The following morning before school, Hanna gazed at herself in the Body Tonic full-length mirror and adjusted the straps of her black Lululemon tank top. Then she twisted around and checked out her butt in the matching black-and-pink short-shorts, pleased to see that her legs looked toned and sexy. She dabbed tinted moisturizer on her cheeks and nose, ran a tube of gloss across her lips, reshaped her shiny auburn hair into a ponytail, and spritzed a little bit of Aveda Chakra 4 on her pressure points. Every guy she’d met went crazy for the scent. Lucas had loved it—until he’d gone to a nude beach with Puke-a-tan and forgotten all about her. She still hadn’t received a single text from him. She had flipped over all the pictures of him in her room so she wouldn’t have to look at his cornflower-blue eyes and wonder if Brooke was staring into them right then.
Hanna was actually excited for class to start. At least when Vince was barking out orders, she was too distracted to feel sad about Lucas. As she pushed open the door to the fitness room, she heard moans. “That feels so, so good,” someone said.
Hanna paused, wondering if a couple had ducked into the room for an early morning make-out session—ew. But then she caught a flash of a familiar red T-shirt. One of the boot campers was lying on the floor, her legs up in the air. Vince was standing above her, pressing on her foot to stretch her hamstring.
“Is that releasing the muscle?” Vince murmured, grinning down at the girl.
“Oh, yeah,” she answered dreamily. “It’s amazing.”
Hanna’s hackles rose. It was Dinah Morrissey, the feel-my-ass girl.
“Want me to do the other leg?” Vince asked.
“Sure,” Dinah purred in a gravelly voice, lifting a checkerboard Vans slip-on. Dinah couldn’t even wear Nikes or Reeboks like a normal gym-goer.
Hanna leapt across the room as fast as her legs could carry her. Maybe she couldn’t compete with Brooke from a thousand miles away, but she was right here in front of Vince, and the choice between her and Dinah was obvious.
“Um, Vince?” she simpered. “I was going to ask you to stretch me out, too. Yesterday’s workout was a killer.” She twirled a piece of hair around her finger. “Would you mind? I’m in so much pain.”
Vince stood and looked from Dinah to Hanna. “Um, sure, I guess I could,” he said, releasing Dinah’s leg. “We have a couple of minutes before everyone else is due to arrive.”
Dinah sat up and crossed her arms over her ample chest. “What about me?”
“I’ll stretch you after class,” Vince promised.
Ha, Hanna thought triumphantly.
“Lie down,” Vince instructed, and Hanna did as she was told. He told her to raise her left leg, knee bent, and cross her right leg over it. He leaned over her, his hands touching her legs lightly, and pressed. “How does this feel?”
“Really good,” Hanna whispered, staring into Vince’s eyes, which were a dazzling shade of turquoise. Once, when Hanna and Mona first joined the gym in eighth grade—back when they were just beginning their transformations into pretty, popular girls—Mona had stood behind Vince at the juice bar and dropped her change on the floor in an attempt to get his attention. When Vince turned those blue eyes on her, she’d felt hypnotized. “I couldn’t say a word,” she’d gushed. “He was just way too gorgeous.”
Hanna hoped Mona was watching her now from whatever hell she was in, eating her heart out.
“You’re really sore from yesterday, huh?” Vince murmured.
“Mmm-hmm,” Hanna murmured. “But it’s a good kind of sore, you know?”
“I’m sore, too,” Dinah piped up, sitting cross-legged next to them. She had the kind of cleavage guys could stuff dollar bills into. “And you’d be so proud of me, Vince. I had grilled chicken and veggies last night for dinner, just like on your meal plan.”
“That’s great.” Vince sounded delighted. Suck-up, Hanna thought.
“So how long have you worked at the gym?” Hanna asked loudly, diverting the attention back to her.
Vince cupped his hands around Hanna’s knee. “A while, I guess. Long enough to notice you. I’ve watched you run on the treadmill. You have great form.” He laughed sheepishly. “Sorry. I hope that doesn’t sound weird.”
“Of course not,” Hanna said quickly. “So have you always wanted to be a trainer?”
“Well, yes and no,” Vince said. “I’d actually like to start my own spa. It would have personal training, but also a lot of body services as well.”
“That sounds amazing,” Hanna gushed. “I love spas.”
Dinah giggled in that good-natured way that sounded friendly but Hanna knew was sarcastic. “Everyone loves spas,” she said.