The Very Best of Friends

Steve always refused to give advice but would come back later, seemingly out of blue, with a story about a mate who just happened to have a similar problem to young Matt. This new friendship affected him profoundly, and he began helping out his grandparents more often and talking to them about some of the things he had been mulling over since starting to work with Steve. When he had brought up the idea of giving up work to going back to study something and get a qualification of some sort his grandfather had given him a toothy grin and said, "It's never too late to change your stars."

Not wanting to give up the independence a weekly paycheck had given him or be a burden on his grandparents and their meagre pension, he began to look at what type of courses were available at night. It wasn't until he was taking Steve home one night having gone for a beer after work that he heard a commercial for a course to become a Personal Trainer. His friends talked about going to the gym and having a personal trainer often enough, but Matt had never bothered, he got all the exercise he needed every day at work why would he want to do more.

"If I was ten years younger that's what I'd be doing," Steve suddenly said into the darkness of the car. "I'd be getting physical with Oliva newton-John alright."

"With who?" Matt tried to place the name but couldn't.

"Fuck me you're a baby, Google it," he chortled. "She's still as hot as she ever was and trust me older women are much better than those young stick things you hook up with on the weekend. Experience and an adventurous heart outweigh youth and firm tits every time."

"I tell ya she wouldn't have to ask me twice to get physical," Steve murmured, and the song started playing from his phone. Matt glanced down a few times at the small screen as Steve drunkenly sung along with his phone.

Matt came back to the present and laughed. That night had been the beginning of his two new hobbies, fitness, and middle-aged women. He didn't particularly like the over aggressive cougar type, but he took what he could get, and there were many around these days. He preferred the quieter women who tended to mother him, making sure he ate well and looked after himself. The type who almost spoilt him in the way they tried to look after him. He had believed he could be in love once with a woman who gave the best blowjob he had ever had in his life, as well as being an awesome cook; she even did his laundry for him. She had returned to her husband in the end after making the man jealous by being seen dating and having fun with a much younger man.

Steve had been right on both counts, and his life had been much happier since then. In taking the leap to start his own business, however, he had not realised how hard it would be and found himself picking up the odd day or two of work on the construction team to tide things over financially, while he tried to make connections within the world of health and fitness. If these eight women had any links at all to the health and or nutrition industry, he could have a way in that until now had totally eluded him.

*****

"I don't know how I let you talk me into this," Joanna groaned as Joanna opened her front door. "I think I sleep-drove over here."

"Come on in and I'll make you a smoothie to get you going," Joanna said cheerfully.

"What no coffee even?" Joanna said crestfallen. "None of that kale or other green superfood stuff, just fruit okay?"

"We're healthy remember and how do you know you won't like my breakfast smoothie until you try it?" Joanna cajoled as they walked through into the kitchen. Joanna could see a young man through the glass sliding doors to the back patio setting up some equipment while he sipped at a drink. She couldn't tell for sure, but she imagined he got to have coffee, and she irrationally resented him for it as she dumped her bag on the floor and sagged onto a stool at the kitchen bench.

"Why are we doing this again?" she asked "And if you tell me this was my idea I may well slap you. I think I got railroaded," Joana complained.

"We are all doing this for you sweetie," Carla walked into the house without knocking. "So you can go to that wedding and make that rat regret ever leaving you." She looked into the kitchen, "Aren't we Joanna?"

"Yes and no, we are also doing this to get fit ourselves. You know we all turn fifty next year and some of us are feeling like a bit of a make-over might help to deal with that fact," she said trying to take the middle road.

"Oh God, that's even worse than Carla's reason," Joanna grumbled and shrugged out of her light jacket wishing Melanie was there instead of Carla. She had a tight filming schedule this week for a commercial or something and had done her fitness test on Monday. Joana accepted a glass of what looked like thick juice rather than a traditional smoothie from Joanna. "That's pretty good," she nodded and looked back out onto the back patio where the young man was warming up and stretching.

