Page 29 of Sweet Spot
When I get back to my room, I face-plant onto my bed. I still have study group tonight before I can nap. Or maybe I’ll just go to bed really early. Reluctantly, I sit up and open my laptop and send Lincoln a message through the website that details today’s practice and the schedule through Sunday.
I’ve just started in on the swing drills he gave me when a message pops up.
Lincoln: How was the morning conditioning session?
Me: I didn’t get to it. Just starting in on the swing drills now.
I take a step back from the laptop to start again just as a call request from him pops up on the screen.
Tentatively, I press accept. “Uh, hello?”
“What do you mean, you didn’t get to it?” His voice is agitated and clipped. The screen is black, and I’m tempted to turn on the video so I can scowl at him.
“I didn’t have time today.”
“There’s always time.”
“I had classes all day, plus I had to go to the doctor, and I still have study group tonight, but I’m getting in what I can now.”
A notification on the screen indicates he wants to turn on video for the call—guess he had the same idea—to turn on video to scowl at me. I tuck my hair behind my ears and do a quick scan around the room. There isn’t much I can do about the mess, so I ignore it and press accept.
When his face appears, I forget to breathe for a second. His hair looks like he’s been pulling at it, and he’s frowning in a decidedly hot way—who knew that was possible? “Are you okay?”
“Yes?” I answer, a bit confused until I realize what I said. “I’m fine. I had to take my dad to the doctor. He can’t drive.”
His shoulders relax, but the frown stays firmly in place. “You have to make time for the training. You can’t skip it because you stayed out too late and felt like shit this morning.”
“That hardly seems fair since I didn’t know about the training plan until after I made the decision to drink my troubles away.” I smile at his ridiculousness, but he doesn’t return it.
“No excuses. If you want this as much as you claim, then you’ll make time. The next time you decide to skip the plan I line out for you, we’re done.”
I open my mouth to apologize or yell back, I haven’t chosen which, when he asks, “How much time before your class?”
“An hour.”
“All right, let’s get to work then.”
10
Keira
It’s stilldark outside when my alarm goes off. I don’t bother changing clothes since I passed out in yesterday’s workout leggings and tank. The last two days have been a blur. After Lincoln scolded me like a child on Thursday night, I was at the field house until midnight getting in the training he outlined.
I thought he’d be pleased, but yesterday, he was in the same pissy mood. And maybe it’s delusional to think my getting up early on a Saturday morning to hit the gym will please him, but a girl can hope.
It isn’t that I want to pleasehimexactly, it’s that I want him to know that I’m willing to do what it takes to be the best and he didn’t make the wrong choice in taking me on as a client. I saw that look on his face at the clinic when he helped me with my swing. He believed in me. I want that look back.
I jog over to the field house with my eyes half open, hoping that by the time I get there my body will be warmed up and I’ll be more awake. The weight room is basically empty. A few people are running on treadmills, but I have the free weights to myself.
I text Abby good luck on her second day of the tournament and then put my headphones on, trying to deceive my body into thinking I’m excited to be here by playing fun, peppy songs.
Today is upper body with a heavy focus on back, and apparently myeverythingis weak because every time I choose a weight to start, I have to go down by fifteen pounds and try again.
I note everything in the online workout journal Lincoln set up for me. Number of reps, amount of rest between sets, weight, and I add in my own notes of displeasure for certain exercises just for fun. Next to burpees, I let him know that it’s a dumb exercise with a dumber name. It’s too early to be clever.
I’m working my ass off for him, but I want to make sure he knows I think he’s ridiculous and overbearing.
While I’m between exercises, I pull up the swing review he completed for me last night. His deep, clipped voice takes my breath away as he commentates through the video. It’s gritty and raw, absolutely no frills. He goes right into it without so much as a hello.
