Chapter Three - Alec
Alec opened the gym at 4 a.m. as usual. He straightened up his office then went to turn the tanning beds on and started the heating for the hot tubs in the back. Once everything was ready to go, he went back up front and got a protein shake along with his usual breakfast. As he drank it, he made sure the computer was booted and the register was set up with its float before he opened the doors. As he unlocked them, he watched Jane walking up right on time. She was always so punctual, it was impressive.
“Morning boss, ready for another wonderful day?” she asked as she breezed past him. He chuckled and followed her to the desk.
“Always, Janey. You?”
She hung her light jacket up and smiled. “You know it. I’m booked all day after eight. Some good prospects too,” she told him, and he nodded. She was his most requested trainer, even beyond himself. He got it, though. Guys liked to have a sexy woman as their trainer. Right up until she got them working hard. Jane was as hardcore on her clients as she was on herself. Despite her hard body, she still managed to keep a sexy figure for her male clients. Her tanned body was clad in a red spandex half-top and cropped leggings.
“You got me beat, my friend. I have Neil this morning and then a new lady, Martha, at one this afternoon,” he said.
“In this world, Alec, you gotta show something to get something,” she said pragmatically and lifted her good-sized breasts briefly with a grin. “It isn’t right but that is how it is,” she said. He nodded.
“I know. You do alright with it, though,” he commented, making her laugh.
“That’s because they learn pretty quick not to try anything. I haven’t had to hurt anyone in months,” she joked. He knew she was always diplomatic about rude encounters with men.
“Good thing, too. We could lose half our clients to the emergency room,” he said with a laugh.
“But we’d gain them back as clients coming in for physical therapy,” she added, still chuckling. “Neil must be a pretty regular client if he’s coming in on a Saturday, eh?” she asked and gave him a glance. He nodded and kept his features bland.
Alec had developed a new attraction towards his son’s best friend. Knowing Jane, she was aware of it. She never missed things like that. Hell, she’d even caught him staring at Neil while he was running on the treadmill. Fortunately, she was a good friend who understood and trusted him. So, Jane never brought it up.
Until now.
“He’s a good client. Hardworking, too. He’s become dedicated to his workout schedule. And most importantly, my son’s fond of him,” he said, trying not to think about his own fondness for the young man. It was complicating matters because he knew how his son felt about the handsome guy and it’d been Alec who had suggested getting the two of them to work out together as a way of connecting. Now, he was the one wanting to connect with the beautiful boy who’d managed to give him many sleepless nights in a row. Alec hadn’t expected to find him so charming and good looking. There was something special about him. The way he stood, smiled or raised an eyebrow, always got Alec’s attention. Fortunately, with Sean around, nothing could ever happen and it was for the best.
“He does seem like he’s dedicated. He works harder than most we get in here. I wish I could get some of mine to throw themselves into it so easily,” she said and winked before she strolled off back to her office.
Alec smiled slightly. She was a tease with him because she knew he wasn’t interested in her that way. Alec did some paperwork as a few early risers made their way into the club. He smiled and made small talk with some of them. He liked being amiable and approachable to his clients. He knew his size and bulk could keep people at a distance, so he put extra effort into making sure they felt they could come to him with any concerns. He wondered if he should’ve tuned that down with Neil.
“Hey, dad,” he heard Sean call as he walked in with Neil. Alec smiled at them both and stood.
“Good morning, boys. Ready to sweat your asses off?” he joked, and they both nodded. He met Neil’s eyes and saw the light in them that he’d come to cherish. He couldn’t help it. He cleared his throat and brought his focus back to work. “Great, well if I remember, you Sean, get to do the power tower and bench today. You, Neil, are on the power rack with all its glorious settings,” he said with a grin. They laughed and moved off to start their day's work out.
