"Price is a big factor, Jamie," Bill explained. "I can get you a road bike for $1000 but you will feel every pound on that long ride. At the other end of the spectrum, I can make you a bike that will feel like you're riding on air...but that will cost some serious money."
"I think I'm gonna need all the help I can get. I'd rather spend a little more to insure that I can do this," she reasoned. "What would you suggest if money wasn't a factor?"
Ryan's eyes nearly flew from her head but Bill replied enthusiastically, "Not a factor at all?"
Ryan gathered her wits and interrupted, "Jamie, are you sure that you mean that? Bikes can really get up there in a hurry. I mean, Bill won't take advantage of you, but he can work with whatever budget you have."
"Well," Jamie reasoned, "what is the difference between a moderately priced bike and the top of the line?"
"There are a lot of factors that are influenced by price," he admitted. "The higher quality components are a lot smoother and more responsive. But the biggest factor is weight. You could easily save about 7 pounds of weight by going with top quality," Bill responded. "The higher priced bike would have much lighter components. You would save 3 pounds just on wheels alone if I made you top quality rims. Now, 7 pounds doesn't sound like a lot, but believe me, you would notice it-- especially on a 500 mile ride."
"500 MILES!" Jamie shouted. "I've driven to L.A. and it's only 380 miles. What gives, Ryan?"
"Oh, didn't I mention that the route is not real direct?" Ryan replied casually as her attention was seemingly focused on a new bike seat.
Jamie had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Ryan with narrowed eyes.
Slowly she raised her head and looked at her friend with a slightly chagrined expression. "Come on, Jamie. Do you really think 380 miles would be easy? The difference between the two is pretty minor over 7 days."
"Well, I guess that's true," she agreed, somewhat placated. "What do you think I should do, Ryan?"
"If I could afford to drop 7 pounds off my bike, I would be first in line to do so," Ryan stated without hesitation. "But it's not something you need to do if you can't comfortably afford it."
"I can afford it, and I really do want to make this as enjoyable an experience as possible," Jamie replied.
"Looks like this is your lucky day Bill; show us some frames."
"Cute ones," Jamie demanded with a twinkle in her eyes as she grinned up at Ryan.
"Cute ones," Ryan somberly agreed.
They left the bike shop a little before noon. "I'm famished," groaned Ryan, theatrically clutching at her stomach. "I've never seen anyone take longer to make a decision on anything."
"I wanted to make sure I got what I wanted," Jamie defended herself. "You're the one who convinced me to have Bill make the bike rather than buy a stock model."
"I would have taken you to Target if I knew it was going to take so long," she said with a teasing grin.
"Okay, you big baby, I'll buy you lunch. And I know just the place," she said with a wink as they climbed into the Porsche and drove a short distance to 'Luca Deli' in Oakland.
"Oh wow," Ryan enthused. "I did not know there was one of these in the East Bay. I go to the main store in the Marina all the time. I absolutely love this place." Her clear blue eyes lit up as she licked her lips in anticipation of her meal.
"You really are easy to please," Jamie marveled. While they waited in line at the counter she reflected that one of Ryan's most appealing qualities was the joy she experienced at the little things life offered. She had an unguarded, childlike exuberance that was truly infectious, and Jamie marveled that she never felt more alive than when she was with her new friend. As she watched Ryan carefully peruse the menu she laughed to herself. Ryan read every word and changed her mind at least 6 times while they waited to order. "It's almost our turn, Ryan. Are you able to stick with your decision?"
"You are referring to the highlight of my day, Jamie," she explained patiently. "Lunch is my favorite meal. And since eating is my favorite activity, lunch is no laughing matter."
As Ryan spoke Jamie began looking though her wallet. "I've only got $47 on me. Do you think that will cover it?" she asked innocently.
"I'll go easy on you since you're new at this," Ryan drawled. "But next time don't be so unprepared. A trip to the ATM is always a good idea before you offer to buy me lunch."
