Gym, Last Chapter
She was slightly surprised to see him in the area where she attempted to stash her stuff, cooling off a client with some trainer assisted stretches. So maybe he needed the ground area, but my stuff was behind a ficus plant. He could have said, please, I am going to use this space would you mind, she thought, but no such politeness issued from him. Predictably and annoyingly, her Socialised Norms voice started chiming in... but her single white female voice slapped some duct tape on the former.
His back to her, she walked up to the trainer. She glanced around, and saw that two other trainers were within ear shot but they didn't really glance at her. She thought, they probably are used to chicks coming up to this guy, as some might find him cute before they were exposed to his Me- So- Coolio personality. Okay, she was thinking, I may be hell bent on sticking up for my right to a polite gym environment. But my heart is still beating. And please don't let me stutter.
"Excuse me", she stated in an even, strong but not too loud of a voice. Actually, she was trying to speak without A Tone; that way he wouldn't be alerted to the verbal beating coming his way. He turned his head a bit towards her.
Yeeeh? (the Australian for yes, cute at times, but not this one)
"I believe earlier you requested me to move some kit from out behind the ficus. There in the corner?" She paused only until she saw some recognition in his eyes (for it was meant as a rhetorical question).
" I just thought I would let you know, that typically, in this gym, when a trainer addresses a Member with a request... typically they do so with the word Puh Lease to indicate politeness. Pu Lease. Politeness. You should try it."
She briefly searched the eyes of everyone in listening distance, saw that they heard and were mortified, not so much at the trainer's implied behaviour but that she caused a scene which might cause some one some uncomfortability. Then she issued a 180, tried to continue breathing, still her pumping heart, and walked away and down the stairs (please god don't fall now). Okay she thought, confrontation over. She began to scoot towards the lockers so she could hopefully grab her minus 25 kit and disappear from the gym without a further reminder of what she just did. The duct tape from Miss Socialised Norm's mouth had already fallen off. That salmon dinner clearly needed some wine now.
"Um, excuse me Miss?"
She barely had entered the dark evening waiting at the exit of the gym. Oh Fuck she thought, almost home-free without part two of the Aussie Confrontation. She turned around, attempting to have a face devoid of a Look. "Oh.... yes?"
"Listen, I am sorry you are right I wasn't thinking and I should have been more polite when asking you. I was mad that my client was late, and I didn't mean to take it out on you." She examined his face, wondering if this was a real apology or a try to not get fired one. It seemed genuine, because he looked like he was uncomfortable giving it. His Ass-ey attitude lingered but was was being tempred by mild humbleness. She tried to smile a relaxed, winning, no worries smile. "apology accepted, thanks". She tried to think of something else to say, but couldn't; she certainly did not want to apologize for demanding politeness. Searching again for a witty phrase, all she could muster was a lame "Well, I am sure I will now see you around quite a bit!, bye".
Several steps off she heard a "hey,". She slightly paused and turned her head, slowed by her massive fear of reacting in response to something that was not meant for her; yet another fear for which Miss Socialised Norm holds the whip. Him again. He smiled, kind of shook his head, "Look I uh, feel bad and can I make it up to you with a smoothie at the bar here sometime? "She forced her vision to refocus on him. Heretofore she had not really even looked at him in any way but as an object of scorn. Can he be translated into an object of affection? Her macrocomputer mind whirred away. Decent, decent, okay teeth, will give benefit of the doubt and say, "um yes, actually, that would be a civil way of making it up to me." Now something witty and timely comes out of my mouth she thinks. His coolio persona makes a small return, but he doesn't seem to be joking, just restarting his ego. "Okay great well…"
She takes the hint, "Here, let me get out my mobile and you can tell me your number." She decides that she does need to end this one on top, especially as somehow she just got his number and not the other way around. Without looking at him, feigning indifference, she says, "I'll text you my number. Bye". And walks away. Please don’t trip, please don't trip, its so dark and I can't see she thinks. Her trainer starts rolling on a large tree twig underneath but she catches herself. I hope he didn't see that, she thinks but I won't look back to check.
