Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sam bumped the sliding weight up, waiting for the scale to balance evenly.

“There. One eighty seven. Not bad.”

Donna scowled at the scale. “What do you mean not bad? I’m gaining weight.”

Stepping off it with a huff, blond ponytail swinging, like most people in the first few months she looked personally offended by the scale.

“Exactly. You’re going to gain weight at the start as you pick up muscle, and in the long run, it’ll help you burn more fat. It’s a good thing.”

Donna, perpetually smiling even through red-faced sweaty workouts, looked at Sam with a discouragement that he was used to seeing.

“Come on, this my job, I know what I’m talking about. Don’t let it get you down.”

Pulling her tank top away from her belly to fan herself, Donna rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, sighed, and looked back down to him, fixing a smile on her face.

“Well, at least I’ve got a good looking reason to keep coming back.”

Sam clapped her on the shoulder. “Give yourself more credit. You’re doing this for work. Practical fit is a different kind of fit from show fit. Your endurance is already getting better.”

Donna bit her lip and her eyes darted down then up Sam’s body, red flush creeping back into her face. A lot of the people who took up the new membership special that the gym had - working with a personal trainer once a week for a trial period - seemed to be more interested in watching said personal trainer than in doing the work themselves. Hey, if they were paying clients, Sam was just fine giving them the tools they needed, whether they used them or not.

Donna was determined, and even though she seemed to get down on herself sometimes, she bounced back with the right kind of reasons to get into shape. To be better at her job as a cop, to be healthier. Sam wanted her to succeed.

He was used to his clients flirting with him, with different degrees of brazenness and usually little success. Donna actually managed to get him kind of flustered.

Weights clanging in the far corner of the gym startled both of them out of the weird staring, posture adjusting, hair fixing thing they were doing back and forth at each other.

Sam cleared his throat and returned Donna’s smile. “So, smoothie time and I’ll go over your food journal with you?”

He might spend a little more time than he was supposed to with Donna, but he wanted to encourage her. With only one day a week to work directly with her, he was basically supposed to monitor her progress, adjust her workout as needed, and keep her on track. But Sam knew that food was her weakness, and holding her accountable to a food journal was helping. Probably.

“You know it’s my favorite part of the week,” Donna gave him a nervous laugh.

He walked up to the front of the gym past reception where a glass-walled, sleek smoothie bar whirred with activity. Donna pulled out the small notebook she kept in her pocket, taking out her cell phone to text someone as they waited in line.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she told Sam, pocketing her phone and passing over the journal, “My girlfriend’s coming to pick me up today since my car broke down, so, we’ll have company.”

“Your… girlfriend?”

“Oh ya, Jodes, she’s real great. You’ll like her.”

Distracted by putting in her order, Donna moved along with the line.

Sam, suddenly embarrassed and kind of disappointed, busied himself with reviewing the journal. He was so used to people flirting with him at the gym. Of course Donna wasn’t actually interested, she was just a naturally friendly, gregarious person. She was optimistic and chatty and playful, but it was nothing personal. With Sam. In that kind of way.

“Hey, Donna! Over here!”

A tall woman with short cut brown hair waved at them from a table, standing up to shake Sam’s hand when he came over. She was wearing a uniform. So, both cops. Nope, he was not going to think about it. No. Stay professional.

“Hey, I’m Jody.”

“Hi. I’m Sam.”

“Oh. I know.”

Donna giggled and sat down with her green smoothie, wrinkling her nose at the first sip. “Stop it Jodio, don’t scare him away.”

Sam looked between them, coughed into his hand as he sat down, food journal open in front of him. “This week looks pretty good Donna. Still a lot of snacking going on, but you’re moving towards healthier options, which is a good step.”

“Jodes been doing the shopping for me.”

“It’s a group effort. Besides, I could stand to lose a few pounds.” Jody smiled, accepting the smoothie Donna slid across the table for her to try. “Ungh, what is this.”

“It’s like a salad in a cup,” Sam told her. “With a bone broth powder for protein.”

“That is pretty awful.” Jody grimaced after a sip and slid it back across the table.

Donna nodded in agreement, wrinkling her nose again and taking a deep breath before finishing it off.

Making a few notes in the margins of Donna’s journal, substitution suggestions and gentle reminders to watch portion sizes, Sam closed it and handed it back.

“Remember that your clothes will fit differently as you put on muscle, getting tighter in some places and looser in others. It’s an adjustment period. But muscle is good, ok.”

“You betcha. I’ll stick to it, Sam.”

The silence that followed was awkward. Sam wasn’t used to any silence around Donna. Both women looked at each other, then looked at him, like they were trying to communicate something between them. Sam got the distinct impression that he shouldn’t interrupt. Instead, he took out his ponytail to pull his hair back again, tucking up loose strands. They both watched him. He could feel heat rise to his cheeks.

“So.” Donna started. Then stopped.

Jody, raising an eyebrow at Donna, said, “So.”

Sam looked between them. “So?”

Donna fidgeted in her chair. “So, Sam. There’s a great bike trail that runs through down-town near the farmer’s market. I was wondering if you might want to go? One of these Saturdays?”

“Um -” Sam started.

“Like a date.” Jody clarified.

“Aren’t… Donna said you were girlfriends?”

“Not man enough to handle two women?” Jody asked, challenging but also clearly amused.

“Jodes,” Donna hissed from her side of the table.

“No, yeah, that could be great.” Sam nodded. “Hey, don’t they have concerts at the Lock, after the farmer’s market, during summer?”

“Yeah, usually cover bands, but you know, it’s free.” Jody shrugged.

“Ooh, that would be fun!” Donna tapped her hands on the table, mostly-empty smoothie forgotten.

It had been months since Sam’s last date, and years since he’d been in an open relationship. But it could be worth a try.

Snagging Donna’s food journal still on the table, Sam opened it and wrote his number on the inside of the front cover. “Sure. Definitely. Give me a call.”