Chapter 9: Golden Iron

When “I” is replaced with “we” even illness becomes wellness. – Malcolm X

Reese preferred the Golden Iron gym over the bigger gyms. There were usually fewer people. He liked the owner. Although he wasn’t gay, he enjoyed flirting with Preston.

And the pools.

He was doing laps, well, umm, without doing laps. The current in the ten foot square pool was turned up almost all the way. He had been going at it for about thirty minutes and was getting ready to get out. With a warning beep, the timer started to lower the strength of the current.

Even over the mechanisms, water and his own ragged breathing, he heard the giggling. Giggling like that belonged to girls.

The ones around Dean’s age, maybe a little older. The ones that meant trouble.

He knew that he did not look his age. But he was old enough to be the father of the majority of the girls that had been hitting on him lately. Or, as his lovely nieces pointed out, their grandfather.

The machine beeped letting Reese know that he only