The Fastest Way to Fall(92)

Del glanced over his shoulder. “I dress better than that.”

Ignoring his casual appraisal, I settled on the couch. “My appearance slipped my mind, what with losing the job, losing the guy—oh, and the Internet collectively deciding I’m an untrustworthy slut.” I hadn’t run or gone to the gym since Monday morning, and my body wasn’t used to being still for so long. The idea of putting on my sneakers and running without Wes made me sad, though. I’d gotten used to his strides matching mine.

“It’s a small segment of the Internet.” Del unloaded groceries, setting milk and vegetables, yogurt, and a bevy of food options in the fridge and cupboards. Kat and RJ shot him pointed looks, but I couldn’t be mad at his honesty.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, watching him opening and closing cupboards. “It was a substantial enough segment for me to lose my job, though.”

“You didn’t lose your job. You lost the job you wanted.” RJ grabbed the other iced tea and sat next to me. “Still bad, but you’re not unemployed.” She fixed me with a to-the-point stare.

Kat was in her full elementary school teacher mode and patted my arm. “As for the guy . . .”

Del joined us in the living room. “B, you lied to him and put him at risk for some major shit. And it sounds like he lied to you, too. How was it going to last? You guys were a mess.”

Kat and RJ shot him matching glares again, and Del held up his palms. “What? I’m just giving her the hard truth.”

“You could be nicer about it,” Kat scolded.

“I know you’re right,” I agreed, glumly. Wes had felt so perfect next to me, like all was right with the world. It didn’t seem possible we weren’t supposed to be with each other.

“But . . .” Kat’s expression changed as she settled next to me on the couch. “You were with him. How was it?”

“I don’t want to hear this.” Del laughed and walked into the kitchen, hands over his ears. “I need more friends.”

She elbowed me in the side. “C’mon, don’t hold out on me. I’m old and married. I want details. He’s a big guy?” Kat raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up,” I said, pushing her away, but laughing in appreciation of the juvenile joke. “It’s not funny.”

“It’s not, but we wanted to see you smile.” RJ wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder. “How you doing?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I was worried you’d be curled up in a little ball after the thing yesterday.”

“What thing?” I’d been deep in a Netflix hole for most of the past two days so I wouldn’t have to wonder what Wes was doing or whether he missed me. It hadn’t worked. At one point, while binging a baking competition on Netflix in the middle of the night, I decided I wouldn’t compete in the 10K. It would draw unnecessary attention, and I doubted I could finish the training on my own anyway.

“Oh. I figured you’d seen it.” Kat’s careful demeanor made me worry, but I was already feeling so low, I couldn’t imagine anything fazing me.

“Seen what?”

RJ pulled her phone from her pocket with a sigh. “This came out yesterday. You don’t have to read it, though.”

Kat leaned toward me. “You really don’t need to read it.”

“After what happened this week, it can’t be that bad.” I took her phone and saw HottrYou’s social media page. Photos of shiny people in small bathing suits filled the screen, but on top was a link to a press release.

    HottrYou president Kelsey Marshall responded today to reports that HottrYou coaches have been promoting unsafe and unhealthy practices.

“We train our coaches to use the utmost care with clients, and it is regrettable that allegedly some have interpreted our training to mean recommending crash dieting and dangerous exercise practices. We will suspend our coaching operation immediately to launch an investigation.”

In response to the recent scandal involving competitor FitMi Fitness, Marshall stated she knows FitMi Fitness CEO, Christopher “Wes” Lawson, to be ethical and professional. Said Marshall, “It’s a shame Body FTW turned into something ugly. We saw the two reviewers bring people together to reach their goals, and while we were, of course, #TeamHottrYou, both women should be commended on their efforts and for sharing their stories. We urge Best Life and FitMi fans not to let this blip sour you on two fantastic platforms.”



That was unexpected. I skimmed forward as she praised their innovation, the highly trained coaches, and the seamlessly integrated platform. I was no business whiz, but when your competitor was down, it seemed prudent to strike versus sing their praises.

    “I believe in the company and their mission, and that’s why, in the coming months, HottrYou and FitMi will work together, combining the best of both programs to support the fitness and goals of all new and future users. The FitMi coaches are highly trained, educated, and professional.”



I looked up in disbelief.

Del had walked back in, holding a bottle of water and a banana and standing behind the couch. “What are you reading?”

RJ ignored his question and nodded to me. “Keep going.”

I skimmed forward as they shared a few thoughts about the merger and then quoted Kelsey about the scandal with FitMi. Her answer left me rereading the sentence several times.