Page 9 of Meet Me in a Mile

Nine

Lydia

L ydia had already drunk two coffees with an unmentionable amount of sugar before she even arrived at the gym. Her morning had started with hazy blueprint-like shapes after bolting awake from a dream, and she’d stumbled from her bed to her desk in search of paper and a pencil to capture the thoughts. She’d made good headway on her submission for the Manhattan Youth Center competition in the weeks since she’d visited with Luke, and if she wasn’t busy dreaming up additions to her preliminary sketch, then she was writing up the benefits of an eco-friendly design to go along with the proposal. She was still so grateful that Luke had invited her back to the youth center to meet the kids, though she tried not to dwell on that invitation too much or else her thoughts went spinning in very nonwork-related directions.

Dammit , she thought, shaking images of naked Luke from her mind as she tugged the gym door open. She’d been doing so well lately, too. That first run after sleeping together had been harder than she’d expected. An awkward tension had crept into her muscles—one that had begged her to look at him, to reach for him—and she’d practically sprinted through the last four miles if only to bring an end to her torture. But the tension had eased since then, and they’d found themselves back in a comfortable routine where he kept her on track for the marathon and she complained about the number of burpees in her cross-training. It felt right. It worked for them. She wasn’t about to mess that up now.

“You’re early,” Luke called, coming down the hall from his office.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “Weird dreams.”

“Oh?”

“Just work stuff,” she added.

“Well, I can’t help you there. But I can help you get these three miles down. Give me a second to grab my watch.”

While Luke gathered his things, Lydia went to stuff her bag in a locker. She usually went right to work from the gym after her short runs, so she had to bring everything she needed to shower. Today was a short recovery run, which Lydia found herself craving if only to clear her head. Luke met her at the door, and they slipped outside into the morning heat. The sun was barely peeking between the buildings, the streets still bathed in shadow, but she could feel the heavy weight of the summer humidity already pressing down from above.

They stretched in comfortable silence, Luke leading her through the steps she’d had memorized for weeks now. Then he started his watch timer and they set off, falling into step on the sidewalk. They ran in comfortable silence for the first mile.

When they were forced to stop for a traffic light, Luke said cautiously, “So, weird dreams? Good? Bad? Or do I not want to know?”

“They’re not sex dreams,” she assured him, biting her lip to keep from laughing at the way his entire body tensed for a beat. She was glad they were getting back to a place where they could make jokes again. They started running.

“Good. ’Cause we’re definitely not talking about that . What are your weird, nonsexual work dreams?”

“Well, today I dreamed that I handed in my proposal for the Youth Center design competition and it was only half done. But even after I realized it, the leadership team wouldn’t let me finish it. I woke up with all these ideas and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“So it turned out to be a good dream then, because it gave you ideas?”

“No, it was terrifying! My heart was literally racing when I crawled out of bed.”

He laughed as they ran through a crosswalk. “I think you and I have different definitions of terrifying.”

“Oh, come on, you said you were working on a business plan. Imagine handing that in to the bank and forgetting half the plan!”

“Okay, fair point,” he said. “But is your proposal only half done?”

She shrugged. “It’s definitely further along than that.”

“So this isn’t even a valid fear. What are you really worried about?”

“I don’t know,” Lydia said. Maybe that was a lie. Or maybe she really didn’t know what the root of her fear was. Could it be the stack of previous proposal rejections? The ongoing lack of feedback from the leadership team? Was she worried she might literally forget half the proposal on the printer when she went to hand it in? “I need one of those books that decodes dreams.”

“Maybe you’re just afraid I’ll beat you back to the gym,” Luke said.

What? had barely left her mouth when Luke flashed her a cheeky smile and darted down the sidewalk.

“Luke!” she shouted over the thumping tread of their feet as they both sped up. Luke laughed boyishly as he pulled ahead, the sound so light and carefree she thought she might be able to float away on it. He’d had the advantage of surprise, and his legs were longer, but Lydia was impressed that she remained right on his heels as they rounded the block and came within sprinting distance of the gym.

They both put on a blast of speed at the end, but Luke’s hand touched the gym door first and his fists lifted in victory.

Lydia dropped her hands to her hips, sucking in air. “I didn’t know sprints were on the training plan for today.”

“They weren’t. But you stopped worrying about your dream for a minute there, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, ’cause I didn’t have enough oxygen getting to my brain,” she muttered, but he was right. She had stopped thinking about the proposal. In fact, the only thing she could think about right now was the way Luke’s smile was lit up by the flash of sun that peeked between the buildings.

“Either way it worked.” He checked his watch. “Plus, that’s your best three-mile time so far.”

“Are you looking for a pat on the back?” she quipped as he pulled the gym door open for her.

“Just the acknowledgment that I’m the best trainer ever.”

“You’re gonna have to work harder for that one!” she called over her shoulder as she gathered her things and headed off to the showers.

