Gym Rats Ch. 02: Explosive Reunion

Authors Note: Hello Everyone! This is Chapter 2 in my "Gym Rats" series. Please make sure you check out the first installment for background and context.

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Dreams can be a torturous thing. It had been 10 days since Abbi had dared to show her face at the gym, opting instead for workouts at home away from prying eyes. No one had called, but the idea that some security guy was watching her laid out and enjoying herself seemed unbearable to her. Every night she went to sleep worried, but her dreams were filled with that night. Passion, lust... and mortifying embarrassment.

A routine of simple calisthenics in her 1-bedroom apartment didn't feel like enough. Her body ached and she couldn't pinpoint if it was the lack of weightlifting in her routine, the lack of sleep, or the draw to make amends. She was exhausted. The thought of trying to pick another timeslot where she wouldn't have to see him was alluring, and yet somehow depressing in the same stroke. She missed him, and that made her feel like a cliché. Some little girl pining after a boy, unable to control her emotions.

She relented, telling herself that if she went in, she didn't have to talk to him. She could use the opportunity to see if her key fob let her into the gym, or if they'd just canceled her membership in silence assuming she'd never have the nerve to walk in again. She was jittery the entire drive in. When she reached the parking lot of the gym to see there were no cars, she felt a rush of relief before a pang of regret. Loss often had that feeling.

Abbi marched up to the door of the gym, key fob outstretched. She nodded as the light on the reader turned green and the door clicked to unlatch. If anyone had seen the camera footage, they didn't care at least.

She walked in to look around, her eyes lingering on the bench that Scott had bent her over. She wondered if anyone has laid on it or if they'd be disgusted to know what had happened in that spot. She looked in the mirror, frowning. She pulled at the oversized t-shirt, trying to adjust it to make sure it was covering as much as possible. She felt naked in the space.

"Let it go." She sighed, trying to push herself into motion again. She dropped her bag unceremoniously by the cubbies at the door before heading over to the treadmills for a warm-up. She pulled her AirPods from the pocket in her leggings, setting up an 80's Pop playlist before starting a slow walk. She'd never been one for much cardio, opting instead for her lifts.

10 minutes in, and she was still walking. Movement in her peripheral caused her body to tense, and she purposefully kept her eyes locked straight ahead. Assuming it was Scott, she wanted to send a message that their status as gym friends was over. Abbi was often described as being headstrong, if not a little vengeful by her friends. And as much as she wanted to ice him out, she felt her eyes drifting. From where the treadmills were, she could see a faint reflection in the windows. The shape of the man was blurry, but it only took her a few seconds to realize it was not Scott.

She turned her head fully, instantly making eye contact with the stranger. His eyes were locked on her, and the second she noticed him he quickly found something more interesting to look at toward the back of the gym.

"Great" Her breathy hiss not traveling far. She felt instantly uncomfortable, wishing she'd opted for multiple layers to hide herself away from the world. Maybe he was just some rando, but the feeling that he knew seemed to tickle her brain and she couldn't let it go. She took out one AirPod, listening for sounds of movement. He seemed to be invested in his workout, so she tried her best to put him out of her mind.

10 minutes on the treadmill had turned into 20 and then 30 without much thought. Abbi was walking, but she wasn't getting anywhere. Normally she'd have hopped off and moved on to her weightlifting well beyond this point, but something just didn't feel right about it. Maybe this was too soon, she told herself, or maybe she would just need to find another gym. Maybe Scott already had.

She heard footsteps walking towards her, and then there was more movement in her peripheral. She hadn't been keeping tabs on the stranger, so she turned to look expecting it to be him. Instead, she was greeted with a pair of familiar blue eyes and a warm smile.

Her gaze darted forward again, hairs standing on the back of her neck. She knew this was a real possibility, and yet it had caught her off guard all the same. She lifted her chin, pressing her chest out as she her sloppy walk turned into a confident stride quite suddenly.

"Abbi..." Scott's voice was soft. He started up the treadmill, walking beside her. "I thought I wasn't going to see you again. You have no idea how torn up I've been. I thought-" He stole a quick glance over his shoulder, looking at the company they had with them tonight, "I thought you knew, honestly. I would never have done something to purposefully upset you. Let me make it up to you."

