Thor looked at his watch. 10.20am, he needed to get ready for his next client. Barbara had kindly recommended him to a friend, another mature client eager to keep some of the inconveniences of old age at bay. From what Barbara had told him, Fred – seventy-two and recently widowed – wasn’t prepared to let grief hold him back and, having persuaded him that there was plenty of life in the old dog yet, she’d encouraged him to sign up to sessions with Thor with a view to making the most of his remaining years. She was planning to drag him up Ben Nevis and she needed to get him in shape. Thor smiled. It was stuff like this that made his job so satisfying. It wouldn’t be a chore to train someone like Fred. To Thor’s mind it was a privilege.
* * *
As Myles opened the car door, Maggie blushed. He looked gorgeous in jeans and a blazer with his beautifully tailored white shirt offering a glimpse of the toned torso that she knew lay beneath. Lifting his sunglasses, he winked as he climbed in beside her and, as he leant across to kiss her, his left hand slid seductively up her inner thigh. He smelt fabulous.
“Good God, Mrs Dunbar, you look fucking gorgeous. White shirt and jodhpurs, every man’s dream and I love the cap; I love a bit of tweed. Very sexy.”
Maggie looked around, terrified that someone would recognise her.
“I’m hiding under this cap, Myles, if anyone sees us I will be in so much trouble. I was beginning to think we should just go to a hotel but it would look a bit strange checking in in jodhpurs.”
Myles laughed. “You’re making a bit of a habit of that, my darling, I’m quite disappointed you’re not wearing the blonde wig.”
Maggie started the car. “That can be arranged if that’s what sir would like,” she replied coyly.
“Oh, I like that,” said Myles. “How long is the drive? I seriously need to control myself.”
Maggie grinned at him. “Oh not far, so try and be a good boy and you’ll get a treat when we get there.”
“And if I’m not a good boy?”
“Then you’ll be in serious trouble.”
And as Myles let out a wolf whistle, they both collapsed in fits of laughter. She wasn’t used to this. Callum had only ever wanted sex in the missionary position with the light off, and she couldn’t remember the last time they had actually shared a joke. If this was a mid-life crisis thought Maggie, she wished she’d started it earlier.
CHAPTER 35
Sitting at his desk, Rex looked at Thor’s questionnaire. He’d filled in as much as he could but it made for quite depressing reading as the reality of what his lifestyle had become stared him in the face. To be honest, completing it seemed pretty pointless. He might as well just own up to a diet full of shit and start from there. He wasn’t fit either, he knew that, and it would be pretty obvious to Thor too as soon as he stepped on the treadmill.
Concluding that he’d provided enough information on the questionnaire, Rex took another swig from the bottle of water he’d purchased on the way in. Mad Mary, in the coffee bar, had looked astonished when he’d said no to his usual extra-large cappuccino and, despite her protestations that a bottle of council juice – as she so eloquently referred to tap water-wouldn’t get the brain cells working, he’d resisted. He was hungry too, as he’d also fought the temptation to purchase his usual sausage in a roll, and the bowl of Coco Pops he’d had instead definitely hadn’t hit the mark. If losing weight meant starving to death, he wasn’t sure he could handle it. Getting up, Rex walked to the printer in the front office and collected his form. He still didn’t know why he’d agreed to this. Maggie Dunbar might be getting sexually fulfilled by Thor but he wasn’t convinced that Rachael was. She might hate him, but he didn’t think she’d resort to paying a personal trainer just to get laid. He could be wrong though; he’d never really understood women. And, despite his best attempts over the last nineteen years, he still didn’t understand his wife. What he did know, however, was that if she really did want a divorce, he didn’t relish the prospect of living by himself. Maybe the trainer was a good idea. He still loved Rachael, he didn’t want a divorce, he knew that, but if she did stick to her guns and followed through on her threats to leave him, he would need to find someone else, he didn’t want to live on his own. To find someone else though, meant putting himself back on the market, and for that he would need to rebrand and update his packaging. The current packaging definitely wouldn’t cut it with a newer model; sadly, if Rachael did leave him, he would have to up his game.