After ordering their food they found a little table outside. The weather was starting to turn, but the table was in the bright noonday sun so they were quite comfortable even without jackets.
"So," Ryan said after they got comfortable. "That was some exhibition of buying power. I don't think I've ever seen Bill look so happy. He hasn't made that much off me in 7 years."
Jamie blushed a little at having the spotlight on her financial status. "It just made sense to buy the better bike for a ride like this," she explained.
Ryan gazed at her for a moment as if deciding whether to ask a question. Finally she curled the corners of her mouth up in a small grin and asked, "I don't mean to ask an indelicate question, but are you loaded?"
"Gee, I'm glad that wasn't indelicate," Jamie retorted as she playfully slapped her arm.
Ryan quickly backpedaled when it looked as if her friend was offended. "I'm sorry if I'm prying," she quickly added. "You really don't have to answer that question."
"It's not that, Ryan, I don't mind talking about private things with you. But I get kind of embarrassed by it. I mean, oh, it's hard to explain," she fumbled.
"So loaded is not a strong enough word?" Ryan offered helpfully with a crooked little grin.
"Not really," Jamie said with a tinge of shame. "More like filthy rich."
"How filthy?" Ryan asked with a leer.
"Obscenely," Jamie flatly stated.
"Wow! I've never been friends with anyone obscenely rich. That's really kind of cool," she admitted with a pleased smile. "Will you pay me to like you? For the right price I could even be your best friend," she teased.
"Very, very funny."
"I feel like I can tease you because you so do not seem like a rich kid. If it wasn't for the Porsche and the bike you seem just like me," Ryan observed. "But if you're really sensitive about it, I promise I'll never tease you about it again."
Jamie considered the question for a moment. Ryan was looking at her with that open, guileless expression that just made Jamie feel like she could trust her with any of her secrets. "It's okay when you tease me, Ryan. I don't know why but your teasing never seems mean spirited. I hate to be so sensitive about this but it has been a problem for me throughout my life."
"Do you feel like talking about it?" Ryan asked with such a friendly, accepting expression that Jamie found herself telling her the whole family story.
"My mother comes from very old money," she explained. "Her maternal grandfather owned most of the coal mines in the country at the turn of the century. And her father's family was pretty well off, too. They're 6th generation Californians and they're into the whole social scene. My dad was pretty middle class, though. His father is an Episcopal priest and his mother was a homemaker. We live mostly off his money now…and he works his tail off. My mother uses her money for trips and she bought most of our houses and the like. But my father has always stressed the value of money and I was given a very modest allowance when I was growing up. I try not to flaunt my wealth, because it really puts people off, but it is a part of my life, and I want my close friends to know about it."
"I'm glad you told me, Jamie," she said sincerely as she fixed her with a mesmerizing stare. "It means a lot to me that you trust me to know about your financial status."
"I do trust you, Ryan. I can't imagine that you'll let this get in the way of our friendship."
"No way," she said emphatically. "After all, you haven't let my lesbianism get in the way of our relationship," she reminded her with a dazzling grin. "Tell me more about your father. It sounds like this would be a hard thing for most men to deal with. He m
ust be really secure to have his wife be a lot more wealthy than he is."
"Yeah, I respect him for it. Although now he makes a load as a partner in a big law firm. So we're rich even without mother's money now. But it must have been hard for him when they were first together," she agreed.
"Do you spend much time with your extended family?"
"No, we really don't. My mother goes to her mother's family home in Rhode Island for at least a month in the summer. When I was little I would go with her. The whole extended family would be there, but I never felt like I fit in. They lived like the truly wealthy: servants everywhere, elegant dinners, spending the day sailing on huge yachts. But I just felt like I didn't belong there. It's hard to explain but I don't like to classify myself by my money," she said earnestly.
"I can see that would be kind of hard," Ryan agreed. "What about your mother's fathers side of the family. Aren't they local?"
