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I smile. “Buy a place and fit it out all fancy with the changes I want and make their members come to me with some very unsubtle advertising.”

Hazel smiles, her eyes flickering with excitement. “Kali. You should do that.”

I snort. “I’m joking.”

Hazel jumps back onto the couch beside me. “I’m not! Kali, why don’t you open your own studio?”

“Where would you like me to start, Hazy?”

“Why not? Kali, you have money sitting there.”

I scowl at her. I’m not touching the money and she knows it.

“Would you get over your pride and think about this for a second?” she snaps.

“I liked you better when you were heartbroken. You were nicer to me then.”

“You’ve got money sitting there you can use. Your clients would find you because they love you, and word travels fast. Ooh, ooh! Patrick could help you find a space!”

I see the cogs turning in my best friend’s brain, her eyes sparkling. “Hazy-”

“Kali, this is perfect. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

“Except money and pride.”

“You’re not touching the money anyway! Who cares if it doesn’t work out?”

“Did you not hear the part about my pride?”

But Hazel’s not listening to me. She taps away at her phone, bouncing in her seat. “I could design your logo and signage. We’d have to brainstorm some names. K.C. Fitness? No, that reminds me of KFC. How about something like the Pilates Pod, or Plank Palace? No, that’s like a Chinese restaurant’s name. I think I’m hungry again.”

I sink into the couch, watching her face light up. Could I do this? Is that even an option? I wouldn’t have the first clue about how to run a business, let alone start my own from scratch. And what if I did manage to do it? The fitness industry is fickle and once word starts to spread that I’ve started my own business, it would only be a matter of time before the bigger organisations tried to take me down. I’ve seen that happen first-hand. Not only that, I’ve also seen countless businesses close in quick succession. All these people have dreams and convince themselves they’ll be different. That their idea will work. Six months later, their shit’s cleared out and there’s a ‘for lease’ sign on the door.

I open my mouth to complain about this to my best friend, but her eyes are wide with excitement, and I don’t have the heart to break her spirit.

6

ANTHONY

Doyou know how hard it is to avoid wandering to the kitchen for glasses of water in the hopes I’ll walk past a particular woman? I have a two-litre canteen to drink out of in my truck and I left it there on purpose when I arrived. I wanted to traipse to and from Hazel and Kali’s kitchen on the off-chance I’d bump into the fiery temptress. Other than greeting her when she arrived home and a brief exchange of smirks and scowls while the girls ate dinner, I haven’t seen her.

When my watch clicks over to nine o’clock, I know it’s time to wrap it up. I might have spent a lot of the evening looking out for Kali, but most of it I spent lifting, measuring, sawing and drilling as I started the desk for Jonesy. My muscles ache and I know I need to get home before sleep hits me like a freight train.

“Calling it a night?”

Her voice is warm honey to my ears. Kali’s leaning against the door frame, her gaze wandering over my makeshift workstation. My tools sit neatly on the workbench I brought with me, scraps of debris littering the space underneath. Wood panels lay on the floor and prop up against the wall.

“It’s way past my bedtime.” I sweep the remnants of today’s mess into a pile at my feet.

Kali glances at her watch. “It’s nine o’clock.”

“I don’t have this beautiful complexion by staying up late and smoking doobies,” I reply, nodding at the poorly concealed joint in her hand.

Kali’s tanned complexion flushes. “Half the personal trainers on the Gold Coast do ketamine on weekends. I’m allowed a bit of marijuana now and then. Besides,technicallyI’m unemployed now, so I don’t answer to anybody.”

I chuckle. “I’m not judging, Red.”

Kali seems pleased with that response and heads across the room to the open garage door, leaning against the outside wall and retrieving a lighter from her pocket.