Finding a test subject.

The problem with finding a test subject was that I had no female friends. As I'd been referred to many times, being a misogynistic prick wasn't a trait that lent itself to maintaining friendships with women. Not that I really wanted to, anyway. I much preferred enjoying their charms that didn't involve talking. I burned all my bridges; this was the first time I cared. Convincing a trusting friend to ride the bike would be much easier if it was an option.

There were other ways to get a subject though. I fired up my computer and browsed my social media for local gyms and workout groups. There were several posts with women looking for personal trainers. That was my in. I had a minor in kinesiology along with my computer science major. I had some required classes that went along with my college track scholarships and decided to take a few extra to get the minor. Until now, I had thought I had wasted that time and money. I never expected I would be able to use the degree as a small proof of qualifications to start my own very private personal training business.

I spent the rest of the week cleaning out and renovating my garage. Finally, after several days of work, it had lovely black epoxy floors, an insulated garage door, wall mirrors, and assorted workout equipment. But, of course, the centerpiece of the room was my special bike.

Using my expertise in website design, I created a non-indexed webpage for my gym. It had professional-looking photos, fake testimonials, and the whole nine yards. Something bothered me about the website when I was about to make it live. I realized it showed my exercise bike in several of the photos. Being a non-indexed site would help shield me from anyone looking for the bike, but I wasn't going to risk it. I deleted all the photos and took new ones with the bike removed from the garage.

"All that's left is doing some advertising." I thought as I looked over my new home gym. I browsed through the social media groups and sent private messages to a couple of the better-looking girls asking for personal trainers. I typed: "I'm an experienced personal trainer. My small in-home gym gives affordable 60 or 90 min training sessions. The first session is free. Let me know if you have any questions."

I received a quick response from a girl named Amy. I couldn't tell too much from her profile. Her photos were mostly selfies with obnoxious filters that hid most of her face. I did manage to pick her out in a few of her friend's group photos, though. She was fairly tall, at least compared to her girlfriends. Probably 5'-7" with blond hair and brown eyes. She looked average to my taste. "You're skinny enough, not much T&A, though," I crudely thought at her as I viewed her photos. "I'd probably take you home from the bar, so you're good enough, I guess..."

I decided to respond to her message. Amy had sent: "That's great! Do you have any references? Any pictures of your home gym? Also, what will it cost per 90-minute session after the free trial? Thanks!"

I sent her a link to my website, a photo of my kinesiology minor, and a made-up super cheap price of $45. I hoped the price wasn't so affordable it seemed too good to be true. I conveniently ignored the question about references and hoped she considered my fake reviews on my website good enough. I also let her know I could leave the garage door in the gym open if that made her feel more comfortable.

"Wow! You've built a really nice at-home gym, and that's a great price! When is the earliest you would be able to give me the free session? I work 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, so I would prefer evenings if you do that!"

"Thanks! I have one open slot left for tomorrow evening, 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm. It's a bit late, but I'll be able to get you better times later on. Does that work?"

"Yes! Send me your address, and I'll see you tomorrow! I'm excited :)"

I was excited too, but for many different reasons than her. Tomorrow I would finally find out if I had lost my marbles or if all of this was real.