The family that preys together…- 8

“Welcome Mr…” the clerk at the front desk looked at Crispin’s paperwork again. “Mr. Hill. Is there anything specific you want to start with? Maybe the exercise machines or the pool?”

“The pool sounds good.”

“Excellent, it’s down that hall to your left.” He handed Crispin a key, telling him was for his locker.

Pocketing it, Crispin picked up his bag and strolled away from the desk, checking out what he could see of the health club on his way to the locker room. Large windows along the hall allowed him to see the various men and women as they worked out. He frowned when he saw several of them with cell phones glued to their ears while they rode the stationary bikes or walked on the treadmills. If there was one thing he hated it was people who thought they had the right to disturb everyone else with what should have been private conversations. 

As he entered the locker room three men looked over from what they were doing, nodding to acknowledge his presence. He nodded back, found his locker, and quickly changed into his swim trunks. Then he hurried out to the pool, ignoring the smile from one of the men. He was here to work off some of his tension, not add to it.

After swimming laps until he began to feel the strain he climbed out of the pool, wrapping a towel around his waist after drying off. Then he found a vacant seat and settled in it to people watch.

Too soon the seat next to him was taken. He refrained from sighing when a perky young voice asked, “Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

Smiling at the cute little blonde he replied, “Just joined today. I decided it was time to workout before my muscle turned to flab.”

She looked him over with open appraisal. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Before he had a chance to reply her cell rang. She answered immediately and began talking about her day to whoever was on the other end. Crispin rolled his eyes in annoyance, trying to shut out her voice.

“Very rude,” a man said from the other side of him as he dried off, his shoulder-length hair still dripping from his swim.

“Definitely,” Crispin agreed wholeheartedly. “There should be a law that says if you do that you get incarcerated for thirty days, for the first offense, and work up from there.”

The man laughed. “You really do hate that don’t you?”

“Sorry, but yes. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves.”

“Though I might not be quite as rough on women like that I can sympathize. You should see them when I’m standing in line at the coffee shop, women and men, making people behind them wait while they blabber away and try to place an order at the same time.”

“Maybe we should start a ‘Ban the Cell Phone’ group, like ‘Ban the Bomb’.”

The young man frowned, puzzled. “Ban the Bomb?”

“It’s a slogan from the 60’s.”

“You can’t be that old.”

“Oh God no, I just know my history.” Since the young man seemed willing to listen Crispin explained.

When he’d finished the young man nodded. “If we tried to ban cell phones we’d probably have just about as much luck as they did.”

“Yes,” Crispin replied, chuckling a bit morosely. “Probably.”

They continued to talk for a while, trying valiantly to ignore the young woman who was still talking incessantly on her cell. Finally Crispin gave up in disgust. Standing he grabbed his towel and after excusing himself he headed to the locker room.