Circumstantial

Chapter 1

"What's up, danger?
Ayy, don't be a stranger.
'Cause I like high chances that I might lose.
I like it all on the edge just like you, ayy.
I like tall buildings so I can leap off of 'em.
I go hard with it no matter how dark it is..."
Blackway & Black Caviar blared in my ears, fuelling my workout.

I pushed my arms for a final set of bench presses and sat up drenched in sweat. The woman cycling up ahead lifted her fingers in a timid wave and smiled. Her face was flustered and her oversized T-shirt clung to her sweaty body. I removed my earphones and returned her smile with a friendly smile of my own.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," I warned her. I wasn't trying to discourage her but I'd seen plenty of people make the same mistake. They jump into working out with unrealistic expectations, and push their bodies too hard, then, after not losing enough weight under a short space of time, they drop out.

"I need to do this if I want my old body back," she replied breathlessly. She wiped the sweat dripping down the side of her face with her T-shirt and blushed. "Having eye candy sure helps with the motivation."

I chuckled, stood up and walked towards her. "I didn't know I had an audience. Would have put on more of a show," I joked, handing her a water bottle.

Her blush deepened and she gratefully gulped down the cool liquid. Not to be a stereotypical, judgmental sort of guy, but in my eight years working out at this gym I pretty much knew the types of people who walked in here. Although I'd never seen her before, I knew which category she fitted in: The Post-Pregnancy group of mothers who were struggling with the change in their bodies as well as the three-sixty degree turn in their lives after having their first kid.

"Not trying to be an asshole, but you're never going to get your old body back. You know that, right?" I said gently.

She got off the bike shakily and sighed, looking at the ground. "Yeah, I know. It's just the price I have to pay for my little bundle of joy waiting for me back home."

"Honestly, I think this is what makes you a woman, you know? Otherwise you'd just be another skinny girl. I personally think you look great. Tone those muscles a bit and appreciate your new body. You have curves now, and that's something to be proud of."

Her gaze finally met mine and she chewed on her lip as it curved into a shy smile. Even though her eyes were glazed over with exhaustion, that distinct glint shone through. Oh I knew that look alright. She wanted it. She wanted it bad. I couldn't blame her. She just had a kid, which definitely suffocates the sex life, and her husband was probably working his ass off to pay the bills of parenthood. I actually pitied her a little. I consider myself a generally good guy over all, so even if having once off sex with her helped boost her self-esteem, which was probably in desperate need of repair, I still couldn't do it. Why was the word MILF, MILF, MILF echoing in my head? I swallowed awkwardly and glanced over the rail to the Olympic pool down below.

"Ah! There she is. I should get going," I gestured to the brunette swimming in a bright red bikini.

Her face fell in dismay. "Oh! Thanks for the advice..."

"Michael," I smiled, extending my hand.

"Johanna. Nice meeting you, Michael," she shook my hand with a smile.

"See you around Johanna," I smiled.

Phew! That was a close call. Lifting weights somehow had a way of getting me really turned on and I had no intention of having an affair with a married woman, let alone a woman who had just had a baby. We all know how emotional those types are.
I headed down the flight of stairs towards the pool, pulling my vest over my head and removing my iPod and earphones.

"Coming in for a dip, big boy?!" The brunette called from the far end.

I smiled mischievously, kicking off my shoes and dived in head first. Alicia was the gym's personal swimming instructor and had a reputation with the bodybuilders. She had a way of seducing them, using them, then discarding them as if it were all just a game. I wish I could say that I hadn't fallen into her trap, but I had. She occasionally gave me head in the sauna or change rooms and we had screwed in the shower two or three times. She had a killer body and wasn't afraid to use it. Unsurprisingly, she had some insane fetishes and kinks too, which I hadn't decided were good or bad. Either way, she always had me feeling used afterwards, which probably was a bad sign.

"Hey Alicia," I greeted, swimming up beside her. The water felt refreshing and helped soothe my sore muscles.

"Where have you been? It's been like a month since I've seen you around," she turned to look at me, lazily doing a butterfly stroke in the water.

"Yeah. I've been busy. Kate decided to move into a place of her own closer to campus. She insisted on me making customized kitchen units. God knows when she'll make time to appreciate it between studying law and doing her internship."

"Oooh! So you're finally getting to live the high life now, huh?" She squealed, splashing water in my direction.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Yeah? And what life is that?" I ask.

"Oh, come on, Mike! You're living on your own now! No more 'lil sister in the house! The life of a bachelor!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up dramatically.

I rolled my eyes. I guess this is what you get when you're busy stereotyping others. Alicia was stereotyping me now. I was only a bachelor in the sense that I was single. I wasn't the type to bring a lady home every other day to share my bed or delve into a relationship for the sake of companionship. I had enough to deal with and didn't plan on adding any crazy bitch drama to my life. Living alone in a five bedroom house, having to care for my little sister, all while struggling to keep my dad's hardware store up and running had me feeling like a guy in the midst of a midlife crisis, NOT a bachelor.
Alicia didn't understand me, but then again, I didn't need her to. I just needed a release.

"Change room in five?" I ask, pulling myself out of the water.

"Okay. But only if you allow me to use the collar." She smirked.

Argh! She was in one of her S&M moods. Fuck it. I hadn't had sex in four weeks.

"As you wish, ma'am." I agree. Her eyes cloud over with desire, and even though I know I'm gonna regret this later, I pick up my stuff and head to the change room with my dick hardening in anticipation.