All the way to the gym, Matthew kept reminding himself that his sole purpose in going there was to work out. His health was important and working out was a means to that end.
Nevertheless, he was disappointed when he stepped out into the workout area and Howie wasn’t there. He found himself working out slowly, keeping an eye on the door to the men’s lockers. After two complete circuits of the exercise stations—he usually did only one—he concluded Howie wasn’t going to show. Even so, his shower was taken at a leisurely pace and his after-shower routine was a masterpiece of slow motion movements and poses as if he were performing a Tai Chi exercise. Finally, he gave up, tied his trainers, and left.
Now he sat in the parking lot of Howie’s apartment building, convincing himself the right th
