overambitious owner or else just cheap rent on the building. Either way it had enough equipment and benches so you didn’t have to queue.

A few other men stand around talking in groups while pretending to work their biceps or perform chest flies, now distracted by the noise he made dropping the bar. They stare for a moment, and then go back to their conversations, giving that raised eyebrow and flat smile signal to each other indicating their shared disapproval.

Their peaceful harmony disrupted by somebody actually lifting weights. Steve notices but doesn’t care. Instead kneeling to make sure the clamps on the ends of the bar are tight so the plates didn’t wobble as he lifted it