He reached out gently, giving her arm a gentle pinch but Abbi pulled away from him sharply, keeping her eyes locked on the windows in front of them.

Scott waited, hoping she'd break her silence, but nothing came. "I don't want this to just be a one-time thing." He admitted, eyes still locked on her. "I don't even have your phone number to call you. Please, Abbi, let's just talk and we can work it out. Those cameras probably don't even work, and I was being crass and making jokes... and I shouldn't have been. I felt so honored that you asked me to-" He glanced over his shoulder again, trying to see where the other man was.

Abbi hit the emergency stop on the treadmill, walking several units down to pick up on another one. The space between them felt like miles. Scott turned back to see what she'd done, feeling a bit irritated now. In his eyes, she was acting like a child. They were both adults, and they had made their own decisions. He couldn't be expected to shoulder all the blame. "Look, I'd love your phone number, okay? Let's meet up outside of here, have a drink or something. We can have fun. I like you, and I think you know that."

They were both surprised to hear footsteps, and the random man had moved from the weight section over to cardio, hoping on the treadmill next to Abbi and putting himself between her and Scott. He looked over, giving her a little wink.

Scott clenched his fist but said nothing.

"Brian." And just like that the stranger had a name. Abbi looked over at him expectantly, eyebrows raised as she waited to hear whatever this guy had to say. "I heard that perv asking you for your number. Want me to kick him out?"

Abbi rolled her eyes, trying to hold back her contempt, expecting this to be a display of machismo she really wasn't interested in bearing witness to. "He's fine. Just leave him alone."

"No, seriously. I work for the gym. I have authority to get rid of him."

The comment made her stomach twist. She looked over at Brian, recognizing him now from the wall that had pictures and bios for all the trainers. His gaze on her at the start of the night felt intrusive in retrospect. She looked into his eyes, and suddenly the thought that he knew what she looked like naked felt like the only possibility in the world.

"Fuck off, you stupid prick." She spat. Scott turned to look at her, shocked. Brian seemed even more thrown off at the reaction. "Mind your own business and keep me out of your empty head. I come back, and my first night here you show up. Is that random? Am I supposed to thank you for saving me? Do you want a reward?" She felt like every muscle in her body tensed all at once, and the urge to hit him quickly surged to the forefront of her desires before she reeled herself back in. She hit the emergency stop on the second treadmill, hopping off to walk briskly toward the door.

Bewildered, Brian stood watching her go. Scott wasn't going to make the same mistake. He took off after her, following her lead to grab his own bag before running to catch up to her in the parking lot. "Abbi, stop!" He called, reaching to grab her arm.

Abbi didn't hold back this time. She turned around as he grabbed her, pushing him hard. She was strong, and especially without him knowing it was coming he didn't have time to brace. He stumbled backward, landing on his ass on the pavement, looking up at her as she moved up on him.

His training took over, and the second she was moving toward him aggressively he acted. He hooked his foot around her ankle, pulling hard to slide her foot around from over her. She toppled over, laying next to him on the pavement. Without missing a beat, she rolled over, lunging at him, trying to get her arms around his neck and slide on top of him into the control position.

He wrapped his arms around her stomach, twisting hard to lean her over until she was off balance. The struggled, wrapped around one another, each of them pulling and tugging at one another to try and get the other one pinned in submission. It wasn't an easy task for either party.

Scott jerked her body suddenly, managing to get her to topple over and release her grip around his head. She was using one hand to support her weight, and he took the moment to push her down to the ground on her stomach, pinning her to the parking lot asphalt. He grabbed one arm, twisting it hard around her back, locking it in place. Her chest pressed against the ground heaved as she tried to catch her breath with his weight on top of her pinning her down. Abbi tried to push herself up with the other free arm but was struggling.

"Abbi... what is happening here?" Scott panted, keeping this woman, his friend, pinned beneath him. "This is crazy, what are we doing? Can we just talk?"

