Le Dresseur De Buff | The Buff Trainer

Book 14

Author: TheBuffnessDiaries

Cover Credits: Photo by Gerain0812

©TheBuffnessDiaries

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a Book Review.

First Written: 5/25/2017

First Publish: 2/26/2022

Author Note: Thank you all so much for supporting this series! It means so much to me. This is the second book I've edited since my brain injury last year! ( June 16th, 2021 ) I'm thankful for all of your sweet messages and encouragement! Slowly, but surely I'm getting back to my old self. Hope you like this rewritten story, I truly apologize for the difference in writing style. My brain isn't the same…see you at Book 15! Xx

Intro

Destruction, a force to be reckoned with. A tornado doesn't care about its surroundings, he finds its actions as a game. He doesn't understand how much power he possesses, he enjoys destruction. That's who he is. He rumbles and tumbles through large fields unaware of his surroundings, he enjoys it and I believe that once he realizes he's done something wrong he disappears into the wind but somehow he doesn't learn his lesson. He'll be back again and that's the scary part because no one knows what triggers him, it's all speculation because he doesn't speak. His actions can tell us only so much.

You never know how close you are to your goal until you give up. We can keep going for the next 2 weeks and still not make it, but what if we got one more week? That could be the moment that changes our life forever. Success can be scary but very impactful. We no longer have to worry about financial issues, we no longer have to worry about the stress of bills. But now we have to worry about the whispers from those around us, we have to build a thick layer of skin because of the words that cut so deep. The brain isn't equipped to deal with so much pain, so much stress. I don't want to lose myself, I want the best of both worlds. I want to be famous, I want to be very wealthy but I want to do it behind closed doors where the world doesn't see me and I can't have it both ways, that's why I have to make a choice and face the fear in front of me. I can no longer sit back and watch my dreams slowly fade away because of what others may say about me. I have to keep going. I have to find the strength and the motivation to push through.

Chapter 1 | Facing Fears

10 Years Ago

Steven ( POV )

"When I was asked to give a speech about my best friend, at first I thought maybe I should make it cheesy and embarrass him in front of the entire military. Say things that only he and I would understand, laugh my ass off in front of you all while you looked at him and I confused. But then I went back to the very first time that he and I met, we were both 14.

Some kid at school decided to jump me with his friends, I was new to the neighborhood because my father re-stationed every few months which made it hard for me to have friends.

As I was getting my ass beat I thought about how I would explain this to my father who was a commander in the military. Out of nowhere, this tall and muscular built teenager pulled those guys off of me like it was nothing. He had a look in his eyes that I'll never forget, it was a look of respect and that's something that I'll cherish forever. It went from me getting my ass kicked to this one kid beating the hell out of two other kids that were about to graduate. They refused to tell their parents what happened, but he and I knew the truth. From that day forward we became best friends, we would hang out at each other's house every day. He would do my math homework because I sucked. I would do his science homework because that's my specialty. We even discussed joining the military together because of our father's.

I'm a Navy brat, my father is a commander in the Navy. His father was a commander in the Marines which made us even closer. We both graduated early, took a couple of months, and went to Hawaii before we left for the military. I saw him one last time before we entered basic training. We came out of there different men with different perspectives. We even bud heads from time to time. But nothing changed the bond that he and I had. At one point we didn't see each other for five years, we kept in touch through letters.

There are so many stories I have about this man, mostly him defending his country and defending those who are helpless. He takes pride in being the bigger person, protecting his community, and doing what's right. He's the brother I never had, the man I admire.

Okawmmay... the same man who saved a group of young kids from a burning building 2 hours before he was deployed. You were taking one last job before getting on that plane, You saw fire and decided to assist firefighters. The same man who helped an old lady find her dog even though it took you almost 12 hours. The man who took on a group of terrorists when we were in Afghanistan, you were missing in action for almost two days but when we found you, you had minor cuts and bruises, they were deceased.

When people first look at you, they think of a hard-ass. I don't disagree because you are, you have a no-bullshit policy and that's what separates you from the pack. A decorated Marine with over 20 medals under his belt, assigned congratulations from President Obama. You've done it all, you've done more than most Marines have in a lifetime, more than most in the military will ever accomplish. You're the first person to go into the fire, and the last one to leave. You'll always be a hero to not just myself but millions of others around the world. I hope you enjoy your retirement, you deserve it. Just promise me you won't get bored and come back, we're tired of you bossing us around"

The crowd chuckled with applause. Andre stood up pointing at me with a smirk on his face. Damn, I'm going to miss this dude.

Mission One | 20 Years Ago

He had been told for months that he would never fulfill his father's expectations. He was told that he wasn't strong enough, he would never be able to shoot a rifle like his dad. That burned in his chest! He used that negativity to push him towards his goals. You never told anyone about that, not even his father. He knew that he couldn't show any signs of weakness, he knew that no matter what he did there was going to be someone who didn't support him or congratulate him on his achievements because that's what was expected of him.

You're a navy seal! You fought hard for this! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. He repeated to himself daily.

A hot summer day in Arizona. Andre and Stephen walked down the strip admiring the beautiful women wearing thong bikinis. They're single, why not? Andre is the reserved type of guy, he's not a chaser of women. But his best friend, on the other hand, loves it.

Steven uses his military status to get any woman he wants. One glance at the handsome, brown-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy and women were begging for a chance to say they've been with Steven Tyler.

