Sonia couldn’t believe it. Nate had attended her first virtual yoga class. She stared at the picture he’d sent to the club, his hair disheveled and his eyes dancing. He was wearing a loose grey T-shirt, but she could see how pumped he was, and she definitely liked the view. She looked a little closer, assuming this was his hotel room, and saw a dog on the couch behind him with a green tennis ball.
He’d gotten a dog? That was great.
Then she got his text message.
She had to call him immediately.
“Buchanan,” he said in a sexy growl and Sonia’s toes curled.
“You look hot,” she said, then realized he might take that the wrong way. “I’m not hitting you up for commitment, just providing a public service announcement.” It wasn’t entirely true, but if they were going to keep talking and stay friends, then she couldn’t try to change the deal between them.
He’d made his position clear.
Damn that Trish.
“Is that right?” he said, replying in kind.
“It is. You should use extreme caution in letting anyone with a libido see you in this state.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “It could result in random acts of sexual intent.”
“Thanks for the warning, but I’m so good with that.”
Sonia sobered at the reminder that she’d been next and not last. She didn’t think it was a coincidence that Nate had said that.
“Great class,” he said, his voice so warm with approval that she flushed. “I knew you’d rock it.”
“I was so nervous.”
“I would never have guessed. You looked like you had the world on a string.”
“Was it too much?”
“No, just enough, I thought. You showed that you had history and scars, and are a shining example of rising above it. I was totally impressed, and I’m on your side.”
“I think you always were.”
He sounded a little embarrassed. “Pretty much.” There was a warm silence between them, one that gave Sonia a little glow of optimism about their future.
“Wait until tomorrow’s episode,” she said, then caught herself. “Not that I’m expecting you to become a routine viewer.”
“I might,” he said. “I feel like I’m starting to get this yoga thing. Besides, that’s what friends are for,” he concluded lightly, as if warning her not to make too much of it.
“Do you have a dog?” she asked, to change the subject.
He was silent for a moment. “You had a good look at that picture.”
“I’m always up for a little eye candy.”
Nate coughed a little. “That’s Sheba, my new companion.”
“She looks big.”
“She is and don’t think about making off with that tennis ball. Never mind that you could wring it out.”
Sonia made the disgusted sound that she knew was expected of her. “I’m glad,” she said.
“Me, too,” Nate agreed. “Now, on your advice, I need to step out and let women see me after my yoga session.”
“Maybe you should sing.”
“Great idea! The panties are going to fly.”
Sonia knew she was supposed to laugh but she didn’t want to think about him having a hook-up with someone else. “Maybe you should get the band back together.”
“Maybe.” His voice dropped low. “Are you feeling okay about stepping into view like this?”
“Nervous,” she admitted. “I’ll probably have that dream tonight.”
“Is it changing?”
“It wasn’t as bad last night.”
“Progress then, just because you refused to stay hidden.” He paused for a minute. “You could press charges, you know.”
“I know.” She sighed. “And it would be his word against mine. I’m sure he’d have great lawyers and I don’t want to spend the new few years living that. I’d rather let karma take care of it.”
Nate didn’t say anything for a minute. “Have you thought about challenging them outright?”
“What?”
“Having your say. Clearing the air. Letting the truth loose. It might be really cathartic.”
The idea shook Sonia’s world. “Did you go and become a therapist when I wasn’t looking?” she asked and he laughed.
“No, but when you’re afraid of something, it often turns out to be a lot less scary than imagined. We can build things up into mountains, when they’re really just little molehills. Even if they’re hills, they might not be the mountains we fear.”
Sonia thought about it. “That’s something to think about. Thank you, Nate.”
“Just being a friend.”
Sonia took a chance. “I’ve never had such a good friend. Thanks for showing me what I was missing.”
Nate was quiet for a minute. “Losers, Sonia. You better at finding losers than anyone I’ve ever known.”
She smiled. “Maybe I’m getting over it.”
“Good,” he said, but he didn’t sound very happy about it.
“Take care, Nate.”