Abbi stopped struggling, letting go of the anger for a moment. She rested her head, trying to catch her breath. "You don't get it!" She snapped, "I've got a career... It's fun for you to be on camera fucking some chick. How do I know someone isn't going to post that online? That I'm not going to be in some interview 10 years from now sitting across from some pervert that used to jerk it to some stupid bitch who didn't think to look out for security cameras? This stuff lives out there forever. I don't get to choose that."

The admission of what was eating her for over a week felt like a sudden, needed weight off her chest. She wasn't worried about one guy getting off on a surveillance tape, but the idea she wouldn't have control of what people saw anymore was terrifying. She was smart, strong, powerful... but anything could be taken away with one wrong move.

"Woah." Scott let her arm go, moving to stand up. He investigated the gym, seeing the trainer on the phone now, looking out at them in the parking lot. "We need to go." He grabbed both of their bags off of the ground, reaching down to offer her a hand and help her up. Abbi looked up, hesitating a moment before taking his hand.

He walked her toward his truck, opening the passenger's side door for her to climb in before throwing their bags on the bench in the back. He jogged around to the driver's side, scrambling inside before starting the engine.

He looked over at Abbi, studying her face. Rage had been replaced with exhaustion. This had obviously been eating at her, and he recognized what he'd been blind to. "I'm going to take you to my house." He said softly, waiting for her half-hearted nod before taking off.

His fingers tapped against the wheel, silence sitting between them as he tried to figure out what to say. "Thanks." He finally started, glancing over at her when he felt comfortable taking his eyes away from the road. "Thank you for sharing that. Really. I had no idea... I probably never would have known."

She looked out the window, fighting back a few tears that were starting to win the fight. She hid her face as she wiped at her eyes, clearing her throat gently to shake away that heavy feeling growing inside.

Scott reached over, placing a hand on her thigh, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You keep a lot of those kinds of thoughts inside, don't you?" His hand returned to the steering wheel. "I noticed that when we talked sometimes. You'd skip over information when I asked or tell me you weren't thinking about anything. I always just thought you were preoccupied with how handsome I am."

That shook a little laugh out of her, and she chuckled quietly as she reached up to wipe her tears from her eyes again.

Scott smiled at her, the delight on his face the result of hearing her happy little laugh again. He lived for that. Seeing her smile was sometimes the highlight of his day, and when he was the source of her happiness it made him feel pride. He'd missed that with even just 10 days apart.

"I'm sorry." She finally muttered, looking over at him for the first time that night. "For a lot of things... fighting in the parking lot on that list, I think. You didn't deserve any of that. I just didn't think you'd understand if I told you. I didn't want to be talked down to about it."

Scott nodded, accepting her apology. "I'm just glad I get to see another side of you. And now I know you can definitely hold your own in a fight. What a way to find out."

Scott pulled into his driveway and parked. He walked around to the passenger's side to open the door, offering a hand up to her. Abbi looked down at him, taking his hand again. She hadn't ever imagined she'd be at his home, especially not like this. She slid down out of the truck, keeping her hand locked in his.

He guided her to the front door, pulling out a key to unlock it. "Make yourself at home." He led her inside and headed towards the staircase. "I don't want to tell you what to do, but I think you need a shower and some sleep. We can talk more in the morning."

He led her to the master bedroom, going into the bathroom for a few seconds to pull out a clean towel for her. He motioned her in before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Abbi walked into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she was looking at herself after the fight in the parking lot, and she could see what he was hinting at. Her face and hands were scuffed up from being held down against the asphalt. She was covered in dirt and grime and generally looked disheveled.

She walked over to the shower, turning it on until she could see steam rolling through the air. She liked her showers hot enough to melt her skin off her muscles. Her t-shirt and bra flopped to the floor unceremoniously. She kicked off her shoes and slid out of her leggings, standing naked in his bathroom like it was a normal place to be.

She stepped into the shower, her back arching at the sudden change in temperature. She quickly, settled into the feeling, letting it flow over her. She reached up to pull her long, dirty blonde hair from the ponytail, letting the water soak in and heat up her scalp. Her body ached from the encounter at the gym, but the hot steam seemed to melt away all that pain.

