At long last, Theo’s daughter deigned to reply to his texts! It was past 9 PM already when he picked up his phone and read her strange message: “im coming home and going straight to bed can you be cool for once and not bother me”.
Somebody was feeling uppity, wasn’t she? “see you soon” he pointedly replied. Alice wanted him to be a team player? Sure. But that didn’t mean being a total pushover! She’d lost the bet fair and square, and some silly pouting on her part wasn’t going to absolve her of the consequences. He was a man of his word. First he would carry out the promised punishment, and then maybe they would see about reconciliation.
It just so happened that he was in the bathroom when she got home. He heard the front door slam, and he’d just washed his hands and stepped out when her bedroom door slammed too. He marched down the hall and found it locked!
“Jen, come out!” No response. He gave three hard knocks, but still nothing. “Fine, then. You can slide me your phone and your laptop under the door, and I’ll decide when to give them back. You know what we’d agreed! Tomorrow we’ll discuss your chores and being grounded as well. I may be inclined to be lenient, if you--“
*Bam!* She must have thrown something at the door. Something heavy.
“Or maybe I won’t!” he huffed. He’d won today; he had the upper hand. He would not be rattled! “You have sixty seconds.”
Through the door, Jen was in shambles. She wanted to scream, or bury her face in her pillow, or--
“I’m waiting!”
AGHH!! She could not stay here! Not with Dad pestering her, riling her up! She could barely see straight enough to snatch her wallet and phone before blitzing toward the door, almost frantic to escape.
Theo had a mere fraction of a second to react. Jen’s red hair almost scraped the top of the doorway as her zooming, stilt-like legs carried her toward him and-- “Look out!” she called, just before her hip bone body-checked him into the wall! He bounced off with a hard *Thoomp* and staggered to one knee.
She covered her mouth, looking as if it were a mistake. But he refused to believe it! She rushed down the hall and -- *gasp* He heard the jingling of keys! Authority instincts kicked into overdrive as he got up and charged down the hall bellowing, “You are NOT to leave!” But the disobedient girl increased her speed across the living room! He broke into a run, caught her wrist, yanked backward, and--
“Hey!” Even with her high heels and even higher center of gravity, she kept her balance and almost yanked him off his feet in her recovery! Her arm jolted like a 150-pound fish on the line, and any moment it could capsize him. So he released her wrist and snagged his fingers around her phone instead.
“That’s mine!” the girl shrieked. But he was not prepared for the sudden whiplash of her response: two hands closing around his with blinding swiftness, then pulling like a ripcord. The next thing he knew, the ground was rushing toward him and he barely got his hands down in time to break his fall. The sting of embarrassment brought him right back to his feet -- but ahead of his reckless advance, the teen drew her phone behind her and over her head, with her feet planted wide and her free arm braced to ward him off!
Dismay rippled through him as the unwinnability of his situation sunk in. He’d matched her this morning by the skin of his teeth, but only through clever tactics and trickery. What was he supposed to do now against a fully-rested, full-strength Jen? And her high heels seemed to help her now; even her head loomed distressingly far above him, so how could he possibly reach her phone? She was too prepared; too fast for him. Too strong. Too--
“DAD, QUIT TRYING TO FIGHT ME! WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM!”
Her face erupted in such rage that he staggered a step backward. Capitalizing on his discomposure, she shot past him and out the front door. As it slammed in his face, his only thought was: thank god she didn’t take more anger out on him than she had.
Jen ran to her car in tears. She’d never meant to shove Dad to the ground! It’d been an accident! But … But she could hardly get through today as it is, without him being a jerk to her too, and … Gah! She was in no condition to deal with that. She never should have returned home at all!!
She didn’t get more than a couple blocks before her eyes were too blurry to drive. Pummeling the steering wheel in angst, she called the only person she could think of who might take her in.
* * *
Theo was still standing in the living room in a daze, when a text came in. From Alice. “Jen showed up at my door. Can she spend the night?”
At Alice’s?? “Yes” he replied, then: “she can spend longer if she wants”. Some extra time apart was sounding very preferable right now…
Hell. Maybe Alice had been right. Maybe he was partly to blame. And maybe he did need time to figure some things out.
MondayAlice checked in on Jen briefly in the guest bedroom. The girl was still looking through old pictures on her phone, still downtrodden. The poor thing. “I’m headed out,” Alice mentioned. “Got work to do around town. You OK? You need anything?”
“No…”
“Alright. And you know you can stay here as long as you need. It’s not a problem.”
Jen’s puffy eyes blinked at her. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing.”
