A Better Way to Say the Same

Two days before Christmas, sudden blizzard began covering up the area. At his last appointment a front-desk girl recommended him to schedule a few sessions for the coming new year. This will need to be with Gary, she explained, since Sarah will no longer be available. The gym was full of people trying to do their last exercises before the holiday break. Like all the instructors she had a lot on her plate and was running from one client to another. Natan was scheduled for a certain time slot in advance, and she accommodated him as much as was possible: she knew it was their last meeting. She noticed how unnerved he was walking in the gym. She was not surprised when he stopped her with a question about where she was going and why. She said it was Denver, since January, because she liked traveling. Then she saw how he was leaving. She was walking along the path between the gym equipment toward him. Suddenly his eyes looked straight at her as if he was going to say something. Instinctively. she moved toward him, looking straight into his blue eyes. Many other eyes were looking at them from all sides. They were just passing each other when he said: “I will find you.” “Find a better way to say the same,” she answered quietly. “I will find you,” reiterated he and vanished… The first three months in Denver went well. Sarah did like visiting new places, new cities or nature sites. Especially like Grand Canion. She worked a lot in the new gym, which was very similar to the previous. On the weekends she skied at nearest resorts. The slopes were much harder than she was used to, but there was much more snow. She took a few initial classes and felt it improved her skills and technique. There she made several new friends among girls of her age, trying to escape annoying youngsters. Then winter came to an end, but spring was very uneven, and her spirit was getting uncharacteristically low. She often thought of her parents and home and recalled her last day at the previous gym. It seemed so far in the past. Why did she say those words to him? He said he would find her. Where? How? Could it be done already if he really wanted? She did not expect it to happen right away, as she did not even know what to do about if it did. He could be busy at work, for example. Where did he work? She did not know. She did overhear him once talking with Gary about publishing. But that did not mean anything specific. And then, he might not be able to travel freely from the east coast to Denver, a five-hour flight, freely from his family. She did not know anything about his family and did not even want to. Why? Why in the world would she be interested in his personal life? Well, admittedly, he could be a likeable person, and he definitely was attracted to her…, probably. His way of talking to her, gentle and smart, even if short, and close looks of his blue eyes were sympathetic. His sense of humor. He even wanted to play volleyball with her. But she was not a teenager, for the whole year she took several university courses on man’s physiology and psychology, and she worked as his trainer for several months now. And what should she do about? And should she do anything, really? So, don’t fixate too much on that guy, it’s probably nothing. And why is that she always liked older men? Even much older?... He walked towards a large building. The first floor glazed from the bottom up was divided in sections by four glass doors. The doors were numbered and carried the names of the owners. He did not need to read them as fitness equipment was seen through the glass. He located a wood bench in tree shade, sat down, and prepared for a long wait... A few people walked in and out of the door in an hour and a half, as he was thinking of the right words to say. He looked at a colorful bouquet of roses in his hands. It was shaking. She suddenly walked out, stopped at the door looking around, but did not notice him until he raised up from the bench. He made a few steps and said: “I promised I’d find you. Hello Sarah. How are you?” She looked straight into his blue eyes in disbelief. Slowly she uttered: “You did… Yes, you did.” “Yes, I did it, finally. It took me five long months. I am sorry.”