Page 40 of Horn in My Side
“Don’t worry, Lei,” Tracy, who was on the other side of her, said.“It gets better after a few more classes.”
Thursday was Jasmine’s weekly spin class at the Jotunn Gym and Fitness Studio, but she hadn’t attended the last three weeks, being so busy with the shop.However, when Tracy had messaged her this morning asking if she was ever coming back, Jasmine decided to go, plus she’d already paid for the classes anyway.
So, she took the bus to the strip mall in east Dewberry Falls where the gym was located and met up with Tracy, who brought Leila to the class.With her petite stature, pointy ears emergingfrom a nest of wavy brown hair, and pearlescent skin, Jasmine had immediately recognized her as a pixie, even with her wings tucked away under her exercise clothes.She had a friend back in high school who was a pixie, and she said they only unfurled their wings when they needed to fly because they were so big, but also extremely sensitive.
“It’s tough being the newcomer.”Jasmine patted her on the hand.“I’ve been doing this for six months, but I improved after, like, three weeks.After my first class, though, I thought my legs would fall off.”
“Let’s cool down, shall we?”Erik called.As the house lights above turned on, the blue glow from his eyes disappeared.His pure white hair was slicked back with sweat, though because he was a frost giant, the tips of it were flecked with little ice crystals.“Okay, stretch those arms up ...”
Jasmine slowed her legs and followed the cool-down routine.She was exhausted, but in a good way.She looked forward to this spin class every week, not just for the cardio, but for the duration of the entire class, she didn’t have to think about anything else.It was her “me” time and stress relief.Besides, ever since she’d moved to Dewberry Falls, her life for the most part revolved around Fantastic Tails.She loved managing the shop, but all she did was wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep and do it all over again the next day.It was actually Vrig who suggested she take up a hobby or exercise, as he was worried she was getting too stressed out.
Oh, Vrig.
Grief was a funny thing; Jasmine had never known her mother and even though she was sad about not having her around, it didn’t quite hit her as hard as the loss of Vrig.The pain of her grandmother’s death, however, remained fresh in her memory, though over the years, the pang didn’t hit as often.Vrig was probably the first friend whose death she’d experienced,and with it being so recent, she would still think he was sitting at home or inside his office before she was reminded that he was gone.
At least, though, for the first time since he passed, she didn’t quite have that sense of foreboding that left her on tenterhooks all the time.In fact, the last two weeks had even felt, well, normal.Though the initial boom of sales from the assembly and their sudden social-media success had died down, sales were still steady.In fact, they’d made more money in the last week than they had the same time last year, plus gaining more followers and hearts on their posts, thanks to Mal’s cooperation.While she avoided posting pictures that objectified him, his photos still garnered the most attention.It was hard to believe how much had changed in the last month since he’d arrived.
And now he only had five more months before he had to go.
A different pang hit her in the chest, one that she desperately wanted to go away.Despite her best efforts, she was still crushing on her boss.How could she not?They were together for six days a week.Plus, she spent the last couple of days watching him hammer and saw and drill, his sweat covering his brows and bare forearms as he built that tank for her.
Yes, Jasmine, I’ll build you a hatching tank.
Not buildatank, but buildyoua tank.
She shook her head mentally.
I’m putting way too much meaning in his words.
Besides, it was just an ordinary tank, at least from the bits and pieces that she’d seen.He had most of the area sectioned off and hidden with a special soundproof barrier so as not to stress out the animals with the construction noise.Jasmine was reluctant to go inside or take a peek, lest Mal think she was micromanaging him, plus he was doing this as a favor, so she wanted him to have the freedom to do what he needed without interference from her.
“Unclip yourselves from the pedals,” Erik instructed as he swung his legs over his bike and landed gracefully beside it.“Bend down, stretch out, put your hands together as you rise and take a deep breath and expel it, pushing out all the stress and worries from your body.”
Jasmine shoved thoughts of Mal aside as she followed the frost giant’s instructions.When she inhaled, she gathered all her troubles—the fear of losing everything she had built here in Dewberry Falls—and expelled everything out.Last night she’d started on her business plan for the shop, not to mention that she’d managed to live so frugally in the last four weeks that she’d already saved a big chunk of money.
Erik clapped his hands.“Goodnight and thanks, everyone.See you next week.”
“I am beat,” Jasmine declared.“I need a shower and bed.”
“Shower and bed?”Tracy’s nose wrinkled.“But what about our post-workout drink?”
“You know I can’t, Trace.”She was the manager at the credit union where Jasmine was hoping to get a loan.“I’m on a budget.”
“You’ve already missed the last three weeks,” she whined.“Please?Just one drink?”
“Ooh, I could use a drink,” Leila piped in.“Can I join?”
“Sure, but Jasmine’s being a party pooper and wants to go home.”
“Please come, Jasmine,” Leila urged.“We don’t have to go anywhere fancy.There’s a new place on Main Street.I heard they’re doing half-price drinks for ladies on Thursdays to get people in.”
“Is that the one with the hot gargoyle bartender?”Tracy asked.
Leila chuckled.“That’s the one.C’mon, Jasmine, you can do one drink.You deserve it.”
Jasmine paused.“You know what, you’re right.”She’d beenmaking her own coffee every day, taking her own lunch to work, eating instant ramen for dinner every night, plus she’d cut down on her streaming subscriptions.Having one martini—half price, at that—wouldn’t break her budget.“One drink.”
“Hooray!”Leila raised a fist in the air triumphantly.
