Helen kissed Phil good-bye in the parking lot at Fantastic Fitness and slid out of his Jeep, gym keys in her hand. Even the sun isn’t up yet, she thought as she made her way to the front door. But the gym members were. The door was blocked by bodies. Some were thick with muscle, others larded with fat. The fat ones wanted to punish themselves for their excesses. The fit ones were anxious to keep their glow of sweaty grace. “Excuse me,” Helen said, pushing her way through the spandexed throng. “The gym will open in fifteen minutes. Give me fifteen minutes, please.” She tapped in the security code on the pad and turned the key in the lock, then opened the doors just wide enough to slide in. Disappointed gym members pounded on the doors, their paradise denied. Helen flipped on the lights and savored the cool, still air, then turned on the pounding workout music. That made her move faster. To the relentless techno-beat, she booted up the reception desk computers and took the phones off the automatic answering system.
