Jerry is somewhat reluctantly attending a gym on his
doctor's advice. Encouraged by gay workmate Dan, he steps
on a treadmill for some CARDIO CONDITIONING and has barely
worked up a sweat before his diabetes strikes and his blood
sugar drops. He's well cared for but feels discouraged.
Handsome personal trainer Gianni, who was on the next
treadmill, is concerned but Jerry doesn't hold out any
hopes.
Next Dan invites him to a gay club benefit night. Jerry's
never been clubbing as diabetes rules his life. But with
good friends he figures he should see what he's been
missing. The drag artist introduces strip acts by
a firefighter, a policeman and - Gianni, who sings
Italian. Jerry is captivated and it seems that Gianni
likes him too. Next time at the gym Gianni, who is known
to be choosy, asks Jerry to dinner, promising he'll pick a
healthy eating restaurant. Then he explains that many men
see him as an attractive trophy and have no interest in
anything but his body.
Andrew Grey is reprising his earlier novels in this adult
series, which present us with an insecure protagonist who
can't believe his luck that a large, strong, handsome guy
asks him out. The locker room banter is much the same and
each couple checks each other out in the whirlpool before
progressing to a date. Personal issues differ in each story
and that is what Grey addresses so well. Women equally can
be stifled by coping with a lifelong medical condition, and
women may be initially flattered by male attention but can
end up wishing someone was interested in their
personalities and brains. Grey allows us to see this from
a male perspective and consider society's assumptions.
CARDIO CONDITIONING refers not just to a health workout
but to the affairs of the heart, with Jerry so used to
being rejected over his diabetes that he can't believe a
man is really interested in him. It takes time for him to
be assured that not just Gianni's heart but his own is in
the right place. Grey is a prolific writer with series
about cowboys, art, fantasy, the Amish life and others,
bringing romance to gay men's literature. In
this Workout series, there is a lot for anyone to like.
In the battle to regulate his blood sugar, Jerry March
joins a new gym, but while working out his insecurity, he
overdoes it on the treadmill. His insulin drops and so does
Jerry. Fellow gym member Gianni Lappatura rushes to his
rescue with a glass of juice and a helping hand.
A few days later, Jerry gets to return the favor. After
watching Gianni’s opera-singing strip act, Jerry finds him
stuck in the rain with a dead battery and saves the day. As
thanks and because he thinks Jerry is cute, Gianni asks him
on a date. It’s too good to be true, and Jerry soon learns
his Mr. Perfect needs a bit of help of own. But Gianni’s
imperfections open Jerry’s eyes to the beauty of
limitations.
Excerpt
"GOOD night, Dan," Jerry March called as he gathered the
last of his things and got ready to leave the office for the
night.
"Will I see you at the gym?" Dan asked, and Jerry heard
papers shuffle slightly and then the slight creak of Dan's
chair. Jerry hadn't thought about going to the gym tonight.
He was already so tired, but he knew he should. His doctors
had told him that he needed to get some additional exercise,
and in a fit of energy, he'd asked Dan where he worked out
and had gotten a membership to the gym closest to his office
in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. But other than two easy workouts
on a treadmill, he hadn't really gone.
"Yes," he answered definitively. His bag was in the trunk of
his car, and he didn't have to go anywhere. At least, he
didn't think so. Jerry searched his mind for something he'd
forgotten, but nothing came to mind. "I know I need to go
more often."
Dan closed a drawer and stood up. "You have to let it become
part of your routine and turn working out into something you
enjoy." Jerry saw him gathering his things to leave as well.
"I know that's a lot easier said than done, but you'll feel
better and you'll have energy you didn't know you had."
Jerry smiled and quipped, "Keep saying that and maybe I'll
start to believe it."
"Come on," Dan said, leading him through the rows of
workstations toward the exit. "What you need is someone to
keep you interested." Dan turned toward him and winked. He
actually winked. Sometimes the man was such a goof.
"We don't all have a muscle god to look forward to," Jerry
sighed as Dan pulled open the door and held it for him.
"I met Gene at the gym," Dan explained, and Jerry nodded.
