Chapter 3

Luciana entered the gym in a hurry.

Earlier she had been studying the list of passengers registered for the trip to Pantanal and time had flown by. It was a group of thirty people and Luciana had to make arrangements for special requests. Two couples, for example, traveled with their children. She was going to take some crayons and coloring books to distract them on the long road trip. As long stops were planned, to use road restaurants, it was also worth taking games like dominoes and checkers for those moments. Although children had their own entertainment, such as playing games on their cell phones, there was always a chance of running out of battery. It was good to be prepared for these unforeseen events.

An elderly couple had asked for vegan food and some people needed a suitable place to store their medicine. Luckily, the bus was well equipped. New, spacious, very safe, it was the agency's last acquisition. Mr. Artur considered it essential to provide first class transport.

Now, happy to be on time, Luciana concentrated on Renato's instructions for her first Corpus Body class. Wow, what a charming voice. She didn't take her eyes off him for even a second.

“This class is for beginners, so you can use the weights of two kilos and then increase slowly as you progress. Leave the mat and the weights by your side, so you don't have to look for them in the middle of the class. It lasts forty minutes in a row. Only drink water in between songs. Understood?”

“Yes”, is the class's enthusiastic response. It looked like a rock and roll concert, because Renato cheered everyone, making them clap to the beat of the music, punch the air, run around the room, in short, sweat the shirt.

After the third song, Luciana couldn't even move. She sat down on her mat, feeling destroyed.

Renato, who was on a small elevation at the front of the room, came down quickly to talk to her.

“First class?”

“Yes.”

“Try to stand. If you can't handle the full movements, walk along the mat and take a deep breath. But avoid sitting down.”

She just nods at him and grabs his hand. He raises her like a feather. It is the first time that their eyes meet, so close.

He looks like he won't let go of her hand, but then he smiles at her and goes back to lead the class.

“So, Lu. It's been a week since you've been with your handsome guy at the gym. Tell me your progress”, Marina questions her friend during Sunday lunch, in the food court of the Shopping Stones. Her internship was at an airline located inside this shopping center. For this reason, she had made good friends with other traders there and had excellent discounts. Today they were trying some novelties from the Chinese restaurant.

“Marina, I hardly see Renato, it only happens when he is busy teaching the class, without any particular attention to me.”

“Have you talked to him? Did you tell him about your dreams? “

“No way. What could I say? Should I inform him that he is my boyfriend in my dreams? It would be ridiculous. Furthermore, he is never alone. He has a group of about five or six people who follow him everywhere.”

“Ah, it’s terrible.”

“yes, it is. And I think he isn't even aware of the attraction he has on people. He is not alone even for a minute as I have noticed. And he is surrounded mostly by girls.”

“You have to enter this competition. Too bad my internship is at night. The shopping center closes at ten, otherwise I would enroll at Sweat Drop to give you encouragement.”

“And what were you going to do? Throw me at him?”

“At least that, dear friend. At the very least.”

Marina moves with her while they get up and go on to the cinema.

They planned to watch the matinee movie and then spend the rest of the afternoon doing each other's hair, at Luciana's house.

“Ma, seriously, I forgot to tell you that my whole-body hurts. It seems that I woke up muscles that I didn't even know existed. It is a good thing that I decided to get in shape, otherwise I would go through this pain, there, in the middle of Pantanal. Helinho warned that the trip has a lot of trails. Neuraci told me that my body will get used to my new rhythm in about four weeks. “

“I can't wait to see pictures of my best friend in the middle of the wild cats and savage animals.”

“That would be a farewell, right Ma? If I was in the middle of the savage animal, it would have a very tragic end, because I would be their food.”

They laugh as always, at their own jokes and anecdotes, as they enter the cinema, that was almost full.

...

”You know, I can't get enough of kissing you!”

“Well, you have great physical fitness, don't you?”, Luciana jokes, which only serves to provoke a new kiss from Renato.

“I love your perfume.”

With the bump of the bus, Luciana wakes up from her light nap. She realizes that for the first time she had dreamed of Renato's voice. Perhaps because now she knew how to recognize his voice.

