Chapter 4

Derek Hayes stood 6’5” and weighed two hundred and thirty-two. He didn’t like the extra pounds. He rather liked being in the two hundred and twenty weight range. Regardless there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body.

He had joined the Army when he finished high school. When he completed his training, he was deployed to Afghanistan and was badly wounded in combat, scarring his face for life. Once Derek recovered, he’d been honorably discharged and given a medal.

When he moved back to Middletown, Derek didn’t have a lot of expectations. He wasn’t much of a people person. He had always been a shy lonely boy. If a person could die of loneliness, he would never have made it past the age of eight. That was when his father died, and his mother had to work all day to make ends meet.

Since he was a child, he was the big black kid that everybody avoided and was afraid to talk to. It tended to cause many to take it that he was a bad ass, when in reality he was just a loner.

Derek was still a loner. He’d gotten used to it, regardless of whether or not he would have wanted it differently. He was even lonelier now than when he was a child, with a face that scared everyone away.

He was naturally shy and rather introverted. In a crowded social gathering he was content to sit back and observe, taking in all the interesting sights, sounds, and conversations.

He couldn’t complain, though. He had a thriving business and an A-list clientele. There were a variety of factors for his success. He owned the only gym in town. He had great exercise machines. He kept his rates low and his hours flexible. He encouraged his clients to do better, but without pushing them or making them feel bad about their bodies. He was kind to everyone and had infinite patience.

His business was doing so well that lately he was thinking about hiring more staff, so he could dedicate himself to personal training and physical therapy.