“You, too, Sonia.” He ended the call and she looked at her phone for a long moment. It had been good to hear his voice again, and if this was the way they had to interact in order to stay friends, Sonia would do it. She wanted Nate in her life, in any way. She saved the picture just because he looked so irresistible that she knew she’d want to peek at it again.
She wouldn’t think about him being with anyone else.
Or that smile.
The feel of his mouth under her fingertip.
The way he kissed her nipple.
Actually, once she started thinking about the way Nate made love, Sonia couldn’t stop remembering.
She certainly couldn’t keep herself from wanting more.
There was no way Nate was going to miss Sonia’s confession on her second podcast. Tuesday had seemed like a long day, despite him having a ton of work to do. He did an online workout with Angel, made more progress on his online class, and conferred with Mack about apartments. He took Sheba for multiple walks and a longer run than the day before, and made some modifications to her harness. The blister was healing well and he thought they might be able to try it out by the end of the week. He went through the floor plans for two apartments, then drove past them both. He liked the end unit at the one complex which was near a park, so he signed a lease to move in over the weekend.
He was going to have to get some furniture and was glad the main bedroom was big enough for a king-sized bed. He’d woken up that morning with a foot of mattress, and Sheba sprawled in the middle of the bed.
On her back.
That evening, he cleared away the furniture to participate in Sonia’s class again. He’d broiled some chicken, which had come out pretty well, even earning the Sheba clean-bowl of approval.
As ever, Sonia looked amazing, and that smile of welcome made him feel good all over. It was hard to believe that she’d filmed this session the day before, because she was more confident and assured. She was sitting cross-legged on the mat, Meesha and Jacquie behind her again. This time, she had a #MeToo logo on her shirt, which didn’t thrill Nate at all.
Sheba jumped on the couch with her tennis ball, settling in to watch.
“Hi,” she said with a fingertip wave. “Welcome back, if you’re joining us again. I’m still a bit nervous, but you’ve all helped with that. Thank you if you sent in a picture after yesterday’s podcast.” She pointed downward and once again, an url appeared. “Please keep sharing your journey with me. It’s so exciting to see faces as well as to read your responses to what we’re doing here. It makes me feel connected to you, as if I’m teaching a class at the club, live and in person.”
Meesha hooted and Jacquie applauded.
“Did you know that you can add your picture to your free F5F account, if you want to track your progress? There are some free widgets available for you to add to your profile for tracking. They’re public on free accounts, but can be set to private on paid accounts. Meesha’s going to give you a summary at the end of the podcast of the differences between the two kinds of accounts, and review what you can do and how to do it. Today, we’re going to stretch a little harder and talk about how journeys begin.” She smiled at the camera. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Nate was in the zone when Sonia began to speak with quiet intensity.
“My journey started early and not in the best way. I was ten. He was thirty-six. When he told me that I was his special girl, I was thrilled to be singled out.” She shook her head, making all that pink silk sway and shimmer. “I’m going to guess that some of you know what I was about to learn.”
Even though Nate had been pretty sure what had happened to her, it was a hundred times worse to know that Sonia was going to say it out loud.
“Just remembering it makes me a little anxious,” Sonia admitted, her words falling quickly. “Let’s do some breathing and stretching while I remember that I’m safe now.”
She had him then, and Nate had to believe everyone watching was on her side.
It was fifteen minutes further into the session before she continued her story. “Soon I wanted to disappear. I wanted to be overlooked. I didn’t want to attract the kind of attention I was getting. I believed the situation was my own fault, that I’d invited it. So, I ate.” Sonia looked at the camera. “I ate a lot and you can predict what happened as a result. I hated how I looked, but I couldn’t break the cycle, not until I moved away and there was no one compelling me do things I didn’t want to do in the night. I had to leave to even begin my journey of becoming who I was born to be.”
She led them through lunges and the Warrior pose before continuing. When she looked strong and imposing, she continued. “It’s your right to be at ease in your own body and in your power to make it so. I’m not saying everyone should be thin. There’s beauty in every shape and size. Listen to your body. Believe the messages from your heart. Ask for help when you need it. Dare to be the person you want to be, not just in the way you look but in the way you interact with the world. My experience left me with scars, inside and out, but it also gave me the determination to become a registered therapist myself.”
