Chapter 1: Introduction
Lily Smith scrubbed clean the insides of her ears with a damp swatch of toilet paper. She crumpled the used bundle in her hand and tossed it into the trash can next to the open doorway of the locker room. The basket missed, but Lily paid it no mind. Better to not dwell on those kinds of things.
She stepped out into the fitness center atrium and breathed in the tart smell of electronics and sweat. The dimmed overhead lights washed everyone in an atonal shade of fluorescent blue.
A lone employee, a man with a thick mustache named Tony, was wiping the handlebars of a rowing machine. He looked up when Lily entered the room and nodded at her. She smiled back.
"Hey, Tony!" Lily called out.
"Hey, Lily!" he responded in a humdrum voice. He went back to focusing on wiping the machine down, letting Lily go by unbothered.
As Lily traversed the gym floor, she spotted Patrick Thompson doing his nightly duties.
Right then and there, she had an idea.
"Hey, Patrick!" she called, rushing over to the employee. Her long ponytail swayed with each powerful stride, slapping against her lower back. "How about an arm wrestling match?"
Patrick looked at her disapprovingly. "You know I can't beat you, Lil."
"Come on! It would be fun. Besides, I promise I'll go easy on you!" Lily winked at the tall man and grinned mischievously.
"Come on, Patrick! Where's that fighting spirit of yours? Stop being a coward and just take the challenge!"
Patrick chuckled and shook his head, sighing as he walked over to an open table in the center of the fitness center. " Fine, go ahead and kick my ass again, Lil."
" Don't sound so defeated!" Lily exclaimed, sitting down across from him. "I promise, I'll take it easy. I won't use all of my strength this time!"
The two locked eyes and braced themselves.
Sweat gleamed on their foreheads, and their muscles tensed as they prepared for the match.
"On the count of three," said Lily, her voice husky with excitement.
Patrick nodded, his eyes focused on Lily's hand.
"One, two, three!"
Their hands slammed onto the table, and the muscles in their arms rippled with power. Lily's forearms bulged as she pushed down on Patrick's hand, her strength overwhelming him.
She grinned widely, her pearly white teeth gleaming in the dim light.
"You're such a pussy, Patrick," she teased, continuing to push down on his hand. "Can't even beat a girl in an arm wrestling match."
Patrick's face turned a deep shade of red as he strained to push back against Lily. "Fuck, you're strong," he grunted, sweat trickling down his temples.
Lily chuckled wickedly and continued to apply pressure. "That's right, I'm stronger than you.
You can't handle it," Lily cooed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Patrick's face contorted with effort, his muscles straining against Lily's grip. But it was no use – Lily was simply too strong.
With a triumphant cry, Lily slammed Patrick's hand down onto the table, her victory complete.
"Ha! Told you I'd take it easy on you!" Lily exclaimed, panting slightly from the exertion.
Patrick pulled his hand away from Lily's, massaging his sore muscles.
His face was still flushed from the effort, and he was visibly embarrassed.
Lily, on the other hand, was still grinning widely, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She stood up from her chair, towering over Patrick.
"Good match, Patrick," she said, patting him on the back. "But you know you can't beat me."
Patrick chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know.