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When she put the curl bar back on the rack she saw them approaching.

Them. Ugh…

Laura was certain she was going to pay a penalty for her actions in the league against Janie, she had no idea just how severe. She’d taken some rules liberties for sure and most definitely defied and, if interpreted differently, bad mouthed the gym’s founder.   Two pretty good-sized strikes.   She was still working on getting back into the good graces of some girls, though most felt she’d done enough to mend any fences.

Still whatever penalty Diane had in store for her she was more than willing to take for what she’d done. Some of the other girls had their chance and did what they thought needed to be done to settle the score. Laura saw this as just had her shot at a perceived bad apple and took it he way she knew how.

Straight ahead with force.

As she’d always done.

As she’d learned.

As she’d been taught.

She’d been brought up in a tough streetwise family and learned tough streetwise lessons.

It was her way.

She knew in this circumstance there was going to be something come of it. Perhaps her league days were over.   Perhaps her GYM days were over, though she was confident that might be a tad severe.

Then she saw not only Diane, but Allison as well and her mindset changed.   She had every intention of just abiding by whatever happened in the league but presence of the two of them felt like it might be a bit more.

“Laura, how are you?” a calm greeting from Diane.

“Im fine, thanks. You?” then turning to Allison and nodding “Allison.”

“Im well” Diane said

“Laura how are you? You are looking good.” Allison said, always upbeat.

Diane started. “About Janie and that match…”.

Laura took a deep breath. “Let’s hear it.”   Might as well get this over with

“Laura, we cant just have you disobeying what I or any other girl who may decide to be a referee have to say.   You cant just blatantly flout the rules. You cant just pound other women because you are angry.   We cant have it.”

“I know…”

“We know you know, but sometimes we think you don’t hear it.” From Allison

“I know…” she sighed again.

Diane took over the conversation again.

“Here’s what we are going to do.   You are going to take a loss, Janie a win.   You are going to understand that this is your only warning. Next one will be your last in the ring at this gym.   I’ll have to kick you from the league, there will be no choice.   Besides the woman standing next to me it’s likely no one here can stop you when you are in a rage like that. We cant have the girls worrying about crazy ass Laura showing up for their match.   We need you to understand that the competition is great for everyone but when the match is over, and you see each other around the gym you are friends or acquaintances once again. It needs to be understood that you are more than beneficial to the league as a whole but the league does not fall apart if you are not here.   Take a look around sometime. There are a lot of ladies here and Im certain we could find a replacement. You’d be a huge loss but in time we’d gloss right over you and you’d be on the outside looking in. Im certain you do not want that, right?”

Through it all Diane was remarkable in her tone. There was no anger or hate, just complete command. She is the boss and this is how it’s going to go … take it or leave it.

“Right and I understand. Thank you for the second chance. Understand I did what I did for both of you and this gym. I love this place and the girls here. It part of my life and a part of my circle.   However, this wont happen again unless you say the word. I hope it never gets to that.”

Diane looked at Allison.

“Good enough?”

“Good enough for me.” Allison smiled a little, letting out her own little sigh. “Well that went better than we planned.”

“Yes it did” Diane added and turned to leave. “Now the commissioner is leaving. Have a nice night Laura, see you later Ally?”

“Uh… maybe. We’ll see. I think Im busy tonight.”

Diane turned and left toward the pool where Brianna was keeping an eye on a couple of swimmers.

Laura waited until she was through the door.

“Better than you planned?”

Allison smiled. “Well yeah. You aren’t exactly Miss Even Keeled all the time.”

Laura smiled. “C’mon its not that bad. I just am a little intense.”

“Ya think?”

“Listen thanks for not going too hard on me. I can take loss that doesn’t bother me too much, but I just knew that was going to be my chance and I took it. I just hope Janie doesn’t do something dumb like get the police involved. Assault and Battery wouldn’t look good at my job or on my resume.”

“What?” Allison was stunned.

“You know… I kind of beat her to a pulp. Her husband is a lawyer if I remember correctly.”

“Yes I believe he is, but lets see… she got hurt in a friendly match at her local gym that she signed up for knowing an injury could happen. That would be weak at best.”

Laura kind of nodded, not convinced but it was nice to know at least someone was on her side.

“So… how did it feel?” Allison asked.

“Huh?”

“You know the best part of turning this whole league over to mom? She has complete power in everything and has to sort of toe the line. I on the other hand am out of it. I can say and do as I wont. No consequences.   She has to talk … uh… on the record if you will.   I on the other hand can say what I want, it’s my gym.   You think she left us alone by accident? She’s a smart woman.   Plausible deniability right there.   So how did it feel smashing her in the face?”

“Honestly?” a surprised Laura said. “Pretty damn satisfying.”

“I’ll bet and thank you for that.   Listen she has to be a hardass in the league. I have to play impartial gym owner for many and she has to play impartial commissioner and referee to the league.   We have to have a united front on the rules, but she’s the boss and I am pretty much free to say what I want.   Between you and me and in this room Janie got what was coming and I couldn’t be more happy that it was you administering a little street justice. On the record you are in trouble in the league, off the record you probably earned a lifetime gym pass from me. Thank you for always being in my corner.”

It meant a lot to Laura to hear that.   After the surprise of it of course.

“My pleasure. Im always going to be here for you and I’ll try my best to walk the straight and narrow in the league.”

“Excellent. Now that we’ve cleared that up are you here to work out with the baby weights or are you up for some big girl work?”

Laura laughed at not only the sentence but the situation.

“Oh it’s on big girl. Lets see what you’ve got.”

And for the next 90 minutes they put on a show that … no one got to see.   It was late and near closing time and the gym was empty.