* * *
Lola paused to admire the view as she approached Ned from behind. This new outfit she’d picked out for him suited him so very well. The lightweight silk draped oh-so-gracefully over his shoulders and clung pleasingly to his slender back. Mmm, she’d have to give her tailor an even bigger tip next time -- just look how perfectly the clingy viscose fabric of his pants molded around his soft, tiny tush.
“It fits like a dream!” her husband praised, pausing his cooking and beaming back at her from the stove as she approached. “Full range of motion; so lightweight … It’s like I’m not even wearing it!”
He wouldn’t be, in about two seconds. Little did he know, but she was coming up behind him right now to strip his new clothes right off his body and take him right there on the counter. Or maybe on the floor. Still plenty of time before she had to leave for work. In fact, her hand was nearly on top of his shoulder -- when her blasted phone rang.
She glanced at it. Alice. Grunting disappointedly, she let her arm drop. Her oblivious husband kept stirring away at the Hollandaise, not knowing how close he’d just come to being ripped off his feet.
“Alice.”
“Lola. Is this a good time?”
“I was about to start something.” Lola sighed. “But yes, this will do.” She’d been expecting Alice’s call, at least. “How are our two contestants coming along? I hope yesterday morning went well?”
While listening, she idly twirled her husband’s short hair, leaned in to breathe a whiff of her husband’s cooking and his sweet cologne …
“’Competed’?” She snorted. “Against each other?” Her amusement grew the longer Alice went on. “… Oh? … And then the girl just left?”
“What are you guys talking about?” Ned asked, craning his head up.
“Shhh,” Lola chided, patting her husband’s cheek then gently stroking his neck. “Well, then, everything is going right to plan. Their failure next Saturday will be a sight to behold! A train wreck for the ages.”
“Agreed … but now I’m worried we miscalculated. What if the train derails before Saturday? If things continue like this, I could even see one of them quitting.”
“You think it’d come to that?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not pretending they’ll ever be great teammates, but at least we don’t want them ripping each other’s head off before Saturday! We need to defuse the tension somehow.”
“And how do you propose we do that?“
“Give them some time apart, for starters. And pull them out of their negative mindsets. I have an idea of how to set Jen in the right direction. But Theo: he only sees his shrinking as a bad thing, something he has to suffer through. He refuses to recognize any benefits to what his new size has to offer.”
“And I suppose you’re going to show him these benefits?”
“Why not? Elaine has left him. And someone’s ought to show him a good time.”
Lola cracked up with laughter. “You’re going to bang him, aren’t you?”
Alice mock-gasped. “How presumptive! That depends entirely on how our date tonight goes.”
Another bout of laughter brought Ned’s head around. Lola approached her tight-rumped husband and wrapped an arm around his wispy frame, pulling him close. “Knowing your proclivities, it’ll be quite an eye-opening experience for him either way.”
“Mmm, yes it will. Normally, I’d like to introduce him to the kinkier side of things nice and slow. But with just a few days to work with here, I may have to throw him right into the deep end …”
“And see if he floats.”
“Ha! More or less. See, I don’t think it’s enough to just improve his mood. The man’s had a sheltered life, lately. Imagine if he were to show up at the Mighty and Mouse studio as he is now, and cross paths with the likes of Skylar. Nora. Kendra, heaven forbid. The size of those women, and how they’d treat him -- can you imagine the shock? He’ll have a freak-out of epic proportions!”
“Ah.” Lola laughed while idly stroking her husband’s chest. “Give him a decent shock now, so he can handle the bigger shock on Saturday.”
“Exactly. And if he can’t handle it, then at least we’ll know that now rather than having him run for the hills when the day comes.”
Lola straightened only slightly, drawing herself upward. Even that small movement was enough to lift her nearly weightless-seeming husband off his toes. “You keep saying ‘we’, as if you want me involved.”
“Well, when I’ve got a friend who’s as strong as a freight train…”
Ned squirmed happily as Lola’s body shook with laughter. “Alright then. Expose him to some serious muscle.” Without realizing it, she lifted Ned higher. “Show him what big ladies like me can really do.” Higher.
“Indeed. We’ll just have to see if he copes. He is a half foot shorter than when you met him last week.”
“Hmph. Good thing I know how to be gentle.” She turned her head down; gyrated her arm a little. “Don’t I, hon?”
Her husband was a good four inches off the ground now, looking helpless as he swayed. Helpless, but far from unhappy. She saw the way his little arms coiled around hers, clutching, as if he wanted -- needed -- more. She heard the excited timbre of his breaths, as his cheek turned and nuzzled against her bosom. His pointed toes rubbed against her shins. Her strength was like a drug to him; he could never seem to get enough of her.
Would Theo respond to her in the same way? Surely not. But every man’s reaction to such things was different. Sometimes you just don’t know until you try.
“…Lola?”