When she was sitting cross-legged again, Sonia smiled at the camera. She looked warm and sparkly. “Good session? I hope so. I have another homework assignment for you. I want you to make a list of people in your life who support you and make you feel good about yourself. Part of becoming your best self is giving yourself a caring network. We need to surround ourselves with those who support us on our journey, and we need to turn away from those who are hurtful or even indifferent. I hope you have at least one person in your life who lifts you up or has your back, someone you can trust completely.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Meesha. “Meesha is one of the most enthusiastic, positive and cheerful people I know. I love her confidence and just hearing her voice makes me smile.”
Meesha smiled and waved. “Right back at you, girl.”
“And Jacquie is so practical and giving. I rely so much on her advice. She’s like the mom I never had.”
Jacquie smiled. “You’re such a sweet person, Sonia. Being around you always reminds me to be kind.”
Sonia smiled at the camera again. “You know I’m going to tell you to make space in your life for those fortifying connections. You might want to make a collage of photographs of those people or of you with them and hang it somewhere you can see it.” She leaned closer to the camera. “Reach out to one of those people before our next session. You can write down how it makes you feel in your journal.”
She sat straight, guiding them through the final stretch. “Remember that Meesha has some tips for you about the F5F interface and getting the most out of your free account, so don’t disappear just yet.” She inhaled and exhaled one more time, then opened her eyes. They were vehemently blue and Nate just stared at her in awe. “I’m Sonia. Thank you for joining me today and I hope to see you tomorrow. Don’t forget to send me a picture of yourself after your workout.” She pointed down and smiled when the url appeared. “I love how that happens,” she whispered. “It’s magic.”
“It’s the work of busy IT elves,” Meesha said and they laughed together. The camera moved to focus on Meesha as the screen divided to show the user interface beside Meesha. This part had been recorded separately because Meesha was in the F5F office in her work clothes. Nate picked up his phone. He debated the merit of sending another picture, then chose to let it go.
They were friends. Sonia was on her journey. If he’d been even a small part of that, it was all good, but they were done. If he kept contacting her, she might think he wanted more.
Nate did, but he knew that wasn’t the smart choice.
He put his phone down, then went to change.
Sheba needed a walk before bed. He whistled and she bounded after him, running back to get her tennis ball.
Sonia wanted to call Nate after Tuesday’s session aired, but her phone rang before she could.
It was Katia.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed when Sonia answered. “I’m really sorry. When you told me, I thought you were making it up.”
“You apologized before. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay and now—why did you have to do this now?”
“What was I supposed to do?” Sonia demanded. “Spend my entire life hiding from them? I wanted to do this podcast. I had the opportunity and I took it. It’s a risk but a small one. They don’t watch fitness shows.”
“But they’re coming this weekend. You could have waited a week or two.”
Sonia’s heart jumped. “I’ve waited twelve years, Katia.”
“I know! It just sucks.” Her sister sounded exasperated. “I’m trying to protect you, even though Bucky said I shouldn’t.”
“He did?”
“He said you were strong and that you didn’t need rescuing.” Katia cleared her throat. “He told me to respect you more.”
Sonia smiled that Nate was so resolutely in her corner.
“Are you going to?” Sonia asked, her tone teasing.
“Seriously, Thalia.” Katia spoke with ferocity and Sonia felt a jolt at the sound of her old name. “Seriously. I really blew it. I should have believed you. I thought you just liked cake. That was what Olivia said.”
Of course she had. Sonia felt anger spark at her mother’s betrayal.
“Did he hurt you?”
“Not in a way that many people would count,” Sonia said. “He touched me. He made me go down on him. He told me that no one would believe me if I told.”
“And he was right: I didn’t.” Katia swore. “How often?”
“At least once a week. Sometimes more. I cried a lot, but in hindsight, I think he liked that.”
“That’s why they gave us separate bedrooms,” her twin said. “All that crap about girls needing their own space was just a lie to facilitate him. I could rip his face off right now.” Then she caught her breath. “Do you think Olivia knew?”