His back to her, she walked up to the trainer. She glanced around, and saw that two other trainers were within ear shot but they didn't really glance at her. She thought, they probably are used to chicks coming up to this guy, as some might find him cute before they were exposed to his Me- So- Coolio personality. Okay, she was thinking, I may be hell bent on sticking up for my right to a polite gym environment. But my heart is still beating. And please don't let me stutter.
"Excuse me", she stated in an even, strong but not too loud of a voice. Actually, she was trying to speak without A Tone; that way he wouldn't be alerted to the verbal beating coming his way. He turned his head a bit towards her.
Yeeeh? (the Australian for yes, cute at times, but not this one)
"I believe earlier you requested me to move some kit from out behind the ficus. There in the corner?" She paused only until she saw some recognition in his eyes (for it was meant as a rhetorical question).
" I just thought I would let you know, that typically, in this gym, when a trainer addresses a Member with a request... typically they do so with the word Puh Lease to indicate politeness. Pu Lease. Politeness. You should try it."
She briefly searched the eyes of everyone in listening distance, saw that they heard and were mortified, not so much at the trainer's implied behaviour but that she caused a scene which might cause some one some uncomfortability. Then she issued a 180, tried to continue breathing, still her pumping heart, and walked away and down the stairs (please god don't fall now). Okay she thought, confrontation over. She began to scoot towards the lockers so she could hopefully grab her minus 25 kit and disappear from the gym without a further reminder of what she just did. The duct tape from Miss Socialised Norm's mouth had already fallen off. That salmon dinner clearly needed some wine now.
"Um, excuse me Miss?"
She barely had entered the dark evening waiting at the exit of the gym. Oh Fuck she thought, almost home-free without part two of the Aussie Confrontation. She turned around, attempting to have a face devoid of a Look. "Oh.... yes?"
"Listen, I am sorry you are right I wasn't thinking and I should have been more polite when asking you. I was mad that my client was late, and I didn't mean to take it out on you." She examined his face, wondering if this was a real apology or a try to not get fired one. It seemed genuine, because he looked like he was uncomfortable giving it. His Ass-ey attitude lingered but was was being tempred by mild humbleness. She tried to smile a relaxed, winning, no worries smile. "apology accepted, thanks". She tried to think of something else to say, but couldn't; she certainly did not want to apologize for demanding politeness. Searching again for a witty phrase, all she could muster was a lame "Well, I am sure I will now see you around quite a bit!, bye".
Several steps off she heard a "hey,". She slightly paused and turned her head, slowed by her massive fear of reacting in response to something that was not meant for her; yet another fear for which Miss Socialised Norm holds the whip. Him again. He smiled, kind of shook his head, "Look I uh, feel bad and can I make it up to you with a smoothie at the bar here sometime? "She forced her vision to refocus on him. Heretofore she had not really even looked at him in any way but as an object of scorn. Can he be translated into an object of affection? Her macrocomputer mind whirred away. Decent, decent, okay teeth, will give benefit of the doubt and say, "um yes, actually, that would be a civil way of making it up to me." Now something witty and timely comes out of my mouth she thinks. His coolio persona makes a small return, but he doesn't seem to be joking, just restarting his ego. "Okay great well…"
She takes the hint, "Here, let me get out my mobile and you can tell me your number." She decides that she does need to end this one on top, especially as somehow she just got his number and not the other way around. Without looking at him, feigning indifference, she says, "I'll text you my number. Bye". And walks away. Please don’t trip, please don't trip, its so dark and I can't see she thinks. Her trainer starts rolling on a large tree twig underneath but she catches herself. I hope he didn't see that, she thinks but I won't look back to check.
posted by miss goLondon at 11:49 AM
3 Comments:
You totally won the battle! Are you going to text him?
if only my life was that cool. it is just a short story; all true up to the point where i actually said something to him. i couldn't do it because of all the clients and trainers around him. the rest is my imagination. but if it were true, i would text him.
AH...wishful thinking...oh well...I woulda chickened out too!
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