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I was just being efficient.
Chapter Three
Nuni
I was having a shitty morning.
I’d got a little antsy when Corva didn’t respond to my email within ten minutes of me sending it. I tried not to judge her for
it, but… I mean, if you weren’t up by six, how the fuck did you expect to get everything done? Wasn’t she supposed to be the best? The best didn’t sleep in. The best got up and got going before everyone else.
That was why, by 6.28 a.m., I was strolling down the street to my gym with a tired, grumbling Felik in tow. This was our routine, although he didn’t come every day. But I’d called him at 6.05 a.m. to make sure he got his ass out of the hotel bed he’d no doubt spent all night fucking Bavia in, then texted him ten minutes later to make sure he was on his way.
There was a gym in my building, but it wasn’t well equipped and was never all that busy, so I preferred going to the upscale one down the street. What was the point of honing your physique if no one got to see it? I liked to think I was a source of inspiration for a lot of people there.
There was a demiurgus-only section in the gym so that those who preferred to work out in their true forms could do so in privacy, but I never used it. It was seen as polite to stay in our humanoid forms while out in public, and I preferred how I looked in that form. My muscles got all stretched out and rangy when I shifted to my true form, so it was nowhere near as impressive. My humanoid form was cut. Seriously, you could wash laundry on my abs.
One of my ex-girlfriends had had a thing for punching me in the abs while I was fucking her—while they were extra tight and flexed. Which… I guessed I was into. Kind of. My abs may have been cut, but it still kinda hurt to get punched in the fucking stomach. Not that I’d ever told her that. I usually told her to do it harder because it got her so excited.
I was just selfless like that, I guessed.
The gym building came into view up ahead, and I slowed down as I spotted the big notice taped to the door. Already tensing up, I leapt up the steps two at a time to read it.
NOTICE TO MEMBERS:
Due to a plumbing malfunction and resulting flood, Terres Gym is closed for the foreseeable future while we resolve the issue and replace all the equipment.
Arrangements have been made for all Terres Gym members to access Dunmore Gym on 63rd Street. Please present your Terres Gym membership card at the front desk to access their facilities.
We appreciate your cooperation.
“What the fuck?” I burst out, jabbing a finger at the notice and turning to face Felik. “Are you seeing this?”
“No, dude.” He yawned, scrubbing a hand over his messy hair. “What’s it say?”
“There was a fucking flood or something. Don’t they do maintenance? What are our membership fees actually going toward? Why didn’t they email us?”
“So it’s shut?” That perked him up. “Sweet. I’m going back to the hotel.”
“No, wait,” I rushed out, clambering down the steps as he turned to walk off. “It says we can use Dunmore on 63rd in the meantime.”
“63rd?” He made a face. “That’s, like, fifteen more minutes away from the hotel.”
“Come on, dude.” I shifted from foot to foot. “You know I can’t focus if I don’t work out.”
“So go work out. Alone.”
“But—” I threw my hands up. “—you’re already here. Come on, dude,” I repeated, gripping his shoulder and giving it a rough squeeze as he winced. “Are you seeing Bavia again tonight? Don’t you want to be at peak physical performance? Don’t you want to look pumped?”
“I already look pumped. She couldn’t get enough of me last night, bro. Five times.” He turned once again. “And I’m gonna go round that off to a nice even six. Enjoy your workout, man.”
“You’re a dick,” I called after him. He flipped me off over his shoulder, not even turning around.
Shifting restlessly, I glanced down at the fitness tracker on my wrist. This had thrown off my entire morning. I should be in there already, warming up with my pre-lift run, or at the very least flirting with the cute demiurgus who worked on reception most mornings.
Letting out a huff, I turned and jogged back to my nesthouse with the intention of using the gym in the building. But when I got there, I felt antsy, like I needed to go for a solid run instead of just a warm-up jog. The building’s gym only had one treadmill, and when I poked my head in, someone was using it. There wasn’t even a vertical leg press. What kind of cheap-ass gym didn’t have a vertical leg press?
Fuck this. Hurrying back to my nesthouse, I dumped my gym bag and strapped my armband water bottle to my bicep, then shoved my earbuds into my ears. A minute later, I was back outside and starting up a slow jog to the nearby park.
