Dillon held his referral cup in his hand as he sat on a bench press looking up at Carmen. The previously stick of a man had filled in his six foot three size with about ninety more pounds from where he started, all of that muscle. In fact, if Dillon were standing, he'd look far more imposing to Carmen's six foot even.
"You ever seen the movie Volcano?" Carmen was asking as he sat down on the neighboring bench, glancing at his smartwatch. The thirty-year-old had light bags under his eyes from poor sleep. His double-chins use to be covered by a beard before he started shaving it a few years ago. He watched Dillon set up for more upper-body training.
"I mean, yeah, a long time ago... when I was in middle school," he said, drinking some regular water from a bottle. He was saving the cup Carmen got him for when he was free of discussion and could focus.
"There's that scene at the tar pits where the scientist lady is explaining to Tommy Lee Jones' character that it takes such-and-such amount of heat or energy to raise the temperature of a body of water that big in so few hours... foreshadowing the titular events of the movie... the impending volcano and how people should expect the worst."
Dillon blinked, looking at Carmen as if he'd grown a second head from the big mole on his neck. "What does that have to do with—"
"You're that impending disaster... except instead of heat and water, you're just... muscle," Carmen expressed, reaching out and gripping one of Dillon's upper arms. "I mean, what is this? You're like... crafted gigantism right now. Look like you're one missed meal from dying of starvation." Carmen put a hand out towards his friend Dillon as he had to ask: "You know you need a certain amount of fat to be healthy, yeah...?"
"As much as you've got?" Dillon found himself asking a bit loudly.
"Dude, I am somewhere north of three-fiddy and clearly obese. 'Dangerously Obese' by my Wii Fit's measurement," Carmen expounded. "Don't use your fatass friend as an excuse to not have some non-muscle on your bones." Carmen gripped Dillon's arm harder. "You're a living cartoon."
Dillon looked up at Carmen from the bench, then to the cup in the big greek's hand. "You gunna drink that?"
Carmen let go of Dillon's arm. "If I say 'no', you're going to ask for it aren't you?" Dillon leaned forward with one eyebrow raised... then he motioned with the hand of his opposite arm towards the one he'd flexed for Carmen as if to say 'What do you think?'. To that, Carmen just frowned. "Gimme pi."
"Three point one four one five nine two six five three five eight nine seven nine three two th—"
"OK. OK! I know you just have that memorized to a point, but I guess one dose won't kill all your brain cells." He looked at the cup, then at the bench. It was set to just ten pound weights on either side of the forty-five pound bar. "Spot me?" he asked, setting the cup next to the bench.
Dillon badly wanted to get back to his own workout... but the truth was, if all this new strength could work for him, adding muscle from thin air, then what could it do for Carmen? There was a lot to work with. Truthfully, Dillon was a little aroused by the prospect, and considered it like foreplay to him having his second cup.
So the former beanpole of a young man stood over his friend as Carmen laid back on the bench. "I see you've at least done this before... but you should probably start with just the bar."
Carmen blinked. "Making a lot of assumptions there, Dilly." The tan-skinned man looked up at his friend. "My dad had one of these set up at his house. Last I checked, I could bench one twenty-five." He took a breath. "Doubt I could do that after all this time, but let's establish a baseline before I take your a super-drug."
Dillon shrugged. "Give me ten reps."
Carmen took a breath and lifted up the weights he'd already had on. Dillon took in fact that Carmen easily matched the starting amount he'd had trouble with two hours ago. He smiled at his friend as they increased it ten more each. But, at ninety-five, Carmen started to have trouble. Dillon assisted getting the bar onto the holders.
Sitting with his feet to the side of the bench, Carmen reached down for the cup at the floor that had the Muscle Tech-X within it. "Well... moment of truth," he said, checking his Apple Watch on his other wrist. "If this stuff sets me off, well, it'll alarm," he smirked, downing the whole amount like a large shot.
"What... like, it'll call 911?" Dillon's eyebrows narrowed.
"Do I look like I have thousands of dollars? No, it'll just get people's attention," he smirked. "Call me an Uber or something," he said laying back on the bench. "Bad enough I'd have to pay for the hospital visit—" his eyes went wide and he stared at his hands.
"You OK?"
"Shit. I think this stuff cleared up my sinuses." Carmen put his hands on the bar again, and easily pushed it up. There was a burning feeling in his body, seemingly in his arms where he'd be working out. "What kind of pine and olive air freshener do you guys use? Too outdoorsy."
Dillon watched Carmen for a moment, the ten reps coming easy to him now. "No idea what you're talking about," the taller man said simply.
"Sure, Dillon. This supposed to be one of those 'smelling copper' jokes?" Carmen asked as he finished ten reps. "Gimme a plate?" Dillon smiled at that. On any other day he'd have recommended smaller increments, but going from ninety-five to one thirty-five was the same jump he'd made earlier and he was here to see it.
In truth, Carmen struggled with the weight for a moment. His flabby arms straining to push up the full amount, jiggling as the weight game to a stop at the top and bottom of his reach. Still, even Carmen had to admit that was the most he'd ever managed... and after only twenty minutes of work, ten years after he last made any attempt. Not bad.
"OK. OK," Carmen said, dropping the bar back into place over his head. He sat up and looked at Dillon who, for his part, he could tell through the unisex outfit that the other guy had a hard-on. For his money, he wasn't feeling that energy. In truth, his experience was very subdued. "I think that's enough of that."
"You're done?" Dillon blinked.
"Yeah, man. With this, anyway," Carmen said standing up, still in his high school gym gear. He didn't actually look any different to Dillon. No weight gain... or loss. Carmen could feel there was something tingling in his body, and that pine-fresh smell was out there just for him.
Yes, clearly the Muscle Tech-X was having an effect on him, but he'd have to decide how best to make use of his time.