“Hmm? Oh -- yes, I’ll start on this right away.” She hummed, flexing her arm even tighter, watching the delight it produced in her squirmy little husband. “This afternoon.”
“Perfect! Can’t wait to hear about it.”
A distracted Lola gave some brusque goodbye. She wasn’t even aware what she said, really. Her husband was just being so … irresistible. As soon as she could get off the phone, she hurled it aside -- then pinned her little man against the counter. In her rush to get his clothes off him, she ended up tearing his shirt down the seam. Rumbling with mirth, she decided at this point she might as well keep going. Fabric ripped loudly and strips of cloth rained over counters and floor. “Not the pants!” Ned laughed -- which of course only prompted her to dispossess him of those too, in much the same way.
“I’ll buy you more,” she husked. “A whole wardrobe of those sexy things. Those’ll be all you’ll ever wear!” But as she tossed the last remnants of airy fabric over her shoulder, her mouth broke in a wolfish grin. “Though, must say: this is still better.”
The now buck-naked Ned propped himself back on the counter, breathless with anticipation, body quivering, prick erect. …Right there? she mused. …Against the wall? … No. On the floor.
Her husband squealed in glee as she whisked his bare ass off the counter and twirled him under her, between her legs, as she hiked her dress up and knelt on the tile. “Grab hold, baby. Lola’s ‘bout to take you for a ride.”
He held on as well as he could, really -- clutching her bra, groping her tits, even trying to wrap his short arms around the wide ridges of her lats and holding onto them like a surfboard. But of course he never could hang on for long. If not for her arm cupping his back, her thrusts would’ve likely sent his body flying across the kitchen floor. A fun prank for another time perhaps; but not when his prick felt this good, sliding in and out. Not while his pelvis grinded so electrically against her clit. She supplied all the pressure required, of course -- but that’s how they both liked it. Oh yes, this arrangement worked very well for both of them. Very, very, verrry--
Lola moans filled the house, rising even above Ned’s, as the floorboards beneath her shivered. She came down from her ecstasy slowly; and lowered Ned’s body even slower. Softly, gently, she set his rump down on the tile, as his hands wearily let go of the neckline of her dress, still reluctant to depart her breasts. Tenderly her fingers caressed his chin and delicate cheek as the two of them shared glowing smiles.
“Well done, little husband,” Lola hummed.
“Me?” The man was still catching his breath. “You did all the work.”
“Mmmhmm… Of course. But you’re perfect, all the same.”
She rose up on her knees, looming over him, stretching her back, adjusting her dress. His eyes watched raptly, of course; and even his pecker twitched, already threatening to rise. A wistful sigh left her lips. “I could go all day,” she mused. “Perhaps I ought to stuff you in my briefcase and take you with me to work…”
“Yeah? Think I’ll fit?”
“Ha! You’d have to get much, much smaller for that, little hubby. Hmm… but perhaps a garment bag would work …”
His eyes danced. Clearly he liked the idea a great deal. But he bit his lip, realizing, “You won’t actually do that. You can’t.”
“’Fraid not. A V.P. needs to maintain a certain code of conduct, even in this day and age. Ah -- but I have good news.”
“What?”
She stood up, helping naked Ned up in the process. “I’ll be home early today. 1:30. Enough time for a quickie, I think, before our friend Theo arrives.”
“Really! … Hey, are you joining us for our workout??”
“Hmm, something like that.” She bent over for a kiss. “Keep it a surprise, eh?”
“You bet!”
After cleaning herself up and rounding up her briefcase, she returned to find Ned still delightfully naked, scratching his head at the tattered fabric strewn about. “Well, what do I wear now?”
It gave her an idea. How could it not? “I think you look good just like that.” She glanced around. There weren’t too many windows in the house; and it wasn’t that likely anyone would come by. “Mmm, yes. You’ll stay naked. Until I come back.”
His breath caught. “R-Really? … Yes, ma’am!” He brought his hand to his brow -- though, that wasn’t his only body part rising in full salute. Lola grinned. What a nice mental image to get her through the day.
* * *
Alice stopped by her apartment for lunch. “Jen, you hungry? I picked up some subs!”
The door to the guest bedroom creaked open. A dispirited Jen shuffled out, looking every bit as disheveled as she had this morning. Hardly looking at Alice, the girl hardly looked at her as she muttered, “Thanks,” then grabbed one of the sandwiches at random and shuffled back to her room, shutting the door.
Oh boy. Yes, might be best to give her another day.
* * *
Theo, still in a funk, drove his car down Ned and Lola’s fancy driveway. “Whoa.” An enormous luxury SUV was parked by the house. It made Theo's 4-Runner look like a freakin’ Mini. Car companies were cranking out larger and larger models nowadays … but would this one even fit on the road??
