And maybe the flawless Beth would consider her scar hideous, but as scars went, this one wasn’t so bad. It was white and flat, damn near perfect, as far as Haley was concerned. She had been warned that it could remain pink and raised, but instead it had healed rather nicely. She had healed rather nicely.
Even though she knew that having a routine was dangerous and could make her an easy target, Haley survived on her new lifestyle. The routine meant security. After work each day she ran, not in the open air, but in the safety of a gym. She never arrived home after dark because she was always alone and felt safer in the light. She knew that during the dark winter months life might get a bit tricky, but she was confident that she could somehow survive. She had first taken up her new hobby while staying with Ellen. The treadmill sat in a corner collecting dust and laundry until Haley recognized it’s potential and struggled to reach hers. In the past she had thought that one should only run if being chased, but now she had refined that belief. One should run to prepare for the chase. And since she had been caught before, Haley ran like one possessed.
In the beginning, she was so numb from the experience that she would walk then gradually pick up the pace, keeping in motion for an hour or more. Before long she was up to doing an easy five miles per day. Now she was working towards extending the distance she could run at a full out sprint. If she couldn’t overpower her attacker, next time she would at least be able to out run him.
With a hint of excitement, Haley realized she was gradually changing her routine. Aside from the fact that she was going out to dinner with Mr. Davenport and some clients, when she had returned from lunch in the break room, she had discovered a pass card on her desk and a note. Mr. Davenport had offered her use of the company gym after work. And seeing it as a means to save some money on gym fees and transportation, she had decided to try it out.
The door closed dully behind her, the gym all but vacant. In fact, once she changed it was completely empty. Haley selected a treadmill near the window so she could watch the city as she ran. By the time she was concentrating on the sprint portion of her routine, Samuel was standing in the doorway watching her.
Aside from the cocktail dress, he had never really been able to study her figure. Apparently she was riskier with her workout wear. Sporting black spandex shorts and a gray running bra enabled viewing of her flat abdomen and toned muscles. He would have sworn that she had less than five percent body fat. Too thin. Was she running too hard? Could she not afford to eat right? Was she depressed? These were just a few of the questions that plagued him.
Sensing she was slowing down, he decided he had better announce himself rather than risk startling her. “I’m glad to see you took me up on the use of our facilities,” he began in a louder than normal voice.
Turning off the machine, Haley nodded. “Thank you for the offer. It was very generous.” She stepped off the treadmill and began her warm down stretches.
He had much he wished to discuss with her, but he knew he had to build her trust first. He was about halfway through his jog when he noticed she seemed to be heading to the locker room. “Um, Miss Iverson,” he said slowly.
She smiled quietly. “You can call me Haley outside of the office.”
Smiling widely, he responded, “Only if you call me Samuel.”
Cocking her head to one side she considered his request. She shook her head and his heart fell