Ernie Boudine -- early thirties, still lives at home with mom -- has never had sex, hasn’t even been kissed. In his mind the only guys who get in on the action are the muscled-up bodybuilders he worships on his computer. But Ernie knows to attract such a god He’ll need to transform his current blob of soft muscles covered with an ample layer of fat into body beautiful. Personal trainer Butch Noonan discovers his boyfriend has been cheating on him. Troy is the last straw. Butch decides he’s done dating bodybuilders with their self-centered and egotistical attitudes. Butch longs for a relationship with someone who believes in romance, togetherness, and fidelity. Joining a gym, Ernie feels like a kid in a candy store. So many beautiful men working out, so much hard muscle to ogle. Ernie is disappointed when Butch is assigned as his personal trainer. Despite the man’s name, the other trainers have bigger and buffer bodies. Soon, however, Ernie begins to appreciate Butch’s sexy, compact body and what’s more, the man genuinely seems to care for and about Ernie. Much to both men’s surprise, a tentative relationship begins to blossom, but then into the gym strolls Butch’s former college roommate. Bill is a serious bodybuilder and Ernie is immediately captivated by the man’s huge muscles and confident swagger. Can Butch stand idly by and watch Ernie make the same mistakes he has? Or will Ernie wise up in time and realize true relationships are about more than muscle?

More Than Muscle

Ernie had assured her it was nothing she’d done to make him this way. Then, for the first time in years, they’d shared an authentic hug.


His mom had smiled. “Well, when can I meet your young man?”


Butch caught sight of Ernie. “Bill, I’d like you to meet one of my clients, the one I was starting to tell you about.” He smiled and waved Ernie over.


Bill turned to face the direction Butch indicated. When he did, Butch saw Ernie stop dead in his tracks and a look of shock register on his face. Recovering quickly, Ernie slowly advanced toward them.


Butch wondered what was going through Ernie’s mind that he would react that way. Was it the amazement of seeing a man with a monster build like Bill’s, or could it be something else?


When Ernie came up to them, Butch said, “Ernie, this is an old friend of mine. We were in college together. Roommates. He played linebacker, while I did gymnastics. Ernie, meet Bill Bixby, or as he calls himself, BigBiceps.”


Chapter 29