Chapter 2

“Shit, what happened to you?”
“Ucch, I slipped and then the bus splashed me, I had to change.”
“You’re seriously going to walk around like that?”
“I can’t look that bad...”
“Um.. Steph, I gotta tell ya... It’s not good.”
“What do you mean? I know my clothes are a little big, but it’s just jeans and a shirt, how bad can it be?”
“It’s not the clothes. You have makeup running down your face. You look like a deranged member of KISS.”
“Thanks, appreciate it, really. You have any makeup remover?” 

It was a long agonizing day. Everyone I encountered asked me why I looked like shit. I

didn’t think I looked that horrible once I put my hair up and removed the eyeliner that dripped down my face.

I didn’t look so bad really, just like BNB, my old self. People didn’t treat me badly before, but they never paid any attention to me. When I changed my outer appearance, peoples

reaction to me changed also. 

“Wow Steph, I like that blouse! Looks great!”

“Damn girl that skirt is HAWT!” 

“Hey, where can I find me a pair of those shoes!?”

“Attention office: Stephanie approaches, watch out or she’ll burn you right up, burn baby burn!”

The reactions wore off after a week or two. People still commented on my new found style, but it was more... subdued, not overt and insane. All that attention was coming back

again, but in the opposite way. I felt like the old Steph in the new Steph’s body. Totally uncomfortable. I still had NB’s body. I was wearing my old shirt, which was too big, so I tied it

up so it sort of looked like one of those 80’s knots. My stomach was showing a little bit. At least I could still do that.

Once everybody got used to my new/old appearance work resumed as usual. Semi usual anyway. There were no customers at the club because the weather was so bad. I mean who

would want to come out in an ice storm unless they had to? I thought that we were crazy for

being open actually. The few people who did show up, were old. You know those people that go crazy if they can’t follow their routine? Those are the customers I got. I got call after call from people asking if we were open. Oddly enough, they must not have cared too much. I mean, if I got five calls in an hour about it, I got maybe.... zero of those people actually coming in.

By the afternoon the roads were fine, or so I heard. I work in a basement, couldn’t tell myself. The sidewalks were still a problem though. Wonderful. A girl, or young lady as my mother would say, came in. I guess the ice skating rink on the sidewalk couldn’t deter her any. 

“Can I get a tour of the gym?”

“Sure, would you like to see the rest of the facility?” 

“What?” 

“So the gym is this way. Follow me.” I walked her into the gym, body shop as we call it, and she looked around. The attendant in there asked her if she would like him to show her how the machines worked.

“This is it? There’s nothing else in here? Do all these machines work?” 

“Yes, all the machines work. Would you like Henry to show you how to use them?” 

“Sure.” 

She had this annoying high pitched sing songy voice. She was a little overweight and had some bad acne. I think she was a little.... Slow? She was twenty three and acted like a self righteous teenager. She stayed in the Body Shop with Henry for almost forty five minutes. Long enough so that when she came out again I was surprised to see her. I had managed to forget she was still there. 

“So how much is it to join the gym?” I took out the brochure and showed her the prices. For a single adult, she was 23, the price for the year was five hundred dollars. 

“That’s so much. Can you give me a discount?” 

“Well, there is a payment plan. You can speak to the front desk upstairs about that.” 

“Ohh.... You can’t give me a discount?” 

“I can’t do that, but they might be able to do something for you upstairs.” 

“It’s five hundred dollars just for that little gym?” 

“No. Like I was telling you before you get access to the entire Health & Fitness facility. Would you like me to show you around?”

“Oh. Ok.” 

I took her to the pool where she looked around. 

“This is it?” 

“For the pool? Yeah.” 

“Oh. I don’t know how to swim. Is there a lifeguard?” 

“There is always at least one lifeguard on duty all the time.” 

“Where is he now?” I was a little confused because the lifeguard was sitting right there, on his tall red guard chair wearing a bright red lifeguard t-shirt, so I pointed to him. 

“We do offer adult swimming classes and private lessons if you’re interested.” 

“Ohhh... that’s for free with the membership? 

“No, classes are additional, but there is a discount for members.” 

“So this pool and the little gym, is this it for five hundred dollars?” 

“No, if you come with me I’ll show you the rest.” 

“Ok.” 

I showed her the women’s locker room with the sauna in it. I showed her the showers, I told her the lockers were for daytime use only. 

“So, I can leave my stuff in the locker and use it when I come in?” 

“No, you have to take everything with you when you leave. The locks that are left on the lockers are clipped at night.” 

“Oh.” 

“Would you like to see the basketball court?” 

“Ok, do I have to bring my own basketball?” 

“No, we provide them.” After I told her about the steam room in the men’s locker room, which she could use on the hours which are set aside for only women, she turned around and asked me, “Can I work here with nursery kids?” 

“You would have to talk to the director of that department on the second floor.” 

“Oh. That’s upstairs?” 

“Um... Yeah.”

Unfortunately that was the highlight of my day. I went back to the desk and just sat there and answered the phones, “Yes, we’re open.” “Yes, classes are going on?” “No, we don’t have jujitsu classes, but we do have karate, tae kwon do, and tai chi.” A normal day.