Page 76 of Between the Lines

“Well,” she said quietly. “Look at you.”

She didn’t linger too long. Paige had learned that while routine mattered, so did momentum. She didn’t want to get mired down in any one thing. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, then paused long enough to apply the Luminelle moisturizer again, curious to see if it felt as good the second time.

It did, sinking into her skin beautifully. She loved that.

Coffee was next. She made a quick cup, then carried her mug into the living room and sat in her usual chair. She opened one of the videos she’d recorded the day before, specifically, the one announcing her new sponsorship by Luminelle.

She watched it all the way through once more, just to be sure it said everything she wanted it to and there was nothing to correct. There wasn’t.

The lighting was good, her voice was steady, and her smile looked relaxed and natural. She looked like herself. And she looked confident. More like she was sharing a great find than selling something, but the truth was, anyone who used the code or the store link she’d added would be helping her earn a little commission.

Not that she needed it. She’d already decided she was going to tuck the money away until she could find a worthwhile use for it.

Paige copied and pasted the caption she’d written, read through that once more, added the appropriate hashtags, then posted.

She took a brief pause after that. Just a few seconds where she sat there with her coffee, letting the moment sink in. It was done. No, it was more than done. It was official.

She smiled and stood up. She’d post the unboxing video later. Right now, it was time to get moving.

That meant workout clothes on, hair pulled back, sneakers laced. She checked her phone again only long enough to see new notifications popping up. There were congratulations, hearts, and comments from women who’d been with her since the early days.

Paige turned her notifications off and slipped the phone into her gym bag. She could read through them later.

The fitness center was at a standard level of busyness when she arrived. At this hour, people were working out with a deeper level of focus. They were intent on getting done and getting home. There wasn’t the kind of socializing that happened later in the day. It was one of the reasons she liked to get here early.

After dropping her bag in a locker, she settled onto the treadmill to warm up but didn’t put her earbuds in yet. She let the quiet hum of machines wash over her as she exchanged nods with people she recognized. She smiled to herself. None of them had any idea that today was such a big day for her.

As she looked around the space, she caught her reflection in the mirrored wall and allowed herself one quick look.

Paige Wheeler, influencer. With a major sponsorship. Her smile widened and she looked away. It was time to get serious. She put her earbuds in and cranked on some tunes then increased her speed.

Ten minutes later, she was warmed up. Not sweating yet, but that would come.

Paige stepped onto the floor and headed for the machines. She started with her usual circuit, moving through each exercise in the same order. Today was upper body. Chest, arms, and back.

She went from machine to machine. Adjusting the seat. Setting the weight. Breathe in. Push. Breathe out. She liked the rhythm of it. Liked knowing exactly what came next. It freed her mind to wander without getting lost.

She recorded a quick video while working on triceps, because the machine beside it had the perfect spot to prop her phone on. And banked content was always a good thing.

As she wiped down the seat of one machine and moved on to the next, she caught herself glancing toward the front of the fitness center, checking out who was at the desk signing in. Not Darcy, thankfully. Just the usual mix of early regulars, earbuds in, eyes focused, heading toward the locker rooms or cardio machine of choice.

Good. She did not need Darcy’s nonsense today.

Paige moved on to the cable machine, then the assisted pull-up, her muscles getting shaky. That was all right. Shaky was good. She felt strong today. And she was proud of how her body responded.

This kind of strength came from consistency, not just effort alone. She finished the circuit flushed and damp with perspiration, breathing harder but not winded.

She grabbed a mat and took it to the open space near the back for core work. Planks, which she still hated but did anyway because they worked. She focused, trying to hold each one as long as she could. She moved on to bicycle crunches, then a set of dead bugs.

The mat smelled faintly of rubber and disinfectant, but she’d rather that than someone else’s sweat. Outside, sunlight glared off the windows, bright enough to make her squint.

She checked the room again as she rolled onto her side.

Still no Darcy.

Paige finished with her usual stretching as part of her cool down. She let each stretch take the time it needed, feeling the pull, waiting for her muscles to relax and give. This part always felt like a conversation with her body. Mostly her telling herself to breathe and give it time.

Flexibility and balance were so important at any age, but especially as a person got older. Hmm. That could be a whole series of posts right there.