* * *
In the staff kitchen, Kyle was busy chopping strawberries. Kelsey seemed a bit down this morning, she definitely wasn’t her usual chatty self. Hopefully he could cheer her up a bit. Adding the strawberries to the Nutribullet, Kyle thought about Gemma. He’d felt guilty last night as he’d declined her suggestion of a pick-me-up coffee after the shopping advice, but it was best to nip it in the bud early. He’d been encouraged too many times in the past by women who obviously felt sorry for him, who then went on to let him down brutally when they could hide behind the comfort of a screen. He knew what it felt like. He had to be cruel to be kind.
Kyle turned on the blender and, as he watched the contents turn into a beautiful shade of pastel pink, Kelsey walked into the kitchen. She was wearing her hair down today and Kyle liked it. To be fair, he liked it whichever way she wore it.
“Ooh that’s pretty,” she said as she looked at the blender. “What’s in it?”
So are you, thought Kyle as he removed the blender from its base and opened the lid.
“Strawberries, raspberries, banana, oats and some almond milk. Here,” he said as he poured the contents into the Little Miss Perfect Mug, “The little Miss Perfect smoothie, just for you. Hopefully it will cheer you up a bit. What’s up? You’ve hardly said a word since you’ve been in.”
Kelsey took the smoothie. She looked like she was going to cry.
“Yeah, I’m OK, it’s just that men are such shitheads, well not you, you’re not, you’re really nice but most men are.”
“Why what’s happened now?” said Kyle, not sure whether to be happy or not with that statement. Yes, he was nice but she also seemed to be implying that she hadn’t placed him in the dateable category. “Who’s upset you now?”
Kelsey sat down at one of the tables as Kyle added spinach, kale and cucumber to the remainder of the pink mix and turned on the blender.
“This is lovely,” she said, taking a sip of Kyle’s special, “why can’t more men be like you? Honestly, most of them are such arrogant wankers these days. You go out with them and they say they want to see you again, then you don’t hear from them and the next thing, they’re out with someone else, usually someone you know, or you find out they’re married with fifteen kids. That, or they want you to send them photos of your arse before they’ll see you again, which they’ll probably show to their mates. It’s so depressing. Most of them are just so self-centred.”
“It’s not just men, you know, women are just as bad,” said Kyle as he pulled up a chair and sat opposite her. Kelsey glanced at the green smoothie but – thankfully – didn’t say anything.
“My mum said she never had this problem,” she continued. “She met my dad at a disco, he asked her for a slow dance, they shared a kebab at the local dog track and – boom! – that was it. Twenty-five years later they’re still together, well just; they say they hate each other most of the time, but they’re still together.”
Kyle laughed but Kelsey continued to stare into her smoothie. “I’m beginning to think there must be something wrong with me,’ she continued. “I just can’t seem to find anyone. I mean, I’m not exactly a minger, am I? Or maybe I am, that’s why no one wants to go out with me. Well they want to go out with me but it doesn’t last five minutes.”
Kyle couldn’t believe this. How could she possibly think that she wasn’t attractive?
“Oh, come on, how can you possibly think you’re a minger,” said Kyle suddenly. “You’re beautiful, Kels. Those guys must be idiots.”
“Oh, thanks, Kyle, you are so lovely,” she said. “But you’re my mate, you’re going to say that. Anyway, why haven’t you got a girlfriend? You’re a nice guy and you haven’t found anyone.”
Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Probably because I’m not that attractive to women; that’s why I’m trying to lose weight.”
“But it’s not about what you look like,” replied Kelsey. “Girls just want someone that’s nice.”
“And good-looking,” said Kyle. “You’re not getting a date on Tinder by being nice. You have to be hot first, then nice is a bonus. Come on, be honest, you would go for looks first and then personality second, that’s the way it is nowadays.”
