Life Coach by David Lee © 2019
Chapter 1
Keith Pence took a long look at his body in the bathroom mirror after his shower on Black Friday and shook his head. He'd been a thin, almost skinny, kid in high school. He hadn't been a big jock, but he'd run track and been moderately successful. Though it wasn't the macho sport some of his relatives thought he should pursue, running had kept his mind off other problems and had helped him look fit.
In his first year of college, he'd gained the "freshman 15" and had added a little each of the succeeding years. Food for him meant comfort. He used to avoid facing the reality of his deepest secret.
Now, as a successful computer programmer working for a utility company, he'd didn't look anything like what he wanted to. In his eyes, he'd become a blimp. He needed to join a gym and get fit again. He had to come to terms with who, and what, he was.
The deciding factor had been his experience over Thanksgiving when someone had mistaken him for his father's brother. They did resemble each other and that might have been okay but looking like he was over 40 when he was still in his early 20's wasn't his idea of aging gracefully!
In casting about for a health club, he saw an ad for body-building competition taking place that very afternoon. The blurb said there would be several professional trainers competing in the event. It would be an opportunity for Keith to check out whose body he'd like to emulate, and which gym might be his best option.
Keith had never been to a competition of this sort. He was blown away by the array of beautifully honed bodies, both male and female. All of them displayed fantastic muscle definition under well-oiled bronze skin.
There were some which were over-developed, at least in Keith's eyes. They were almost grotesque. The ones he appreciated looked more "normal" - well-muscled, but not freakishly so.
Of the males, one body stood out as being achievable without resorting to the use of steroids. The name that went with that body was Trevor Hanson, and the gym he represented was called, Top Shape. Kevin made up his mind to talk to this guy if possible.
At the end of the competition, Trevor received third place in the men's division. Everyone who got recognition was expected to stay for a while to talk with fans.
Keith stood at the end of a short line awaiting his turn. To his surprise, longer lines had formed near guys that he thought weren't as nicely proportioned as Trevor.
"So, do you recommend Top Shape? I suppose you'd have to if you work there."
"You're perceptive, um, and I don't know your name."
"Sorry, it's Keith, Keith Pence, uh like the Vice President, but hopefully not related."
"Nice to meet you, Keith," Trever shook his hand with a firm grip. "To answer your question, it IS a good facility. There are a lot of amenities and it's well maintained. I'd go there even if I didn't work for them."
"That's a good recommendation. I'm thinking of joining a health club to get back to what I'd like to weigh. I know that `envy' is one of the seven deadly sins, and I'll probably go to hell for it, but I covet a body like yours. In fact, I'll be satisfied if I look half as good as you do."
"You're setting a realistic goal. I won't be able to maintain the cut look I have currently without working way harder than I have time for and without starving myself at times. I won't be able to look at another piece of steamed chicken for a LONG time!
"What I'm saying is, it's best to aim for a body you can be proud of without having to put the rest of your life on hold to keep it up! There are other things in life."
"I know those contestants on that TV show end up gaining it all back in most cases. What I need is to make the life-style changes which will keep me from doing that."
"I can help you with nutrition too. I've taken several classes in the area. I'm a certified masseur as well. I'm trying to diversify."
"Cool! I'd love to have you as my trainer if you're not booked solid."
"Fortunately for you, I have a lot of empty spots, and that's unfortunate for me."
"I would think after today, you'd be putting people on a waiting list."
"You see where the longest line is. Mike, over there, will have a waiting list. All the young studs want to look like him."
"But, he's almost ugly! I'll bet he takes steroids."
"I tend to agree with you on both subjects, but supposedly, we all get tested. I don't know if he's got a bag of someone's urine hidden in his trunks when he goes in to get checked, or is someone's falsifying the results, but I've heard that rumor going around. There was a scandal at Golds a couple of years ago. They claim everything's on the up and up now, but I have my doubts."
"So, if I came in tomorrow, I could get signed up?"
"Yup. If you decide to, I'd like to be the one to do it. I get a bonus for recruiting. I'll give you my cell number so you can confirm it in case you want to come in. I don't always go in on Saturdays, but I'll do it for money.
"Oh, also, you'll get a better rate if you sign up with a trainer. You don't have to keep buying sessions from me to keep your rate either."
"Can you give me an idea of the cost?"
"Membership is $50 per month, or only $1 per day if you pay for a year in advance. If you do the math, that's a savings of nearly 40%. Of course, you'd lose on it if you dropped out in three months because it's not refundable. Personal training sessions are $60 an hour but are less if you sign up for six at a time."