See this is why I can't get married Steven joked

You will eat your words Andre smirked

Nah, I don't think so

Andre shook his head playfully, Why? You could have any woman you want, but you still insist on chasing ass until you're 50

He chuckled, That's right. Look, Andre, I don't see the point in settling down or getting married. I don't hate the idea, I just don't think it's for me. Maybe I haven't gotten this out of my system yet. Women love men in uniform, it's going to be hard to find a woman who loves me for who I am and not because I made the Seal team. It's harder than you think, you have your head so far up the Marines ass that you can't see anything else

If you weren't my best friend I'd drop you for saying that. Steven, that's not the point! The point is that we go through so much shit mentally, physically, and spiritually. Who doesn't want someone to come home to that helps them take their mind off of being out in the field? We've only been in the military for 3 years and we've seen some of the most fucked-up shit. I'd love that, but I think I'm going to turn this into a career

Steven looked at Andre as if he was running with his head cut off.

Why the hell would you enlist for another 20 years? I thought we both agreed that we would do this for the first four and then find something else to do with our lives. Are you trying to say that my best friend is leaving me behind to go chase the bad guys?

Andre stopped in his tracks, Steven, there's nothing else I want to do. I love being a marine, I love being the first one in there and the last one out. I went through a lot of shit during basic training, I thought my father was bad? I had no idea what I was up against. I went in as a boy and came out as a man, I'll forever be thankful. I want to make this a career because I know that it will keep my head on straight

Yeah, unless it gets blown off

Only you would say some dumb shit like that. What do you plan on doing after your four years is up?

Steven shrugged, Not sure. I'll probably get into some type of security job, maybe real estate. I thought about going into law enforcement

Wow, so you'll drop out of the military to become a law enforcement officer? I think by the time we're done, you'll figure it out but until then let's have fun and appreciate the fact that we can see each other right now

That's what I'm talking about! Forget the future let's live in the present

Steven couldn't help but worry about being alone after serving his time in the Navy. He was one of the youngest to join the seal team and many whispered it was because of his father. Was he a great leader? Yes! Could he swim better than Michael Phelps? Maybe. But, he loved standing up for himself when he was deployed. Neither he nor Andre cared about protecting their country. They were in it for the awards, the accomplishments, the ability to follow in their father's footsteps.

But most of all they knew that the government didn't give a shit about its military. War veterans are homeless after returning home. Limit amounts of help and resources. They wanted to make a difference and they did.

Chapter 2 | Match Made in Heaven

Current Day

Paris ( POV )

Peony flowers filled the lobby. A sweet aroma of Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Blueberries filled the air around me as I walked through the lobby towards the elevator. Nervous isn't even the word to use right now. Being a model has always been a dream of mine. Covering magazines, traveling the world, meeting my idols, walking the runway. The opportunities are unlimited.

I took in a deep breath before the elevator doors opened. I can do this, I can do this. Even if you don't get invited, you face a fear and that's big! I kept reminding myself.

Hi, Welcome to AIE. My name is Nelson, how can I help you? A tall, tanned man asked with silver rings on his fingers. An unbuttoned dress shirt with black pants. The smell of his cologne was so strong I thought I'd pass out.

My name is Paris Raye, I'm here for an Interview to join your newest campaign

He smiled, Welcome, you're gorgeous! We're happy to have you, the floor is that way. We have a selection of drinks and snacks while you wait to be called. Please understand, not everyone gets an invite upstairs

I nodded, Thank you so much

Grabbing a glass of cranberry juice, I walked through the floor looking at the other women and men who were here for the invite. I've learned a long time ago that no matter how pretty you are, how good you look. You can still get passed over by someone willing to get on her knees. I'll always keep my dignity, even if it takes me 20 years to make it.

Chelsea, she's here again. I hope she's willing to lose a few pounds. There's no way they pick her to cover a magazine I overheard a woman whispering to another

That's so rude. That mean girl shit makes me sick!

One of them looked at me and smirked, You must be-

A woman who's here for an invite. I'm not here to be judged by you or anybody else, if you don't like yourself that's fine, but you don't have to take it out on other people. I may appear nice but you do not want to piss me off, I suggest that anything else that comes out of your mouth is nice and positive because if it's not I'm going to hurt your feelings

She looked at me stunned, Have a nice day and good luck they hissed walking away

My chest filled with anxiety, my stomach felt as though I was going to throw up. I kept looking around at all of the makeup artists who were standing by the brick wall looking at all of us.

They're studying all of our expressions, how our cheekbones would look under the beautiful lights on a runway in Paris. The way our jawline could use some weight loss, my biggest insecurity is my neck. I'm a fairly light skin girl and I have a skin condition that has always given me issues. My neck is a little darker than the rest of my body. I've been told that I have a case of dark neck but it's not that bad. I feel that every time someone looks at me that's the only thing they see which makes me feel very self-conscious.

Ladies, please take a seat in the lobby down the hall and your names will be called according to your resume, Nelson asked us

I stayed behind feeling secure on the floor. I love the natural sunlight that beams through the large open windows. Since I was in college, I dreamed of having a loft apartment one day. I'm obsessed with the open floor plans, the lack of walls, and the feel of being alive surrounded by brick walls.

A'oleon Ka'wazay ( POV )

Hey, Cuzzo Imani smiled resting her chin on my shoulder

Hi, babe. You're early

You are too for a woman with 4 businesses, 5 kids, 2 dogs, and a husband

I chuckled, I make it work

Obviously. Have you seen anyone that caught your eye yet? Some of these men present themselves better than the women, that's really sad

Drinking my vanilla latte from my favorite coffee shop on Monroe Street I stood behind the private glass window looking down in the lobby at the women who walked through. None of them realize that we're watching their every move, if you're going to represent this magazine and modeling agency you have to do it with dignity because our names are on the line.

Not exactly. I've only seen two women who I thought would be perfect for a campaign that we're launching in the fall. I'm not sure that they would be a good candidate for a modeling contract, but I would love to see them in our trench coats and fall materials

Those two? She asked pointing

"Yes, Amy and Hanna. They're the perfect