They never called Olivia ‘Mom’ or even ‘Mother’ by mutual and silent agreement. The staff hired to watch them had shown more maternal inclinations.
“How could she not know?” Sonia asked the question that had haunted her for years.
“How could she look the other way if she did?” Katia demanded. “I should call her and chew her out about it.”
“If you did, she’d just say you were a liar looking for attention,” Sonia said wearily.
“Is that what she said to you?”
“I tried to tell her, way back then.” Sonia admitted. “She yelled and threw dishes and called me names. It was awful.”
“I remember that day,” Katia said. “I wondered what you’d done.”
“It’s in the past, Katia. I don’t want that experience to define my life. It’ll always be a part of me, but I won’t be ruled by it.”
“That’s fair.”
“Here’s the thing, though. Did you know that Gloria has a younger sister?”
Katia caught her breath. “No.”
“Yes. All these years, I thought it was just me, but it wasn’t. I have to do something.”
There was a beat of silence before Katia cleared her throat. “I have to meet them on Saturday.”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“I figured it would be easier to get it behind me. All the cameras and the happy reunion.” Katia exhaled. “I really want to make a scene now and have a tantrum like a toddler. Wouldn’t it be great to trash their photo-op? I’d probably never hear from them again.”
Sonia remembered Nate’s idea of challenging her parents and liked it more than she had before. “When and where?” she asked before she could lose her nerve.
“No!” Katia whispered.
“I think yes,” Sonia said.
“But he could…”
“What if he doesn’t know which of us is which?” Sonia asked and Katia began to chuckle.
“Think the pictures will make the front page?”
“No, it can’t be public,” Sonia said. “There can’t be photographers, because then they’ll be embarrassed and there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
“True.”
“It has to be a private meeting, the four of us and maybe some impartial observers.”
“Like Tobias,” Katia said, misunderstanding her. Sonia was never going to underestimate her step-father again, though. She wouldn’t give him the opportunity to have the upper hand. “I’ll change the meeting,” she said. “I’ll suggest they come here and insist that our first meeting be private. They’ll argue, but I’ll make it a dealbreaker.”
“Good. That’ll work. I’ll write up some notes for you.”
“You mean there will be a script?”
“Definitely. We don’t want to miss any of the details.”
“This is going to be awesome,” Katia said with satisfaction. “I’ll make sure you have a reward.”
“What are you talking about?” Sonia demanded, but her sister was gone. She had better things to worry about than Katia, though.
She was going to need help.
She had to call Pierce.
Sonia logged in for F5F’s weekly meeting on Wednesday afternoon and was surprised to be greeted with a cheer. They’d taped a dozen sessions already and she loved how the show made her feel. It was exactly as she’d envisioned and the mail was cascading in.
She wasn’t expecting such a welcome to the virtual meeting.
“All hail the new superstar,” Kyle said and the others hooted and clapped. Someone had made an animation that spilled virtual confetti over the screen. “Early results for your podcast are fabulous, Sonia.”
“Thanks,” Sonia said, feeling her cheeks heat. “But there have only been three episodes aired.”
“And you’re already the queen of our social media connections,” Meesha said. “You are owning those channels, Sonia.”
That made Sonia glad of the plans she had with Katia for the weekend. Success wouldn’t help her avoid her parents’ attention, but she was done with keeping a low profile. She felt as if she’d been born to do this podcast.
“And capturing the elusive twenty-to-forty-year-old female demographic,” Theo said. “We’ve never gotten so much traction with the under-30’s before.” He pointed at Sonia and smiled. “You rock.”
“New paid memberships are up,” Cassie said. “We had over fifteen hundred pictures sent in from Monday’s podcast and gave away thirty notebooks.”
“They’re also selling well in the online store. Time to shift from printing-on-demand to doing a production run,” Damon said.
“We can get nicer ones at a lower price per unit that way,” Cassie said and Damon nodded.
“We have charts,” Tyler said, who looked tired. “We want to build on success and take it to the next level. So, our number one action item this week is Sonia’s podcast.”
