Kursk & Doves30 and for all those who are wondering I'm not really sure what Ephram has yet I'm kind of figure that out as I go so you all should find out probably as I do, thanks for the reviews and curiosity.  Please read and review!

An hour and a half was all it took for Ephram to become completely exhausted. He slowly got off of the treadmill he'd been on and found his way over to a towel rack. He grabbed one and began to walk towards his locker to collect his belongings doing so while taking the towel and wiping the sweat away from his face.

Suddenly he felt his body collide with another as he saw a water bottle fall to the ground as he helped steady the person he had bumped into.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he said as he held the women up and bent to retrieve her water bottle.

"It's okay I wasn't-, Ephram?" Madison asked as she finally caught a glimpse of his face.

"Yea. Hey you." He said cheerfully.

"Working out?"

"Just finished up actually, you?

"I was thinking about hitting the treadmill before I left."

"Oh okay." Ephram said as he ran the towel through his hair in a bite of a nervous way.

"So I guess I'll be seeing you." Madison said about to walk away.

"Hold on a sec." he called out as he gripped the towel in his right hand.

Madison turned her head towards him and tilted her head to the side.

"You think you'd like some company, it's kind of deserted this early in the morning."

"I thought you were leaving." She inquired

"Well I was, how long have you been here?"

"I'd say an hour and a half."

"Well see I've been here that long and your determination inspires me." He said satisfied with his answer.

"Really" she says with a large smile.

"That and I'm interested to see who could last the longest."

"Oh, you don't wanta play that game Brown."

"Brown" Ephram thought that's good, she's loosening up a little.

"Why not? Afraid to loose?"

"Never, I just wouldn't want to crush your pride."

"That cocky huh?"

"Confident"

"Well we'll see about that, I have a proposition for you."

"Terms"

"Whoever can last 30 minutes or longer buy's the other umm lets see something interesting. Oh here we go, perfect, something that's clear." As an idea started to formulate in his mind.

"Clear?"

"Yea"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Well it shouldn't matter since you're so confident in your ability to win, right?"

"Ok I accept." She took the bait.

"Great, shake on it." Ephram held out his hand to shake hers.

Madison hesitated briefly but soon took his hand and shook if for a moment.

Gasping for air after being on the treadmill for forty-five minutes Ephram started to question his sanity. He'd been exhausted before so why had he come up with this crazy idea. But as he looked to his right he saw her and the pain he was feeling was worth it as he saw Madison's blonde hair flowing back in her ponytail as she jogged.

"So... you ready to... give up..." Ephram struggled to get out.

"Never, just getting... warmed up." Madison said with a little more ease.

"Come on... you should know... when to admit defeat... its okay... I promise I won't tell anybody."

"Nice try Ephram. But there's no way... your winning."

"Well I can obviously see... your suffering."

"Oh really I'd say you are."

"Me, no I could do this all day."

Madison couldn't help but laugh at his comment as his shirt was now completely soaked with perspiration while also dripping from his face. All the while she had only managed to create the occasional small beads of sweat to come from her forehead.

"I guess, I'll be a gentleman and get off of her before you hurt yourself."

"A gentlemen really?"

"Of course, always."

"I remember." She said softly.

He smiled.

"But that still means you loose."

"I'll take one for the team." He said as he slowed his machine and began to get off.

"And Brown goes down once again. Applause heard by the crowd, "Oh thank you, thank you, it's nothing really." Madison begins as she gets off and waves to her imaginary fans, gloating over beating Ephram.

"What happened to sportsmanship?"

"I'm being nice."

"Yea, I know you are, sorry. I'm grateful I truly am."

Madison hit him on the arm playfully, "I'm not that bad." She said pouting a little.

Going with what came to mind at the moment, "You used to give as hard as you took. Come on you loved it."

Ephram paused momentarily and got a serious look on his face and then grinned, "You know I did."

Madison was trying to find an out of the topic and all she could come up with was, "Hey, umm your shoes untied."

Ephram looked down smiling widely knowing exactly what she was doing, "Well looky there," he bend down, "wouldn't want to fall on my face now would I?" he asked looking up at her in her eyes.

"No... no we-I mean you can't have that," she said before looking away and exhaling breaking his stare and trying to figure out what to do next.

She was thinking to herself how much she wanted to just jump in his arms and kiss him.

"You too" Ephram said interrupting her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" she responded confused hoping he couldn't tell what she'd been thinking.

"Your shoe." He pointed to her left foot.

"Oh... yea." Relieved she bent down, but Ephram had already moved to it.

"I go it." As he began to tie it for her.

"No, it's alright." She insisted as she stayed down.

"All done"

"Thanks." Ephram just looked at her admiring her and she just allowed him.

They were broken away by some guys calling over and asking, "Hey, you guys all through."

Simultaneously, "Yea"

They both got back up and Ephram spoke to the other men coming their way as Madison put some distance between them, "There all yours"

One of the men came over and whispered to Ephram trying to speak so Madison couldn't hear, "And you're a lucky man." He said as he looked at Madison.

Kindly and respectfully, "Oh no were not..."

"Ah, okay well could of fooled me." He looked over in Madison's direction as if to ask for confirmation and got it with a nod of the head.

"Then maybe I could be."

Madison came closer to the two and said as she walked by the man, "Not a chance. Hey Ephram you ready to go."

"I'm set." He couldn't help but smile it was just like the old Madison to blow the other guy off without a care in the world.

They began to walk away and Ephram could see the guy put his hands over his heart and mouth the word, "Ouch" out of the corner of his eye.

Madison and Ephram walked over to the lockers together to retrieve their belongings. Madison was a little upset about what had happened earlier.

"Geese some guys can be such jerks, they think they know it all."

Ephram wasn't sure if the comment was totally generated towards the guy from earlier or partially towards him. But even if it was towards him a little he understood he'd really hurt Madison before, he hadn't forgotten that fact no matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much he wanted to go back and change the way things happened, he couldn't.

"Yea, I apologize on behalf of all males."

"Oh, no your fine that's not your job, it's just that it seems to happen to me a lot these days."

"Well is there anything I can do to help take your mind of it?"

Madison thought of plenty of ways he could take it off her mind but couldn't say them, "That's nice of you to offer but its fine, I'm a girl and you have to get used to it."

Ephram thought she shouldn't have to get used to it and if she was with him, really with him he'd make sure that things like that didn't happen.

"Well if my memory serves I did lose our little bet didn't I?"

Becoming a little happier, "Ah yes you did, so what do I win exactly?"

"Come on I can't tell you now can I, where's the fun in that."

"Then when do I get it?"

"I was thinking how about you met me over at my house in about an hour and I'll give it to you."

"An hour?"

"Yea, gives us each time to get cleaned up a little. So does that sound okay?"

Checking her watch as if to play off the fact that she really didn't have anything better to do. "An hour sounds good to me, your place."

Shutting his locker, "Yup, that's it"