Road to Recovery (3)

[Vivienne Daniels]

Vivienne arrived at the gym bright and early on Tuesday. She had her work out shorts and tanktop on. They both had sailor moon designs on them and had her hair done up in a ponytail. She waited outside the lockerroom for the rest of the workout buddies.

The Spencers arrived promptly, all dressed in workout shorts and plain IWF branded t-shirts except Abigail who was in her own branded tank top and shorts, whilst the almost seven foot Spencer was bare chested and in loose pants.

“Cute,” Abigail said, looking at Vivienne’s workout gear, as they entered the gym.

“So what do you all do first?” Vivienne asked looking at the brothers and Abby.

“Some basic warm ups,” Spencer said. “You’re not that outta it, are ya? Won’t last long if ya are.”

“Be nice,” Jeb said, “Can’t expect her ta hit the ground runnin’ .”

“Why not? She’s third generation, easily the most accomplished of all of us,” Bucky said.

“Maybe we should go easier than we usually do,” Ricky said.

“She asked fer this, remember? If she can’t take it, she can take her ass back home,” Spencer said.

“I can keep up.” Vivienne said with a smile.

Spencer smiled back at her, whilst warming himself up. Limbering himself up, hopping slightly whilst rotating his shoulders and cracking his neck. He stood directly in front of her. He’d seen her around many times over the years they’d been in this company together, but never quite this up close. She was at least a decade younger than him, he guessed. Physically at least, she should be fine with whatever he asked of her.

Vivienne did her own warm ups as she kept on eye on the others. She’d been doing yoga in her off time and did a couple of the stretches from there. Made sure was was limber and easy going. She knew all of them from the company but she knew she’d barely talked to them. Seemed unfair Spencer was allowed to just work out bare chested but wasn’t the first time she’d worked out with eye candy.

She followed Abby and the boys through their routine. It was a little tough but she pushed her way through it. It had been a couple months in bed rest but physical therapy wasn’t sunshine and kittens. She could do this. Even if she felt winded.

Spencer gestured to one of the weight machines in the large and spacious gym. Verona had always ensured the facility provided access to the top equipment for all his contracted talent and alumni, and it is for those benefits alone that Spencer didn’t mind hanging around in catering backstage at most shows whilst the real stars like Vivienne worked.

“Ladies first.”

Elsewhere Abby was already jogging on a treadmill, Bucky was preparing to bench press and Jeb was selecting dumbbells. Whilst Vivienne did that, Spencer went over to spot for his eldest brother.

Ricky was on the rowing machine.

Vivienne went to the weight machine and selected the weight before sitting down and working on lifting. It burned a little but she pushed through it and kept working. She watched everyone else kept going but she could do this. She could get back what she wanted to be.

During the course of their session, Vivienne was periodically checked in by almost every Spencer except Abigail and Spencer. The smallest and youngest brother, Ricky kept his workout routine light and checked in most often, followed by Jeb, and Bucky. Nobody had all that much to say to her, beyond words of encouragement and sentiments of how well she was doing, and why would they? She didn’t know them, and they didn’t know her.

Vivienne was here as a favour to Abby, an extra. She wasn’t part of the family. She couldn’t share in their conversation, their jokes or much of anything. All she could do, sat on the weight machine was watch and workout and try to focus on something else, anything else but the loneliness. Surrounded by an entire family, she still felt so desperately alone. Still, she shook her head and pushed through.

Vivienne considered maybe next time going to the gym with just one person. Maybe she wouldn’t feel so alone. The voice of her mother in the back of her head, telling her all the stories about having kids making her life complete. Maybe it was a mistake. No, she kept pushing. No reason to give up now.

Fifteen minutes later, Abby was busy joking with Jeb, on the rowing machine, Ricky took over helping Bucky on the rest of his routine and Spencer eventually returned to check on Vivienne. He didn’t seem impressed by her weight selection, altered it to slightly heavier after stopping her.

“Why are you still holdin’ back? Thought ya wanted pushin’, he grinned, “So, come on, push! Push through that mental block.”

Vivienne blinked but smiled, “Yeah, I needed that. Thanks Spencer.”

“Ain’t nothin’,” he smiled. “There’s more where that came from if you really wannabe pushed. I wouldn’t mind a reliable gym partner. My family can’t always come as often as I’d like them to. I’d make it worth your while, train ya to up your core strength and stuff, ya know? Prove ta Rowan an’ everyone else, you ain’t the witherin’ flower they think ya are.”

“That would actually be amazing.” Vivienne beamed. “I need someone to push me and that’d be great.”

“Great,” Spencer said. “Happy ta help.”

The rest of the gym session was spent with Vivienne pushing and Spencer adjusting her pace, making sure she was going as hard as she could. Vivienne was exhausted and sore by the end but it felt good. She felt good. Like she’d accomplished something good today.