Admiration and Shadows
(Esther Nicholette Sullivan) The space felt alive, pulsating with each person's energy pushing their limits, a rhythm I matched with every step toward the lockers.
My gaze swept across the room, catching on Abilene—a whirlwind of enthusiasm—as she bounded towards Major Steele. The man himself was just wrapping up a defense class, his frame silhouetted by the glare of overhead lights, muscles shifting under his shirt with a grace that spoke of quiet strength.
"Major S!" Abilene's voice cut through the hum of activity like a beacon as she flung her arms around him. His surprise was evident, even from a distance, but he responded with a pat on the back, a look of bemused patience on his face.
"Wow, Abilene's going for gold today," I muttered, an involuntary smile tugging at my lips.
"Someone's feeling frisky today." Mary's voice was laced with amusement as she leaned against the locker next to mine, her eyes twinkling with shared humor.
We all watched a collective chuckle building in our throats. It wasn't the first time Abilene had displayed her... intense appreciation for our trainer. But something about the sight—her uninhibited fervor and his gentle, almost fatherly handling of it—warmed something inside me.
"Frisky? She's practically campaigning to become Mrs. Steele Number Two," Delilah quipped, and we erupted into laughter, the sound bouncing off the walls and mingling with the clattering of weights.
Watching them, a memory flashed through my mind—a time when James looked at me with the same admiration now shining in Abilene's eyes for Major S. A time when his touch sent shivers down my spine, not frustration coursing through my veins.
"Careful, ladies," I said, pulling myself back to the present, "that kind of enthusiasm might just land her in the next advanced class—or a restraining order."
"Or both," Mary added, and we snickered, shaking our heads at the absurdity of it all.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road," I declared, channeling the fire in my belly into a fierce determination. "I've got some pent-up energy to burn."
With the image of Abilene's unabashed adoration fading behind me, I strode forward, ready to embrace the sweat and strain that awaited. This was my battleground, my sanctuary. And for the next hour, nothing else mattered.
"Maybe she's just practicing her takedown moves for next week's sparring class," I quipped, a mischievous smirk playing on my lips as the thud of the heavy bag punctuated my joke. The thick air of the gym swirled with our laughter, laced with the tang of sweat and the muted hum of determination. Abilene skipped back to her locker, utterly unaware of our playful jabs, her face illuminated with a love-struck glow that lit up the dull grey of the metal lockers.
I wrapped my hands, the tape crinkling and stretching snugly around my knuckles, each wrap a step closer to unleashing the day's pent-up frustrations. Delilah nudged me hard, snapping me out of my reverie. Her eyes were saucers, wide and reflecting something akin to alarm. I followed her gaze, feeling the pulse in my throat pick up tempo.
There stood Lilith, Major S's wife, framed by the doorway of the gym's office like a sentinel. She couldn't be compared to Abilene's gleaming workout ensemble; her fake blonde hair seemed locked in a perpetual battle with her dark roots, her baggy attire unable to conceal the power that lay beneath. My chest tightened as an unsettling glint flickered in her eyes—a flash of jealousy?—and for a moment, the clamor of the gym faded into a distant echo.
The tension in the room shifted a silent current that raised the hairs on my arms. Lilith watched us; that much was clear, but what churned behind those sharp eyes? I could feel it, a creeping awareness that we were under scrutiny, that the playful banter held more weight under her watchful gaze.
"Keep it tight, Nic; focus on your form," Major Steele's voice cut through the unease, grounding me. His presence was a refuge, his words a tether pulling me back from the edge of discomfort. I nodded, grateful for the distraction, and turned to face the punching bag.
The weight of Delilah's hushed words settled heavily in the air between the clanks and grunts of exertion, "She creeps me out," she whispered, her gaze darting to where Lilith stood, an ever-present shadow in the fluorescent-lit gym. "Like a watchful lioness guarding her territory."
I followed Delilah's uneasy glance, my skin prickling with the chill of her analogy. Lilith's eyes, dark and piercing, were fixed on us, or more specifically, on Major Steele as he moved from one client to another, his confidence as unwavering as the muscles that rippled beneath his fitted trainer's tee.
"God knows what goes on behind closed doors," Mary added in a low murmur, echoing the silent question that had haunted the gossip mill for months.
I shivered despite the sweat cooling on my skin. My mind raced back to the enigmatic couple's last public spat, a memory flashing like lightning—a tempest of accusations and hurt pride that made their union seem anything but stable. I remembered how Major S's jaw clenched, the controlled calm of his voice barely masking the storm that churned behind those sharp eyes.
"Eight years, isn't it?" I mused aloud, trying to recall the snippets of overheard conversations that painted a vague timeline of their marriage. "Or has it been nine?"
"Doesn't matter," Delilah countered, her focus back on the weights in her hands. "It's the cracks that count, not the years."
"Cracks?" I echoed, glancing at Lilith again. Her gaze met mine, a flash of recognition passing between us before she turned away, leaving me with the unsettling feeling of having wandered into a predator's line of sight.
"Everyone's got them," Mary said, eyes never leaving her reflection in the mirror as she lifted dumbbells with practiced ease. "Even our dear Major S."
"Especially him," Abilene chimed in, her tone wistful, tinged with the ache of unrequited adoration.
There was a collective pause, each of us contemplating the man whose authority filled the space yet whose personal life seemed shrouded in whispers and sidelong glances. How much did we really know about Major Gabriel Steele—about the heart that beat beneath the façade of strength and the smiles that never quite reached his eyes?
"Back to work, ladies," Major Steele's voice called out, a gentle nudge back to reality.
"Yes, Sir," I said, shaking off the unease. I turned towards the punching bag, wrapping my hands tighter around the worn leather. With every strike, I let go of the questions and the doubts and focused on the rhythm of the workout, the burn in my arms, and the simple clarity that came with physical exertion.
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