The giant hood was popped as he walked around it. Distressingly, his head barely came up to the side view mirror. This was just … bonkers …
"Well, hello there."
Theo jumped in his skin, at the reverberating sound of a familiar deep voice. He turned, and there was Lola.
*Gulp*
Out she strolled from the garage wearing a torn-up, grease-stained tank top that looked about four or five sizes too small, and a short, ripped pair of jean shorts. If her dizzying breasts didn’t rip through the shirt soon, her broad lats surely would. The fabric under her armpits was already fraying, succumbing to the pressure. What’s worse, the shirt was rolled up to the undersides of her breasts to reveal her thick, muscle-laden trunk.
"I know,” she slyly hummed. “Quite a sight, isn’t it?”
He inhaled. “What?!”
“My truck, I mean. Naturally.”
Did she smirk, as her massive frame swept past? He inched sideways involuntarily as she carried a ratchet and sockets to the open hood of the SUV and got to work. Christ… he’d seen her up close before, but never wearing so little. Seeing her not in formal attire was jarring to say the least.
"What, uh ... what's wrong with it?" he asked, redirecting his focus. As he stepped closer, the freaking engine block was almost up to his shoulders! As meanwhile her shoulders were well higher than his head.
"Engine’s misfiring. Figured I'd check the vacuum hoses."
"Hmph. Could be a leak," he agreed. "I'd also check the spark plugs." Fixing cars: now this was his jam, baby! Eager to lend an expert hand, he leaned in …
But too far. As she began ratcheting, her elbow swung out and clocked him in the cheekbone, hard enough to see stars.
"Ooh, careful hon,” she commented offhandedly. Then, with just one arm, she took him by the shoulder and physically moved him a foot sideways! “There. That’s safer.”
He stumbled as she let go, his hand still rubbing his cheek. A flash of irritation cut through his daze. "I could help,” he offered, inching warily closer to her thick elbow. “I--"
"You're sweet, but isn't my hubby waiting for you?"
His cheeks heated. "Yeah, but …” He puffed his chest. “I actually know quite a lot about cars.”
A crooked, downward smile. “You do, do you?” A chuckle that sounded almost… condescending?? “That’s nice dear.” She rubbed some grease off her hands with a towel. “Why don’t you run along inside; and who knows? Maybe something’ll come up that requires a more delicate set of hands.”
‘Run along’?... ‘DELICATE’?!? “Hey, I--“
“If I do, I’ll call you, hon.” She set the towel down and turned to him fully. Her rippling chest; her looming stare, utterly impervious to his mounting anger…
“Let’s not leave Ned waiting.” She shooed him with her hand. Shooed him! “Off you go.”
A disgruntled Theo rang the front doorbell. He kept massaging his cheekbone and looking back. That woman’s body almost seemed unreal. … And talking down to him like that? Him, a highly capable man?! He would’ve put that woman right in her place, if she weren’t the one paying his bills!
The big wooden door budged a little, then a little more, then finally swung open. “Whew!” Ned cheered, laughing at his own struggles.
Oh good lord. Ned's tight blue outfit even rivaled his last, in terms of colorful, borderline effeminate gaudiness. What a disgrace!
“Come in, buddy!” Ned cheered. “How’re things? How’s Jen?”
Jen. He grimaced. Not the reminder he needed. “Well, it’s been better.”
“Oh no! Want to sit and talk about it?” Ned waved him in, gestured to the living room.
“What… over tea?” Theo growled. As fancy as this place was, of course there would be a silver tray with porcelain teacups and teapot just sitting right there on the table. Of course. “No. We’re gonna handle our feelings like real men.”
“Oh? How?”
“By busting our asses in the gym!” Theo roared.
* * *
Turns out he had plenty of frustration to get out, and then some. He drove his client hard -- and himself even harder. *Bam* … treadmill … *KaPow!* … pushups … *KaBlam!*… jumpropes … Back to back to back, no stopping!
“Pick up the pace, man!!” Theo thundered, leading Ned through a brutal set of burpees right into some grueling ‘mountain climbers’.
“Gosh!!” Ned panted. “This is … This is intense!!”
“Damned right it is!”
On to jumping jacks, kickboxing…! Ned didn’t want to lift weights anymore these days, but no matter -- Theo had learned that you could get one hell of a workout even from straight-up aerobics! Who knew, right? And darned if his mood didn’t improve the longer it went.
“Hey -- get that back straight! Knees bent!! … More more more!”
* * *
“Wow!!” Ned collapsed onto the mat, panting, after a nearly nonstop 45-minute onslaught. Theo at least staggered far enough to fall onto a stool, his head spinning.
