2019-09-17 - Weekly Workout

Erin is at work bright and early the following morning after texting Jack and finding out if he was coming in. She had gotten there to make the coffee and warm up, so she's on the bags at the moment just getting her groove on. There's still so much to learn, but she tries to start the day with the same routine. Muscle memory and all that. Wearing her usual fitness clothing from the boutique she's at least stylish for her workouts.

It takes time to respond, minutes it seems, to the text. Short, simple, "Yep, I'll be there." Leaves one to ponder, did he take time to think of that response, or is he slow at texting; or just not quick to respond. One of those three are likely culprits. He arrives, less stylis, sweat shorts, white t-shirt. The sundy sort of t-shirt; its hole-y. Old duffle bag over a shoulder, he wasn't military so its not a green sea bag. Just a bag with his stuff. Coming in, he sees her at her routine. "Hey slugger," see, he doesn't smile, but he is amiable. Nickname and all, applies too, she's throw slugs at the bags. Its friendly for him as he comes in to slough his bag to the ground and see about tapping his wrists at least to work out a bit before work as usual. Clockwork maybe?

Joey hasn't actually slept at all remaining at the gym until way after the event talking to people. Speaking with one young woman he gave her a lift home, was gone for about two hours, returned with Wendy's. Who knows what really came of that. Today his profession shows a bit in his skin; scrape on the back of his left hand, and the tired. At least there was a solid 2 hours he got to pass out. Mostly. Until the phone rings. Seriously who keeps an oldfashioned handset? This place apparently. He wades over hand lifting to the regular, "JAckie" And into the office he shambles for that. And coffee. The coffee is there. This is why Erin is the best.

"There you are." Erin greets Jack with a friendly smile even if he doesn't smile back. She's used to his general act of grumpiness. "Oh hey I sent someone your way, they were looking for a mechanic. Her name is Love, I think she said." She backs off the bags a little so he can get warmed up. "Just let me know when you're ready." A smile his way again before she looks over to see see Joey. "Hey! I thought you were bringing in your niece today? She have other plans after all?" Leaving him to answer the phone and do his morning routine she watches Jack. "Need help with that?" A nod to the taping of his hands.

As Joey runs on fumes (nitro sorts maybe), Jack chins juts as he heads towards the coffe, or office. "Heya Joe." A slight brow raise, but little more in the way of reaction, though it probably conveyed enough, curiousity at the man's night life, but no prodding intended. "I'll take the work I can get, I'll keep an eye out for this Love." Jack says it with the muster of an older person, or older soul at least, like curious name there, but no questions asked the same, just not normal in his boxed world. One hand done, his left, he holds up his right, "Yeah, if you don't mind, I don't need to sprain anything." He'd be out of work (sure there is air compressed/impact tools, but he's a traditionalist).

Joey looks up to Erin and chuckles, "Yeah I gottta go pick the rugrat up." He murmurs into the phone, "Mmhmm" Whatever is happening on that phone is the sort of shit that wears onto the most weathered of beings. "Yeah, naw it's fine. I got it.... I said I'll take care of it. Be there in fifteen to twenty. Just... hold tight." The phone hands up and he rubs one eye and takes a long drink of his coffee.

He fishes soem keys out of the drawer and takes one off the ring to put onto his own fishing them out of his pocket and wades back out, "Alright, Erin, I'm gonna go pick her up, and get her some lunch and swing by the park a little bit before heading back here. It's been a morning." Grabbing his coat and finishing the rest of his coffee he lets them know, "I'll be out of pocket if something comes up." He pauses, "JAck, don't let her kick your ass, man." Erin gets the wink for that though and off to wrangling a 5 year old he goes.

"Oh good, she's a bartender I think she said." Erin hadn't caught all of that, or where, but that was the general gist of it. Reaching for the tape, she starts taping his hand with care, brushing her thumb over a few scuffed knuckles from his wrench turning. Just that light touch and they start getting better, closing up, not hurting. Whaaat?

Playing it off, Erin doesn't even mention it. Once it's wrapped, she lets him take it back and smiles at him. "All set. Want to warm up a little then we';ll get our spar on?"

A nod, "Bartende,r got it." About Love that is, he assumes at least, not about the Joey business, that's not his. Its between them, he's scheduled/life/whatever. A wave to the man and a hint of a grin as he's off, looking to Erin at the joke about kicking asses. "Let me stretch," he says, moving to do just that, "We can go lightly at first, work on some form to warm up, then move right into sparring." He continues to stretch, then asks, "How's things been with you, nothing new or crazy on your end?"

Erin waves to Joey as he heads off, have fun with her and don't worry, the Gym is in safe hands." Stepping back so he can stretch, she realizes he meant warm up on her so she she steps closer again and offers her own to fist bump before they get into it. "Yeah slow enough you can warm up while we're just messing around.:

Slowly nodding, "Good deal." Like that's it slow and steady. His eyes still lingering on his recent knicks and cuts from working with his tools, but no comment as he moves to complete stretching and square off. But he throws in, "Cause I'm older, my muscles need more time to adjust." To warm up. Noting she was unreponsive to his question, "I'll take that as all good." But said such that he takes it there's stuff she's just not talking about, but door open sort of if she wants. "Okay, lets see what you got now, how much better are you this go around. Or, see how sore I'll be tomorrow."