He'd known Dan on a "passing in the hallway and say hi" sort
of way for years, but a few months ago, they'd been assigned
to the same project team, and after they'd had a chance to
interact and talk a little more, their friendship had sort
of bloomed.
Jerry held the outer door and waited for Dan to pass
through. "Do you really think I'm going to meet a guy like
Gene?" Jerry asked, looking down at his flat chest and
skinny legs. "There's only one of him and you got him."
Jerry had been to dinner with Dan and Gene a few times.
Jerry thought Gene was an amazing man—drop-dead
gorgeous and as nice as could be. Jerry wouldn't say he had
a crush on Gene, but he'd been a bit jealous of Dan at
first. That had quickly faded once he'd gotten a chance to
see the two men together.
"There's nothing wrong with you at all," Dan told him as the
door closed behind them.
Jerry rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on, Dan," Jerry
retorted without going into deeper detail. There was no need
to rattle off his issues. He had a lot of them, and he knew
and was well aware of each and every one of them. Instead,
he kept his attention on the real reason he was supposed to
be exercising.
"I'll meet you there," Dan called before he peeled away and
walked down the line of cars. Jerry turned the opposite way
and unlocked his car before sliding into the seat and
lowering the windows to release the stiflingly hot July air
from inside the car. He started the engine and backed out of
his parking spot, then pulled up to the parking lot exit
right behind Dan. Without thinking much about it, he
followed Dan the short distance to the gym and parked in the
next space, then walked with him into the club.
Jerry scanned his key-ring tag before continuing through to
the locker room. One of the bays was largely empty, and
Jerry began to undress after choosing one of the corner
lockers. Jerry pulled off his shirt before fishing around in
his bag for a T-shirt. He shrugged it on and toed off his
shoes before taking off his pants and then pulling on a pair
of shorts. Jerry sat on one of the benches to tie his shoes.
A pair of jeans and tennis shoes entered his vision, but
Jerry paid them no attention. The shoes flipped off and then
the jeans puddled around a pair of deeply tanned calves.
Jerry finished with his shoes and let his eyes flow upward,
seeing powerful upper legs and a round, tight butt encased
in black briefs. Jerry looked away and stood up, keeping
himself busy putting his things away and then locking his
locker. He turned to leave and tried to get around the other
man, but he moved suddenly, and Jerry ended up chest to
chest with him. "Excuse me," Jerry mumbled softly as his
mouth went dry.
"It's no problem," the man replied in a deep, rumbly voice.
Jerry blinked a few times and the other man smiled before
turning away. Jerry tried not to look, he really did, but he
couldn't help himself. The deeply tanned man with dark chest
hair that tapered to his navel stepped into his workout
shorts as Jerry moved past him after finally getting his
feet to move. Jerry felt his leg brush along the other man's
butt and stifled a groan. He needed to get out of here
before he embarrassed himself in front of half the club.
Once past the other man, Jerry couldn't help watching him in
the mirror as he stretched into a tight workout top that
showed off the bulge of his chest and the lines on his stomach.
"You about ready, Jerry?" Dan asked from the other bay, and
Jerry pulled his attention away from the mirrors, hoping he
hadn't been obvious about where he'd been looking.
"Yes," Jerry answered as he joined Dan and a group of other
guys who continued their chatter.
"I don't care what reasoning you use, Lon," Dan said as he
returned to the ongoing conversation, placing the lock
through the catch on his locker and then snapping it closed.
"Hiring a private investigator to follow Corey is really
creepy."
"But she was seeing some guy from here at the gym before she
broke it off with me," the other guy said plaintively.
"So? Let it go. She broke up with you three months ago, and
you've bagged half the women in the club since then. You
weren't married, and she doesn't want anything from you, so
let it go." Dan shook his head and turned toward Jerry.
"This is Lonnie, my regular workout partner and the biggest
pain in the ass on God's green earth." Dan raised his voice
for the last part.
"You love me and you know it," Lonnie retorted before
flicking Dan's nipple ring. Jerry could hardly believe what
he was seeing, and the fact that Dan barely reacted was an
even bigger surprise. Lonnie closed his locker and then
turned to Jerry. "So, you work with Dances with Dick?"
