Free Struggle by P.A. Jones Page A

troubled him, and I am okay with him taking some time. Maybe something happened in his past.” I was thinking about it while talking, but it just troubled me more. "You know what? He offered me help with my training so that’s what I’ll concentrate on right now.”
    Chloe smiled. "That nice of him, but I’m still troubled by his actions.”
    " It troubled me, too, like a setback. But I can't force him, and he is right anyway. I don't want just a one-night stand and if we are going to get serious, it will take some time. We’re going to get to know each other. I don’t want to rush things, either.”
    "You both seem serious about this.” Chloe took a deep breath. “And I am happy for you."
    "I just hope that I won't get hurt this time.”
    ***
     
    I slept peacefully that night and, the next morning, I woke up, excited for the training. We had agreed that I would meet him at his house early. I was on the road sooner than I expected myself to be.
    When I reached Nathan's house, I checked my watch. I was lot earlier than we had agreed upon. We had decided on 7:30 AM, but it was only 7. What should I do now? I thought for a second and decided to give him an early surprise.
    Instead of calling him, I rang his bell. To my surprise, he opened the door right away. He was already ready in a blue t-shirt, off-white trousers, and a pair of Nike sneakers. His long hair was pushed back, giving him an Italian hunk look, which suited him. When his dark brown eyes meet mine, a spark coursed through my body, which reminded me of the kiss we shared earlier.
    "Good morning.” His voice snapped me out of my hypnosis.
    "Hi . Sorry, I am a bit early."
    " It's okay.” He stretched his arms into the air. “We can start early." I nodded.
    " First, I will introduce you to a good technique. It’s called foam rolling. One of the wonders of sports science. I will show you how to do it, then I will take you through it." I nodded, his scent hypnotizing me.
     
    "Have you heard about it?" He asked, looking at my puzzled face.
    I shake my head to get out of his spell and concentrate on what he was saying . “Um, no, let’s start it.” The last thing I wanted him to know was his effect on me. I followed him inside  to his exercise room. I was stunned to see his equipment… dumbbells, kettle balls, yoga mat, full set of resistance bands, weights and, of course, kickboxing gear.  But the thing that really got her attention about his room was the neatness. There were a hell of a lot of machines, all  placed neatly. "You can make a full gym here. You just need a treadmill.”
    "I prefer running outside . It makes me feel connected to nature,” he said, smiling.
    " I don’t even like the treadmill,” I said, laughing.
    He rolled out the yoga mat and took one roller out of a box. It wasn’t exactly a roller, but had knobs pointing to the outside. “It’s a rumble roller. This will relax your muscles. It will help you start the blood flowing in your legs, warming them up.”
     
    "How do we use it?" I could sense the operation, but I wanted to hear it from him.
    "You place it on the mat and roll your leg on it. Start with your calf, then shin. Once you’re done with the lower leg, we will move to the thighs and hamstring muscles.”
    "Can you show me?"
    "Absolutory. We will do it together." 
    He took off his pants to reveal his exercise shorts underneath. I could see his leg muscles, which were rock hard and sculpted. His calf muscles were bulging, and his thighs didn't have the slightest bit of fat.
    He started showing me how to use the roller, and I followed all the details. The knobs were digging into my flesh and it was painful. After fifteen minutes of the exercise, I gave up. "It hurts."
    “That means it's working." His calm eyes gave me the confidence. "Listen, there are many muscles in your legs that you are constantly using  for daily activities. To let them rest, you have to do something more than regular stretching. The roller