"He's a bit yummy, Joanna," Carla tilted her head as if trying to get a better look at him.

"He's young enough to be your son," Joanna clicked her tongue at her friend but laughed. "He's a friend of Billy's and he's very good so put your claws away and play nice."

"Oh yeah, I'll play nice if he does," Carla assured her with a wink and made her way out onto the patio to meet him.

"Drink up Joanna, you know Carla will probably occupy most of his time, so you won't have to do much today," Joanna encouraged. "He's very nice; everyone says so," Joanna reassured her.

"I guess I just feel that at our age we should be allowed a modicum of leeway when it comes to our figures, you know. Middle-age spread happens why fight it? Why go out and kill yourself to try and look like the younger generation who haven't had kids, or the experiences we have?" Joanna reasoned.

"I don't know about you, but my mind still thinks my body can do everything my younger self could, and I don't know that I am ready to slow down and just accept being an old woman yet," Joanna answered honestly. "I don't feel old so why should I act it. You don't look old why are you giving in so gracefully to the perils of old age. Surely, you don't want to be wearing absorbent underwear sooner than you need just so to don't have to worry about laughing or sneezing in public."

"Okay that's enough, you've convinced me," Joanna held up her hands in surrender. She finished her juice and joined Carla on the back Patio.

"You must be the Joana I have heard all about," he smiled at her as she approached them.

"And you must be the miracle worker who is going to make me twenty-one again," she laughed.

"Chronologically no, but if we get you halfway to feeling that young, you can suggest my sainthood again," he grinned then paused. "Oh wait, its two miracles for sainthood isn't it? Ah well, we'll see what we can do about the first one and maybe look for a second when it accomplished."

"Well, you have confidence that's for sure," Joanna said as he continued to measure different parts of Carla's body and note them down in a book.

"Your turn," Matt offered his hand to help her step on the scale.

"Is this necessary, I mean I haven't accidently signed up for weight watchers have I?" Joanna protested with an uncomfortable laugh.

"This is how we get a baseline to see how well you are travelling during the boot camp. You can weigh in and be measured as often or as seldom as you like after today but it's important to get a good baseline so you can see your achievements and judge when things aren't working well so we can change your program. Kylie tells me she is going to look at your nutrition and dietary needs. The whole point of this is to get you to a nudist colony, isn't it?"

"Oh my God, why would she tell you that?" Joanna was horrified. "Why would she tell him that, Carla? I don't think I can do this, after all. I'm not some silly woman who wants to go and parade around naked at a nudist colony!" All her anxieties about the wedding rose to the surface. "I didn't want a boot camp or a diet, they all decided this without even asking me. I can't believe I let it go this far. I am sorry to have wasted your time." She pulled herself together and walked back inside. Without a word to anyone she picked up her jacket and bag and let herself out the front door."

"Shit," Matt said watching her leave. "The way everyone talked I thought this was her idea."

The rest of the women who had come earlier in the week had talked warmly of their friend who needed a bit of help becoming confident with her body. They all seemed to suggest that they were here solely to support her though at least half of them needed to be here more than the woman who had just left as far as he could tell.

Joanna heard the door slam and came out of her bedroom with a robe wrapped around her body in time to see Joanna drive off. She immediate turned to look at Carla, who had come inside after Joanna.

"Don't look at me I didn't do it, he did," she pointed at Matt, who was still perplexed by what had just happened.

"What happened?" Joanna demanded.

"You all seemed so keen to be here for her. All of you talked about Joana and why she needed my help. Like none of you would be here if she hadn't asked for help. I guess you should have told me that you made her do this," Matt explained. "Or at least that it was a secret, I thought she knew it was all about her; please tell me the story about the nudist colony was true at least."

"Mel's gonna kill us," Carla looked at Joanna. "Who told him it was a nudist colony for fucks sake?"