Dan reached over the bench to smack Lonnie on the back of
the head. "Be nice. He's new here and we don't need to scare
him off right away." Dan rolled his eyes. "Lonnie's missing
the gene that censors speech. So when he gets totally
obnoxious, just give it back to him. A great target is his
huge ass."
"A big ass with a big ass," Jerry said, and Dan grinned.
"Exactly," Dan agreed as they walked toward the door to the
workout floor. "You're welcome to join Lonnie and me if you
want," he offered.
"I should probably spend time on the treadmill," Jerry
responded, looking up to where the machines were located.
His doctor had told him that was where he needed to start.
"I'll catch up with you later." Dan and Lonnie continued on
into the club, and Jerry took the stairs upward. When he
reached the cardio floor, he looked around for an empty
machine and found one toward the middle of the line. Jerry
stepped on the machine and began entering the information.
Once he was done, the belt began to move slowly and he
started walking. After a few minutes, Jerry increased the
speed slightly and turned his attention to the televisions
that hung from the ceiling.
Jerry let his thoughts wander as he walked. Someone started
the machine next to him, and Jerry glanced over. He almost
lost his footing when he saw it was the guy from the locker
room. The man glanced at Jerry and smiled before turning his
attention to the machine. Jerry took a few seconds to watch
him. He liked dark men, and this guy certainly fit the bill,
with long, jet-black hair that curled slightly, and the
beginnings of a black beard that was sexy as hell. As the
other man began to walk, Jerry looked away. After a while,
he paused the machine and stepped off to get a drink. When
he returned, he unpaused the treadmill.
"You should bring a water bottle," the guy next to Jerry
said, and Jerry felt the man's voice like an earthquake.
"I know," Jerry answered, turning toward him and getting a
look into eyes as deep as the center of the earth. "I forgot
to put one in my bag when I packed it." Damn, the man was
smolderingly hot, and while Jerry watched, he actually
licked his full lips slightly. "Sometimes I'm in too much of
a hurry."
"Yeah, me too," the guy agreed. "Are you new to the club? I
haven't seen you before."
"I joined a few weeks ago, but haven't had a lot of time to
come in," Jerry said. "I work with the guy using the pulley
machine just in front of us down there, and he sort of
dragged me in here. Not that it isn't nice. It's just that
with my schedule, I don't always have the time."
"It happens with all of us," the guy said, but Jerry wasn't
buying it. He looked as though he'd never missed or skimped
on a workout in his life. "I'm Giancomo Lappatura; my
friends call me Gianni."
"Jerry March," he responded with a nod, suppressing a small
shiver. "Have you been a member here long?"
"Almost since they opened," Gianni answered as he pushed
buttons on his machine to speed the belt up slightly. Jerry
used the few seconds he was occupied to glance at Gianni's
butt, encased in tight shorts that were stretched almost to
the ripping point with each step by thick, tree-trunk legs.
"I work out at least an hour a day, six days a week."
"I'm shooting for three days a week to start," Jerry
explained. Gianni nodded as he returned his attention to his
workout, and Jerry went back to watching the televisions. He
continued walking, but was hypersensitive to Gianni walking
next to him. So much so that he didn't notice the beginnings
of the jittery feeling until his hands began to shake
slightly. Jerry opened his mouth and began to breathe deeply
as he slowed the belt down. He should have known better than
to exercise without something in his pocket. Jerry stopped
the belt and stepped off the machine. The sudden lack of
movement had his head spinning, and then the entire room
whirled faster and faster. Jerry closed his eyes and tried
to walk toward the stairs, but he only took one, maybe two
steps before his legs buckled.
Jerry knew he needed to eat. Every fiber in his body
screamed for food, and he wanted it fast, but he couldn't
seem to make his legs move right. This was what sucked.
Intellectually, he knew what he needed, but he wasn't
capable right now of telling people what was wrong, and his
fucking muscles wouldn't do what he wanted them to do. "Are
you okay?" a deep voice asked, and Jerry forced his eyes
open. He shook his head, but couldn't seem to form words.