Kelsey didn’t reply. Her silence said it all.
“When I played football, I had no problem getting a date and I’m still the same guy but women don’t look twice at me. That’s why I’m going to Thor; if I get fit again, I might have a chance, but you’re a stunner, Kels, you must just be going for the wrong guys.”
“But how do you know they’re the right guys? It’s not that easy, is it?” replied Kelsey, completely missing the underlying message. “You think they’re nice, then as soon as you let your guard down they turn into complete rats. Even Fraser’s not interested; I’ve tried everything but he still won’t ask me out.”
“Actually, I think he might be gay,” replied Kyle, lowering his voice. “He got dropped off this morning by a flash-looking guy in a Porsche.”
Kelsey was stunned. “No way, he can’t be gay. That must have been a friend.”
“They were definitely friendly,” said Kyle, raising his eyebrows, “And, anyway, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? At least he’s not avoiding you because you’re a minger.”
Kelsey looked stunned. “Oh my God, that’s such a waste. Oh that’s so annoying, he’s so gorgeous.”
“Oh well,” said Kyle, standing up, “at least I might get a look in now.”
Kelsey smiled at him, but Kyle could tell she thought he was joking. She was clearly still reeling from the revelation that the office Adonis was no longer available. Frustratingly, she had absolutely no idea just how much he longed to tell her how he felt. She’d said he was a nice guy and she’d said she was looking for a nice guy. She’d also said that he was one of her best mates. What she hadn’t said was that he just didn’t look the part. He would though. His training was going in the right direction. He had confidence now. His time would definitely come.
CHAPTER 36
As Maggie and Myles approached the house, Maggie felt increasingly nervous.
“When we drive through the village, you’ll need to keep your head down,” she said, checking the rear-view mirror. “Look, there’s a blanket on the back seat, don’t worry the dogs haven’t been on it, it’s clean. Just lean forward and hide under it.”
Myles looked at her.
“Are you serious?” he replied.
“Of course I am. You have no idea what it’s like living in this village, it would make their day if they thought I was misbehaving, especially as I’m responsible for the church flower-arranging rota.”
Myles laughed. “Bloody hell, they could burn you at the stake for this sort of behaviour.”
Maggie didn’t laugh.
“You’re not joking, are you?’ he continued. “You really want me to hide under a blanket.”
“It won’t hurt you,” replied Maggie, “it’s only for five minutes. If anyone sees you it’ll be round the village and back to Callum before you’ve even unzipped my jodhpurs. Trust me, get under the blanket.”
Rolling his eyes, Myles reached over to the back seat and picked up the blanket. As expected, it was pure cashmere. He liked her style.
“Night-night,” he said as he placed the blanket over his head, “wake me up when we get there.”
“I’m sorry, Myles, this is serious you know. It’s not London, everyone knows everything here. I’m going to take the back road so hopefully we won’t see anybody.”
“So have you really got nothing on under those jodhpurs?” asked Myles from under the blanket.
“I thought you’d like that,” replied Maggie.
“Mmm, Mrs Dunbar, I like that very much. And what about the whip? Did you find it?”
“Of course,” replied Maggie. “I even polished my boots.”
“Bloody marvellous,” said Myles, fumbling for her from under the blanket. Maggie removed his hand. She needed to concentrate on the road.
“Have you ever had sex in the stables with Callum?” asked Myles. “He doesn’t look the type.”
Maggie suddenly felt guilty. Callum was having an affair and he’d been a complete shit over the last year, but he was still her husband. If he knew she was taking Myles Cavendish to the house, he’d be devastated.
