"Have a seat, Mr. Banderole," Keena said as she sat down into a black high back leather chair behind her huge mahogany desk. Unlike the rest of the gym, which had a generic industrial primary color theme, Keena's office was warm and inviting. Instead of overhead harsh cold fluorescent lighting and a cold gray concrete floor, her space was illuminated by floor lamps radiating warm light and a sensible latte colored carpet. Bookcases lined the two walls of a large square room. Any space not occupied by a book was used for trophies and framed photos. The few photos I saw featured Keena accepting her degrees, in a posing bikini holding a trophy above her head, wearing light colored blouse and khaki slacks on one knee hugging a scantily clad ill looking child. The third wall was occupied by a large toffee colored leather sofa and coffee table. Neatly organized binders sat on a credenza along the fourth wall, behind her desk. That wall also had a door to the back hallway near the VIP locker room, my locker room. I pulled my eyes off the walls and saw two straight backed, red cushioned wooden chairs. I sat in the chair on the right side of the desk and dropped my duffel bag beside me.
She put her arms in front of her on the desk, leaned forward and said, "Mr. Banderole, I'm told that you had a good day today."
I came within inches of saying, 'Well, if you mean fucking my cat, surpassing all gym records, destroying two fourty-five pound plates, dominating a big bodybuilder and a twink, and getting the personal information of over fifty potential fags and sluts to bend to my will, it wasn't a good day. It was goddamn fucking fantastic day. Oh, and I also starred in a sex tape on your property without your permission and one of your employees might be walking pretty funny for the next week or so.'
Instead I shrugged and answered, "It was ok."
She lifted a single perfect eyebrow on her dark chocolate forehead. "'Ok'? You shattered the personal bests on most, if not all, stations in the gym. You are powerful, but your form is undisciplined and sloppy; you're going to hurt yourself. Didn't Janice instruct you?"
"I, ah, didn't exactly give her the chance."
She sat back in her chair, drawing her hands off the table. Her expression was unreadable, but the emotion she radiated was concern and disappointment. After a few seconds she must have made a decision because she stood, went to one of the bookcases, pulled three books, walked to me and handed them to me. "These are basic works on human physiology, kinesiology and exercise science. I expect you to at least read three chapters in each before you return to the gym."
"When do you want the books back?" I hear shouting in the lobby and feel rage and fear.
"They're a gift. Never lend books." she said as she rounded her desk on the way to her chair.
"Thank you, Dr. Panthera."
A gentle wave of surprise and appreciation from Keena flowed through me. She was about to say something when the door to the lobby burst open. I turned around in my seat and saw a 'roided out heavyweight bodybuilder rush into the office and bellow, "Kee, what the hell do you think you're doing!" It was Zapp Brannigan, I recognized him from the vanity posters in the bodybuilding section of the gym. He was just under six feet tall, wearing a white polo two sizes too small for him with the gym logo on the breast and a pair of khaki pants. His massive upper body was almost as big as me. He definitely wasn't dedicated to leg days and I noticed that he was not as manly as the posters made him out to be, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.
Keena finished sitting down in her chair. However, she tensed up, sending out a wave of trepidation. Janice stood in the doorway trying to make herself as small as possible. She meekly said, "I'm sorry Ms. Panthera, Zapp wouldn't wait for your meeting to finish."
"It's alright, Janice. Close the door and go back to the front desk." After Janice quietly closed the door Keena said, "What are you talking about, Terry?"
"Terry?" I interjected.
"That's his real name, Terrance Limppernoodle." said with a straight face.
I brought a hand to my mouth to prevent myself from laughing out loud. A snicker got through though. Keena actually flashed me a beautifully mischievous smile as if we shared a secret joke. I felt the warmness of...friendship? That warmness was replaced with utter stab of terror when Terry charged on my left towards Keena's desk, slammed his fists on the desk and roared, "I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT AGAIN!"
Keena went pale and jumped in her seat, moving the chair back a foot. Her hands shook. Her terror was not like the emotions I've felt from the people I'd dominated. This was bone-chilling, not-sure-you-are-going-to-live-past-the-next-minute terror. The feeling was so strong and terrible it made me nauseous.