Cassie shared a graphic with a gesture. Become who you were born to be was written in pink script on a black background. There was a chart beneath of the number of views, and Cassie broke it down a bit, showing how many viewers had watched multiple times.
“I’ve done some preliminary media research on locating more people in the demographic that are finding resonance with Sonia’s class,” Meesha said. “I prepared a proposal for social media ads with a budget.” There was a chorus of pings as her proposal landed in all the email accounts.
“What do you think about rotating guests?” Theo asked. “It’s a good way to celebrate diversity.”
“But you’re not kicking me out,” Meesha said. “I’m already feeling the difference.”
“We have to be careful about maintaining the pod for safety during the pandemic,” Cassie said. “We can work through the partners and some staff but still ensure everyone’s safety.”
“What about bringing in hosts of other podcasts?” Kyle suggested. “There’s got to be overlap, for example, between people interested in nutrition and those watching Sonia.”
Meesha shook a pen at him. “On it. I’ll look for correlations.”
“I think we should book that billboard in Times Square again,” Damon said. “It’s big and showy, and always brings in new membership.”
Tyler winced. “But expensive and we don’t know when we’ll be opening our doors again.”
“We don’t know that they work as well for digital clients as live ones either,” Theo said.
“It might be better to put that money in social media ads,” Meesha said.
“But we need a way to ensure revenue while we’re closed or we won’t ever open again,” Cassie said. Tyler frowned. “Right now, that’s got to be through the virtual classes and podcasts. Sonia’s success could help. Where do most of our viewers live?”
“I assume Manhattan but I can drill down into that,” Meesha said.
“Let me know if you need help,” Theo said and she pointed at him.
“You might be able to skew the reach by inviting famous guests to join Sonia’s class.”
“Good idea. I’ll work out a list of candidates.”
“I want to see another week of numbers before committing to a big promotional budget,” Tyler said, nodding. “But let’s keep it on the table as an option. Let’s build the visibility and revenue using what we have now. What about merchandise? The stuff that is produced on demand is less risky in terms of cash management. We could have more than the notebook.”
“I’ve been thinking about that very thing,” Cassie said and no one was surprised. She pulled up mock-up images of items emblazoned with the pink script. “We’ve got the one journal, but we could do a fancier one. We want a travel mug and a water bottle, a yoga mat and carrying case. We want a tank top with the logo on it, and two tote bags, one cheaper and one that blows it out of the park. This one has a lot of zippered compartments, including a place for your phone.”
“That’s gorgeous!” Sonia said. “I’d use it.”
“I want one!” Meesha said.
“What about a specialized app for paid memberships?” Damon said. “Track your progress to becoming who you were born to be, whether that’s about weight loss or strength or whatever.”
The conversation continued, ideas sprouting on every side until Sonia’s head was spinning. She loved the energy of this team and their creativity.
“Read, review, report back next week,” Ty said, drawing the chaos to a close. “Next item is another big one: should we close down Flatiron Five Fitness West for good?”
There was a gasp and then silence.
Sonia didn’t even want to think about them giving up the San Francisco sister club and neither apparently did anyone else.
Kyle held up a hand. “Branching out was my idea and that club is so important to me. But I’m the one who added this to the agenda. We just don’t have the history and the membership out there yet, and we’re in debt on the building since it was new construction.”
“Tough to pay the note with no revenue,” Tyler said.
“That beautiful facility is just sitting there, empty,” Theo said with a shake of his head. “It’s so spectacular.”
“Without a schedule to re-open or even that ability to make a tentative plan, I’m not sure we should hang on,” Kyle said. “Although it kills me to admit that.”
“Do you have a buyer?” Ty asked.
Kyle winced. “The competition has made an offer. Their facility is older which is why we were gaining market share, at least until the pandemic.”
“Then if we sell to them, we lose our edge in that market,” Damon said. “It would really bite to have the competition using that place.”
“And you know they’ll offer less than it cost to build,” Ty muttered.
“We’ll lose money,” Kyle said. “Of course, they’re low-balling, looking to grab a deal. It’s just about how much we want to hang on, and whether our pockets are deep enough to do it.”