“No, he’s not,” she replied, “but I don’t want to talk about him. I have had sex in a barn though, but not this one. It was a long time ago and, to be honest, it wasn’t that exciting. It was a boy from the local school; I thought he was cool because he had an earring and my parents would have hated him. I remember buying him some aftershave but he swapped it for cigarettes.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen,” replied Maggie. “I was home for the school holidays, but my parents had disappeared again, just to make a change, and my sister and I were left with a housekeeper. She didn’t give two hoots what we were up to, she was too busy helping herself to my father’s whisky and having sex with the gardener.” Maggie couldn’t believe she was actually telling him this; she’d never told anyone else. Still, their relationship had started with confessions, she might as well let it all out now and get it over and done with. Checking again in her rear-view mirror, Maggie signalled to turn off and, as she turned onto the road to her house, her thoughts strayed back to her first encounter.
“Sounds like a right den of iniquity,” said Myles.
“Yes, I suppose it was,” replied Maggie, grinning. “We used to organise parties in the barn and get some of the locals in. My sister had a friend who could get cider and vodka. We were frequently sick; I can’t even sniff cider these days. Derek was my first boyfriend.”
“Derek?” interrupted Myles, trying not to laugh.
“Yes, I know, his mum named him after a Bay City Roller and he told me his brother was a roadie with Simple Minds, which was obviously a lie. He was actually quite nice. His mum had a drug habit though and his home life was difficult.”
“So did you actually lose your virginity at fifteen?” Myles asked from the confines of his cashmere cocoon. “With Derek?” This wasn’t the Maggie he thought he knew.
“Well I suppose I did, it wasn’t exactly a knee-trembling moment though. Derek was a skinny wee boy. I suppose we had a lot in common. I didn’t live on a council estate but we were both neglected. I often wonder what happened to him.”
“Jail probably,” muttered Myles, “or dead. Bloody hell, who’d have thought Maggie Dunbar would have been fornicating at fifteen with Derek, son of a junkie. You’ve outdone me, I didn’t have sex until I was eighteen but it was with my best friend’s mother.”
“Well that’s pretty outrageous, although I suppose it was legal and it does explain a lot,” laughed Maggie. “That’s probably why you’re having an affair with me. I remind you of your friend’s mother.”
Myles pulled the blanket off. “What are you talking about? Good God, woman, you sound like a bloody therapist. Christ, that’s weird. I hope I don’t remind you of Derek. Look, can I take this off now? I’m roasting under here!”
Maggie laughed. “Yes, we’re almost there now, although if we pass anyone, you must put it back on. And no, you don’t remind me of Derek, you smell a lot better and you haven’t got an earring. Anyway, I’d calmed down by the time I was eighteen. I wanted to be a nun for a while after I watched a documentary on Mother Teresa but, thankfully, the Sisters of Mercy wouldn’t take me. They obvi
ously realised I wasn’t serious when I asked if I could still go out at weekends. But I’ve been a paragon of virtue since I’ve been married to Callum; I’ve been the perfect wife.”
“Until you met me,” said Myles. He wanted to ask her how the hell she ended up with a boring old fart like Callum, but she obviously didn’t want to discuss him. He’d leave it for now.
“Exactly, you’re a very bad man.”
“Hang on, it was you who seduced me, remember? I gave you a comforting hug and you ripped my bloody trousers off; I didn’t know what the hell was going on,” replied Myles.
“Oh I think you did,” replied Maggie seductively. “You certainly didn’t put up much of a fight.”
Myles laughed and, as they turned into the drive, he squeezed her thigh. He was glad he’d flown up, he’d missed her. Not only did she turn him on, she also made him laugh. It wasn’t going to be easy when Callum found out and he knew that they were both risking a lot of friendships, but the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. Hopefully they could all work things out amicably but, unfortunately, his chances of ever being on the lads’ golf trip again were probably now absolutely zero.
* * *
As Kyle looked up from his desk, he was surprised to see Kelsey staring at him. She smiled at him as he caught her eye.
“What?” he asked, slightly embarrassed.
“Nothing,” replied Kelsey. “I was just thinking that you’ve lost weight, your face is looking thinner and your skin looks better.”
“Thanks,” replied Kyle.
“How much weight have you lost?” Kyle was surprised that she seemed genuinely interested.
Trust Me, I’m a Personal Trainer Page 19