"Yeah, there's tons of them around but it's not a warm and fuzzy kind of group. They're not into spending holidays together or anything like that; so I'd say my mother sees them at occasional social functions and the odd wedding and funeral. There's no animosity or anything but there's some definite emotional distance."
"The difficult part is that my money has nothing to do with me. I got it as an accident of birth. I didn't earn it or deserve it in any way. Sometimes it really is a burden," Jamie said with a touch of sadness in her eyes.
"I can understand that," Ryan said softly. "And I bet it doesn't make it any easier since so many people erroneously believe they would be happy if only they had more money," she sympathized.
"Exactly!" Jamie said with relief. "You really do understand, Ryan!"
"I really do, Jamie. The hard parts of my life would not change one bit because of money. I mean, I could work less if I earned more, but I would probably just buy more junk!" she laughed. "People are always talking about how much better their lives would be if they had more money. I've never understood that. If you're happy you'll be happy no matter how much or how little you have. And if you're miserable all the money in the world won't make you happy."
"I think I'm going to consider your offer to be your best friend," Jamie said thoughtfully after a moment. "How much will it cost me?"
Ryan's eyes grew wide as a server delivered their heaping plates. "Consider yourself paid in full!" she said with a happy grin.
After plowing through her sizable lunch and picking over the remnants of Jamie's, Ryan said, "Now we need to work out how we will train you for this ride."
"What are our options?"
"Saddle time is critical. There is not much you can do to duplicate the feeling of actually riding. So we're going to have to log a lot of miles. But to get the most out of your riding you have to be in pretty good shape. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see a lot of muscle lurking under your skin," she said as she reached for an absent bicep.
"Just ‘cause I'm not rock hard like you doesn't mean I don't have any muscle," Jamie replied defensively as she snatched her arm away before Ryan could get a good grip.
"I am just teasing, you know," she said with twinkling eyes. "But the more muscle you have the more you can demand of your body. So we need to increase your cardiovascular capacity, tone your muscles and ride like crazy. The easiest way to work on your lungs and your muscles is at a gym. Do you belong to a club?"
"No, I was going to join one, but I never got around to it," Jamie sighed.
"Well, now's a good time to join. I assume you would like to work out in the East Bay. Obviously we could use my club, but that is too much traveling for you. My place has a branch in Oakland. I've never been there but I'm willing to check it out for you. Is there any place you have heard about that you would like to try?" Ryan inquired.
"Some of my friends go to a club they really like. Why don't we both do some research and compare notes?"
"Sounds good. I'll check mine out on the way home tonight. Let me know when you've checked out a few and then you can decide," Ryan said.
"Great," she happily agreed. "Now comes the hard part," Jamie said gravely. "Obviously, I'm going to pay you for your time, Ryan. How can we work that out?"
Ryan's eyes grew wide as she shook her head firmly. "I can't charge you, Jamie. I want to do this because you're my friend. It will be fun for me."
"Ryan, I appreciate that and I would agree except for one thing. I know how busy you are. I've seen that little black book of yours, you know," she said fondly. "This is how you make your living. If you were not working with me you would be working with a regular client, would you not?"
"Well yeah, sometimes, I guess so." She said hesitantly. "But I can work you in without too much trouble. I've got 3 or 4 hours a week that are unscheduled, and I can work out with you sometimes, and I never do that with a client."
"What are your arrangements with your club, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I pay them a flat monthly fee, and I can work out whenever I want and train anyone who is a member. They hook me up with clients and I can bring people in myself. The member pays me directly, usually $40 per hour."
"Do you train people who aren't members?"
"Yeah, I have some private clients. There are some workout facilities that let trainers come in and pay an hourly fee. That allows me to train people who don't belong to my gym. And I have one woman who has a gym at her house, but I didn't see any iron laying around your place when I was there for dinner," she teased.
"How much do you charge private clients?" Jamie inquired.