"Mel's on location until Monday which is why she swapped days with you this week remember?" Joanna shook her head. "You know Jojo will just bottle it up and not talk to anyone. We'll go over tonight and make it right again. You get the wine, and I'll get the pizza," Joanna said, and Matt rolled his eyes. No wonder these women had weight issues if they used food as a crutch every time something went wrong. He had a plan of his own and if it worked nobody needed to bring her pizza and wine.

He felt like he knew Joanna as well as these ladies, he had heard so much about her this week. He could tell they genuinely loved her but also thought she needed to be looked after, guided and pushed to make her life better. While they each had reasonably well-paying careers, she had been a housewife and mother. She got a job and career after her divorce from the company executive that had traded her for a younger woman. He had expected someone who wanted a life like her successful friends but just couldn't make it. Now he wasn't so sure she was the woman they had described to him or that she wanted to be anything other than she was.

"We should probably finish your baseline while you are here," Matt said to Carla. "Assuming you can talk your friend around and even if you can't we can start the rest of your programs next week,"

*****

Joanna was miserable. She hadn't wanted to be there this morning. She had felt bullied and pushed into it by her friends who just wouldn't let it go, and now she had been rude to a very nice young man who had done nothing more than make conversation with her. It wasn't his fault that she had become her friend's pet project, and once again she wished she had have waited to talk to Melanie alone rather than let them all weigh in on her dilemma at the girls night.

She could have reasoned with Melanie alone and talk to her about what she wanted to do instead of being railroaded into getting up at the crack of dawn to let a man half her age weigh her and handle all her wobbly bits. It was humiliating enough to start with but to know that they told him that she wanted to join a nudist colony was the very last straw. She sighed loudly as the embarrassing thoughts crowded her mind. She would have to call him and apologise for her rudeness. It wasn't his fault after all.

Sitting at her desk, she brought up the email Joanna had sent them all with Matt's business details before they had committed to the morning fitness test. She assumed that by the start of work he would have finished with their boot camp but worried that she may disturb him if he had gone straight to another client if she called now. She could email him instead, but an emailed apology just didn't seem as sincere. Stymied by indecision, she went on to her daily work and thought about it some more. Concentrating on a bank of receipts that just didn't seem to add up she hadn't noticed the young receptionist approach her just before twelve.

"There's a man here to see you, Joanna," she said with a bright smile and it's not your son or at least he says he isn't." She looked at the older woman speculatively.

"It's probably just some office supply salesman," Joana said pushing her chair out from her desk and moving towards the front showroom.

"He asked for you by name, and he doesn't look like any salesman I have ever seen. He is not the suit and tie type, more of a rugged and outdoorsy kind of guy I would say," she looked over her shoulder. "You haven't joined a gym have you?"

"Who me?" Joanna laughed dismissing the words. As if the bubbly Brittney would think anyone over thirty should be doing "young people stuff" as she called it which included hanging out at the gym. Joanna walked into the showroom with Brittney and froze as Matt turned to face her.

"Matt? What are you doing here?" she blinked in bewilderment. Perhaps he was mad enough to come for a personal apology. Well, that wasn't going to happen now, she thought indignantly.

"I was concerned with the way we left things this morning," he said not assigning blame to her for walking out. "You asked a lot of questions and then didn't wait for the answers. I thought maybe we could have lunch and talk."

"Oh Brittney, stop that," Joanna said seeing the girl looking incredulously at the two of them. "It's all perfectly innocent I can assure you." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Matt. "I don't think there is much to talk about all my questions were rhetorical. I'm sorry to have wasted more of your time."

"I see, well I'm happy to talk here and let Brittney hear all about our early morning rendezvous if you like, I just thought lunch would be nicer because I have more to talk about even if you don't," Matt said in the same frustrated tone she had used with him.

"I don't know what you want from me," Joanna said.

"Lunch and a conversation," Matt replied with a smile.

"Fine, just let me get my bag," she gave in realising he wasn't giving up and loathing that this was all occurring not only in front of Brittney but several others who worked in the office and were now curiously peering into reception.