Erin looks a little abashed at his hinting to her skipping the question. "Things have been odd. I promised you before I wouldn't talk about the weird stuff. It's probably best I leave all this part out. Just know that hopefully soon all of the murders of the serial killer should stop soon." Trying to sound upbeat and reassuring. "As for you, old man," she teases but only because he had first, "I think you'll have no trouble getting the better of me."

"Yeah," he asks questioningly, of the murders stopping soon. A slow nod from Jack then, "See, there's something good, at least to look forward too." He won't dwell in the past, as many may well know just the same. He'll move to get into position to start throwing some warm up gloves her way, see if she slowly returns, he might leave some openings just to see if she takes them, for pointers later good or bad. "Good, mabye I want the better of you there. Let's see what you got kid."

"Jack." Erin glances around a moment. "Just look out for your girl and her family. And yourself. The police just got a bunch of work. There were so many new murders. I don't know anything about them at all, just there are more, all at once." Now that had been issued, she gets into her stance and smiles, letting the worries melt away for now. There's a feint, just to get things started but immediately after she swings again and follows through.

"I'll look out for her, she doesn't need it," he sort of says. Not to say she wouldn't be in trouble, but of the two, she can take care of her self as well. He assumes at least for her line of work. "You look out for yourself too there, Erin." Then he's always a little worried for that girl. He leaves some openings, but when she leaves one too good to pass up, he gets a hand in to let her know she left the opening there. Not going for a knockout, he isn't letting it go unnoticed either. Its training.

Taking the reminder for what it is, gentle or not, Erin gives a little nod of acknowledgement when he gets in past her defenses. Her hands go back up and she tries for more defensive fighting. "I am looking out for myself. I also have a whole lot of people helping me out through the rough parts." Dropping the conversation for a moment she looks for an opening, trying to take advantage of it, if she's quick enough.

Nodding, they line up and go again. Jack pushes at her defenses, seeing if he can bat a mitt away to create an opening evening, checking his own guard as he moves. "Good," he says, "Good." Probably a little of both, good she has others helping here and good in how she's defending. Though this time around, he doesn't look to just tap, but comes in with a combo of hits, landing two or three. It could be him practicing as much as it is to show what its like when the right opening presents itself, more reminder of what a good defense can do for someone. Then he steps back, "Sorry about that." The extra hits that is.

Tap, tap. Two hits when Erin is distracted enough to allow herself to put her guard down. "Don't be sorry." Giving a shake of her head to dispel the moment of getting hit twice, to shake herself out of it. "One of these days.." she feints, ducks to avoid his hit then comes back up with one to his chin, if she is able.

A nod in agreement, Jack won't be sorry, though he may say as much if he does hit her again like that. Its undecided but in agreement with not being sorry. "Any day yeah," he agrees, for her to start striking more regularly. Then the exchange some blows and she does connect, he probably does too such that to know a 'winner' they'd have to keep at it, but sparring he steps back to assess and grin a little, "There it is, you're getting it, good job." COmpliment where compliment is due before he ducks again, waiting for when she's ready to walk the line some more.

Erin like sparring. She doesn't like getting hit, no one does, but that's what helps her to get better. Getting hit in return. A bag could be punched all day and it not actually give back like a live body. She doesn't call it yet, he was ahead, but she'd got a few hits in too. "Thank you, I feel like I can learn better, hands on." This time there are no feints, just moving right in and going for multiple hits.

Nodding in agreement, its the way to learn. Hands on. Like a car, one could read about an engine, but sometimes seeing how it comes apart first hand is better. Jack gets ready and sees openings when she comes right in to try and get a combination punch or three on him. Whether its her moving in or him seeing the soft spots, he doesn't seem to hold back on that punch there, as if he's trying to push her back. "Whoa, sorry," he says, not yet even realizing the extent of the punch so much as feeling it connect and reeling himself in as he lowers his guard to look at her, assess ans she that sh'es okay.

At least it wasn't too her face! Her ribs took a punch though and Erin takes a few steps back and lifts her hands. "You got this one." It takes her a moment to catch her breath as she cedes the victory to him and offers a glove out to fist bump his. "Nice, again. Next Thursday too?" It's a weekly thing for them, apparently.

Jack gives a slow nod, bending to put hands to knees a moment, just to let her catch breath and be on eye level if needed. "Fair enough, icy hot would be good," or not, to each their own for any sore spots and bruises. "Yeah, next Thursday. Keep practicing," he nods and moves to pull at his cloves, both pullin them with other glove and teeth to help, which loosens them and the tap underneth even. "You run, maybe run some too between now and then." Endurance is good.

"You're the one breathing hard old man." Erin is good at smack talk when she wants to be, but she lightens the words with a smile. "Really though, I'll do that. You got me good." She starts removing her gloves before walking over to him. "Next Thursday then, it's a date. I'll have more practice in by then since I come daily. One day I'll get one over on you. One day."

A nod, he stands up when she does, even a smile at her tease back his way. "Only one gear, hard it is." Then he heads for his bag to unload. "I'm living for that day, keep at it, no telling how long I really got left." He'll pack up and grab a towel out to spot dry at least, shower later. "Thanks again, you take care Erin." He'll reach for his bag to shoulder it when he's all packed and ready to get to work.

"Old man that you are." Erin reaches out and playfully tugs part of his beard. Then he moves off to leave, "You too, Jack. I'll see you in a week. Take care of yourself till then."