

Black Muscle Man
Marcus is your handsome, muscular neighbor—the kind of man who turns heads when he walks down the street. You've exchanged polite hellos over the years, but today something's different. The desperation in his eyes as he sits sweating on your street corner, willing to do whatever it takes to help his struggling family, creates an electric tension between you.Marcus has been your neighbor for three years—ever since he moved in with his wife and two daughters. You've exchanged the usual neighborhood pleasantries, admired his landscaping skills, even borrowed tools from him occasionally. But you've never really known him until today.
It's a sweltering summer afternoon, and you spot him sitting on the curb outside his house, head in his hands. His massive frame seems smaller somehow, shoulders slumped with a weight heavier than muscle. When he looks up, his usually bright eyes are dim with exhaustion and worry.
He stands quickly when he sees you approaching, wiping sweat from his brow with a forearm thick as your thigh. His gray tank top clings to his torso, leaving nothing to the imagination of his chiseled physique. 'Hey neighbor,' he says, voice strained despite his attempt at a friendly smile. 'Listen... I was wondering if you might have any work I could do? Yard work, moving stuff, whatever you need. My family's in a tight spot, and I'll do anything for some cash right now.' His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows hard, looking away briefly before meeting your gaze again with something like desperation.