“Here,” said Theo, grabbing the two water bottles nearby and hurling one towards Ned. It landed barely halfway between them with a dull thud.
“So…close…!” Ned teased, between gasps for air.
Theo wheezed a contented laugh. “’Bout the best I … can manage … right now …” His arms felt like friggin’ rubber.
“Yours!? What … about … mine!!”
Across the room, Lola watched with a smile. She’d slipped in a few minutes ago and was glad she did. Ned… Mmm. They’d had another romp in the bedroom little more than an hour ago, and she was already undressing him with her eyes again, eager for another go. But more imminently: how pleasing it was to see Theo joking and laughing with Ned -- for once, stepping out of his tough-guy shell. Mmmph. That boded well, for what she had planned next.
The winded man looked at the clock. “3:45. Let’s add in some lower intensity stuff to round out the hour. Maybe—“
“Pilates??”
Their guest huffed and rolled his eyes -- but almost in a playful way. “Fiiine, we’ll do your weak-ass pilates again.” Though, once they got into it, he seemed not to actually mind too much at all.
“Good stuff over there,” he called, from the mat. “… Hey, don’t slack on those toe taps! All the way down, bud!”
Lola took a quick video. She couldn’t resist. And she sent it along to someone she knew would like to see it.
“mmm... yummy” Alice texted back. “I mean theo not your husband btw ;)”
Lola grinned. “admit it, ned's lookin yummy too”
“… Now leg lifts! Green stretch bands today!”
“yeah he is. please tell me getting theo in that outfit is part of your plan!”
Lola's abrupt laugh got their attention. Welp… the jig was up. Ned flipped his head around and waved -- but Theo just about had a conniption. The stretch band smacked him in the face as he flustered and blustered. “What the…?? How long…?!”
The way Theo’s gaze darted to her, then away, then back again: this was not lost on Lola. She’d ditched her shirt and was bare now from the waist up except for her white and blue sports bra. A whole landscape of muscle now presented itself to his eyes; muscles that were previously hidden.
She flashed a grin. “Pilates, huh?”
“Yeah!” cheered Ned.
“Uh…” Theo amended hastily, going red-faced. “Hardly. Just a little at the end. Mostly, we--“
“Mostly, he kicked my butt again!” Ned cheered, bounding up to his wife. Theo gritted his teeth. God, the man looked small. He rested his hand on her broad hip, unintimidated, and beamed up at her. “He was like a drill sergeant, Lola! You shoulda seen it!!”
“Oh, was he?” Lola asked, turning an intrigued eye toward Theo. “How cute.”
Theo’s anger spiked again. ‘Cute’!? She was trying to rile him now -- no doubt in his mind.
“He was great, Lola!!” Ned affirmed.
“Well, that’s wonderful. I imagine you must be tired now.”
“Kinda!” Ned replied.
But Lola’s eyes were on Theo, not Ned. More anger boiled within. “I’m fine,” he declared stiffly.
"Good," Lola declared, beckoning at Theo as she crossed the room. “I'll have you help me a while longer."
Theo blinked. “Me? Why?”
“Relax,” she said. “It’s something you’re quite experienced with.”
“Oh,” he realized. “The car?” He was certainly savvy with repairs.
“Ha. Not the car. I got that figured out. Spark plug, like you said. No, you'll be helping me with your other favorite activity."
"My other...?"
Lola put on some weightlifting gloves and moved to the stack of free weights along the far wall.
"That?” Theo couldn’t quite manage to keep his tone level. “Uh...” His gaze went to her bare arms, then to his. Yikes. “I’m, uh, flattered, but--“
“You should be. A man with muscles? Hard to find, in this day and age.”
Muscles? That’s relative. “I have somewhere to be, actually."
"You're lying,” she said flatly.
The audacity of it! "What? No ..."
She beckoned more insistently. "It won't take long. And I'll pay you double the rate for the extra time. My normal workout partner at the gym canceled, so I'll just get in some quick reps here while I have a strapping man here to help."
“Strapping??" He felt prickles of anger again, unsure if she was teasing or not.
She smiled. "Well, I can’t very well ask him to help! Can you imagine little Ned helping with weights? No offense, hon."
"None taken!" Ned assured, laughing. Lola chuckled along with him.
What a weird-ass couple. "I'm ... not sure I can keep up with you," he admitted reluctantly.
Lola boomed with laughter. "Keep up?! Oh, hon, I'm only having you spot me, not lift anything yourself! Just try your best to help out if I get myself in trouble."
“Oh.” 'Try my best'? Who does she think she is?! “Umm…”
“You in or out?”
Her arched brow … Double the usual pay … Her nerve-rattling directness; her bulging arms … What was she capable of, anyway?...
“I’m in.” The words escaped almost before he’d made up his mind. And before he could take it back.
