Street Fame by K. Elliott Read Free Book Online

you haven’t worked out in a while, you might want to go light.”
Tommy laughed then added ten more pounds to each side of the bar. “I ain’t no weakling, baby. I’m almost 250 pounds. You don’t think I can lift two hundred pounds?”
“I’m going to spot you,” Alicia said.
Tommy lay on the bench then started rubbing his belly. She laughed then asked, “What are you doing?”
“Rubbing my good luck charm. This is where I get my strength.” He took the bar off the rack and pumped out three quick repetitions. But on his fourth rep, he struggled a little, barely managing to finish. The fifth rep was a little different. He was terribly hang gliding before Alicia helped him put the weight back on the rack.
Tommy stood, completely out of breath. “You shouldn’t have helped me. I had it,” he managed to say.
Alicia laughed aloud. “Yeah, right. If I hadn’t stepped in, you would’ve killed yourself.”
Tommy walked over to the water fountain again, gulped some more water, and then walked back over to the bench. He didn’t attempt any more chest exercises. Instead he watched Alicia for the remainder of her workout.
“So, Tommy… you gonna run with me?”
“Hell no. I can’t even run a mile.”
“If you want to go out on a date with me, you’re gonna have to run with me.” Alicia smiled.
Tommy thought long and hard. He knew he wasn’t in shape and he thought about all the water he’d had. He would probably throw up if he tried to run. He looked at Alicia again, who was smiling brightly. Then he looked at her legs. Damn, this woman is fine . He could feel his erection coming on again. Damned if he knew why she could easily arouse him. No woman had ever gotten him hard just by looking at him. For a brief instance, he imagined himself between those muscular legs, humping away.
“Tommy, what are you going to do? Are you going to get on the treadmill with me or not?”
“I’m going. What do you think; I’m a punk or something?”
“Cool. I like your spirit. Tommy, you are okay with me.”
Alicia got on the treadmill and Tommy got on the one behind her. She set her speed to where she would run her miles at twelve-minute intervals. Tommy set his speed for eighteen-minute miles. He held on to the rail as he walked fast, then he began a light trot.
Alicia was wide open, iPod attached to her arm. She was free. Nobody could stop her.
*****
    Night had fallen. Alicia and Tommy talked in the gym parking lot. He stood in front of her while she leaned up against her Toyota Camry. He looked into her eyes and, for the first time, noticed that they were hazel. “You have the most amazing eyes.”
    She smiled then said, “Thanks.”
“So, Ms. Jane Fonda, are we going out or what?”
She frowned. “I hope you don’t think that’s a compliment, comparing me to a white girl.”
    Tommy grabbed her hands. They were soft, and he loved them. “I didn’t mean anything by that; I’m just saying, you all in shape and shit.”
    Alicia turned around. “Jane wishes she had a back like mine.” “Now ain’t that the truth.”
She giggled.
“What are you laughing at?” Tommy asked.
“Just thinking about you running on that treadmill. You was bent
    all over, cramping.”
“Yeah, all that water I drank fucked me up.”
She frowned. “Tommy, can you stop cursing so much?” Tommy put his hands up in defense. “I’m sorry, ma’am, it’s just
    that all the niggas that I’m around … all we do is curse. I mean, there are certain people you just have to curse around to get your point across. You know what I mean?”
“I guess.”
    He put his hand in hers again. “So are we going out again or what?”
She pulled a towel from her gym bag and wiped her face. She didn’t answer him.
“Okay, Alicia. You have me damn near kill myself by getting on that fucking treadmill, and now we can’t go out?”
“Tommy, you’re cursing again.”
“Sorry.”
She looked at him then started laughing again. “Tommy, I’ll go out