Peter nervously kept an eye out for the two girls as he worked out. No sign of them as he did weights, but of course teenage girls aren't usually in the weight room. Halfway through his treadmill run, though, he noticed out of his peripheral vision two young girls on the other side of the room doing the stair machine -- one blonde in a bright blue tank top, the other with auburn hair in a yellow t-shirt. He couldn't be sure, partly because he didn't want to be too obvious by looking their way, partly because he didn't get a really good look in the first place. He was halfway hoping it was them, halfway not - it could just go away on its own, or they could say they all knew and hope it was all cool. He didn't know which was best.
When he was finished, he had to walk pretty close on the way out of the room -- by this time only the darker-haired girl was there. "No eye contact, no eye contact," he kept telling himself. But of course he glanced a couple times, looking 'past' her and then letting his eyes fall on her. Damn, she was cute! Wow, if she wasn't so young, she'd be pretty hot. Or, because she was so young she was pretty hot, maybe. Her eyes met his for a second, then she looked away as he did. "Shit," he thought, "I hope she doesn't think this creepy guy is checking her out. But I am. Shit."
By the time he was 15 feet or so away, he looked again. She was looking at him again, then looked away, then at him again. He was pretty sure this was one of the girls from the locker room. "Hiiiii," she smiled shyly, "I'm sorry... about... ummm". Peter stopped and faced her. "Earlier... um, in the...."
Just to confirm but just in case it wasn't her, he tried to say without saying, "you were one who... ran into me, earlier, in... there... ?" He approached her as the tension pretty much just went away. They both knew, and both seemed somehow relieved.
"I feel like such a stupid butt, sorry, we were just... stupid." She stopped.
"Well, that's what happens when the doors to both locker rooms are right by each other - seems like the people who designed the place are the stupid butts," Peter defended, making the girl smile. "It's OK, no big deal, no one got hurt. Ha ha."
"Ohhh, I might be scarred for life, seeing a man naked before I'm married, you know!" She giggled. He noticed how uncomfortably quiet it was in there since the machine stopped, and looked around quickly to see if anyone was around to hear. No one, whew, that would have been awkward!
He was relieved that she was so good-natured about the situation. "Well, I'm out, take care, um, yeah," he said, then felt like a goober. As he pushed through the glass door and turned down the hall, he caught a last glimpse -- she had started climbing again, a smile on her face. A big smile. |