Chapter 10
Eric was such a gentleman. He offered to take Bridget to dinner. He fussed about her ordering her food. Buying her lemonade (seeing as she couldn't drink). Then he took her back to her apartment and they talked some more. Then he told her about how he and Kaya got married, and then they divorced and now he was living in Maryland just to change the pace. He had defied his mother and moved from Mexico to Georgia with Kaya, then they split up and Eric when to Maryland. He told how he graduated from college with engineering. Now he was looking for her. Bridget wasn't sure how she felt about this. Deep down she knew he was an awesome guy but she still felt a little fragile about their past. Oh, well only time would tell what was going to happen.
Lena was excited. She drove to Gildas in her mother's car her heart racing. This was her first aerobics class. It would be OK she thought. She pulled into the parking lot. Opening the chained gates, she slipped (or she tried to) through the fence. Ten minutes later, the class was into full swing.
As it turns out there was a new instructor. April was gone but was coincidentally replaced by June. She was sharp, snappy and a lot younger than the trio was. She would snap at the girls "Only three. Listen to me"
Her temper was very short as was theirs. They were hot, sweaty, pregnant women that could easily think of a million other things they'd rather be doing. But they went on gruelling as they attempted star jumps and easy walks. By the end of it, Lena was in stitches. The aerobics class was so easily laughable that she could imagine what 10 pregnant women bouncing around in a mass of Lycra must look like. Carmen, Bee and Lena walked back to a café around the corner and drank their caffeine free teas. They moaned about how big they were and how swollen their feet were. They talked about how close they must be now, it was September after all. Little could Lena know it was just a bit closer than she expected.
Bridget sunk into the lumpy mattress. She was hot. That Gildas fiasco was horrible. Couldn't they just protest or something. She had never been one to turn a chance to bounce around but now, well things were different. She couldn't help thinking about the troubled look on Carmen's face during the day. She had put on a weak smile while Lena gasped for breath and when Bridget had fallen over mid-star jump. She wasn't happy. Something was troubling her and Bee knew it.
Carmen shivered even though it was hot outside. Why him? She thought. Her father had been badly injured in a car accident and he had broken his neck. At the moment he was paralysed but the doctors thought the should be able to do something about it. That was what Paul was hiding from her. But why? Wouldn't it be better for her to know and for her to be able to help? Maybe he didn't want her to help. Or he might have been trying to keep her happy. Carmen would never know why. Suddenly Carmen heard the sound of the apartment door being opened ad then a stifled scream. Then a familiar male voice spoke to Christina and she heard footsteps coming closer. Happiness swelled like a balloon inside her. Win was here. Finally she thought. It was so good to see him again. She couldn't wait. Win entered the room and kissed Carmen on the head. The thoughts of him pushed the horrible ones about her father out of her mind.