His reactions rarely happened this quickly. He felt fingers
on his wrist. "Someone bring me a juice bottle from one of
the machines right away."
Jerry's heart pounded in his ears as his mind began to float
like he was only half awake. Coherent thought seemed beyond
his reach. Jerry felt his head being lifted and something
pressed against his lips. Instinct took over, but of course
it was the wrong one, because he thought he was drowning.
"Swallow," the deep voice said. "Take a few sips." He did as
the voice said and something cool slid down his throat. He
swallowed again and again. "That's enough for a minute."
Jerry waited, and then he was told to swallow again.
He lost all track of time, but eventually the muddle in his
mind began to clear. "I'm okay," he said softly, and he
heard a bunch of people speaking around him.
"We called the paramedics," a woman said. Jerry opened his
eyes and saw the container of orange juice being held for
him. Jerry reached for it and began to drink again, his mind
clearing more and more as his blood sugar rose.
"I'm okay now," Jerry said as the crowd around him parted
and people in uniform worked their way through. "My blood
sugar bottomed out," he explained to the paramedics as one
of them gently grasped his hand and pricked his finger. He'd
done that so many times in his life that he barely felt it.
"Seventy-eight," the paramedic said. "It's on the way back up."
Jerry finished the juice, and someone held out a package of
crackers. Jerry began to eat them, chewing and swallowing as
fast as he could. His breathing was quickly returning to
normal, and the sheen of sweat that had formed on his skin
evaporated and nearly chilled him. He knew all this was
temporary. Slowly, he stood up. The room didn't spin, and
with each passing second, he felt better.
"Please, sir, sit down for a while. We need to make sure
your blood sugar comes up enough and that you're okay," the
paramedic said, and Jerry sat back down. It took him a
second to realize that while he'd meant to sit on the floor,
he was actually sitting on something else, or more
accurately, someone else. Jerry turned around and stared
into the chasms that were Gianni's eyes. Jerry struggled to
move and ended up plopping his ass on top of the other man's
lap.
"You're fine," Gianni said, his voice vibrating through
Jerry's body, settling in his groin.
"Jerry." Dan's voice cut through the last of the lingering
fog. "Are you all right?"
Jerry slowly stood up once again. He felt almost normal, if
totally exhausted. "I'm okay now," Jerry pronounced before
turning to the paramedics. "I'm sorry to get you out here
like this."
"We're glad you're okay," one of them told him. They packed
up their boxes, and Jerry followed them down the stairs
before turning to smile at Gianni. "Thank you," he said over
the other sounds in the room, and he saw Gianni nod before
walking back toward his treadmill.
"Are you really all right? I didn't realize all the
commotion was about you at first," Dan fussed as the
paramedics led Jerry to one of the tables and chairs off to
the side. They asked Jerry questions and got his insurance
information. After assuring themselves that Jerry was okay
now, they left. Jerry spent the next few minutes reassuring
Dan that he was fine. "Go finish your workout. I'm going to
clean up and head home."
"What happened?"
"My blood sugar went too low because of the exercise, and I
didn't realize it until it was too late." Now that his mind
was clearer, he could make much more sense of what had
happened. "Someone must have read my MedicAlert bracelet and
gotten me some juice." Jerry looked up to where Gianni was
running on the treadmill. He saw the other man looking back
at him. "Go finish with Lonnie, and I'll see you tomorrow at
the office. I'll be fine."
"You're sure?" Dan asked with concern.
"Yes. Unfortunately this has happened before. I'm usually
able to react much sooner than I did today." Jerry waited
until Dan left before walking into the locker room. He
decided to clean up at home, so he packed his things and
hurried out. Before leaving, he looked around the club for
Gianni so he could thank him properly, but couldn't find
him. Giving up, Jerry left the club and walked to his car.
After throwing his things in the trunk, he got into his car
and drove the ten minutes home.
Jerry pulled down the alley behind his row house and pressed
the button to open his garage door. He pulled in and popped
his trunk, then closed the door as he got out of the car.
