***
It was only a couple of days after Jennifer and David's first run, and Amy was just finishing up her workout. She likes to go to a little gym just around the corner from The Villa called "Anytime Fitness". Anytime fit her schedule as she was not an early riser and as a matter of fact, not really on any set schedule at all.
While some people are a little self conscious about working out in public, Amy is not. It's understandable I suppose when you're always the most attractive person in the room. But, Amy goes a little overboard with it; as she tends to do with most things. Wearing next to nothing; I'll explain. From the bottom up, anklet socks, white tennis shoes of a stylish brand, tight spandex shorts and one of those string like sports bras usually in a bright color. Wow! You couldn't miss her let me tell ya.
Amy would do the exercises that required a lot of bending over and twisting and heaving, like rolling backwards on a large exercise ball or toe touches or those things where you lay on the floor with your legs spread eagle and you lean over and touch each toe. She didn't seem to be working out as much as she was putting on a show for her fellow gym rats. Amy would either be staring at herself in the large mirrors that surrounded the gym walls or she would be glancing about and using her peripheral vision to see who all was watching her ? umm form so to speak. It was fun for her. It was eye candy for the others.
Anyways, she had just finished up her workout and made her way back to The Villa. As she entered the courtyard she saw Frank standing at the pool with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked as if he were waiting on her.
Little did Amy know that he actually was waiting on her. Frank was in a trouble making mood and he knew just how to stir the pot this day. Amy had a good workout and was in one of her better frames of mind, not really prepared for games from Frank today.
Frank's mind was racing as he took a sip from his coffee mug and couldn't help but notice the lack of clothing Amy had on. When she wiped her forehead with a beach towel she was carrying he noticed the ripple in her stomach muscles and the tone of her arms. Mesmerizing, he thought. He could see what young men were attracted to as he could barely take his eyes off of the curve of her hip from her tight waist. No harm in looking, Frank mumbled to himself then snapped out of it.
Physically attractive she is, but lacking class she is more. Frank was working hard to talk himself out of the attraction to her form. In that moment he almost forgave David for his attraction to Amy. After all with all those hormones of a young man and her come hither attitude how could he have resisted? Frank tried to forgive and then tried again. Not my best trait, he thought, I'll work on it another time.
Frank now began to smirk as he lowered his coffee mug and took a half step towards Amy, squaring his shoulders to fully face her. Still thinking about how he'd planned this little "chance" encounter with the pretty little Ms. Helmer. He knew when she wore her little, very little, outfit she had on she was going to the gym (you tend to subconsciously bank the schedules of your fellow tenants in an apartment building like The Villa). He also knew about how long she would be gone, so he just planned to be by the pool when she returned and then "accidentally" bump into her. A perfect plan he thought with one of his patented grins. In a way he felt bad about being so scheming but in another way he was truly bored and thought the combination of stirring up some trouble along with teaching (he's all about the teaching) Amy a lesson would be both exciting and serve the good of the world. Frank paused on this thought. Yes, this is for the good of the world. People like Amy Helmer need to be taught a lesson; any lesson, many lessons or something anyway. Maybe punished is a better way to put it.
"Well, well, well Ms. Helmer." Frank sounded like he was informing a student of an "F" on her mid-term. "Looks like you've lost your man. Lost him to another workout partner ? perhaps she found an outfit skimpier than yours." Frank held eye contact with Amy as if in a contest to stare her down.
"Is that right now," replied Amy as if she knew something Frank didn't?
"Yep, saw them jogging together this morning ? makin' little lovie dovie faces at each other and laughing and carrying on and such." Frank really saw no harm in exaggerating a bit. Amy deserved no less.
"You wouldn't be telling stories now would you, Frank?" Amy knew how Dr. Whitney disliked being called by his first name, especially by young folks. Frank, Frank, Franky she thought.
"'Fraid not girly ? seen them with my own two eyes right here at The Villa. Maybe if you weren't down there flirtin' with all the boys at the gym you'd a been here to intercept them." Frank didn't mind being rude, or crude, to Amy about her exploits with boys. He figured it was for her own good to face the facts.
"Well Frank, I suppose what I do with my time is no concern of yours," Amy was growing weary of Professor Whitney's tone.
"True ? true, I just thought you'd like to know that you must be slippin' if you can't hold a guy like David."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Amy was beginning to show her anger, mostly in her red ears.
"Oh nothing ? nothing ? just that it looks like the pretty little Jennifer and David have a lot in common. A lot more in common than you'd probably like to admit." Frank took a sip of his coffee and looked to the sky as if contemplating a serious thought.
Amy didn't immediately reply. She fell into her mind with deep thought and furious anger. She was searching for answers to how this could happen to her. She wondered if Frank was just pulling her leg. He's such an ass and a busy body, she thought. It's not beneath Franky boy to use creative facts (or lies really) just to stir up trouble. What a goddamn ass.