“It’s so gorgeous,” Cassie said. “I feel like we poured our hearts into it.”
“We?” Kyle said. “There’s a piece of my soul in that place.”
Theo nodded agreement.
“Selling it would feel like a betrayal,” Damon said.
“But the cost of keeping it could impact our financial situation here, over time,” Ty said. “We’re just not seeing the revenue from podcasts and virtual membership from the left coast.”
“Maybe that’s because most of our hosts are from this club,” Cassie said. “Maybe we need to make more of an effort to get our teachers from F5FW to climb aboard virtually. I mean, it’s California, Silicon Valley. Where else are people more plugged in?”
“We need to lift our game,” Damon said.
“I can reach out to the team there,” Kyle said.
“I’ll give you a list of good candidates,” Jax said.
“Maybe we need to have another round of our east-west challenge,” Theo suggested. He grinned at Kyle. “Unless you’re afraid to lose again.”
“I did not lose last time!” Kyle protested and the two began to tease each other about their moves and the voting in their last challenge.
“You can’t do pop-ups and dance numbers again,” Cassie said. “Even if there wasn’t a pandemic, you’ve done that before.”
“Whatever you do should tie into the virtual memberships and podcasts somehow,” Damon said.
“We could highlight productions, pitting east against west in a friendly competition,” Theo said.
“We could participate in special editions of those podcasts,” Kyle said. “We can do it virtually with split screens, like last time.”
“I’m totally going to Sonia’s yoga class,” Theo said with a wink for her.
“We don’t have to compromise the pod. We can use the same video editing team, just like we did with the competition,” Damon said. “They were great and fast.”
“Expensive for regular classes,” Ty said, predictably.
“This would be a special edition,” Cassie said.
“They might be too busy with Sonia’s class,” Theo noted.
“But we’re building a backlog of episodes,” Sonia said. “And getting ahead of ourselves. We could maybe take a break during the competition.”
“It would be great to use the same team,” Jax said. “The end product was so polished.”
“Daily voting,” Cassie said. “Free online memberships and prizes.”
“And a grand prize,” Meesha said. “More points every time you enter.”
“Like against like,” Sonia said. “You can focus on the difference between the style of the two hosts.”
“Thanks to Cassie, they have such great branding already,” Theo said. “The daily prizes should be specific to the show or category.”
“Yoga mats, small weights, water bottles, workout gear,” Kyle said. “Some funkier stuff too. I need to talk to Rachel.” He was referring to his second-in-command in San Francisco, a flamboyant and creative dynamo.
“I need a budget!” Ty interjected. “I want to know what it’s going to cost before you two dive in.”
“No matter how much the world changes, some things are constant,” Kyle said. “Like Ty keeping a tight grip on the money.”
“We’re all still here because of it,” Ty said grimly. “Did you see that our competition on the upper east side has filed for bankruptcy?”
“Plus one in Jersey and one in Soho,” Theo agreed.
“Not that we want to cheer for the downfall of others,” Cassie said sternly. “That would be bad karma.”
“But less competition when this pandemic ends,” Kyle said.
“We have to be the one left standing,” Ty said and they all nodded agreement.
“Of course, we will be,” Kyle said with his usual confidence. “No one is going to take down the best club in town.”
“Let’s wrap it up for today,” Ty began but the other four partners shouted in protest.
“Don’t forget the best news of all,” Cassie chastised him.
“I wasn’t forgetting,” he said, even as the back of his neck reddened. “It’s impossible to forget.”
“But you know what causes it,” Kyle taunted and Ty flicked him a hot look.
Another participant appeared on the screen, an appearance obviously arranged by the other partners without Ty’s knowledge. He was the only one who appeared to be surprised by the sight of Shannyn, cradling their new arrival.
“Awwwwwwwwww,” everyone cooed in unison, Sonia included.
Shannyn smiled and held the baby’s face closer to the camera. “Meet Joshua,” she said softly, because the baby was sleeping, dark lashes splayed on his cheeks. She smiled proudly as the others offered their congratulations.
“And who’s next?” Ty asked, as if he knew something the others didn’t.