When she arrived at work an hour later, it was still early, and Lydia passed Kirsten’s empty desk, hurrying down the dimmed hallway to her office. She kept the lights off and adjusted the blinds at her narrow window, wanting to maintain the illusion of early-morning tranquility she’d found after the run. The moment she sat down, she unpacked her laptop and opened her proposal file. There were about a dozen things on her to-do list today for her actual job, but she could spare an hour for her personal project. Lydia made some adjustments to her current design and hit Print. She always preferred editing on a hard copy during these early design stages.

She headed down the hall to the supply room, where she could hear the copy machine revving as it started spitting out papers. Lydia turned into the room, grabbing the still-warm designs. She examined them, smiling at her progress. Luke had been right. There really was no truth to her dream. Her proposal was in good shape. The new double gymnasium she’d envisioned now included a viewing area and an indoor track with plenty of space for the kids to spread out. Luke’s comment about feeding the kids had sparked ideas for a larger industrial kitchen that could double as a classroom, with areas for learning and food prep. She knew the tiny dining hall was also currently used as the performing arts space, so Lydia had dreamed up a small auditorium with spotlights and a giant stage.

On the roof, she’d left space for the garden she envisioned, but her thoughts had halted on the outdoor yard this morning. Do they get rid of it and expand the building? It was a possibility, but that would mean there was no safe outdoor area for the kids to enjoy. Maybe she should think about adding some sort of retractable covering to save the space from the elements and provide shade?

“Morning, running buddy.”

“Oh, Jack!” Lydia yelped, clutching her chest, her nails digging into her skin like she might be able to push past her ribs and squeeze her racing heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”

He chuckled softly. “Figured that by how high you jumped. Gotta be careful in those heels,” he said, and they both looked down at her shoes. “Don’t want to break an ankle before the race.”

“These are wedges, not heels,” Lydia said, popping her foot up to show them off. As far as footwear went, they were comfortable enough for her to make the trek from the train to the office.

“You should try something like this,” he teased, twisting his foot for her to see his black leather loafer. “Highly fashionable. Practical. I could probably even run the marathon in these if I had to.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” Lydia laughed. “I’ll just be glad if I manage to finish the race in my running shoes.”

“Speaking of the race,” he said, putting his hand on her arm. “I’ve got something for you.” He twirled her around, and she followed him to his office, wondering if her heart was still racing from the earlier scare or because Jack had just touched her.

His office was bigger than hers, but with the same view. His desk was also far more cluttered. He had thick stacks of memos tacked to the wall and photos of previous outreach days in frames. His computer was on, and the coffee in his mug was half gone. It looked like he’d gotten here even earlier than she had. Jack reached for something in one of his desk drawers, then turned around with a beaming smile and presented her with an empty metal water bottle. Lydia twisted the bottle to read the thick lettering on the side. Under the logo for Poletti’s was her own name etched in black.

“I had them made,” Jack said. “What do you think? I thought we could use some matching training merch. Get everyone a little excited. I know it’s still months away but—”

“This is great,” she assured him. “Really. Thank you. Did you get the whole office personalized bottles?”

“No. Just us,” Jack said, reaching to close the drawer. “Since we’re the only ones who signed up to run in the end. Everyone else just gets one with a Poletti’s logo. I got a deal, so we’ll end up with extras. Figured we could hand them out to new employees or summer interns if I kept them plain.”

Something in that explanation left Lydia feeling strange. Not for the first time, she wondered if there was something brewing here or if she was just reading too much into a nice gesture. She ran her fingers over the raised edge of her name. Why had he cared enough to single her out like this?

“How’s your training going so far?” Jack asked.

She cleared her throat, sharing a conspiratorial smile with him. “I’ve called in some professional help.”

“You got yourself a running coach? That’s smart. I’ve read that it can help keep you on track.” The phone on his desk started buzzing, and Lydia heard the murmur of their colleagues arriving. So much for her uninterrupted hour of focused work on her proposal. “I’ll have to get those office training sessions set up so we can do some training together.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Lydia lied. The last thing she wanted Jack to see was her running anywhere. At least until marathon day.

Jack picked up the phone and held it to his ear. “I’ll keep you posted,” he said before answering.

Lydia lifted her hand in goodbye, then fled with her new water bottle and her proposal papers. She wanted to get back to her office, preferably behind a closed door, before she started overanalyzing their interaction. Maybe there was nothing unusual about this. Coworkers got gifts for each other all the time, right?

“Lunch?”

Lydia looked up from her desk to see Kirsten in the doorway, then checked her phone. How had the morning passed so quickly?

Kirsten walked over and snatched the water bottle from Lydia’s desk. “I want a cool marathon water bottle!”

“You didn’t get one?” Lydia asked.

“Yes, but apparently only Jack’s running buddies get their names on the bottle.”

“You could have been this cool,” Lydia teased so she wouldn’t flush at Kirsten’s comment. “All you had to do was sign up for the pain and suffering with me.”

“He’s trying to butter you up so you don’t sue him when you pass out from dehydration halfway through the marathon,” Kirsten joked.

