Mimi was already deep in her "Mad Scientist Smoothie Hour" when Xavier strolled into the break room.
She stood over the blender, a jar of chia seeds in one hand and a neon orange powder in the other. Xavier stopped in his tracks.
"Should I be concerned?"
Mimi smirked without turning. "That depends. How brave are you?"
He chuckled and leaned against the counter. "What's in it?"
"Banana, oat milk, chia seeds, and—" she held up the jar like it was a sacred relic, "—a dash of crushed Hot Doritos."
Xavier blinked. "You got to be joking...right."
She poured two shots into tiny plastic cups and slid one over to him. "Only one way to find out."
Xavier stared at it not knowing if to trust his manly instinct to come save the day . "Do people live through these experiments?"
"Not all heroes wear capes."
He downed it in one go, then immediately coughed, his eyes watering. "I think my tongue just saw God. And He's mad at me."
Mimi burst into laughter, slapping the counter. "That's what I like to see. Commitment and bravery."
Xavier wiped his mouth with a napkin, still grinning. "You do this to everyone?"
"Only the worthy."
Later that week, Mimi caught Xavier taking notes after his session with a new client—a plus-size woman who looked relieved not to be yelled at.
She wandered over, leaning on the desk between them. "You're not bad at this."
Xavier looked up, genuinely surprised. "Thanks. I try to keep it simple. Not everyone wants a six-pack—they just wanna feel good."
Mimi I'm blinked, caught off-guard. "You get that?"
"Yeah. My mom was diabetic. I helped her start walking again after she had surgery. That was kind of the beginning for me."
Xavier looked at him a little differently now. "Huh. I figured you for a CrossFit convert with a keto cult membership."
He smirked. "I do own a blender bottle. But no cult... yet."
Mimi's guard dropped just a bit. This guy might actually be real.
Still, she wasn't about to let him off easy.
"I'm watching you, Xavier Rodriguez. One wrong move and I'm slipping Kale and Cheetos into your protein powder."
He held up both hands. "Noted Mimi."
But as he walked off, Mimi found herself smiling.
Which was... inconvenient.