Cassie flushed. “December for us,” she said, tapping the table. “Knock wood.” The others applauded as she smiled with pleasure.
“January for us,” Theo said, holding up his crossed fingers. Kyle hooted as congrats were shared again.
“Looks like there’s only one thing to do during lockdown,” Damon said with a smile and Kyle grinned.
“Ty’s trying to out us, too, I think.” Kyle smiled with pride. “Lauren’s due in September.” After acknowledging the good wishes of the others, he leaned in to razz Damon. “You’d better get busy, dude.”
Damon didn’t smile though. “We’ll wait,” he said firmly, a reminder that the pandemic was far from over.
“Tell Haley she’s our hero,” Ty said and they closed the meeting with a round of applause for Haley.
Sonia sat back, her excitement rising. Her podcast was on its way to becoming a success. She hadn’t planned it but she welcomed it, and she was going to celebrate it—once the Saturday meeting was behind her.
Maybe when she’d healed more, she’d have a better chance with Nate.
That was enough incentive to encourage her to work on that script with Katia. She crossed her fingers, meanwhile, hoping that all the details of her plan came together.
“This just came in yesterday,” Pierce said when he convened a video meeting for Silver Fox Security on Thursday morning. “It’s kind of special, being a request from Flatiron Five Fitness, my old haunt.”
Nate straightened with curiosity.
“I spent yesterday gathering information and deciding whether we should consider this job. I think we should.” Pierce touched his laptop and an image appeared on the big screen. It was a smiling older couple who Nate recognized immediately.
What was going on?
“Olivia Fairley and Derek Strong!” Mack said with awe.
Everyone looked at her, even as Pierce nodded.
“They’re actors,” she said. “Married and divorced, then recently reunited on a set.” There was silence and she looked surprised. “Come on. He’s the Heart-Throb of America.”
“Seriously,” Angel said.
“Hardly,” Nate said under his breath.
Mack shook her head. “Don’t you people read the papers?”
“I read the news,” Troll said.
“Actors,” Smoke said with a shake of his head. “I’m with Troll. Give me real news.”
“Not everyone wants to read about wars all the time,” Mack said, prickly.
“The four horses of the Apocalypse,” Regan said. “War, famine, pestilence and death. My favorites.”
“Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the world,” Angel drawled. “We’re too good at pretending it’s not as bad as it is, so nothing ever gets fixed. Let’s watch sitcoms instead of feeding hungry kids.”
“Spoken like the team cynic.” Mack rolled her eyes.
“Hey, when I get assigned a task, I deliver,” Angel said.
Pierce held up a hand before they could continue and the group fell silent again. “Mack’s right. Apparently, the Strongs have reunited. They have two daughters and are only in touch with one of them.”
“Where’s the other one?” Mack asked.
Nate wondered whether he should say anything. For the moment, he listened.
Pierce started a slide show of the happy couple. There was an image of them waving to their adoring masses outside a club or restaurant. The next was of them signing autographs together on the set. The next image was of the couple with two girls. It was an older picture, at least fifteen years old, given the change to the couples’ appearances. The girls were blond and clearly teenagers. It was the one from the tabloid that Nate had seen at Sonia’s place.
“That’s an old picture. How old are the daughters now?” Jimmy asked, who had two daughters of his own.
“Thirty,” Pierce said. “One left home at eighteen. The Strongs are apparently mystified as to why.”
Smoke coughed. “She might have been abducted. Shit happens to teenage girls.”
“She could be dead,” Troll contributed, which wasn’t the most cheerful thing he could have suggested in Nate’s view.
“Apparently not,” Pierce said. “She’s the one who contacted me.”
Glances were exchanged. Nate kept silent, wondering why Sonia had called Pierce.
“She must have had a reason for leaving home,” Mack said.
“Exactly,” Pierce said.
“Speaking as someone who disappears and doesn’t always want to be found,” Jimmy said and Pierce’s smile flashed.
“Whatever happened, it was probably behind her decision to change her name.”
“Changing her name? That’s big,” Regan said.
