Page 77 of Run
“Uh, yeah, I am. Let me check with Ari and get back to you?”
“Sure. But full disclosure—Knox and I don’t stay out past ten. We’re old.”
She's slinging her purse over her shoulder as Monty approaches. “You ready, kid?”
Before Lizzie can answer, Dee yells from the front reception area. “Hey, I wanna come out with you guys!”
Monty shakes his head vehemently. “Don’t take her. She is wholly inappropriate.”
“Am not!” she yells.
***
Our first double hangout—I refuse to call it a date—was a success. The girls really hit it off, and Knox and I are more alike than I thought. During the week we met up again, that time allowing Dee to join us, and then Fonz and Sophie stopped by as well. It’s the weekend again, and it looks like tonight’s meetup is going to be an even bigger group, with Knox saying some guys from work might swing by, too.
I’m off today, so I’m helping Ari with the at-home exercises DeShawn assigned before we go out. This will be the third time we train together, and honestly, I love it. She’s getting stronger every day, and knowing even just a tiny bit of that is because of me feels awesome.
“Come in,” Ari yells when I knock on the door that leads to her apartment from the garage. The Millers converted the lower level of the house into a little apartment just for Ari. Some of the renovations were simple ones, like coating the old brown wall paneling with white paint, while others were more complicated, like putting in a little kitchenette in the back corner. But they really made it a peaceful space for her. It’s just one big open space, with a little island with white cabinets and black marble countertops that separates the “kitchen” area from the “living room,” where a small but plush sofa faces a flat-screen TV that hangs on the wall. A small coffee table in a natural wood color sits between them.
Behind the sofa is an accordion wall thing that is an attempt to separate her sleeping quarters where a double bed rests against the wall.
There’s a tiny bathroom off the back corner with a very close-quarters shower stall—which I’m sure was by design so Ari can get in and out easily. On the other back corner wall is a door to the stairs that go up to the main house.
As I enter the space, in my gray trainers and black T-shirt, I see Ari standing against the back of the couch, walking alongsideit as she partially leans on it. She’s been doing that a lot lately—walking along things and leaving her crutches behind. I see them leaning against the wall in the kitchen.
“Look at you,Ariel, getting your sea legs back.”
“Har, har.” She acts offended but can’t hide the smile on her face.
I’m standing with my legs spread wide, arms crossed in front of me when she looks up. “What?” Looking down at her blue leggings and gray tank top, then back up at me, she asks, “Is there something on me?”
“No.”
“Then why are you smiling like the cat that ate the canary?”
“Am I?” I pull my brows together and raise a hand to my scruffy mouth to feel it. Yep, it’s stretched out like the Cheshire Cat. “Huh. I guess … Shit, Ari, I guess I’m just freaking proud of you.”
“Stop.”
“No, seriously, look how far you’ve come!”
“I said stop. You’re giving me a complex.”
I throw my hands up in surrender. “OK. But I’m still super proud.” Walking farther into the apartment and rubbing my hands together, I ask, “So, what’s it going to be today? Squats? Lunges? Deadlifts?”
“We’re going to start with lunges.” Ari pulls her hair back into a ponytail. “I don’t need any equipment for that. Just, uh … Just you, please.”
“At your service.” I walk right up to her. “How do you want me?”
She takes my outstretched hand and steps away from the couch, pulling me with her at the same time that she leans some of her weight onto me as we face each other. “So, I’m going to do some backward lunges, one leg at a time, and I need you to getinto a forward lunge position in front of me, and I’m gonna brace my knee against yours.”
“Like this?” I bend one leg behind me and one in front.
“Yes, that’s good.” She mimics my position, bracing the inside of her front leg right up against mine. “I also need your hands.” I automatically reach out for her. “Here, let’s cross hands—like a handshake with each hand.” We clasp opposite hands. “Yes, good. Now, I’m going to lunge down until my knee hits the floor and then stand back up, but I need you to also pull me and stand up with me because I don’t have enough strength to do it on my own.”
“Got it.”
Ari blows out a breath and dips down, taps her knee on the floor, and I can sense the hesitation as her body wants to push up but her muscles fail her. “Push that knee against mine,” I say, as I help pull her to a standing position, our faces only inches apart. “Good. That’s good. Again?”
