Thankfully, Cleo didn’t seem insulted. She laughed. “I didn’t think it was for me, either, but my doctor has other ideas. He said if I want to see my grandchildren grow up, I need to cut the crap.”

“Grandchildren, huh?” Julia dove for the conversational life preserver and clung to it. “How many?”

“Three.” Her boss beamed at her. “But it will be four in a few months.”

“Congratulations!” Julia returned the smile. So far, so good.

Finishing her protein bar, Cleo waved a hand. “Come with me to my office and I’ll show you some pictures.”

“Sure.” Julia took a quick swig from her mug and followed her boss. She’d been a little shaken after realizing Cleo had been standing right behind her, but maybe instead of a punishment, bumping into her boss unexpectedly was a blessing. A sign that this conversation was meant to be.

Who was she kidding? Murphy’s Law on two legs here. Julia didn’t do signs. The only thing she could be sure of was something was sure to go wrong.

Inside her office, Cleo gestured to a shelf littered with various sizes of framed photographs. “My grandbabies.”

Julia walked over to the shelf and dutifully admired the pictures. “Adorable,” she said, stepping back quickly before she managed to spill coffee on anything important.

“Here, let me have that.” Cleo took the mug from Julia and set it on her desk next to her own. “Take off your shoes.”

“Pardon?”

“Your shoes.” Cleo kicked off her heels. “Take them off.”

“Um, okay.” Julia slipped off her shoes and watched as her boss reached her arms up, stretching them overhead. At a loss to do anything else, she did the same.

“It’s Julia, right?” Cleo dropped her arms and twisted her body to the side.

“Yep.” Julia twisted too. “Julia Carpenter.”

Cleo dropped into a squat.

Julia mimicked the movement. Something in her knee cracked, and she prayed her work pants weren’t about to split.

“I find some afternoon stretches really helps get my energy back up.” Cleo gestured toward the coffee mug, still squatting. “And no post-sugar-and-caffeine crash after.”

“Totally,” Julia agreed, biting her lip as she struggled to hold the squat. Her thighs screamed in protest, reminding her it had been months since her last Pilates class. Andie would be so disappointed. And she’ll really be disappointed if you don’t follow through and fight for your job.

Her boss stood and stepped one leg out, leaning into a lunge.

Julia mirrored her.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Not the word I’d use to describe it. Julia forced her lips into a smile that she hoped didn’t make her look like a gargoyle. “It’s funny we ran into each other, because I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“We’re talking now, aren’t we?” Cleo switched legs and smoothly shifted into another lunge.