Thank you for reading!
Only a text from Ravi with a picture of a smiling Liv holding a shake whose contents Major didn't want to think about had him approaching his training session with Vaughn du Clark with anything approaching enthusiasm today. du Clark was always a bit of a trial—arrogant, boastful, entirely too sure of himself and of his dominance over everyone, including and especially Major, he was a nightmare of a client. Worse, he thought he was a lot stronger and tougher than he actually was, so Major was forced to constantly dial back the weight and intensity of the workouts while maintaining the fiction that he was increasing them.
Today was no different. God, he was bored, standing here watching du Clark strain away at way more than he could handle. "Come on, boss man," he said, trying to sound encouraging. "Two more."
du Clark managed one, then dropped the weights back into the machine with a heavy clang, panting with relief.
Across the room, the other guy working out here today groaned loudly as he stood up, his weights balanced across his shoulder.
Annoyed, du Clark rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we get it. We get it, big boy," he shouted at the guy. "You're workin' hard!" He reached for a can of Super Max, swigging it down with a somewhat desperate gusto.
"I hate to break it to you, you being the owner of the company and all that, but all the sugar and caffeine in energy drinks just makes you crash." That was only one of the many reasons Major wished like hell he could drop this particular client and everything to do with him. Up to and including Rita, who was sure to be around here somewhere and had a nasty habit of showing up just when Major was least expecting her.
"Super Max is no energy drink, my friend." du Clark put the can back down. "It is a revolution in liquid form."
"Right," Major said, not bothering to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. That was what they all said.
du Clark chuckled, reading Major's skepticism loud and clear. "Max it out," he said, inclining his head toward the stack of weights.
"Why? You were burnt out on a half-stack."
"I got Super Max coursing through my veins, my friend. I'm TNT. I'm—" He slapped his hands together loudly in front of his face, his eyes wide. "Dyno-mite!"
He did seem noticeably more energetic—and a lot more crazy—since he'd had the Super Max, but then, energy drinks were supposed to create that effect. Well, maybe not the crazy, but in Vaughn du Clark's case, crazy was always just the blink of an eye away anyway. Major didn't believe for a moment that all of a sudden a can full of caffeine and sugar was going to double—more than double—du Clark's strength, but he was the client, after all, and a particularly demanding one at that.
"All right." He went to the back of the machine, moving the pin to the bottom of the stack of weights. "As your trainer, I can't recommend that you—"
His words were cut off by a sudden shout from du Clark as the stack moved with ease. And again. Major watched with widened eyes as the man who couldn't move the half-stack moved the whole stack like it was a loaf of bread.
Pausing between reps, not even winded, du Clark said, "Look in my bag."
Major did, seeing several cans of Super Max nestled there. He picked one up, turning it over to look at the ingredient listing, not surprised to see that there wasn't one.
"For you," du Clark told him, continuing the set. "In case you need a leg up during your night job."
Staring at him, startled and impressed despite himself, Major said, "I'll give it a try."
du Clark finished the set, letting out a loud "whoo!" "If you take nothing else away from our time together, let it be this." Whatever he was about to say was disrupted by the groans from the guy across the room, who had begun another set with his own weights. du Clark's face tightened into a furious scowl, and he bent forward, picking up the heavy medicine ball that lay at his feet, and chucked it straight at the guy, hitting him square in the midsection. As the poor guy crumpled to the floor, groaning in an entirely different way, du Clark started shouting at him, "Groan again! Groan again! Groan again, you big baby!" His face was twisted and distorted in anger that appeared completely uncontrolled.
Major looked from du Clark to the can of Super Max. If that kind of unbridled anger was a side effect of their product, it was no wonder that something du Clark's company had done seemed to have created zombies. The real wonder was that it hadn't created something worse, frankly. He wished he could talk to Liv, or Ravi, about this, to tell them what was going on at Max Rager and explain what he was doing at night with the other zombies … but another look at the black and corrosive anger in du Clark's face reminded him why he could never do that. His hand closed tightly around the can of Super Max. No question about trying that now—he wanted nothing to do with the stuff.
du Clark got to his feet, his usual smile returning. "Time to hit the showers. See you tomorrow," he said to Major, punching him lightly in the arm. "Looking forward to a full report on your evening's activities." Throwing a towel over his shoulder, he left the room, whistling, stepping over the poor guy still groaning on the floor like he was a piece of waste paper.