"$125 per hour if I like you," she said with a waggling eyebrow. "The price goes up as your likeability goes down," she said with a big grin.
"Is that really true?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah, the woman with the gym in her home pays me $175 per hour. And if she complains about the price one more time it's going up to $200," she laughed. "She started out at $125 like everyone else, but she kept bitching about how expensive it was. That made me mad so I raised her. She kept bitching, so I kept raising. Pretty soon I won't have to take any other clients. She can support me," she said smugly.
"How about this. If I join your gym I'll pay you the standard $40. But if I choose to join somewhere else where you are not affiliated, I'll pay you $125. Unless, I make you mad, of course," she chuckled. "I know you don't want to take my money but if I don't pay you I won't feel comfortable using you as often as I want. I want you to think of me as a client for this and give me your undivided attention, okay?"
"I don't really like charging friends, Jamie. But I do want you to feel comfortable using me when you need to. So I'll agree with one proviso. If I work out at the same time, you don't pay at all, unless there is a daily gym fee. In that case you can pay to get us in, but that's all. Okay?"
"That is an excellent deal, Ryan. You're hired," she agreed as they clasped hands and share a smile.
Chapter 3
During the next few days Jamie checked out 4 potential gyms. All were reasonably close to her home, but they were vastly different. Her first stop was at Mia's club in North Berkeley. It was a rather toney, expensive place but Mia really liked it. She arranged for a visit and agreed to accompany Jamie.
Jamie agreed that the facilities were top notch but she hated the atmosphere. It was filled with young professionals and a few members of the Junior League set. Most of the people were quite good looking and very fit. There was a juice bar that was filled with people checking each other out while trying not to be obvious about it. The locker rooms were very nicely appointed, but it reminded Jamie of the girls' rest room in high school during a dance. Women were comparing notes on which guys were there and who was dating whom. The dressing area was populated by women fixing their hair and adjusting their perfectly matched outfits prior to their workouts. Jamie realized that she might have chosen this place a few months ago but now she really wanted to work out--not socialize.
Next she looked at a club that was very close to campus and open 24 hours. It
was fairly nice also, but she learned that she could not bring in her own trainer. That rules that out.
Next was a club that was inexpensive and populated by serious weightlifters. Maybe later, but right now this place would intimidate me.
Much to her surprise her favorite club was small, a bit out of the way and women only. 'Women Power' was obviously for women who were serious about working out. There was a small locker room that held only that...lockers No showers, no saunas, no Jacuzzis. But there was a dazzling assortment of free weights and well maintained weight machines. There were 5 elliptical cross trainers, 7 treadmills, 5 stair climbers, 5 recumbent bikes and 5 upright bikes. The women seemed friendly, but most of them were very serious about their workouts. The staff was all women also and what Jamie liked most was that she was free to bring Ryan for only $10 per visit. She also really appreciated that there was a clear price schedule for membership. No hard sell, no 'special only if you sign up today' garbage. They merely explained the price and asked her if she wanted a 1-week guest pass to try out the facilities. She happily accepted and called Ryan as soon as she got home to relay her findings.
Ryan had been unimpressed with the branch of her club in Oakland. So she agreed to meet Jamie at 'Women Power' to try it out. They decided to meet on Friday afternoon. Ryan was free from 2-6 p.m. so they agreed to meet at 2:30 since Jamie was free anytime after noon.
Jamie picked her up at their normal meeting place and they slogged through Friday afternoon Berkeley traffic to reach the gym. They had previously arranged for Ryan to take BART to campus that morning; that way Jamie could drop her off at work on the way to Palo Alto. As they muddled along a thought occurred to Jamie. "Have you eaten today?" she inquired suspiciously.
"Um, not really", Ryan sheepishly admitted. "I did have breakfast, but I haven't had any other breaks today. Why? Is my stomach grumbling?"
"Why didn't you say something?" Jamie asked with an exasperated tone.
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