After grabbing his gear, Jerry left the garage and walked
through his small, but lovingly landscaped backyard, being
careful where he stepped in case George and Gracie, his box
turtles, were about. He unlocked the back door and went
inside, dropping his work bag near his computer in the small
room he used for an office. He carried his gym bag with him
to the kitchen, setting it on one of the chairs. He opened
the testing kit he always kept with him and pulled out one
of his test strips. He pricked his finger and worked up a
small drop of blood. He touched his finger to the test
strip, and it soaked up the blood. Then he placed it in the
reader and turned it on. It beeped, and after a few seconds
told him his blood sugar level was just above ninety. Still
a little low, but not too bad. He'd been afraid that with
all the juice he'd had, it would go the other way and spike
high, but it thankfully hadn't, at least not yet.
Jerry picked up his gym bag and climbed the stairs to his
bedroom. He stripped down and threw his dirty clothes in the
hamper, intending to take a quick shower. But once the warm
water began sluicing over his body, Jerry's mind took a
detour to Gianni and the way he'd looked wearing only a pair
of briefs. In the locker room, the briefs had strained to
contain what was inside, but in the shower in Jerry's mind,
the briefs quickly capitulated and Gianni stood naked in
front of him. Jerry reached for the soap as he turned his
back to the water and ran slick fingers around and along his
throbbing cock. Stroking vigorously, he wondered what
Gianni's skin would feel like next to his. Clipped chest
hair, rough and good as it slid along his; Gianni's cock,
thick and full, sliding along Jerry's hip; Gianni sucking on
his neck while he pressed a finger lightly to his opening,
teasing him just enough to....
Jerry's head swam and floated as his climax barreled into
him like a train. His legs shook, and he had to force
himself to stay upright as he shot hard against the tile.
Propping himself up against the wall, he breathed deeply and
let the euphoric after-release feeling flow through him.
Slowly, his breathing returned to normal, and he
straightened up so he could finish his shower.
He could still feel the residual effects of his climax once
he stepped out of the shower and began drying himself off,
the floatiness lingering. Jerry dressed in light sweats and
a T-shirt before heading downstairs. He made himself dinner
and ate sitting alone at his kitchen table. Once he was
done, he took his blood sugar again before opening the
refrigerator door and getting his vials of insulin. He
measured out the proper amounts carefully before giving
himself the injection and then taking care of the supplies.
Then Jerry picked up his work bag and headed into the living
room for the evening.
His phone rang a little while later. "Hey, Dan," Jerry said,
answering his cell.
"Thought I'd call to make sure you were okay. You gave us
quite a scare at the gym."
"I'm fine. The guy who was on the treadmill next to me
seemed to know what to do, and he helped me before the
paramedics arrived," Jerry explained. "He said his name was
Gianni." Jerry couldn't help smiling a little.
"Oh," Dan said, getting quiet. Jerry had learned that Dan
had a tendency to talk. He wasn't malicious, but a bit of
gossip was sometimes hard for him to resist. So he wondered
what was stopping him.
"What?" Jerry prompted, his interest piqued.
"Nothing at all," Dan told him, and Jerry knew he was
covering up something, but the noise behind Dan got louder
and Jerry realized it had to be hard for Dan to hear.
"It sounds like you're out with friends. I'll let you go and
see you tomorrow at work," Jerry said, and Dan wished him a
good night and ended the call. Jerry set the phone on the
table, wondering what it was that Dan hadn't told him. Not
that it really mattered, anyway. Jerry had discovered quite
some time ago that guys considered him majorly
high-maintenance. Being diabetic wasn't simply a matter of
watching what he ate and giving himself a shot four times a
day. His condition affected almost every area of his life,
including when to eat, how much to eat, and when to sleep.
It affected his ability to drive, sometimes, and eventually
it could affect his sight, circulation, and all his internal
systems. Sure, he could fantasize about a guy like Gianni,
but even if he had the looks to catch the eye of a guy like
that, one dose of the reality of living with Jerry was
usually enough to send most guys running for the hills. It
had happened before, more than once, and if he decided to
starting dating again someday, Jerry had little doubt it
would happen again.
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