He spun to face me and bellowed, "AND WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, BOY!" It's then I realized who the envy and rage I felt in the cafe came from. I could see where this was going, so I thought I'd have a little fun by shrinking from his insult, putting the mask of fear on my face and slouching in the chair. I slowly lowered the books I held onto the duffle bag at my side and put both hands on my lap.
Before I could utter a word a pulse of anger came from Keena. She said, "This is Bruce. He's your replacement. You're fired."
Terry and I swiveled our heads to Keena and uttered the same word at the same time, but for very different reasons. "WHAT?!"
"Zapp," she motioned to the chair on my left, then she calmly and cooly continued. "Please, sit down." Terry instead stood straight up. I could see his thick back muscles bunch and twitch under his shirt.
Keena took a deep breath and said, "Zapp, your job was to promote the gym and recruit new members." As she spoke she sounded practiced, like she'd written down exactly what she wanted to say. She confidently continued, "You, however, either cancelled or didn't bother to show up at the East Towne Mall two months ago, West Towne Mall last month or the Hilldale Shopping Center this month. For the past six months you've missed your very easy quota of ten new members a month. Bruce brought in fifteen new members today alone. You failed your drug tests three months in a row," she lifted several papers from her desk, "The sports medicine lab at the university found illegal substances in your sample. You know the gym employee policy; no illegal drugs. We've discussed your behavior before yet you..."
Before I could do anything Terry roared, grabbed Keena's shirt, and pulled her over her desk. "YOU BITCH!" He violently backhanded her cheek. Terry roared, "THIS GYM IS NOTHING WITHOUT ME!" Keena shook off the blow. I almost wretched from the blast of terror, hate and anger from her.
After the slap everything started to slow down. As I rose from the chair I saw Keena deliver a jab to Terry's nose drawing blood and knocking him back a foot. When I was halfway to standing up Terry picked up the heavy desk lamp and hit Keena across the side of her head. She started to fall back as I finished standing up. At the same time Terry spun to his left and used that momentum to strike me in the head with the lamp.
I felt like I was hit by a Mack Truck. The momentum spun me to the right. I almost blacked out before I accessed the emotional power I stored throughout the day. I heard ripping and I could feel myself explode out of the shirt Steve gave me as I drew the power into my muscles. When I was facing Terry again I threw a left hook to his jaw. His head snapped back as I delivered a right uppercut to his gut. I followed through with the punch, lifting him several feet into the air.
Terry landed on his hands and feet and looked up at me with a bloody snarl. He brought his right foot under him, launched himself up with his hands and propelled himself forward with his right leg. His arms encircled me, pinning my arms to the side. I dropped my right leg back to stop the backwards momentum as he started to squeeze. I flexed my back, lats and pecs to counteract his attempt to subdue me. Finding that I was resisting him, he reared back his head and headbutted my forehead. I was glad that I strengthened my skeleton when I saw Terry's head bounce off and his eyes cross.
I easily broke Terry's hold and returned a bear hug with way more power than the one he just tried to enforce on me. As he wasted air cursing at me I lifted him off his feet and gradually increased the pressure I exerted on him until he was gasping for breath. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth and I heard his ribs crack. To end this I delivered a skull cracking headbutt of my own. His head snapped back and he went limp. I released him from the bear hug. As he started to fall to the floor I delivered an explosive jab to his sternum. The blow flung him backwards across the room. He bounced off a bookcase and landed face first on the floor.
I turned towards the desk, but I didn't see Keena. "Keena!" I exclaimed. I ran around the desk and found her on the floor, unconscious. I pushed aside her chair and knelt beside her. She had an ugly welt above her left temple. "Keena! Are you ok?" She groaned in response. I gently picked her up and took her to the sofa. I laid her down and covered her with the throw blanket that was draped over the sofa. She awoke with a start and began to struggle, flinging her arms. "Keena...it's Bruce...It's ok," I told her as calmly as I could. "It's ok. Terry's unconscious." I firmly took her wrists and put her hands on her stomach. "Tell me what's going on."
"Oh, thank Goddess," she said as she brought a hand to her head and winced. She then told me her history with Terry.