Neither of the boys needed much looking after. They knew what they were supposed to do. However, Alec still felt the need to watch out for Neil. He didn’t want him to get hurt. Neil went through the leg lifts fine; he’d gotten good at excelling with that set. Next were the shoulder lifts and Alec stood behind him for those reps. He could see Sean grunting away a few rows over, working hard and he was proud of his son. Although he wasn’t his own flesh and blood, Alec felt Sean had been more to him than a biological son could have been. He always listened to him and respected him.
His attention came back to Neil and he reached out for his shoulders urgently. “Oh, not that way, Neil. Shift your grip down the sides a little, buddy. Here, this way.” He slid Neil's hands down the grips so that they were more perpendicular thus avoiding any shoulder injuries. He noticed then that the warmth where his chest pressed against Neil's back was tingling. He saw the flush go up Neil's neck to his cheeks, so Alec backed away.
“That’ll work. Go ahead and do ten reps, ten seconds breathing, then ten more,” he said in a mechanical voice and went over to observe Sean to take his mind off the handsome young man. He felt a little distant from his son and he wasn’t sure if it was his new attraction towards Neil, or just work and life getting in the way. He vowed to spend more time with him. He went back to check on Neil when the boy was ready for the bench.
“Okay, you got the right weights, looks ready to go. I’ll spot you,” he said, and Neil smiled at him while lying back, reaching up to get a good grip on the bar. Their eyes met and then Neil's face flushed as he lifted the heavy weight. Alec kept his eyes on Neil's shoulders and arms, watching for shaking or hesitation in his repetitions. He couldn’t help but enjoy the lines of Neil's muscles. He had to keep his eyes on the weights and the job because if he glanced up, he could see below Neil's stomach and that’d be even more distracting.
When he finished the final reps on the rack, Alec sent him off to the treadmill for some added cardio and then he went to help his son on the overhead lifts. Even then, while he stood behind Sean, he’d catch himself glancing over to where Neil was doing a slow jog on the machine. He was glad that Sean was there. He wasn’t sure he could stay professional otherwise. That’s when Alec realized he had a problem that could get out of hand very easily.
After their hour was up, the boys hit the showers and he went back to his desk. He refused to go into the showers while Neil was naked and dripping. He couldn’t stand to see what he so badly wanted to be a part of, so charming and caring, right in front of him.
Later that day, Jane invited him to have lunch together and they went to a Thai restaurant a block down on the Vine. He ordered a chicken curry and she got rice with a noodle salad and lemon sauce. He sipped his water and dug into his lunch. They both had healthy appetites, so they ate quietly to take the edge off their hunger. After a while Jane sighed and leaned back, looking at him closely.
“Can I ask you something? Because I’m getting a little worried, Alec,” she said, and he raised a brow.
“Ask away. You can always ask me anything. You’re my friend, Janey,” he said honestly.
“I am glad to be your friend and as your friend, I feel I should just check and see how you’re doing with Sean…and Neil. That could be a whole mess of problems, you know?” He blushed slightly and looked down at his plate.
He should’ve seen it coming. She was a caring person and it was obvious she’d worry about him. He knew he couldn’t lie to her; she’d catch that in a heartbeat. He sighed. “It’s complicated. Neil is Sean’s friend and I think Sean would like it to be more. I haven’t and won’t initiate anything with Neil, but it’s getting harder every day to ignore my feelings for him. I do like him, Janey,” he admitted, and she nodded.
“Yeah, I can see that. You know that normally I wouldn’t say anything because it’s your life. I do know how complicated these things can get, though, from my own experience,” she said. He gave a curt nod. She was going through a rough patch when they’d first met. Back then he’d helped her get over her ex. So, now she was repaying the favor.
“I get it, Janey and I really appreciate you looking out for me. But don’t worry. I don’t intend to follow through. Hopefully, Sean and I will find something together. That would cool things down for me, I’m sure,” Alec told her honestly. She nodded. They finished up their lunch and went back to work.
Alec was determined to keep his word. Yet, throughout the day, he kept thinking about the young man he’d intended to forget.