He comes back holding a combination lock, still in the package.
“Here. Use this. I’ve got a bunch.” My eyes narrow, but I’m not in a position to argue, so I take it.
“Go stow your gear. Take your time. I gotta make a call.”
Then he’s gone before I can even say thank you, and there’s a weird feeling in my chest that I refuse to acknowledge.
***
Tiernan has me doing an inventory count in the storage area. It’s taken me four hours, but I’m finished. Inventory is something I’ve done before, so it wasn’t difficult. The gym has gotten much busier since I’ve been working. The loud music isback, along with all the other gym sounds, but it seems different today. Maybe because I’m expecting it.
Tiernan tells me to take a lunch break after I give him the updated inventory sheet.
I wander into the break room to get some water. Someone is rummaging through the cabinets. Damn, I thought Tiernan was built. This guy has him beat. His arms are the size of my thighs. I try to slip by him, but his brown eyes light up when he sees me.
“Hey! You’re the new guy. Arlo, right?” He gives me a wide, friendly grin as he holds out his hand for a shake. “I’m Troy, but everyone calls me Diesel.”
I shake his hand quickly, before pulling it back to my side. It’s huge, but his grip is gentle.
“Hey.” I move toward the water cooler, grabbing one of the paper cups from the dispenser on the side.
“Oh, don’t use those.”
Shit! I drop the cup, my heart pounding.
The bald, musclebound giant is digging inside a cabinet, muttering to himself. After a minute, he holds up one of those aluminum water bottles, still in its wrapper.
“Here you go. You’ll never stay hydrated with those flimsy things.” He hands it to me. It’s black with a green lid, and it has the gym logo on the side.
“Tiernan always forgets these are up here.” He tells me, deep voice rumbling like gravel.
“Oh, uh, thanks. Are you sure they’re okay to use?”
Diesel snorts.
“You bet. T’s been trying to get rid of those for months. Just between you and me, he ordered too many, but I’d never tell him that.”
I open the packaging then lean over the sink to rinse it out. It’s new, so it still has that weird smell to it, but it looks durableand small enough to fit in the side pocket of my backpack. Smiling to myself, I fill it up at the cooler.
Diesel hands me a Sharpie, telling me to write my name on the lid.
“We’ve all got them, so unless you want to drink someone’s backwash, it’s better to label it.”
Gross. I write my name in bold block letters.
“Looks like you didn’t bring your lunch today, did you?” Diesel asks as he arranges paper plates and silverware on the counter next to a huge casserole dish. He doesn’t even wait for me to answer.
“Good! You can be the first to try my new recipe. I need a guinea pig.” He scoops up a large serving, puts it on a plate and hands it to me before I can reply. I take the plate. I mean, I can’t refuse him. Who knows how that would go.
He pulls out a chair at the card table for me with a flourish. Is he going to watch me eat this? Oh shit, what if it’s terrible? My stomach churns.
He sits down opposite me. Yup, he really is watching me eat. That won’t be weird at all.
“So this is a chicken and brown rice casserole with a twist. I’ve got some extra veg in there with the spinach and the sweet potatoes, plus it’s got a nice cashew sauce and some parm. I added extra cheese and breadcrumbs on top because who doesn’t like cheese?”
I bring a forkful to my lips. It smells delicious. It can’t be that bad if it smells good, right?
I take a bite and my tongue lights up. Wow! Wide-eyed with surprise and genuine delight, I give him a thumbs-up.