"Thanks for the info. I'll probably go for the cheaper rate and pay ahead. I'm pretty good at sticking to something when I make up my mind to do it."
At Trevor's suggestion, Keith brought his gym bag and padlock with him on Saturday morning. Trevor said he'd give him an introductory session for free before he signed up. That way, he'd have a better idea if he wanted to commit for a whole year.
Trevor didn't have anyone scheduled, so he took extra time to show Keith the facilities. Keith was impressed with the vast array of machines as well as the number of benches and free-weights. The pool was large and looked clean. There was a coed whirlpool next to it, but the locker rooms had their own saunas and steam rooms. Trevor told him that the survey the club had taken, before constructing the current facility, indicated the guys liked to have an all-male area where they could chill out buck-naked if they desired.
Keith agreed it was a desirable luxury in today's world. He suspected many guys were natural-born nudists at heart.
Before they began any physical activity, Trevor took a photo of Keith in his workout clothes and took measurements of his chest, waist, neck, biceps, and thighs, as well as checking his weight.
The scale calculated his percentage of body fat. While it wasn't terribly high, it obviously wasn't ideal. These stats would be checked again monthly to show his progress.
Then, they began training. Trevor had Keith warm up on a stationary bike for five minutes to get his heart rate up before his workout.
Over the course of an hour, they worked on both upper and lower body with some crunches and planks mixed in to tighten up his core. Trevor demonstrated the correct form for each exercise and did a few reps while Keith was resting. So, both had a moderate workout. At the end of the session, they went to the locker room where both stripped and used the steam room for relaxing and stretching.
Keith liked the idea that Trevor was casual about being naked with him. He'd seen all but a few square inches of Trevor's body when he wore his very brief posing trunks in competition, so he'd known what to expect. He was even more impressed, discovering Trevor hadn't padded his bulge. He hoped the dark, steamy interior of the room disguised some of the imperfections of his own body and hid his semi-hard dick.
Through the years, he'd learned to conceal his appreciation of other male bodies. In high school, it was necessary to avoid being labeled, and possibly being physically hurt. Fortunately, today his dick softened sufficiently before they went to shower.
The shower stalls at Top Shape had a plastic curtain to close for privacy. Neither guy pulled them completely shut as they continued their conversation while washing off the sweat.
After they'd dressed, they went to a desk in one of the small cubicles to fill out the paperwork. Keith felt great and was excited about finally taking the step toward getting fit again. Perhaps he would feel confident enough to start dating at last.
Early on Monday morning, Keith showed up for his first regular training session. He would be working with Trevor three times per week to begin with. After the first month or so, he'd probably cut down to twice per week, and possibly have even fewer guided workouts as he learned to do the exercise correctly and developed the discipline to push himself to do all the reps.
The routine Trevor put him through was enough to let his muscles feel the workout, but not so strenuous as to make them sore for any length of time. According to Trevor, the old saying, no pain; no gain wasn't the best one to follow. Pain could be an indication of a torn muscle or tendon, and that wouldn't help at all in gaining a fit body. Excessive pain would require pills to alleviate it, and Trevor wasn't into putting anything foreign into one's body unless it was absolutely necessary.
At the end of two weeks, Keith asked Trevor to have dinner with him on a Friday evening in mid-December. He had a proposition in mind that he wanted to run by his trainer. Having become familiar with Trevor's living situation, he thought Trevor might like his suggestion.
It would also give them an opportunity to discuss what foods were best to order in a restaurant to control one's fat and calorie intake.
They met at Cheddar's a few minutes past 6:00. After studying the menu, Keith asked if the salmon dinner would be a good choice. He could forgo the starchy side and upgrade to the house salad in its place. The carrots were supposed to be very low in calories.
Trevor said it was probably the best option, and he was planning to order the same. Both chose water instead of anything with sugar or diet sweetener.
As they were in the middle of eating, Keith made his proposal. He hoped Trevor would be interested because it would server a two-fold purpose. He could learn to eat right, and he could work on his self-discipline in another area. If he could be around someone so desirable, and keep from showing it, he might yet be able to lead a straight life with a wife and kids – the whole nine yards.
"What I really need is a keeper – a kind of life-coach until I get in the habit of eating correctly. I'd like you to consider being that for a year. Here's what I would expect you to do. You'd do the grocery shopping for the week, and I would pay for the supplies. We'd take turns cooking, and whoever cooked wouldn't be expected to clean up. You might do the lion's share of preparing dinner in the beginning while I learn, but I'd pull my weight. I guess that's a pun.
