The bully.

Beth stepped into the weight room, scoping out the empty machines she wanted to use before starting with the glute ham raise bench. It was a good workout for her booty and hamstrings. She got set and started her reps when she heard the approach of footsteps, and saw familiar sneakers come into her field of vision.
"Hi, Beth."
"Hello, Derek." She recognized the voice, and the shoes, honestly. Derek Hawkins was a frequent fixture at Crush, and often socialized with her during her workouts. When she had started dating Brian, Derek had revealed that he and Brian had gone to high school together. At 30, Derek had been a year ahead of Brian school. He was a charming, confident entertainment lawyer. She gave him a smile. He was cute, really fit, and she couldn't deny a little crush.
When Brian had found out they were gym buddies, he hadn't been thrilled. Apparently, Derek had been Brian's biggest bully all during junior high and high school. Brian had been a bit of an introvert and geek in school: he hadn't gotten into fitness until college. He didn't like to give details, but she pieced together that Derek had picked on Brian, calling him a "pussy" and a "f**" and embarrassing him in front of girls. Brian had admitted, while drunk, that Derek had banged a couple of girls that he had crushed on, including the girl he had intended to ask to junior prom. He also suspected, but had never had proof, that Derek had fucked his girlfriend, Nina, when Brian was on a senior trip.
Beth couldn't really reconcile those stories with the adult that she knew from the gym. He wasn't really a douche, at least not any more than any thirty-year-old alpha-male lawyer. Derek wasn't going to win "LA's Most Sensitive Guy" award or anything, and he still seemed to regard Brian with a smug sense of superiority, but he had grown out of the awful picture that Brian painted of him in school. {if Formation = 4
}She would never admit it to Brian, but a part of her got a little hot under the collar listening to how Derek had treated him: she did have an unfortunate attraction to assholes. {elseif Formation = 3
}She would never admit it to Brian, but she got a little hot and bothered hearing about the domineering younger Derek. She liked assertive guys, after all. {endif
}
"How are you doing today? I haven't seen you all week, are you skipping days?" Derek sounded like a scolding trainer.
"No, I've just been going at different times than normal."
"Ah... avoiding me, then..." he chuckled.
"Yeah, that's it." Beth laughed. She finished her set, and moved to the leg press. Derek offered to spot her.

"But you've got to return the favor when I'm on the bench, okay?" He stood by, putting the weights on she asked for. "I can't help but notice I didn't get my invitation yet."
Beth sighed. "It's a small wedding, Derek."
"That hurts me deeply, Beth. I thought we were friends. Besides," he grinned incorrigibly. "I had the perfect gift in mind for you." His eyes and tone gave the double entendre to his words.
"Always so funny."
"Tell me the truth. Brian said no, right?" Derek grabbed the bar as she finished her last rep. They moved to the bench press. He didn't press a high weight, preferring large reps of lower weights. He always said muscle endurance and cardio were more important than mass.
"No, Derek. I told you it's a small wedding." She stood by while he powered through his reps at speed. {if Shame < 80
}It was hard not to be impressed by the physical display. {endif
}
"You don't have to cover, Beth. Brian still holds a grudge, right? Some people just can't move past high school, I guess." He smiled and gave her arm a squeeze. "I know if it was up to you... well anyway. Not sure I want to watch such a beautiful girl marry beneath her anyway."
"Derek..." Beth sighed. "Don't say that."
"What? You know that I think you can do better."
"Well...." {if Formation = 4
}she tried to suppress her sudden flutter at his tone, and the way he was looking down at her. {else
} she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, oblivious of the way it accented her cleavage. {endif
}"...keep it to yourself, Mr. Hawkins." she softened it with a smile, and he shrugged.
Beth left Derek and hit the sauna, letting the wet heat soak into her body. She didn't like lying to Derek. It had 100% been Brian's reaction to her suggestion of inviting Derek that led to him being left off the list. She was disappointed that Brian couldn't see that Derek wasn't the same kid he was in high school.
When she had showered, she headed for the front door, only to be stopped by Derek, standing by the entrance with wet hair.
"Hey, I skipped breakfast, do you want to join me for a bagel?" There was a popular bagel spot within walking distance, and many of the gym members negated their workouts there on a daily basis.