Everyday Hero Box Set

Seventh Inning Stretch-3

By noon, Vic was in the weight room at the gym, lifting a barbell that buckled beneath the weights he’d placed on either end. His early morning tryst with Matty clung to him, half-remembered; one moment he’d been asleep, his lover in his arms, and the next thing he knew, Matt was kissing him, his hands doing delicious things to Vic’s already hard c**k. The transition from dream to reality blurred in Vic’s head, until he wasn’t sure what he’d thought up himself and what had really happened. What a way to be woken. Thinking back to it now, his groin throbbed with desire and he hefted the barbell up, hoping to stymie his libido with the effort.

No luck—the barbell held a mere thirteen hundred pounds, the most he could fit onto the thin metal shaft without it snapping, and it still felt like a toothpick in his hands.

He had fallen back to sleep after the s*x. A part of his sleeping mind had registered the sounds Matt made as he showered and dressed; part of him had felt the faint kiss on his cheek and heard the half-whispered thought, ::Love you, big guy.:: Then his consciousness had detached from Matt’s as his lover pulled away from the curb, and Vic drifted back into dreams until his alarm went off at eleven. By then, the smell of s*x had dispersed and the sheets were no longer sweaty. The only indications their morning loving had been real were the dried c*m on Vic’s ass and belly and the sudden burst of super strength that made him tear the bathroom door off its hinges by accident.

Energy swirled through him like electricity, setting his nerves on end and turning every little movement into a colossal feat. The shower curtain came off the rod in his hands at the slightest touch; the sink cracked when he leaned on it to shave; his coffee mug shattered when he tried to set it gently in the sink. It took three pairs of sweat pants before he managed to step into one without tearing off the waistband—he didn’t even unfold his work clothes, just tossed them into his gym bag along with his work shoes, then headed out the door. Careful not to break anything on his way out, he still managed to crush the door knob in one fist, and the glass in his passenger side window spidered when he shut it after tossing his bag into the seat.

By the time he reached the gym, his mood bordered on foul. With only an hour to work off the excess strength before he had to be at work, Vic pushed himself to the edge. All the weights in the room wouldn’t be enough, he suspected, to curb the powers within him.

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—”

“They don’t.” Vic unsnapped the fingerless leather gloves he wore, tightening them, before he snapped the straps back across his wrists. First one hand, then the other. “What d’you want?”

Doug leaned over the barbell, arms crossed, a look of barely contained excitement on his face. Vic brushed over his thoughts and picked up something about a baseball game. God, the guy wasn’t asking him out, was he? The thought Doug might be hitting on him was laughable, at best, but Vic didn’t want to lose his best spotter over something as stupid as that. “Look,” he started, “I should get going—”

“No, wait.” Doug flashed that million watt smile again. “Hear me out. You know we’ve been cleared to play in the charity ballgame next weekend, right?”

Vic sighed in relief. So he wasn’t going to have to beat the guy down after all. “No, I hadn’t heard.”

Doug’s tan brow furrowed. “Matt didn’t tell you?”

And he did know about Vic’s lover, thank God. Vic picked up on Doug’s thoughts easily—the man knew Matt was with Vic, though he wouldn’t allow himself to think of exactly how that worked between them, but it made life easier for Vic if he didn’t have to spell it out.

But Vic hadn’t seen Matt since the morning, and his lover wasn’t at the gym. Vic knew—he’d scanned the facility with his mind when he had entered, but Matt was at lunch, as was Roxie. He’d plucked that information from the thoughts of the girl covering Roxie’s desk. So Matt hadn’t been able to tell him about any ballgame, and Vic didn’t really know what possible interest it might be to him.

With a grunt, Vic muttered, “He ain’t here. What game is this?”

“Bon Air Hospice hosts a charity ballgame every year,” Doug explained. “Four gyms sponsor the event, and this time, we’re one of them. We get two teams together and play for four days, or however long it takes to knock us out of the tournament. So, you in?”

“What?” Vic sat up straight and stretched his arms behind him, feeling the muscles in his shoulder blades and neck pop. “I don’t do team sports.”

“Come on,” Doug cajoled. “Matt’s doing it. I’m doing it. Half the staff is in, and I’m supposed to recruit a few good members, as well. Hell, man, with your strength? We’re a shoo-in.”

But Vic shook his head. “I haven’t played baseball since high school.”

“The rules haven’t changed,” Doug assured him. “Just hit the ball hard enough, and you can walk around the bases to home plate. s**t, hit it out of the ballpark and you won’t even have to move. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Vic grunted. “We obviously have very different ideas of fun.”

“Come on,” Doug said again. “It’s a weekend, Thursday through Sunday. What’ll it hurt?”

For a moment, Vic almost said no. Then Doug’s words hit him—it was a weekend event, and Matt had already agreed to participate. Which meant if Vic wanted to spend any time with his lover, he’d have to sign up, too. He worked full shifts during the week, and the weekends were all he really had to share with Matt. Narrowing his eyes at Doug, he asked, “You’re sure Matt’s in? ‘Cause if he’s not, I’m out.”

Doug let out a whoop that made heads turn their way. “Hoo-yah! He’s recruiting staff, I’m recruiting members. And I’ve just signed my Sammy Sosa.” Raising his voice, he hollered, “We’re gonna win this thing, y’all! Vic’s in!”

A growl tickled the back of Vic’s throat, but it was lost in the sudden cheers and catcalls from the other members in the weight room. Ducking his head, he placed a hand on his forehead to hide his eyes and wondered what the hell he’d gotten himself into.