While Amy was doing a fairly good job of controlling her anger vocally it was impossible for her to control the visual cues. At first it was just the red ears, but once she began thinking with an angry mind her cheeks became flushed and even her neck began showing little red blotches. She was headed to an angry place.
"Something wrong ? Amy," Frank asked sarcastically as he noticed her face turning red?
"Not at all, Frank ? why do you ask?
"Oh, I guess you just look a bit upset. I surely hope I didn't distress you by informing you of the time Jennifer and David are spending together. I only told you about it to help you out." This little speech didn't even convince Frank himself that his motives were pure.
"I see ? I see," replied Amy beginning to gain her composure again.
"Seeing the problem is the first step towards solving the problem. The second step is not denying the problem is real and exists." Frank was trying to act like Professor Whitney again, but knew he was really just ticking Amy off.
"Wow Frank, you are just full of worldly advice today aren't you? Perhaps you should write a book and teach the world how to live. Then they could all be lonely old farts just like you ? living alone and stickin' their noses in everybody else's business all the time." Amy knew she was disrespecting an elder but her anger outweighed any attempt towards politically correct behavior.
"Ouch Amy," replied Frank with a grin. "Sticks and stones sweetie ? maybe you should save your best barbs for Jennifer and David. Perhaps, that would solve your problems."
"We'll see ? we'll see," replied Amy as she abruptly walked away from Frank at the pool side. Approaching her apartment she realized she had begun to sweat again, but this time from a mental workout.
Frank felt pretty good about himself most of the rest of the day. He gets a pretty big kick about of his negative gossip ? is there really any other kind of gossip but negative? Anyways ? he certainly gets a thrill out of stirring the pot. I can't completely blame him in riling up little Ms. Helmer, she can be quite a pest to The Villa at times. Although, like I mentioned it could also get pretty boring around here without her.
Frank made his way back to his apartment and freshened up his coffee cup. He settled down at the kitchen table to scrounge through the local fish wrapper; a fender bender downtown, an eighteen wheeler full of pigs turn
ed over on the highway, the locals sports team's hopes, and of course the wonderful opinion page. Frank loved to read the opinion page and then dissect each nuance of the philosophy. He found it to be a worthwhile venture, but oddly; he rarely wrote in to the paper to express his opinions. Maybe he likes saving them for the tenants of The Villa?
After reading the paper Frank went about his normal daily routine. Monotonous really. He often finds himself doing certain things throughout his day just because that's what he's always done. He even thinks some of his routines lost their meanings more than half a decade ago, but they keep him busy and that's really what he needs. Idle hands of the devil's play thing; and Frank's mind can race if left to itself; let alone his hands.
Late in the day simply going through the motions of routine did allow freedom of mind for Frank to fully reflect back on his pool side discussion with Amy. He actually found himself feeling kind of bad about what he'd done. What! Professor Frank Whitney, Ph.D. has a conscience? Yes indeed Frank was a little embarrassed by what he'd done and wondered if he should attempt to fix the issue. He quickly realized there was probably nothing he could do to resolve the issues he's brought to Amy's attention. Frank thought to himself, bell's rung, milks spilled, cat's out of the bag. No use in harpin' on it now. However, while that may be the case; Frank still felt some remorse for his adolescent behavior. Well we can't all be perfect, was the last thought Frank allowed himself to have on the issue. Moving on ?
At this point it probably goes without saying that Amy was PO'd. It was times like these that reminded her of why her true best friend lived in the bottom of a glass. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Amy is bad because she drinks a lot. There are a lot of good people that drink. Amy has a bad side regardless of the drink. Drinking just tends to make her bad side ? well, worse. Or maybe we should make up a word to really describe the gravity of the issue ? say worst-est-er? Yah something like that. Anyways, Ms. Helmer made her way to the kitchen and to her trusty whiskey bottle.
With two fold reasoning Amy delved into the bottle. First she had worked out hard and deserved a treat, and second she deserved to have a nerve calmer after having to deal with that ass Frank Whitney character. Oh, thought Amy, a third good reason; that Jennifer's really ticked me off.
As Amy moved herself towards sweet inebriation she began to come up with more and more reasons why she should reward herself with whiskey. Things like, it's past noon, you're only young once, and the immortal; sometimes you just have to say "what the f*ck". Pretty classy thoughts huh? By the way I can't completely spell out the really bad words, 'cause if Elizabeth read this she'd give me the what for. So there you are.
Once Amy was good and sloshed she moved back toward her boy toy mentality. Not Joey this time but another J ? Jake. Another quick phone call promising naughty things, and a sporty red car driven under the influence and Amy was making the most of her youth; well as she sees it. Just risky and reckless behavior no matter how you cut it. Shame on me for being so judgmental; how will I ever forgive myself?
A Modern Love Page 32
