A Test of Faith

“Are you going to stand around all day or do what you came here to do?” Tyson checked him.

“I was just taking a little break.”

“Break? That looked more like a vacation to me.” Tyson stared at him. “Or do you have something else on your mind?”

Tyson tossed a knowing glance at him, and Joshua caught his drift. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re not telling me something.”

 “What are you, my mother?” Joshua put his water bottle down and prepped for his next lifting set.

Tyson ignored him as his phone sounded an alert. He looked at the screen and started typing a text message.

“Who are you texting?” Joshua asked as he toweled off his face and neck. “You’ve been bosom buddies with that thing like it’s going out of style.”

“What are you stalking me now?” Tyson joked as he typed a message back to Gayle.

“That better be Megan or else. You know that woman does not play with you.” Joshua laughed as he added an extra set of weight plates to his lifting bar. “I think you’ve met your match with that one.” He pointed at his friend, and then rested back on the weight bench. “Spot me.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Megan is old news.” Tyson put his phone away and stood behind Joshua’s weighted bar.

“Wait, I thought Cherri was old news, now Megan?” He shook his head. “What happened with this one?”

“Let’s just say she was a little on the crazy side.” Tyson gave Joshua the side eye as he positioned his hands on the rack of weights above Joshua’s head. Tyson slowly raised it and guided the bar down until Joshua had full control for his bench presses. He then reached into his pocket for his phone again and sent another message he had just typed to Gayle.

Joshua pumped several reps of the additional weight, but struggled as his momentum slowed. Suddenly, the bar slipped on one side. Tyson dropped the phone and caught the bar at an angle as Joshua jumped from the bench.

“Man that was close!” Joshua shouted, glaring down at the heavy plates scattered on the rubber gym flooring. “You okay?” he asked Tyson.

“Yeah,” he answered, rotating his right wrist in opposite directions. “I think so. It doesn’t hurt. I guess you didn’t secure the pin enough.”

“Good looking out.” Joshua gave Tyson dap on his other hand.

“That’s what I’m here for.” Tyson continued nursing his wrist. He extended his fingers and balled them into a fist several times. “That’s it for me. I’m gonna hit the shower.”

“All right. I’m gonna be in the whirlpool for a minute, so we can get up later.”

Tyson nodded as he draped a short gray towel across his shoulder. “Are you going back to the house before the meeting with your agent?”

Joshua shook his head. “No, I have a few errands to run. Why, what’s up?”

“Nothing. I just asked.”

Joshua stared at Tyson strangely. “You all right, man?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He nodded.

Joshua stretched out his shoulders and chest, noticing that Tyson’s phone had landed a few feet away from where he now stood. When he grabbed it the screen lit up. Just as he was about to hand it to Tyson, Joshua caught a glimpse of Gayle’s name.

“Oh, thanks, man.” Tyson snatched his phone away. “I would’ve had a time trying to get back in here if I had left it behind.” He tucked it away in his pocket, avoiding eye contact. “Well, I’m gonna get going.” Tyson started walking in the opposite direction as he looked at his phone again. “We’ll get up tonight. Seven o’clock good to watch the game?” Tyson referred to the basketball game they planned to watch together.

“Yeah, seven is fine.” Joshua tightened his lips and snatched his black weight gloves off. He wanted to confront his friend about what he had seen, but it wasn’t the place or time. Several other players were floating around the workout area and this was the last thing he wanted them to all be talking about.

Joshua gritted his teeth as Tyson walked toward the shower area.

Tyson has been Joshua’s ace since freshman year of college when he was a rookie at Auburn University. He was a good friend. He had trusted him, but wondered could he now?