“You know, that’s actually a real possibility.”

“As if. I’m obviously going to be there, throwing water and snacks at you from the sidelines.”

Lydia snorted.

“So, lunch?” Kirsten asked again.

“Definitely,” she said, stacking her youth center papers in a pile.

“That’s coming along well,” Kirsten noted.

Lydia grabbed her purse and they headed for the elevators. “Luke ended up inviting me back to the youth center because he volunteers there, and I learned so much from the kids. It was a totally different experience than visiting with the office, and the ideas just started flowing.”

“Wait, Luke? Like the really hot trainer that’s teaching you how to run?”

“I know how to run,” Lydia said. “He’s making me better. But, yeah, the youth center came up during training one day and it was kind of this oh, small world moment. So he invited me for another tour, and we went for nachos after...” Lydia trailed off, trying not to dwell on what came next.

“Oh my God, you slept with the really hot trainer!”

Lydia guffawed. “How the hell did you get there from what I said?”

“Am I wrong?”

She bit her lip.

Kirsten skipped out of the elevator and practically dragged Lydia down 10th Avenue toward their favorite Italian sandwich shop. “Tell me everything!”

Lydia avoided mentioning anything to Kirsten after it happened because part of her felt like the only way to keep things professional between her and Luke was not to talk about it. But then she’d slipped up and told Ashley. And, well... “Before you assume I jumped the man, let me begin by saying that it started off completely innocently.”

Kirsten threw open the door to the shop. “A tour and nachos totally sounds like a date.”

In the lunch line, Lydia lowered her voice. “It was not a date.”

They paused the conversation long enough to order.

As they waited for their sandwiches, Kirsten needled her for more information. “Get to the good part.”

“I suggested we go for a drink. He picked the place because it was his neighborhood and then I sort of kissed him.”

Kirsten squealed under her breath.

“I don’t know what happened.”

“I do.” Kirsten picked up their tray as it appeared on the counter. “You saw something you wanted and you went for it.” They headed for an empty table. “So how was it?”

Lydia took a bite of her sandwich. “Good. Really good.”

Kirsten sighed dreamily. “And?”

“And nothing. We talked the next morning. I think Luke wigged out a bit. Said something about finding me a new trainer.”

“Right,” Kirsten said. “I can see how it would make things complicated. So you’re training with someone else now?”

Lydia shook her head.

“Aw, boo. You’ve stopped sleeping with him?”

Lydia swallowed, wiping her face with a napkin. “We agreed it was a onetime thing and would not be happening again. I just needed somewhere to funnel all the extra endorphins and energy, and Luke was right there. But I need him to help me get those miles down more than I need him in my bed.” There was really no sense in getting hung up on their night together. It was nothing serious—hookup situations never were for her. To ruin their partnership over sex would be foolish.

Part of her still couldn’t believe they’d fallen into bed together. There was something inherently unsexy about training for a marathon. At least the way she was doing it. Muscles that she’d never used before now ached. Her joints made strange popping sounds, and she was pretty sure she flailed like a bird trying to take flight while she ran. Despite all that, Luke had still slept with her. So, either he was in a dry spell, or she was just oozing sex appeal along with her sweat.

“You guys see each other almost every day.” Kirsten’s mouth froze halfway to her sandwich. “What if there are feelings and junk?”

Lydia laughed so hard she almost choked on a pepper.

“What?” Kirsten said. “It could happen.”

“God, no,” Lydia said immediately. Feelings? Between her and Luke? He was a great guy, really, but they were all wrong for each other.

“Why not?” Kirsten said.

“Luke’s wonderful, but...” Lydia shrugged. She knew this thing between them wouldn’t go any further than it already had, mostly because she was waiting on a love story like Ashley’s. Until that time, everything else was just filler—fun, but filler. She had a vision in her head of how her life was supposed to turn out, and she cared about Luke too much to just let him be her filler. Despite the short six weeks they’d spent together, she already knew he deserved more than that. She fully expected to meet a colleague one day that swept her off her feet, a fellow architect who just understood her world, who could support her as she moved up the ladder in her career. Someone like Jack , she thought, getting butterflies. Though she wasn’t about to let slip about Jack to Kirsten. “We’re all wrong for each other,” she finished flatly.

“Then maybe he wasn’t really that good?”

“The bedroom situation is not the problem. Trust me. I lost track of how many times—”

Kirsten held a hand up. “I’ve heard enough to be thoroughly jealous. If you’re not going to pursue that, then please send him my way.”

Lydia smirked at Kirsten’s enthusiasm, trying in vain not to think about Luke’s muscles on display while his fingers did wicked things. About his tongue ghosting across her skin. About the way he laughed when she complained about doing burpees. Or those smiles he reserved for when she conquered miles she didn’t think she could. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about his business plan and the youth center and...

Okay, maybe Kirsten is right , Lydia thought as her face burned scarlet. Maybe there was a tiny, residual feeling left over.

One flimsy little feeling that she was going to have to stomp out because she had a marathon to run.