Ned clapped. “Nice!! Hey, honey, can I stay and watch?”
Lola’s gaze lifted past his head. “Do you have time, dear?”
“Ermm … no, I’d better start on dinner. Drat! You’re right.” He nodded at Theo. "Have fun, you lucky devil!" Then he spun around in his tight gray yoga pants and skittered off.
‘Fun’? His mouth twisted in bemusement, and Lola noticed.
"He enjoys watching me lift," Lola explained smugly. "Says I 'amaze' him.” She stretched her fingers back and cracked her knuckles. “Maybe you'll be the same way."
“What?!” The impossibility of it; the absurdity!!--
“Bench press.” Her fingers snapped, pointing to a stack of plates. “Bring over some 45s, would ya?”
She was nuts, if she thought he’d enjoy--
“Hey, what am I paying you for, hon?” Whoa… her tone had grown sharper.
He shook his and got going. “What about those?” He pointed to two plates near her feet.
“Sure, those are a start,” she said, casually lifting both at once and sliding them onto the bar like they were made of aluminum. Are those full 45s? “Gonna need more than that.”
He frowned suspiciously then bent down, lifted two at a time as well, and—“Yoouf!” These were NOT light!! Two was a definite mistake. He made the most of it and waddled to the bar, but when the time came to actually lift them up, there was just no way. He hastily set them down with a *thud*.
The towering woman had a hand on her hip and stared wryly. “One at a time, don’t you think?”
“I can see that!” Theo snapped – quite a bit harsher than intended. “Sorry. I just …”
“You just don’t know your own limitations,” Lola flatly remarked.
Theo gaped up at her. Such jarring directness… almost taunting him to get angry…
With some effort, he guided the weights onto the bar one at a time. She brought over two more -- but again they looked like Frisbees in her hands.
“Trick weights,” he muttered.
“Trick weights?”
Crap -- she heard. He blushed but stuck to his guns. “You’re pulling my leg. Those aren’t real 45s. Those are--Yagh!”
She’d set the two ‘Frisbees’ in his arms! Oh, they were real, alright. Ninety pounds of metal threatened to slip out of his hands … but as soon as she lifted them away, they looked like Frisbees again.
A nervous chill ran over him, as she ferried some 10-pound plates next -- silver dollars, he mused -- then a couple five-pounders as well -- potato chips? They might as well have been. Jesus … could she really be this strong?
“That’s… that’s 325 pounds,” he huffed.
“335,” she corrected.
His eyes crept wider. “There’s no way you can lift that.”
She barked a laugh. “Watch me.” Her meaty leg swung over the bench as she sat. “I mean it,” she clarified, pointing behind the bar. “Watch me. Keep an eye out … and help, if you can.”
‘If I can’. Christ! He took up his position behind her with increasing unease. The bar before him held forty, even fifty pounds more than he’d ever bench pressed in his prime. True, her arms were huge, her biceps rippling as she grabbed the bar. But those were just ‘show muscles’, right? No way she could actually, truly--
The bar lifted off the rack, moved down in controlled fashion to her broad chest. Theo held his breath as a guttural sound emitted from the woman. Lats flared; delts bulged; triceps exploded as the three hundred and thirty five pounds of solid metal lifted into the air, rising as high as his chest!
Theo gasped. As the bar descended then rose again, he wobbled. After the third rep, he began to feel dizzy. On the fourth rep, it took him a moment to realize that the bar was quivering -- Lola was struggling! Quickly he gripped the bar. Only… it hardly moved at first. Like it was stuck in midair. He frowned and heaved harder, and harder, and finally coaxed it enough toward him that it barely fell into the brackets as the weight crashed down.
“WHEW!!” Lola thundered, rising up in a flash. Feeling amped, she struck a ‘double biceps’ pose, then a ‘most muscular’ for good measure, then swung her arms around to loosen them back up. When she glanced behind her, she found Theo with a predictable but eminently satisfying look of shock on his face.
“NOT BAD, HUH??” she bellowed, and thought about heartily slapping him on the back – but realized it’d probably knock the guy out cold. And she didn’t want that!
There was something wonderful about a man standing speechless before her. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face, then made up an excuse: “Just realized I forgot my water jug. Back in a minute. While I’m gone … let’s have two hundred and ninety-five pounds for some power cleans. Same bar is fine. Middle of the floor, please.”
She enjoyed finding him still staring at her after she’d reached the doorway. He twitched and looked away, trying to downplay his shock. So amusing.
As the huge woman left the room, Theo questioned all he thought he knew about men, and women, and bodybuilding. There was a certain swagger with knowing you were at one point stronger than anyone you would ever meet. Even if that point was in the past, the swagger remained. But now there was no doubt: she was beyond what he had ever been. That simple fact shook him to his core.