She gets off at the nearest stop to Sweat Drop and meets Renato at the entrance of the gym. “Hi”, It's the best she can say, while she looks at those lips, which she only had access to, in her dreams.

“Hi Luciana.”

She felt warm because she realized that he knew her name. She wanted to scream and dance in happiness, but she was paralyzed with joy.

“Nice perfume”, he then comments.

Oh my! Just like it happened in the dream. The only things missing were the kisses.

Of course, there is little left. She thinks and smiles at herself. Then she goes following him and his group of fans, to the Corpus Body class.

At least by now she already was able to do all the movements in the class. Although the room was packed with students and Luciana, as always, stayed in the back of the class, so as not to disturb the more advanced students, she had the impression that Renato was staring at her. But it was not possible. He moved around a lot, talked to everyone, joked, encouraged. It must have been her impression, influenced by dreams and she had to admit, for her “infatuation” for him. She was 23 but felt like 15. She had had boyfriends before and they didn´t make her feel nervous like that.

After class she went to the cafeteria. Her mother was going to work later tonight. She would rather have a snack at the gym than dine alone at home. Renato approached the counter, beside Lu, and asked for tonic water. He was embracing two girls and surrounded by three more, who did everything to get his attention.

Luciana just had time to take a bite of her sandwich and she heard the high-pitched voice of one of the girls hugging him.

“There are people who take classes just to work their appetites. Then they are hungry as an elephant and devour everything that appears in front o them.”

It was a general laugh. Everyone, even those outside the group, stared at Luciana.

“Then what happens?” , the cruel girl continued talking. “The fat accumulates in those unwanted areas. Then they eat standing up, because they no longer fit on the chairs.” Another burst of laughter filled the place. Renato even doubled over laughing so hard. Then Lu noticed that people were just having isotonic drinks and nibbling cracker-style cookies. She was the only one devouring a huge sandwich.

Luciana walked away from them calmly and sat down at a side table. She continued eating her snack and drank all her orange juice. She had never had a problem with her weight and was not going to start now.

She had a goal for her health, her upcoming trip and even her sanity. She was not going to drag herself into this world of condemnation of human body parts and hatred of food. She didn't even appreciate the opinion of people who publicly ridiculed others. She had seen people like that everywhere, at college, at the mall, at the club. It wasn't just here at this gym. She would do what she always did. Mind her own business. Because deep down she knew that this behavior that she witnessed was called bullying.

People who practiced it, acted dirty, teased people about anything that came to their mind.

Luciana, with a crush for Renato or not, had the maturity to deal with it. However, deep down, she felt a disappointment with him. She expected more from him. The truth is, she didn't know him. Not even superficially. She didn't know the most basic facts about Renato. Wow! How difficult it was to confess to herself that she had been a complete fool. She finished the sandwich, which by now seemed to taste like paper, and she went home.

...

The day dawns with a very strong sun, typical of Brazilian summers. Luciana stretches lightly and leans against Renato's body. He hugs her tightly, still with his eyes closed.

“Good morning honey. Did you sleep well?”

Luciana looks at him startled and moves away on the bed.

“Renato, you were laughing at me. Humiliating me.”

“It is impossible, my love. Not me.”

“Yes, you were, Renato. While hugging some girls, you were laughing at me.”

“Never in my life. Come nearer me” , He hugs her again. “It's too early, let's sleep a little more”, he then goes on speaking tenderly, rocking Luciana and wiping away the tears that she didn't realize she had cried silently, in her sleep. He messes with her hair unrolling the curls.

“I love your hair, dear... But Lu, the pillow is wet. Are you crying?” – Mrs. Cida asks her, very surprised.

Luciana realizes that the conversation with Renato had happened only in another dream.

The reality was cruel, where he had not apologized. She answers her mother.

“I think I was sweating, Mom.”

“It could be the flu. You'd better take a warm bath while I prepare milk and honey for your breakfast. Today I am in no hurry to get to work. I came to wake you up to let you know that I can drop you off at school. Yesterday when I arrived, you were already asleep. I want to organize myself better so that we have more time to talk.”

“Thanks Mom.”

Although Lu did not want to make the mother worried, telling details of her love disappointments, it was comforting to have Mrs. Cida always so close and caring for her.