“Something else went down,” Smoke said. “That girl had a reason to run.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Pierce said. “And now the Strongs want to have a reunion with their daughters, according to the tabloids and the daughter. She wants to step up and meet them first, without any media. She asked me to have a team accompany her to that meeting.”
Nate wanted to cheer. He couldn’t help but smile that Sonia was going to confront her fears, just the way he’d suggested.
Pierce smiled at him. “I think Nate knows more about this than he’s shared.”
“I do.” Nate turned to Jimmy. “Can I send a picture from my own phone to the laptop to share it?”
“Absolutely.” Jimmy talked Nate through it and shared the picture he’d saved from Sonia’s first podcast.
Jimmy then zoomed in on the girls’ faces, putting the images side by side, and everyone caught their breath.
“That’s her,” Regan said.
“Maybe a third of her,” Angel said and Nate resisted the urge to deck him. “Down, boy,” the older guy said, obviously noticing his expression. “Who is she?”
“Sonia Olson,” Pierce said.
“She works at Flatiron Five Fitness,” Nate said.
“She was at our wedding,” Pierce said. “She works with Jacquie.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Troll said, then turned to Nate. “Wait. You left the wedding with her, you lucky bastard.”
Nate nodded. “She’s my friend.” The word was painfully inadequate to describe what he felt for Sonia but he reminded himself to stay in his lane.
“I need more friends,” Angel muttered.
“Good luck with that, given your sparkling personality,” Smoke said and they grinned at each other.
“She’s launched a podcast at the club, teaching yoga,” Nate said. “She was afraid they might find her, but I encouraged her to go for it.”
“And now she wants to strike first,” Pierce said, spinning in his chair. “Jacquie thought she was just too shy to teach online.”
“Me, too, but since your wedding, she’s told me more,” Nate said. “She said her parents were toxic to her.”
“Toxic?” Mack echoed. “Derek Strong is toxic?”
“That was her word.” Nate shrugged.
“But what did he do?” Mack asked.
Nate didn’t think he was breaking a confidence, since Sonia had talked about it on her podcast. “He sexually abused her, from the time she was ten.”
Mack gasped and the guys looked grim.
“Bastard!” Regan whispered and Nate nodded agreement.
“I suggested that she take charge of the situation, that she’d be less vulnerable than if she was hiding,” Nate concluded. “She’s been hiding for years, always worried they might turn up.”
“And now she’s taking your advice to end it,” Pierce said with undisguised satisfaction. “We’re doing this job pro bono,” he said crisply. “I don’t like the situation and I don’t like seeing people I respect being bullied. Nate, I’m assuming you want to be in on this.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And since you’re friends with Sonia, your presence will help her, too. Troll, how do you feel about a drive to Manhattan next Saturday?”
“Count me in,” Troll said.
“The plan is for the other sister to meet the Strongs where she lives, in the apartment of one Tobias de Wynter on the Upper West Side. Apparently, it’s large enough for social distancing and will offer some privacy. Sonia intends to arrive as a surprise, and we’ll be with her.” He began to type. “I’m sending you an address, Regan, so you can try to find us a floor plan of the building and the unit itself. It’s private property so might not be so easy.”
“Please,” Regan said, and audibly cracked her knuckles.
Pierce smiled. “Troll, you’re getting the address, too, to map out your route. Take the Escalade. Nate can finish up his quarantine a day early, I think, given the importance of his role in this.”
“I’ll take Sheba for the day,” Mack volunteered before Nate could ask.
“And I’ll walk up there, just in case,” Pierce said. “Jimmy can ensure we all have comm.” He gave the camera a hard look. “Armor up, both of you. It’s impossible to know what a person will do when their secrets are revealed and they feel cornered. I have to think his career is at stake—given his reputation.” He nodded toward Mack whose lips tightened to a thin line. “With so much to lose, he may become violent and we don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
“But we’ll be there,” Nate said with resolve and the team nodded.
“That was smart of her to call us,” Regan said firmly and Nate agreed.
He’d been right when he’d told Katia that Sonia didn’t need to be rescued, but that didn’t mean that she had to do everything alone.