Page 110 of Gym Bros
Me
Does that happen a lot? How long will it last?
Samuel
No clue, so don’t come up in here looking like a slob, k?
My fucking cheeks hurt.
Samuel
Text me when you get here so I can let you in.
I get dressed in my nicest workout clothes, giddy, like I’ve had three glasses of champagne, and the next is on the way. Iknow he was kidding about me looking like a slob. Ineverlook that bad, but it’s also been a couple of weeks since he’s asked me out, and I don’t want to seem like I don’t appreciate it.
I also don’t know what an arm bar is, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
His training gym takes up most of the lower level of a four story building at the foot of the hill in Pac Heights. The other storefront is a smoothie shop which I guess is convenient for the people who train here. When the door opens, I’m greeted with a sweat-soaked Samuel sporting a huge smile.
“Oh my god, you’re disgusting!” Also, I want to cover myself in his sweat, lick it off his thighs and rub my face in it.
He laughs, pulls me inside, then presses his whole sweaty self to me, including his mouth and his damp scruff. Obviously I don’t resist. In fact, I grab him by the shoulders, jump off the floor and wrap my legs around him.
He goes the extra mile and rubs his forehead against my neck to mark me with his scent, I guess, but that shit goes both ways. I wore extra fragrance, too. When he comes up for air, still holding me, I take a look around.
“Okay, this place is way bigger than I was picturing.”
“Want the tour?” he asks.
“Sure.”
He sets me down, but then turns, apparently wanting me to hop on his back.
“I can walk,” I tell him.
“Look, I’m in the middle of a workout, so make this tour worth my time. I already know where everything is.”
I hop on. He gives me the piggyback tour. “That’s the octagon, which is obvious, but I figured I’d point it out since I feel like you haven’t ever heard of MMA.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and make sure he understands his life is in my hands. “It that regulation size?”
“Yes,” he says.
“It seems small.”
“What is with this size obsession all of a sudden?”
“It’s not all of a sudden, babe.” Because I sometimes just call him babe now and he doesn’t even notice.
He laughs. “Cardio,” he says as we pass a row of treadmills and bikes. “Grappling mats.”
“I’m very interested in those,” I tell him.
“But this is what I wanted to show you.”
We walk into a forest of hanging punching bags. Everything is red and black in here except for one random blue mat.
“Are there workout machines somewhere?”
