Page 78 of The Comeback Summer

Libby:Please tell me you aren’t about to mansplain my own training to me

Adam:Oh, god no!

The three dots appear again, and I wait, hoping he has a good explanation. This is exactly why I don’t like talking about this—people take one look at me and assume that I couldn’t possibly do something athletic. But they don’t know all the work I’ve done. All the work Hannah has done to help me. I haven’t lost much weight, but my clothes are a little looser, and I’ve been able to push myself further the last few weeks.

Plus, I’m not as nervous to try new things. We tried yoga again, and I didn’t hate it. And I would have enjoyed the Pilates class if I hadn’t been terrified I’d get stuck in that contraption with my legs up in the air.

Adam:What I meant to say was that training can be fun

Adam:Have you heard of the Chi-Town Ninja Gym?

I haven’t, but my good friend Google can surely help me out. I do a quick search and see that it’s a place where kids have birthday parties.

Libby:The kids’ place?

Adam:It’s not just for kids. Wed nights they have adult open gym.

Libby:Cool

My stomach flips as the word hangs there, so very un-cool.

Adam:I’ve actually been wanting to check it out

Adam:We could go together next week if you want?

Is he asking me out?! Or is this just a friends thing? It’s definitely not a professional thing. So it must be a friends thing.

Adam:What do you think?

I’m thinking so many things that I can’t keep them straight. But it would be really fun to hang out with Adam. Even as friends.

So I stop thinking, and reply before I change my mind.

Libby:Why not! Let’s do it.

“What are you smiling at?” Hannah asks as she walks back into our shared office.

Busted.

“Oh, just an inside joke,” I tell her, knowing it’s a cop-out. Plus, inside jokes are things you have with friends—and I don’t have many of those anymore. Other than my sister.

“With who?”

I panic and say, “Suji.” We haven’t hung out other than grabbing coffee at the office, but she’s funny and easy to talk to.

“Oh?” Hannah clearly doesn’t believe me.

“Yeah,” I tell her. “We’re going to grab a drink on Wednesday night to talk about an idea she had about us hosting a networking event here. We can sell tickets and hopefully bring in more renters.”

The lie comes out so easily, I wonder if I should be worried. This life of duplicity is rubbing off on me, and not in a good way.

Before Hannah can ask any more questions, she gets distracted by her own phone. I look back down at mine, where there’s one last message from Adam. A message that sends me tumbling from my perch on top of cloud nine.

Adam:Perfect! You’ll see how much fun training can be.

His words make me realize that I won’t just be hanging out with Adam. I’ll be hanging from ropes with him. More accurately—struggling to get up ropes with him.

Maybe I can write back and say I got the date wrong, and I have a prior commitment this Wednesday. And thenext Wednesday, and every Wednesday until the end of time.

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