"Five, uh, Six! Ugh, Seven!" Jeff screamed, struggling to get to the eighth bench press, "Argh, shit!"
"Come on, Old Man!" Craig laughed, lifting the bar.
"I got it, DAMit!" Jeff yanked his arms up, "Aye-ei-ight, ugh, Hmm, N-nine! T- MMm."
Jeff reclined his arms and Craig caught the bar. Lifting it crooked on the display, he quickly pulled it back in place.
"Nine. That was impressive." Craig praised.
"The hell it was," Holding his chest, Jeff steadied himself to sit up, "Fuck, that hurt like hell." he grunted in a ragged breath
Jeff grabbed his knees, weakening to stand, and plopped back on the bench. Feeling the need to throw up from the intense pain jolting in his muscles, he leaned over.
Craig patted his back. "Are you okay?"
"I think I tore something."
"I told you to start small."
"One-fifty IS small," Jeff stretched his neck, releasing the ache in his temples, "Hell, I used to bench two-ten like it was nothing."
"And how many years ago was that?" He chuckled, catching his stern stare as sweat dripped down his salt-and-pepper sideburns.
"You should have seen me back then."
Craig could tell he was disappointed with his loss of strength. But for a forty-year-old man, he looked to be in great shape. Craig was weaker than most, especially four months ago before he started coming to the gym to get fit. He took a moment to celebrate how far he had come, then consoled his boss.
"Hey, man. It's nothing. You probably lost some strength over the years. You have to slowly get back into it. Want me to take 20 off and try again?"
"Fuck no. I'm done for today."
"Come on, Let's do some cardio and cool off," Craig advised him.
Shaking his head, Jeff stood, cupping his pec as he walked over to the locker room. He grabbed his bag for a water bottle, and a muscle tightened his back.
"Mother!" He howled, lifting from his bend, "Fuck."
-
After their disastrous workout, Craig followed Jeff back to his house to hang out. He had never had many friends growing up. His ego swelled to have found a friendship with his wealthy boss. He seldom had to pay for anything when Jeff was around. It wasn't his money but his aura that kept him hanging with the old Jock.
Craig used to spend his time playing video games, which stimulated his mind over the past 28 years and made it sharp for business.
And Jeff loved his sharp mind for business. He also loved his timidness, inspiring him to open up to new experiences. Losing his virginity to a stripper was one. He took him to Vegas a few times when he first started working for him and the two had made a good team since then. Craig was slowly becoming a replacement for the coke-head brother he had had to keep at a distance.
When they arrived at Jeff's three-story home in Harwin Estates, he offered him a cold refreshment. Craig had merely heard about this regal community, having lived in Natchez County, Texas, his entire life. He had been to his house twice already and felt at home. He declined the offer for a gut-bloating beer and settled on the couch with a cold water bottle. He grabbed one of his wife's stuffed animals and respectfully laid it on the far end of the couch.
Another thing that intrigued Craig about his boss was his 21-year-old Latina wife, who liked to be child-like when stressed. Jeff dubbed her his Little in their BDSM/DDLG dynamic, which Craig knew little about. She was also a Brat. He knew that for sure, having been cursed and insulted by the barely five-foot little girl in his few months of working at their store.
Laying in his chair with an ice pack against his chest, Jeff reached for a tall glass of whiskey. The small task of moving tightened his expression.
"Uh, shit," he grumbled and slowly sipped his stiff drink like hot coffee, "My whole damn body hurts. And you do that shit every day?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes I get bored. I'll do a night routine. Plus, there's this blonde chick that goes to my gym at night..." Craig brought his hands to his slowly developing pecs and laughed, "Huge Tits."
Seeing Jeff was in too much pain to talk about his favorite subject, he brought his hands down.
"Do you want a Tylenol or something?"
Jeff closed his eyes to another sharp pang, "I don't take that shit."
"What about an edible? THC."
His eyes opened, and a grin etched his pained face. "Yeah. Give me two of them."
-
When Anna returned home that afternoon, she rolled her eyes at Craig, who looked too comfortable on her couch. She tossed her eyes at the television, expecting another football game, but saw a high-speed chase.
Anna stood by, looking at Jeff sitting in his chair with a wet chest, "What happened to your shirt?"
Jeff ignored her, his eyes staring zombie-like into the television.
"What are y'all watching?" Anna asked, needing attention.
Craig spread his legs, taking up two cushions, and answered, "Fast and the Furious 6."
"I thought this was the newest one?" Jeff questioned
"No. Well. Maybe it is." He leaned over and focused his hooded eyes on the screen, "Nah, this is the 6 one. That girl is not in the 7th."