Description

When she put the curl bar back on the rack she saw them approaching.

Them. Ugh…

Laura was certain she was going to pay a penalty for her actions in the league against Janie, she had no idea just how severe. She’d taken some rules liberties for sure and most definitely defied and, if interpreted differently, bad mouthed the gym’s founder.   Two pretty good-sized strikes.   She was still working on getting back into the good graces of some girls, though most felt she’d done enough to mend any fences.

Still whatever penalty Diane had in store for her she was more than willing to take for what she’d done. Some of the other girls had their chance and did what they thought needed to be done to settle the score. Laura saw this as just had her shot at a perceived bad apple and took it he way she knew how.

Straight ahead with force.

As she’d always done.

As she’d learned.

As she’d been taught.

She’d been brought up in a tough streetwise family and learned tough streetwise lessons.

It was her way.

She knew in this circumstance there was going to be something come of it. Perhaps her league days were over.   Perhaps her GYM days were over, though she was confident that might be a tad severe.

Then she saw not only Diane, but Allison as well and her mindset changed.   She had every intention of just abiding by whatever happened in the league but presence of the two of them felt like it might be a bit more.

“Laura, how are you?” a calm greeting from Diane.

“Im fine, thanks. You?” then turning to Allison and nodding “Allison.”

“Im well” Diane said

“Laura how are you? You are looking good.” Allison said, always upbeat.

Diane started. “About Janie and that match…”.

Laura took a deep breath. “Let’s hear it.”   Might as well get this over with

“Laura, we cant just have you disobeying what I or any other girl who may decide to be a referee have to say.   You cant just blatantly flout the rules. You cant just pound other women because you are angry.   We cant have it.”

“I know…”

“We know you know, but sometimes we think you don’t hear it.” From Allison

“I know…” she sighed again.

Diane took over the conversation again.

“Here’s what we are going to do.   You are going to take a loss, Janie a win.   You are going to understand that this is your only warning. Next one will be your last in the ring at this gym.   I’ll have to kick you from the league, there will be no choice.   Besides the woman standing next to me it’s likely no one here can stop you when you are in a rage like that. We cant have the girls worrying about crazy ass Laura showing up for their match.   We need you to understand that the competition is great for everyone but when the match is over, and you see each other around the gym you are friends or acquaintances once again. It needs to be understood that you are more than beneficial to the league as a whole but the league does not fall apart if you are not here.   Take a look around sometime. There are a lot of ladies here and Im certain we could find a replacement. You’d be a huge loss but in time we’d gloss right over you and you’d be on the outside looking in. Im certain you do not want that, right?”

Through it all Diane was remarkable in her tone. There was no anger or hate, just complete command. She is the boss and this is how it’s going to go … take it or leave it.

“Right and I understand. Thank you for the second chance. Understand I did what I did for both of you and this gym. I love this place and the girls here. It part of my life and a part of my circle.   However, this wont happen again unless you say the word. I hope it never gets to that.”

Diane looked at Allison.

“Good enough?”

“Good enough for me.” Allison smiled a little, letting out her own little sigh. “Well that went better than we planned.”

“Yes it did” Diane added and turned to leave. “Now the commissioner is leaving. Have a nice night Laura, see you later Ally?”

“Uh… maybe. We’ll see. I think Im busy tonight.”

Diane turned and left toward the pool where Brianna was keeping an eye on a couple of swimmers.

Laura waited until she was through the door.

“Better than you planned?”

Allison smiled. “Well yeah. You aren’t exactly Miss Even Keeled all the time.”

Laura smiled. “C’mon its not that bad. I just am a little intense.”

“Ya think?”

“Listen thanks for not going too hard on me. I can take loss that doesn’t bother me too much, but I just knew that was going to be my chance and I took it. I just hope Janie doesn’t do something dumb like get the police involved. Assault and Battery wouldn’t look good at my job or on my resume.”

“What?” Allison was stunned.

“You know… I kind of beat her to a pulp. Her husband is a lawyer if I remember correctly.”

“Yes I believe he is, but lets see… she got hurt in a friendly match at her local gym that she signed up for knowing an injury could happen. That would be weak at best.”

Laura kind of nodded, not convinced but it was nice to know at least someone was on her side.

“So… how did it feel?” Allison asked.

“Huh?”

“You know the best part of turning this whole league over to mom? She has complete power in everything and has to sort of toe the line. I on the other hand am out of it. I can say and do as I wont. No consequences.   She has to talk … uh… on the record if you will.   I on the other hand can say what I want, it’s my gym.   You think she left us alone by accident? She’s a smart woman.   Plausible deniability right there.   So how did it feel smashing her in the face?”

“Honestly?” a surprised Laura said. “Pretty damn satisfying.”

“I’ll bet and thank you for that.   Listen she has to be a hardass in the league. I have to play impartial gym owner for many and she has to play impartial commissioner and referee to the league.   We have to have a united front on the rules, but she’s the boss and I am pretty much free to say what I want.   Between you and me and in this room Janie got what was coming and I couldn’t be more happy that it was you administering a little street justice. On the record you are in trouble in the league, off the record you probably earned a lifetime gym pass from me. Thank you for always being in my corner.”

It meant a lot to Laura to hear that.   After the surprise of it of course.

“My pleasure. Im always going to be here for you and I’ll try my best to walk the straight and narrow in the league.”

“Excellent. Now that we’ve cleared that up are you here to work out with the baby weights or are you up for some big girl work?”

Laura laughed at not only the sentence but the situation.

“Oh it’s on big girl. Lets see what you’ve got.”

And for the next 90 minutes they put on a show that … no one got to see.   It was late and near closing time and the gym was empty.