Chapter 5

With a grunt, he tossed the barbell onto its stand and lay on the bench, glaring at the ceiling. Maybe he could just stack the weights up and lift them that way. Bad for his knees, perhaps, but it might do the trick…

Someone leaned over Vic, into his line of vision. Even upside-down, he recognized the blonde buzz cut and perpetual tan of Doug Sachs, a kid fresh out of college, who seemed to have taken a liking to Vic. He was always willing to spot Vic, despite the fact he could barely lift half what Vic benched. “Hey there,” he said with a smile, flashing impossibly white teeth. “You’re just the guy I’ve been looking for.”

Vic sat up, forcing Doug to stand back. “Why?”

Without asking, Doug began taking the weights off Vic’s barbell. “Do you need more pounds? I can see if they have a stronger bar—”