As if still not fully believing it, his hands slowly wrapped around the bar in front of him and tried to move it as-is. “UrrghhHH!” Holy fuck! It took all his strength just to roll it from one side of the bracket to the other – just two inches!! He switched to the arduous task of taking each weight off one by one and carrying them to the center of the floor. A humbling experience indeed: winding him, wearing down his muscles, just by relocating all this weight from point A to point B.
Then, Christ, the behemoth returned. The doorway was almost not wide enough for her burly arms, and she nearly had to duck through. Cobbled, textured muscles galore. Now that he knew they were for real … everything changed. Where once he saw a big, bloated-armed, pompous woman with an unnecessarily short temper, now he saw grit. Power. Someone not to be trifled with, even in jest.
“Goodness,” Lola couldn’t help but tease, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She strode toward him, took a hearty swig from her water jug. “Or some big, scary brute,” she indulged further.
Theo was just … speechless. Not like him at all.
“Well, you’re almost done,” Lola commented, eyeing the mess of plates littering the floor. She took another swig. “Get on with it, would ya?”
No witty comeback, nor flash of anger. He couldn’t muster it now. He realized he’d left the empty barbell behind. He retrieved it, then realized she meant to stand and watch as he returned the weights to the bar. She could have saved him all this effort by simply moving the loaded bar herself in the first place, all at once. Instead she stood and watched, taking smug swigs from her water jug. Enjoying the power trip. And for some reason, he went along with it.
Then she handed him the jug and drew a line along the floor with her toe. “No closer than here.”
“Wh…What?” His voice sounded raspy, now that it was finally being used again.
“It’s what I call the ‘Safety Zone’,” she told him simply. “When Ned watches, that is.”
Ned. “I’m not as fragile as him,” he protested warily.
Her broad shoulders shook with laughter. “I don’t need a spotter on this one, hon. If I’m in trouble, I just drop it. The floor can take it.” She eyed him appraisingly. “You, however, could not. Hence, the Safety Zone.”
He started to get mad … until he imagined it from her perspective. Slightly bigger than Ned he may be, but to her this must seem a minor quibble. To her, he was small. And fragile.
“I…I’ll stay here,” he gruffly conceded, stepping behind the imaginary line. Admittedly, being crushed by a three-hundred pound bar didn’t seem very fun to him, either.
“Yes.” Tightening her gloves, the powerhouse of a woman studied the bar at her feet, crouched down to it. Leather groaned against metal as her grip settled. Then there was nothing he could do but watch, and awe, as one violent, continuous movement brought bar to hips, then *Swoop!* up to shoulders, as her body ducked with grace and impeccable control.
Theo’s hand covered his mouth. It was a thing of despair, watching Lola work. Two ninety five had once been attainable for him, but as a single max rep on a good day. But down the bar went, and up it came again, with barely any delay.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Her chest rose and fell quickly now, and the last rep had made her struggle. But it hardly made her seem any less invulnerable. She’s a goddamned dynamo! Glistening sweat caused already swollen muscles to stand out even more. As she came toward him, he naturally edged backward – not from fear, per se, just … respect. Lots of it.
“Overhead press,” she declared, as her shoulder whooshed by. She had looked right at him – and he just realized his mouth was still hanging open. She definitely saw.
“Two hundred,” she declared simply. He followed her gaze to the weights at his feet, and he understood. He didn’t like that she wanted him to ferry the weights again … but she was paying him, after all. And with that supercilious gaze, and that hulking frame … yes, it was very clear which of them was in charge.
*Gulp* Get a hold of yourself, man! Well, that was easier said than done. As he transferred the weights under her watchful eye, he convinced himself that she simply needed the rest. No, she wasn’t just lording over him for the sake of it. Surely even her muscles needed a moment to recover, right?
Good lord -- this standing rack was built for giants! The bar rested clean over his head! Soon even lifting single 45 pound plates that high set his arms aquiver with fatigue.
Her knuckles cracked sharply behind him as she stretched her arms. “Stool,” she said crisply. “In the corner.”
He blinked. “Y-You want me to--?”
“Yes. You’ll need it.”
Again, he quickly understood. No way could he possibly spot for her from the ground. Embarrassing as it was, a stool was pertinent. No, necessary.
But even the stool was heavy -- made of solid oak, it seemed. “You’re … you’re really giving me a workout!” he declared, seeking some much-needed levity.
Her only reaction was to stiffen, standing even straighter. “Some days, I’m in the mood for jokes. Not today.”
He knew that tone. She was ‘in the zone’, focused on the difficult task ahead. He was often the same way when he lifted. Well … maybe not so much lately.
