday morning. Why in hell was I freezing my ass off in Zilker Park?

Oh, yeah. Luke.

His constant badgering at the gym had seeped its way into my brain and turned me into a caffeinated exercise zombie who drove to this godforsaken park at 6 a.m. for the privilege of having him scream at me.

I’d hoped that, on my fifth Saturday, these end-of-workout burpees would be getting easier. Nope. I collapsed for the tenth, thankful for the few inches of head start my boobs gave me to push back up.

One. Sweet baby Jesus. Two. I’m going to die. Thhhreee...

Come on, Erin. You got this. On your feet! Luke shouted.

Ten! Everyone else yelled.

Jumping wasn’t an option after an hour-long ass kicking in the dark. I raised my hips to a quivering down dog and walked in my feet to stand up. My calves convulsed me into a toe raise, and I pumped my arms.

Luke walked down the line of boot campers, giving high fives and fist bumps. He yelled and whooped. The twenty or so exercisers disbanded in waves toward the parking lot.

I didn’t have enough air to whoop, but a surge of pride put a grin on my face.

Fucking done.

My towel was flung two feet in front of me. If I wanted to wipe my face with it, I’d have to bend over and get back up. The trembling fatigue in my abs and legs shot down that idea. Instead, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and hunched a little to drag a dry-ish corner of the fabric over my forehead.

A slap on the back made me shiver.

Are you cold? Where’s your jacket? Luke asked.

I spun around to point, and he was already plucking up my fleece hoodie and my towel. I slipped on the jacket and reveled in the warmth of it and of the presence beside me. 

Skinny Mini grumbled with irritation meant to sound fake. Umm, I’m still waiting for my high five.

He slapped her skyward hand, and she giggled, entwining his fingers. Thank you. You have the best workouts. They’re killer, but I love it.

Thanks. Luke withdrew his hand and swept his towel off his shoulder to wipe his fingers. The dimple in his left cheek winked at me as he downed a swig of water and slipped the bottle back in the duffle bag on his shoulder. I love it, too. Do you love it, Ms. McKenna?

Woo. Hoo. I circled my index finger in the air.

He snapped the towel on my thigh. You know you do.

"I hate it. I’m here. I chose to be here. But let’s not pretend that I don’t hate every other minute. You know I don’t like the out-of-doors. I sniffed with condescension at nature and ran a fingernail across an incisor. I think I have grass in my teeth."

Don’t say that! Skinny Mini threw an admonishing gasp my direction. He works really hard on these. I know. I used to be a trainer.

I darted my eyes at our trainer’s tall frame and smiled. I’m just kidding. Luke knows I’m kidding.

He snapped me again with his towel. Erin and I have known each other forever.

Skinny Mini scowled. I relished her unhappiness. Probably too much.

She practically drooled over Luke, and as annoying as I found her pep each week, they would make a stunning couple. He could use a compatible girlfriend, and he hadn’t dated anyone in forever. I had to let her off the hook.

He’s like a brother to me, I said.

Luke flung his towel over his head and wiped his hidden face.

Oh, is he? Mini brightened.

Sorry, what was your name again? I asked.

Julie.

Right, Julie. I’m Erin.

Julie shook my extended hand and gave a sweet show of teeth resembling a smile. Yeah, I see you here every week joking around with...everyone.

Luke and I have known each other since college. Well, he was in college with— I stopped. I didn’t want to explain that. I’m giving him a hard time. We’re like family.

She barely noticed the awkwardness and had already turned her fluttering eyelashes back to Luke. Oh, well, I love your boot camp. If you ever add more days or anything, let me know. My number is on my sign-up sheet.

She grinned and pulled her long, dark hair out of her ponytail, shaking out the damp strands and flinging her torso from side to side as if she were hocking shampoo on TV.

Luke kept his faded Brooklyn accent all business. If I add anything, it will be in the gym’s email newsletter. Or listed on the website.

Oh. Okay. See you next week. Julie gathered her bag and exercise mat. Nice to see you again, Erin. You’re making progress. You’ll get the hang of those burpees in no time.

No time is about right. I laughed, and she retreated out of earshot. Email newsletter? Damn, Luke, she was flirting with you.

Luke huffed. I don’t want to go out with Julie.

Why? She—

No fixing me up. Change of subject. He barked in his boot camp voice, then popped me on the shoulder with a friendly slap. How was your Christmas? Did you work out? You need to be ready for Africa in the spring.

Luke was still trying to convince me to join his group trek up Kilimanjaro—no matter how often I told him he was out of his mind to think that I could do such a thing. It’s just a tough hike. You can totally do it. Mountain climbing in Tanzania. Crazy. I ignored that little jibe and took a long swig of water.

I had a good Christmas. Low key. I went to Abby’s for dinner on Christmas Eve and then watched movies on TV the next day. Turned out to be a good plan with the weather.

A blast of ice covered the city early morning on Christmas. Austinites don’t do frozen.

Luke shook his head. I still say you should have come home with me for my belated Hanukkah dinner.

Even though Hanukkah had been in early December this year, Luke didn’t have time off until Christmas.

To your parents’? I’m not going to crash your family time. Besides, I declined to add, warm family holidays made things worse.

My parents adore you, and you could have bonded over your shared love of brisket. Nothing beats my mom’s brisket.

Maybe her latkes. I chuckled and wiped my face with the edge of my towel.

I’d met Mr. and Mrs. Abrams several times in the fourteen years since I first visited my brother Sean at Columbia. He roomed with Luke in college, and the Abramses adopted him into their New York family and Jewish traditions. Not that Luke kept up most of those traditions on his own. His parents did. Every time I went to visit for a weekend, Mrs. Abrams insisted that I come over for Shabbat dinner. She was an amazing cook.

But being there reminded me of Sean. The holidays were hard enough since he died nine years ago.

My