It was the summer. Ericka McKann was 22 and had just graduated in May with her criminal justice degree. She took the civil service exam to become a cop like her father in June and was mostly waiting. She kept her job working as a waitress to pay the rent. 12 hour shifts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays getting a bunch of off duty cops drunk wasn't very fulfilling and left her with a lot of empty time. Erika took a part time job in the local community center. She would be able to use their gym facilities to stay in shape. She signed up for 18 hours a week, a 6 hour shift closing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. She also could use the gym on other days, and it became her habit to get her cardio in either in the pool or on the stair master on the other days.
The community center was a neighborhood oasis in the middle of the chaos. Erica was enraptured with the director, Mrs. Chim. The older Chinese woman was passionate about "her" center and it's mission statement "To provide a safe place for members of the community to be able to develop their physical and mental strengths allowing them to grow into the role models of tomorrow."
During Ericka's interview and orientation Mrs. Chim repeated many times, "In any situation, when you don't know how to react, react in such a way that people who are love you would also be proud of you. And most importantly, when your here act so that I would be proud of you." Ericka bought into it and after explaining to Mrs. Chim that her plan was to take the police exam and leave the job in a year or so when she went to the police academy. Both agreed and Ericka accepted the minimum wage, part time job.
During school hours the center was not much more than child care for kids to young for school. The moms would pay a small amount and the center would make sure those 3 and 4 year olds would be safe while the mom's ran errands or worked part time jobs. An after school program filled the afternoons with a variety of programs including free tutoring for homework, an ESL class was offered and a reading room that also served as a computer room with 6 older computers donated when a local business upgraded their systems. In the evenings the "adults" would use the center. More ESL classes were offered, as was a computer skills course and various other job skill. Monthly an immigration attorney would show up and offer needed advice.
Mrs. Chin's goal was to keep the kids in a place like this where they could avoid much of the trouble on the streets. Anything that resembled violence resulted in suspensions. And while the director couldn't keep the members of the gangs out, she didn't tolerate any of their activity in the place. Ericka was assigned to look over the weight room and the gym floor. Erika took advantage of her position to use the weight room herself. She was actually getting paid to lift weights and run on the treadmill. She just had to wear an old red tee-shirt and be willing to be interrupted to help people as they needed it, but they rarely did. And to pick up a phone if tensions started to rise. That happened from time to time.
Three days a week, Ericka arrived at work at 4 and spent her first hour working the front desk, checking people in and out. Her uniform here was the red recreation center tee shirt, which she usually just put on at home and wore to work, changing from jeans into shorts or sweatpants. On Tuesday and Thursdays she spend most of her time on the treadmill. Running for most of her shift if she didn't have too many interruptions she could get ten miles or more in. The place was pretty warm so on these days she wore a uniform shirt she modified. She cut off the arms, the collar and shortened the length. by removing the hems they wouldn't chafe against her as she ran. She couldn't wear headphones while she was on the clock in case someone needed help, but she could and did run and get lost in her thoughts.
Sometimes those thoughts she began to fantasize. She thought about wardrobe malfunctions. What would happen if her shorts slipped off her hips while she was doing a pull up? Thinking that it might be easy to make that happen. If she could coyly untie the drawstring while wearing shorts a size too big. She thought about what underwear she would wear on such a day. She imagined doing inclined sit ups and her crop top sliding towards her shoulders exposing her tits. Other times she thought about working the free weights in a tank top without a bra. Universally her thoughts would start with seemingly accidental exposure. On some of her longer runs the thoughts would then progress to the men around her taking things to the next step, perhaps undressing her or touching her. Occasionally she even pictured herself naked on her back on the bench press getting fucked by a line of men. The thoughts made her smile and distracted her from the boredom of running on a treadmill.
In the middle of one particularly vivid fantasy Ericka was interrupted from her run. Two men were starting to get loud over by the free weights so she stopped her run and walked over there. "Hey, I'm Ericka. I work here. What seems to be the problem?" she asked.
Paul said, "We've been working out together for weeks, and today I get here and he tells me he's done already."
Tolu replied, "Hey, it's not my fault you are over an hour late."
"It's not my fault. My boss kept me late."
"Well I need to get home to see my kid before he goes to bed."
Ericka watched the exchange, the men's voices started calm but were getting louder again. She stepped in, asked their names. She glanced at the clock, it was just about 8pm. "Hey, so you need a spotter, and you need to get home. So here's an idea. Tolu, go home to your kid and I'll spot Paul today. Tomorrow you can spot each other again like the friends you are." She stood with her hands on her hips smiling at the two of them. The idea was agreed to, Ericka had them shake hands.