"Stay behind the rack no matter what," Lola instructed. "If it falls, step back."
"I will," he replied. Her firm tone had a surprising effect on him, even before he stepped onto the stool. This was no child’s play here. He did need to be on alert, needed to stay focused on her … as suddenly the muscles of her upper body exploded, and up the bar went. A lump formed in his throat as those arms worked up and down like pistons, steadfastly going to work on weights that well exceeded the weight of his entire body.
Somewhere around the seventh or eighth rep, her balance started to waver. His anxiety grew – he could help a little, but if she really fell backwards …
Thankfully it never came to that. Nine, maybe ten incredible reps, and the bar began searching for the brackets. Again his attempts to guide it did almost nothing at all. But in the process, his hand brushed her upper back by accident, along the swell hard flesh of between her shoulder blade and spine. Very, very hard flesh, having almost more in common with the iron bar than typical soft tissue.
‘Show muscles’. No, these were anything but. In fact, he found himself wondering if the rest of her shoulder was that hard too. Actually, as she ducked from under the bar, he not-so-accidentally reached out and brushed his fingers along the swell of her shoulder at its highest peak…
Gah!! He lurched back. What the--!? Why did I just—“Ack!!”
He was one second from falling off the stool, losing his balance and teetering and—*Whomp!* A steely hand engulfed his wrist, nearly pulling his arm out of its socket while pulling him toward her.
“You alright there?” her deep voice asked quizzically. He stood taller than her on the stool, but that didn’t help much.
“Yeah, I … just stepped back too far,” he replied, twitching a little.
“Hpmh.” She finally released his wrist, but her gaze seemed to sharpen. Like she was … peering into him. And through him. It made him even more uneasy, more overwhelmed.
“Seems you’ve had enough for today,” she concluded, stepping past him.
He teetered as he stepped down from the stool. “M-Me? No, I’m fine,” he lied, sounding wan even to him.
“No,” she said firmly. “That’ll be all for today.” Her tone ruled out any argument. “Thank you for coming.”
She was right. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Only… the way she was propping the door for him, he had to literally walk under her arm to escape. Her rippling, meaty arm. At least he didn’t even have to duck.
The cash she slapped into his hand startled him -- both the brusqueness and the amount. That much, for 75 minutes?
“Bye, now.”
“B-Bye.”
The door swung closed behind him. He walked a few paces then leaned against the wall, massaging his temples and shaking his head. Just as he started sorting his thoughts out, though … *Clang! KaClang!* She was apparently not done with her workout. And darned if he wasn’t curious to peek back and see how much she was lifting. Scholarly curiosity, you could call it. See if her remaining muscle groups were as stupendously strong as the ones he’d seen. See if--
Cripes! Ned appeared from around the corner. “Hey, man! Have a good time?”
“What? No, I …!” He ignored the man in his dainty yellow apron -- didn’t Ned know how effete he looked? -- and with a hasty farewell made his way toward the front door.
* * *
Lola got in a few more good workouts, pausing now and then to strike a pose. Her husband ate it up, of course, clutching the wall and gazing hungrily, admiringly at her.
Soon she wiped her brow. “Fetch my phone, will you?” Ned did so with cheerful haste. Instead of taking it, she motioned for him to hold it out for her. “Dial Alice.”
Ned smiled, pleased that she was letting him listen in. Soon, Alice’s voice came through the speaker. “Yes?”
“The initial foray is complete,” Lola informed. “A resounding success.”
Alice laughed. “What did you do to him?”
“Just a little sneak peek of the gun show. I get a feeling he’ll be back for more, real soon.”
“You didn’t scare him off?”
“Well, he may have looked like a deer in headlights … but he’ll be back. I have a hunch.”
Alice hummed. “So he may be more receptive than we feared. Tonight could be a good night indeed.”
“Mmhmm. Have fun with him.”
“Oh, I will.”
Lola’s little husband ended the call then peered up curiously. “What’s Alice got planned for tonight?”
She flashed a toothy grin. “Veronica’s.”
Ned’s breath caught. His eyes sparkled. “That lucky guy!! Can we go there again -- please?!”
Lola chuckled and raked her fingers through his hair. “Sometime soon. In the meantime, there’s plenty I can do to you right from home, little man.”
“Such as…?” he lilted hopefully.
My oh my. Twice today, and he already wants another. “You could warm up the shower for me, for starters.”
Ned inhaled enthusiastically. “And soap you up?”
Ha! The man took every excuse he could get to feel up her body. “Very well.” As he turned, Lola caught his tight bottom with a hearty slap, producing a delightful yelp from her man as he scurried out of the room. She did, however, squeeze in a few more reps before she followed him, making sure her body was fully pumped. Nothing drove him wilder than that.