Hot Pickle - J.J. Knight Page 0,73

no idea how this will go.

The announcer makes small talk while the music thunders in the background. The crowd starts clapping to the beat, anxious to hear the results.

This is the highlight of the show. The heavyweights and then the posedown of all the winners.

The runner takes a card up to the announcer. He glances at it and says, “In this qualifier competition, the top five heavyweights will have the opportunity to advance to Nationals.”

My heart speeds up. He might be top five.

“In fifth place, from right here in Los Angeles, we have Cliff McClellan.”

I release my held breath. I was hoping to see Max in fifth. The higher it goes, the more likely he’ll be left out.

Amy reaches out to grab my arm and squeeze.

In fourth place, also from Los Angeles, our own Max Pickle!”

I jump from my chair so fast that makeup brushes go flying. I scream. I hug Amy.

He did it!

The roaring goes on so long that the announcer finally says, “I see Max has quite the fan club.”

I finally manage to look at the stage. Max is holding a small plaque and waving at his family. He probably can’t see me way in the back.

Finally, the gym crew settles down and Max steps back.

I can’t even watch the top three receive their medals. Max has placed! He can go to Nationals!

The majority of the bodybuilders, including Max, step back while the three winners pose for pictures. Then everyone walks off stage, leaving the gold medalist to be joined by the other winners for the overall posedown.

I turn to Amy, who has collected my brushes in her lap. “Let’s go back. I can’t risk that Franklin might be back there waiting for Max.”

Amy nods.

We jump from our seats and take off running for backstage.

But when we get there, Max is shaking hands with the other competitors and smiling. Franklin is nowhere to be seen.

“Are you going to Nationals?” I ask.

“I’m invited. But I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”

He puts his arm around me.

That’s the one good thing to come out of today. We can touch each other in public.

“Have you seen Franklin?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No. But I haven’t had a chance to walk around.”

“I say let’s don’t. Let’s call your family and get out of here.”

He accepts his bag from Amy. “Thanks. A lot of this is because of you.”

She blushes. “I don’t know about that.”

“Do you get to introduce me as your girlfriend now?” I ask.

He pulls me close. “Absolutely.”

33

Max

Dad insists on a huge afterparty to celebrate my fourth-place standing.

We discover from the other members of Buster’s Gym in the audience that Franklin did not place in his category. No one’s seen him since he left the stage.

I send my dad and brothers to the restaurant while Camryn and I head to my place for a quick cleanup.

I’ve been to her place a dozen times, but she has never been to mine.

We pull up to the gate of the townhouse complex, and I give her the code to punch in.

“Looks fancy,” she says.

“Not too much. But definitely an upgrade from that crappy house I rented with your brother and our friends.”

“I’m not sure I ever went there.”

“I think I would have remembered meeting you.” I give her a grin, but even so, concern edges her features as I guide her to my side of the complex.

“You going to text him?” I ask.

“Eventually. Once he’s had some time to cool off.”

“I don’t remember him being like that when we were roommates.”

“He isn’t always,” she says.

I point out my parking space under a covered awning.

She kills the car. “I told you we raised ourselves,” she says, making no move to leave the car. “He doesn’t like anything bad happening to me. I think once he sees you’re good for me, he will be okay.”

“I can wait on that.”

“I’m worried that he lost the competition in the same hour he found out about us. That’s a lot of blows for someone like him.”

“Why don’t you text him?”

We get out of the car. “I might while you’re showering.”

I take her hand as we walk along the path to my front door. “I should warn you, I’m the messiest of the three brothers.”

This makes her crack a smile. “I’m a neat freak. We’ll either complement each other, or it will be grounds for divorce.”

This is better. My shoulders relax, releasing the tension I felt since the fistfight.

“Here goes.”

I lead Camryn into my living room, and I see