Gigi and Hope waved bye-bye to Starr as they walked out to the pool. Starr stuck the bathing suit she had bought that day in an empty locker. The workout room had every machine and weight known to man plus an area for yoga or aerobics. There were doors that led outside to the alcove for the hot tub and then a path down to the pool. One wall was lined with lockers for the convenience of anyone staying at the estate. Of course there was a full bathroom attached as well.
Starr changed in the bathroom and came out to grab the IPod Shane had lent her. He had been eager to give it to her saying he was trying to convince his parents that he needed a new one. She plugged in the headphones and walked over to the stair climber.
It wasn't much more than ten minutes later that Brody walked in ready to start his workout. He had found himself working out more than usual lately. He enjoyed his job, but sitting all day behind a desk wasn't his favorite part of it. That plus living so close to Starr was leaving him edgy at the end of every day; working out seemed to be the best way to work off some of the energy. If he hoped to find an excuse to show off in front of Starr, well, he shook his head, it wouldn't matter. She would be looking for someone her age, who had been to college, when she was looking to settle down. He was more than ready to do so now, but he knew twenty year old Starr wouldn't be ready to settle down.
He grabbed his gear to change when he heard a voice singing around the corner of the room. Of course, Starr was working out now. Brody wasn't sure whether to laugh or beat his head against the locker. The fact that he exchanged the t-shirt for a tank top was another thing he didn't want to examine why.
He adjusted the bench press machine and started his workout. Brody wished he had brought some headphones himself to block out all the voices he was hearing. At this time of day, he was usually the only one here, and he could blast the stereo to whatever he wanted. He completed his reps, and moved on to another machine and then the next completing his way around his circuit.
Starr finished her time on the exercise bike. She wished she knew how to use some of the other equipment in the room. She had been watching Brody in the mirror since he entered. She remembered Langston's reaction when he and Christian tried to teach Ford how to box and understood it in an entirely different way now. He looked like he was finishing his workout.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?"
Brody wiped his face on a towel, "Sure."
"How do these machines work?" Starr gestured to the equipment scattered across the room.
"Have you ever used any of these before?"
"No, Langston and I took a yoga class, and other than that I just stuck to the stair climber and treadmill. There were always these guys around who didn't look like they wanted any beginners around."
"There are those guys at every gym. I can show you without an audience. Want to start with this one?"
"Sure!"
Brody began describing the how and why the machine worked the muscles in the body. Normally, Starr would have been fascinated by it because she knew she was a science geek. This time she was noticing how the muscles in Brody's shoulders moved as he demonstrated something; that he- must have had some cinnamon gum on his way home; and that he really seemed to be happy to be showing her what to do.
"Do you want to try?"
"What?" Starr was interrupted from thinking how soft his hair had felt, "Sure!" Whatever she was agreeing to try.
"I'll adjust the weights and remember your posture."
Starr grabbed the handholds and tried to bring the bar down, "Oww!"
"Are you okay? The weights aren't adjusted yet."
"Uhh, I'll live, but it hurts." Starr grabbed the back of her right shoulder with her left hand.
"Let me take a look." Brody rubbed and poked her shoulder. "I think it's just a strain. The best thing would be a dip in the hot tub and then ice it after dinner."
"Good thing I bought a suit today. Will you join me?"
"Why not?" Though Brody's brain was trying to supply him with a few dozen reasons, the rest of his body didn't listen.
Starr grabbed her new bikini and went into the bathroom to change. However, she ran into a problem when she tried to reach for the strap across her back. A scene with Langston and James at the country club pool flashed through her memory. Maybe this could work for her.
"Brody, could you help me?" Starr came out of the bathroom holding a towel to her chest.
"What do you need?" Brody turned towards the door from his locker and nearly swallowed his tongue.
"It hurts to reach back. Can you tie this for me?" Starr's voice was incredibly innocent as if she didn't know what she was asking.
"Sure," Brody starred at her bare back and tried to focus on making a bow out of the dangling ties. He was not thinking about running his fingers and then his lips up the indention for her spine! Luckily for him, he just had to slide a hook into the other side - a bow was beyond his ability at the moment.
"Thank you."
The two made their way outside to the hot tub and climbed in. They staked out adjoining corners and sank into the bubbles.
After a few moments, Starr knew she had to say something, "How was your day?"
"It was good; we wrapped up the travel fraud case. And yours?"
"I went shopping again," Starr made a face and shrugged her shoulders. "Ow, gotta remember not to do that."
Brody laughed, "Come over here, maybe I can help." He flexed his fingers dramatically.
Starr slid over next to him, "Can you work your magic?"
"I'll try. First, I told you that you are the only one that cares how much time you spend shopping. Kelly and Gigi are beside you, right? Have you heard Joey and Rex complain about them?"
"Gigi goes to school and takes care of Shane."
"Are you saying that you don't take care of Hope, and I'm sure the college would let you attend if you applied."
"True. By the way, you can keep doing what you're doing."
"It's helping?"
"Um, yes," Starr sighed.
They both fell silent for a few moments. If asked later, Brody would blame the silence for what he did next. He started thinking that it shocked him that this young heiress would be bothered to think she was living a life that she was entitled to live. Her spirit impressed him so much. His hands slowed until they were resting on her shoulders rather than massaging the sore spot. He remembered Starr giving his shoulder a kiss in Ireland to make it better. He wondered if it would help again. Brody dropped his hands to Starr's waist. He realized his hands could nearly wrap around her body. He felt an overwhelming urge to protect her. Brody cleared his throat, "Would a kiss help make it better?" Before Starr could say anything, he lowered his lips to her shoulder. Starr's chin dropped forward , and she placed her hands over Brody's. He trailed his lips over to her neck and then down the trail that had tempted him earlier.
Starr turned towards Brody and ran her hands up the well defined muscles in his chest. "Well, I do feel better now."
"I'm glad, but we should make sure."
"Oh, you do, do you?" Starr laughed as she crossed her wrists behind his neck.
Brody's next move was lost as they heard pounding feet, and Hope's yells of "Mommy, Mommy," sent them back to opposite corners of the hot tub.
Starr got out of the tub to catch her daughter as she hurled herself towards them. "Ready to get cleaned up before dinner?"
Hope nodded as her mother picked her up, wincing just a little.
"Do you have her?" Brody climbed out and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Gigi put a hand on his arm to hold him back. "Sorry to interrupt!"
"Why would you think you were interrupting?" Brody tried to not sound defensive.
"Yes, people always spring to opposite corners when they aren't be interrupted," Gigi laughed. "Why don't you just ask her out already?"
"She'd never go out with me."
"Yeah, that good looking, successful, hero type - you always hear women saying they would meet less of them and more losers."
"She's twenty. At twenty, who wants anything besides fun in a relationship?"
"Uh, you and me? Weren't you nineteen when you proposed to me?"
"But you had Shane."
"And Starr has Hope."
Brody opened his mouth to respond, but Gigi cut him off, "No, if Starr isn't mature enough, or too whiny, or not experienced enough or whatever, I would support you. However, if you aren't going for it because you are afraid she'll leave you for someone more or from some other fear, then I'm going to keep pushing you to not blow off something that could be great. Besides, I'm sure your SEAL buddies would have something to say about fear preventing you from acting." With that parting shot, Gigi walked into the house leaving Brody trying to come up with a response on the patio.
Author's Note: Yeah, I know nothing about any of the machines so I know I was vague. I didn't want to stop the story for some fact that I googled that may or not be correct. Not that I don't think a writer should try to be right. It just didn't seem to matter here. The point is to get Brody and Starr in the hot tub.