Jeff nodded, "Oh. Yeah. The last one has the redhead with the huge tits. Her tits are alright..."
Anna was confused by their manner and backed up to take in their dynamic. Two grown men with similar styles, voices, and haircuts were in her living room watching TV and judging women like two college frat boys. Jeff was bulkier, and Craig was a hair shy of being the same length as him. While Jeff had skipped a week at the barber shop, Craig kept his beard neat with a fresh cut. Both had ditched their usual suits for athletic shirts and shorts.
"What happened to your shirt?" Anna asked Jeff, rubbing his wavy hair.
"I was lifting weights with the Hulk over there and tore something."
"You lifted more than me." Craig laughed, "I told you, you've got to take it slow."
"He's right," Anna nodded, "You've got to take it slow, old man."
"You two fuckers are going to stop calling me Old. I am 40. I am basically in my fucking prime right now," Jeff finally glanced at her with a loopy smile and grabbed her plump ass through a pair of tight jeans, "You want to sit with me?"
Anna beamed at the offer before taking in his red eyes, "Are you high right now?"
Jeff brought his hand up to rub his cheek, "Umm," he hummed, brushing his palm down his beard, "Uh-"
"Jeffery!" Anna popped his forehead.
"It's just an edible." Craig defended, "It's nothing hardcore."
"Yeah. Weed is nature's painkiller," Jeff smiled, lifting up, "I feel pretty good right now, honestly. Back feels, ugh fuck," he grunted and returned to lay back on the chair, breathing through another ache, "Hmm, never mind."
Anna twirled her eyes to Craig, "You're a terrible influence. You better stay around for when he wakes up with a hangover."
Craig laughed but stopped when she turned to scowl, "Um, You don't get a hangover from edibles. Like he said, it's natural. Loosen up."
"Loosen up?" Anna stepped toward him, but Jeff grabbed her hand.
"Hey! Calm down, little Chuchuwa," Jeff laughed, pulling her hand up for a kiss, "Go do your homework and stop worrying about me. You're old Daddy will be alright."
Anna pulled away and walked down the hallway with light stomps, making them both chuckle at her annoyance.
"Was she about to fight me or something?" Craig slumped back with a laugh, "She's a firecracker."
"Yeah, she is," Jeff looked at the screen, and a devilish idea came in, "Hey, so you got more of those little things?"
Craig reached into his bag and pulled out a plastic-sealed bag. The idea hadn't occurred to him, and he nonchalantly counted the last few cubes of THC gummies.
"I got eight more of these, some candy rings, Sour Patch Kids, Oreos," he fumbled into his bag and found another plastic bag. I've got mushrooms, too."
"Holy fuck," Jeff sat up, "You're going to pull a rabbit out next."
"No, I just. Well, my sister came down from California and-"
"Let me see those shrooms," Jeff said, holding his hand for the goods.
Craig handed him the Ziploc bag, "I got the shrooms from a friend. But my sister, well, Her boyfriend owns a dispensary in Cali, and she's always bringing me new stuff when she comes down."
After a careful smell and examination, he asked, "How many do I take?"
"I microdose. I've never taken more than a uh--" Craig paused, his eyes widening as Jeff stuffed a piece into his mouth. "Dude."
"What?" Jeff chewed his jaw squared from the taste, "They're not that bad."
"Dude, give me the bag," Craig ordered and looked inside, "How many did you take?"
"Just one. I'll be fine. I've had mushrooms before. It's a nice trip. It's not like that acid shit."
Craig bit off a morsel.
"Go ahead and take a whole one."
Craig held it in his mouth, letting it dissolve on his tongue, and then picked at another small piece.
"Craig, what was that?"
"What?"
"That little ass nibble you just took. Eat the damned thing."
"I can't 'Trip' hard right now."
"Why not?" Jeff laughed, growing relaxed from his eased mind, "We have nothing to do until that new shipment arrives. You have nothing to do this week; you're on a paid vacation."
"You don't have to pay me until you get back up and running. I know you're spending a pretty penny on the reconstruction and-"
"You'll get paid, Buddy. One thing my father taught me was to take care of employees, especially the good ones. You're one of the good ones. I appreciate your hard work if I haven't told you lately."
Craig laughed off the sentimental praise and wiggled the bag of gummies, "I know what to give you next time I want a raise," he chuckled, "Seriously though. You've been... I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you. If I hadn't gotten this job. You've really changed my fucking life, man. I just want to thank you for the opportunity. And I think you made the right decision keeping your dad's store open. It will take some work to get it together, but you're doing him the honor and keeping his name alive. I respect that."