Unhappy with how the initial conversation went and still upset about this morning she snatched her bag from the drawer at the bottom of her desk and marched out into reception and acknowledged him with a nod before walking out of the front door hoping he would follow her.

"We don't have to do the whole lunch thing she said once they had walked down the street a little way. I'm sorry about leaving like that this morning but I'm not the stupid fat friend that needs to be pitied and cajoled into doing your boot camp that they all make me out to be," Joana said sadly.

"I think we do need to talk because I think you have your friend's motivations and me all wrong," he said.

"I've known these women for over thirty years, I've known you for two minutes, and you're going to give me advice about my friends?" Joana scoffed.

"Yep, because sometimes you can be so close to the situation you make assumptions that are wrong. I made assumptions before meeting you, but I am big enough to admit I was wrong and move on to who you really are," Matt was enjoying the argument. She wasn't the push over her friends thought she was. They may have been frightened of Melanie's reaction to Joanna's walk out, but he wasn't sure they realised how Joanna obviously felt about being put in that situation. In the same way, she didn't realise how much they all obviously loved and respected her.

"And who am I really, give me your wisdom. I am sure it will be most enlightening," sarcasm dripped from her words.

"Look just have lunch with me and if you don't like what I have to say by the end of it I'll walk away, and you'll never have to see me again. I'll even help you tell our friends you don't want to do boot camp with them," Matt tried to negotiate her surrender by giving her an incentive. "Nothing fancy there is a park two streets over where a great food truck sells Brazilian food."

"I love that place," she said without thinking then stopped and looked at him again. He seemed like a nice young guy, and she had been nothing but rude and horrible to him. He was just trying to save the work he was getting with their boot camp and she couldn't blame him for that. She turned and started walking in the direction of the park with him keeping pace alongside her. "Have you been to Brazil?" she asked.

"Nah I haven't been anywhere yet," he lamented. "I was a slow learner when it came to working out what I wanted to do with my life," he admitted.

"Looks like you've got a plan now. Running your own business can't be easy," Joanna made small talk as they walked.

"It's harder than I thought it would be that's for sure, but I imagine once things get going, and I get some good reviews or word of mouth recommendations it will pick up quite nicely. 'Til then I work the odd day in construction with my old crew, and that's kinda fun now rather than the slog it used to be," he knew being an open book would help her to talk to him about what was going on in her head. "Do you like your job?" He asked.

"Yeah, I know it's not as glamourous as some of the other girls," she said assuming he was judging her. "It's a cosy family atmosphere there. We all get along and look out for each other. It's nice to feel like you belong somewhere and are appreciated just for who you are," she smiled.

"Even Brittney?" he raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"Especially Brittney. I just love her. She young and totally clueless but she has a good heart you know? She's never purposefully hurt another living soul." Joanna spoke of the receptionist with a smile. "She makes me laugh."

"Sounds like a great place to work, the glamorous lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be," he said then amended his statement to add. "I'm guessing that, though. I'm not the glamorous type myself."

"Oh I don't know you could be a fitness model if you wanted to," she looked at him.

"I meant it's just not my thing," he shrugged. "I just want to build the business up enough make a decent living and do the things I want to do in my free time."

They got to the food van and ordered as the conversation went into a lull. Once they sat at one of the little plastic tables in the sun Matt broached the subject of what had happened that morning.

"Your friends have never said anything negative about you or the fact that you want to attend your son's unusual wedding. I was joking this morning trying to put you at ease, and I am concerned that you took it the wrong way and blamed them," he said putting down the skewer he had finished.

"I can't imagine why they would have even told you about the wedding," Joanna pushed her food away and sat back in her chair looking at him.

"I asked about the motivation for you all doing a boot camp together. They said they were all interested in getting fitter and that the invitation from your son just made them make the decision to start now. They didn't say they were there just for you, more that you the catalyst the bring them together to start," he explained. "Honestly, I didn't even get told more than that your son was having a naturalist wedding, I probably shouldn't have joked about the nudist colony, I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was a sensitive issue," he added bending the truth about how much they had told him about her.