The rhythmic stomps of my shoes on the treadmill echoed in my ears as I pounded out my frustration. It had been a tense few days at home. Sure, Anita had backed off after letting me off easy the night I went out, but the playful affection we usually had was replaced by a rather cold war. Everything felt scrutinized, from my phone calls to the time I spent at university. It felt like she was keeping a close eye on everything I was doing, even when I'd be outside without her.

Sweat slicked my forehead as I upped the incline, pushing myself harder. Lifting weights and doing some light cardio cleared my brain fog in times where I'm going through a lot of stress. There's just something about the feeling of a lactic burn in my muscles that makes me feel human, and helps me forget everything about the world, albeit momentarily. Maybe then I could figure out how to figure out how to make things right with Anita. Something I knew I had to tread carefully around.

As I finished my warm up walk, I caught a glimpse of blonde hair through the weight room doorway. Jessica. My heart stuttered in my chest, a mix of surprise and a flicker of something else I couldn't quite define.

She was bent over, adjusting the weights on a barbell, the familiar curve of her back sending a subtle jolt down my spine. We hadn't spoken since that night at the bar, the one that had landed me in hot water with Anita. Now, seeing her here, in this neutral territory, stirred a strange mix of relief and nervousness.

'Hey', she mouthed, as she caught a glimpse of me through the corner of her eyes. She spun around, a wide smile lighting up her face.

-

"Adrian! What a surprise!", her voice held a hint of amusement, a playful jab that I couldn't help but grin at.
"I just recently joined this gym. It's so nice to take time off studies, ugh. You come here often?"

"Yeah, this is my pet peeve- getting some exercise in to lift some stress off my shoulders.", I put on a fake smile, gesturing vaguely towards the treadmills.

"Same," she chuckled, "Except my pet peeve involves way too much pizza and not enough gym time~"

We fell into conversation easily, catching up on the past few days. It was light, comfortable, the kind of talk I used to have with Anita before… well, before everything changed.

As we talked, I couldn't help but notice the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed, the way the sunlight caught the golden shine in her hair. It was innocent, friendly, but there was a spark there that I hadn't noticed before. A spark that made my chest tighten in a way that wasn't entirely unwelcomed.

The thought of Anita flashed through my mind. Her watchful gaze, her threats. A pang of guilt washed over me, chasing away the venomous attraction I felt towards Jessica.

"Hey, are you okay?", Jessica asked, concern creasing her brow.

"You don't look really good..", she leaned in with a genuine concern on her face.

"Yeah, just… thinking about some stuff.", I forced a smile.

The truth was, I was lost. Lost between my love for Anita, a love that felt increasingly suffocating, and my bitterness towards her at the same time for bringing up the punishment if I disobeyed her. Disobey. That's right. I..shouldn't flirt with any other girls. My throat ran dry as I stared at the pretty girl standing next to me talk to herself as my thoughts wandered off. This..wasn't flirting, right? Just a friendly conversation. Yeah. She knows I'm married. I haven't touched her or anything. No need for punishment.

Here, in the innocent environment of the gym, the conversation felt like a dangerous gamble, like an imaginary gun was being held to my head, ready to go off if I misbehaved.

-

The scent of disinfectant and rubber filled my nostrils, as we stood by the squat rack side by side, the weight of the barbells looming overhead.

"Alright,", Jessica announced, grabbing a the barbell tightly between her grip.

"Let's get this over with.", her voice held a playful challenge, and I couldn't help but grin, a genuine one this time.

"Absolutely," I replied, mirroring her weight selection. We warmed up together, the clinking of metal a rhythmic filler to our conversation. It was light, mostly, about workout routines and fitness goals. But every now and then, a stray comment, a lingering glance from her, sent a jolt of excitement and guilt through me.

As we started our squats, the air hung heavy with our grunts. I made sure my form was flawless. I watched, mesmerized, by the way her muscles rippled beneath her tank top. The image of Anita, her scrunched up face and violent hands, flashed in my mind. I immediately looked away and downed half the amount of water in my bottle.

"Need a spotter?", Jessica asked, after reracking her plates. Her voice was a husky whisper, and for a moment, I forgot everything else. The gym, Anita, the muscle fatigue – it all faded away.

"Uh, yeah," I stammered, quickly averting my gaze. "Thanks."

We finished the set, my focus solely on the weight and the rhythm of the exercise. But the tension remained. As we moved on to other exercises, we pushed each other, our bodies straining, the grunts of exertion interrupted by giggles and gossips about our classmates.

There was a thrill to it, a dangerous feeling that coursed through my veins that both exhilarated and terrified me. Every glance, every word I spoke to her, felt like a tightrope walk. One misstep, and I could come crashing down, the consequences dire.

Yet, the thought of Anita's watchful gaze, of the cold efficiency that had replaced our warmth, fueled a silent rebellion within me. Here, in this temporary domain, I felt a sliver of freedom, my arms unshackled by Anita's grasp.

-

As we finished our final set, collapsing onto a nearby bench, a strange sense of peace settled over me.

"So," Jessica said, wiping sweat from her brow,

",you up to get something to eat after this?"

My heart hammered in my chest. It was an innocent proposal. Getting some carbs in right after a rigorous workout boosted muscle regeneration, I agree, but would this be considered flirting?

In this gym, where I felt liberated from Anita, it felt like an invitation to a world beyond just the walls between the abusive marriage between her and I.

My throat tightened.

'Sure.', I said, unable to meet her gaze. The word hung in the air, an agreement that I knew violated Anita's clauses, one way or another. But I needed sometime away from her.

With that, she winked again and headed towards the locker room. I watched her go, a knot of frustration tightening in my gut. Suddenly, the gym felt suffocating, the air thick with unspoken desires and the weight of impossible choices.

We walked out of the gym together, a comfortable silence settling between us. This connection, whatever it was, felt like a secret, a dangerous spark in the sterile world I now inhabited. As we walked together, the image of Anita waiting for me flashed in my mind. But for the first time in days, a sliver of hope, a flicker of my own desires, oppressed the fear for Anita I had in my mind.