"In return, you would have your own comfortable bedroom in my condo, the other half of the garage for your vehicle, and, of course, you could do whatever you wanted with the rest of your time.
"You'd also be welcome to have a date sleep over if you wished. I want you to feel it's your home too. I know it would take a chunk of time out of your life to look after me, but I'd be as accommodating as possible. What do you think? Is this crazy?"
"Wow! It could be an answer to my prayers. As you know, I'm not happy living in my parents' basement, but what they charge me wouldn't pay for an apartment on my own. But I'd be like a freeloader. Are you sure you want to feed me and house me for what I'd be doing?"
"Definitely. It doesn't cost more to heat or air condition the space for two people. If you help me learn to cook, it'll save the cost of eating out, and I'll eat better. So, maybe two could live as cheaply as one. Besides, I wouldn't mind having the company and my salary's good enough to afford it."
"I'll bet you DO make a lot more than I do. Almost anyone our age does. My father is always on me about not amounting to more. I want to finish my degree so I could be a team trainer, but I never seem to have enough money and he's never given me any help with schooling. I can't get ahead when I pay rent to them and buy food as well. This could be the solution I've been looking for!"
"I was lucky. My parents and grandparents paid for nearly everything for my undergrad degree, and the company I work for bore most of the cost of my master's. I guess I've lived a charmed life in that regard.
"If I can change my life, and you can change yours too, this arrangement would benefit both of us. Maybe I'm not crazy!"
"No, you're awesome!" Trevor exclaimed as he reached across the table to squeeze Keith's hand.
The minute he made that gesture, Trevor feared that it might have appeared too affectionate. He'd have to watch himself. This guy might be a little overweight, but he was certainly not hard on the eyes and he had a loving personality. This could be a real test of Trevor's self-control.
The young men spent Saturday afternoon moving Trevor's things into Keith's condo. With Keith's Forester and Trevor's Ford 150, there was room for everything in one trip, including his bicycle and gym equipment.
Keith felt an air of hostility in the house and did his best to be cheerful and move quickly as they loaded up. He was tying a rope across things in the back of the pickup when Trevor went back in the house to make sure he had everything.
As Trevor came out the kitchen door, his father had a few parting words.
"You're making a big mistake! If this doesn't work out, don't come running back home because you won't be welcome again!"
With that, he slammed the door.
During the few mile's drive to Keith's condo, he kept hearing those sentiments echoing in his mind. He couldn't understand how a father could treat his son so disrespectfully. His own father and he didn't always see eye to eye, but they loved each other and would never have spoken like that.
A wave of guilt washed over him as he sensed he might in some way be responsible for the rift. He also felt protective of Trevor. He would do his best to see that his new housemate finished his education so he could pursue the career he dreamed of.
By the time the guys got most of Trevor's things settled, it was nearing the dinner hour. Keith didn't feel he had the energy to make a decent meal, and he was certain Trevor wouldn't either, especially after the confrontation.
"How `bout we go to Cheddar's again and I'll treat us to a celebratory dinner to mark the new direction in our lives? I'm sure you can find something on the menu besides the salmon that won't mess up our diets."
"That's kind, but I should pay for my own."
"Nope! This is a welcome dinner, and I'm hosting it. If I had the right recipe, and the energy, I'd make it myself."
Over their meal, Keith apologized for being the catalyst which caused the feud between father and son.
"I didn't mean to mess things up with your family. Is there anything I can do to rectify it?"
"It's not your fault! This has been brewing for years. He's treated me like trash many times before, and I've always had to take it because there weren't any options that I could see. You didn't do anything bad; you rescued me from an emotional prison and I'm grateful.
"Part of the reason he's pissed off is that I paid for only the amount of days I lived there this month. He wanted a month's notice. Can you believe that? It's not like we're strangers with a landlord/tenant association. We're family, or at least I always hoped we'd be..."
"If I can do anything to help, just say the word. Oh, I just thought of something that might. I'll bet you won't be invited there for Christmas dinner. So, you'll be spending the day with my family and me. You won't be alone for the holiday!"
Trevor had to fight back the tears. This guy was so sweet! Right this moment, he'd love to be wrapped in his embrace. Settling for a shoulder-squeeze wasn't what he really wanted, but it was very comforting.
Back at the condo, their energy-level increased with the calories they'd consumed. Thus, they decide to set up Trevor's gym equipment in the basement where the mechanicals were located. There was adequate space for everything. It was almost like the space had been planned for a home gym.
With the three-quarter bathroom nearby, it would be convenient for times they wanted to work out when the health club was closed.
Author's notes:
Thanks to David for editing this tale
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