She looked around the shower, a bottle of soap all that was there. It made sense, but she hadn't thought much of it. Scott shaved his head, so didn't need shampoo. His beard and moustache didn't need to be shampooed and conditioned the same way her long hair did. She smiled a little, laughing to herself. At least she knew for sure he wasn't married now.

She lathered up her body, letting her hands linger over sore spots. Her toned arms had a few bruises starting to form. Her chest, heavy breasts, felt perfectly fine. The thick lather made her fingers dance over her nipples as she massaged gently, and a soft moan left her lips. She thought back to that night in the gym, imagining him leaning over her as he fucked her on the box. Despite her obvious reservations about the recording, the sex had been great. She longed for it, even if she didn't want to admit that to herself. She wanted to touch herself, but she remembered quickly she wasn't at home.

She rinsed off, feeling noticeably fresher than when she'd walked into the bathroom. She grabbed the towel, drying off and shaking out her hair until it was decently dry. She looked at his sink. Clippers and a toothbrush... there really wasn't much there.

She opted to wrap the towel around her body instead of putting back on her clothes. She opened the bedroom door, peaking out into the hallway. She could hear the TV on downstairs and decided to go check it out.

When she walked down, she saw him sitting on the couch, watching something on TV. The moment he noticed her, he lifted the remote to turn it off. "I thought you'd go to bed." He tried to get a feel for her mood now, though his eyes wandered her body more than he should have let them. Seeing her in just a towel was a new kind of temptation he hadn't been prepared for.

"I wasn't quite ready to sleep." She admitted, just standing at the foot of the staircase, looking at him curiously. "I mean, I just... it felt weird to lay down by myself in a bed that wasn't mine."

Scott stood up, walking over to her. He reached up to touch a few strands of her soaked hair, smiling as he looked into her eyes. She was adorable standing there, looking very innocent and vulnerable and it took a lot of restraint for him not to just pluck her up. "Just relax." He whispered, fingers trailing down her cheek to caress her neck and exposed shoulder. Her skin was so soft, still damp from washing. He loved the feel of it.

Abbi leaned in, closing the space between them, pressing her lips to his. His physical touch was very comforting, and the warmth of his lips even more so. Her hands shifted from holding the towel, going instead to wrap around him, arms resting on his shoulder as she draped her hands gently behind him in a soft embrace. She kissed him a few times, tender and slow. This was a much different pace than last time and felt more loving than lustful. She took time to be present. The tickle of his moustache, the way his lips caressed her own lower lip, the way each soft kiss seemed to roll into another; all details she had missed last time.

"We probably shouldn't do this tonight." He warned, looking at her. "I am not entirely sure that the cops aren't going to come knocking on my door any moment. That trainer saw me pin you in a parking lot and I'm sure our exit was described as kidnapping over the phone. I don't need additional charges added to my sentence."

She smiled. Although she knew he was trying to be lighthearted about it, what had happened between them was intense. "I would like to remind you," she said, hand moving back to the towel, unwrapping it so it fell to the floor at her feet. "Technically, I pushed you, and you fell to the ground first. So don't pretend like you did all the damage, alright? Next time, I won't let you pin me."

Scotts eyes ran up and down her body. His hands had a mind of their own, going to caress her hips, trailing up and down her toned stomach. He loved how muscular she was. His hands explored her stomach, trailing up over her abs before cupping her breasts. They were real. She'd obviously been blessed with plenty of curves, and she'd done her work to sculpt muscle out of it. His cock twitched in his pants, but he tried his best to tame it.

"Bed." He commanded, turning her around, giving her ass a little smack to send her up the stairs. "I'm glad you are starting to feel better. Let me just tuck you in so you can get some sleep, okay?" He hung back a little, taking the opportunity to walk up the stairs behind her and watch her naked ass wiggle in front of him as they climbed the stairs. Again, his cock ached in his shorts, wanting to be let out to play.

When they were back in the bedroom, Scott grabbed Abbi's arm gently, turning her around to face him again. He planted a few more sultry kisses on her lips before pushing her backward to sit on the corner of the bed. "I can tell you need some stress relief. We're alone, just you and me... you can relax, okay?"