Guilty Pleasures

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Minutes later the room was just shy of being too crowded. Their parents sat off to the side, not wanting to be in the way. Gamon, Sarai, Zachary’s personal physician, his cut man, two of his sparring partners, his corner guy, UFC officials, an arena official, and a producer and cameraman with HBO rounded out the group.

  Zachary stood in the center of the room warming up. Gamon held up cushioned sparring pads that he was throwing light punches and kicks at. He needed to work up a sweat to get his muscles warm and loose. In that moment he was as fight ready as he was ever going to be.

  Thirty minutes later arena officials announced fight time. With his clipboard and ink pen in hand, their official handler verified everyone’s passes, then gestured for them to follow. At the door Zachary took the lead. Alexander, Gamon, and Westley fell in after him. The rest of the team followed, and Sarai and Mama Lynn brought up the rear. Everyone wore their Revolution T-shirts, the bright blue emblem on the lime-green shirts showcasing the gym’s logo.

  Weaving their way through the back tunnels of the arena, they could hear the crowd chanting Zachary’s name. Repetitions of “Hammer! Hammer! Hammer!” resounded through the air. Their guide lifted up his hand and held them in place for a brief second, awaiting the signal to have the current world champion step into view. And then the sound system blasted Zachary’s selected theme song to announce his entrance.

  When the 1990s rap song “U Can’t Touch This,” by MC Hammer, sounded out of the speakers, Zachary tossed his brother a look over his shoulder and grinned. Alexander laughed heartily. Zachary stepped through the curtained entrance and moved out into view. The crowd erupted, their loud cheers vibrating through the space. Cameras snapped photographs, fans screamed, and people standing near the path they took reached out to try to touch him. As they neared the infamous octagon cage that the fighters would be locked in, Zachary threw up his arm, pushing his gold championship belt into the air, and he screamed with the music. Hammer time!

  * * *

  A Dutch national nicknamed Pit-bull was on the main fight card against Zachary. He was six feet, four inches, and two hundred fifty-nine pounds of rock-hard muscle. Side by side, Zachary made him look like the Pillsbury Doughboy.

  The entire match was scheduled for five five-minute rounds. But it was just minutes into the first round when his opponent quickly discovered why Zachary had been nicknamed The Hammer. Zachary nailed the man with his first two punches. Hard. Zachary had hit him so hard that blood had spewed from his broken nose, spraying the entire cage. Pit-bull couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t see, but he continued to fight. Then he hurt Zachary with a left hook, following up with a series of head kicks, but he couldn’t finish him.

  The two men went blow for blow, and the crowd roared. Zachary poured it on, nearly finishing the fight in round three. Cornered, with his back to the fence, Pit-bull swung blindly, creating enough space to survive the bell. Zachary went after him again, but by the fourth round he looked like he was running out of steam. From the sidelines Alexander screamed his encouragement. At the end of the round the two fighters glowered at each other, needing to be admonished back to their sides of the ring by the referee.

  Then two minutes into the fifth and last round, Zachary nailed Pit-bull in the head again with a spinning hook kick that sent him down to the mat, the man landing with a resounding thud. It was over.

  Alexander punched his fists into the air and screamed, acknowledging the results even before the referee declared his twin brother the winner. He scaled the fight ring and jumped down inside, rushing toward Zachary. Sweeping him in his arms, he cheered, months of hard work come to fruition. The battle would go down in the record books as one of the best in history. Both men knew Zachary’s performance would have past and potential opponents buzzing. Alexander couldn’t have been prouder.

  Outside the ring, the Barrett and Montri families both cheered. Tears streamed down Sarai’s cheeks, her hands clasped together as if she were still in prayer. Watching the two men in celebration had her heart singing. Days later a photograph of Alexander holding up his brother would grace the cover of every sports page and magazine, but seeing it up close and live would forever be one of her favorite memories.

  “My boy did that!” Westley cheered. “That’s my son!” His chest was pushed out with pride.

  He shoved his way toward the ring, and as he and Gamon made their way inside, Alexander stepped out, rushing to Sarai’s side.

  Alexander swept her into his arms, hugging her warmly.

  “Congratulations!” she whispered. “You both did good!” She pressed her palm to his face, and then she kissed him, not caring who in the world might see.

  * * *

  The celebration party lasted into the early morning hours. With all the fanfare, sneaking away had been easy, and Alexander and Sarai now sat curled against each other. He had kissed and hugged both of his parents, had shaken Gamon’s hand, and then had swiped a bottle of champagne from the bartender. Grabbing Sarai, he paused just long enough to whisper into his brother’s ear before disappearing back to the suites.

  * * *

  “Pour me another drink,” Zachary said, his teeth chattering. Bruised black and blue, he lay in a tub of ice and water, the ice bath soothing the hurt and reducing the swelling.

  “You shouldn’t drink,” Sarai admonished. “You need to take your anti-inflammatory meds and maybe a pain pill. You know you can’t mix them with alcohol.”

  He tossed her a wide-eyed look, rolling his eyes skyward. Then he shifted his gaze to his brother. “Please tell your woman that I am now free to do everything I haven’t been able to do for the last six months. I will drink, eat badly, and tomorrow I’m going to go find a woman to have sex with. I haven’t had sex in six months! So I’m having sex and I might even pay for it!”

  Sarai blushed, a hint of red shimmering across her face. “That is not funny,” she said, rising from the bench she and Alexander had been sharing. “That is not funny at all.”

  The two men laughed as she stormed out of the room.

  Alexander reached for the champagne bottle and refilled his brother’s plastic cup. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll explain it to her later.”

  “She gets it. She just doesn’t like it. She keeps telling me I need to find someone to settle down with. She doesn’t understand the necessity for casual relationships.”

  “Maybe she’s right. Have you thought about settling down?”

  “Hell, no! I’m the heavyweight champion! Women throw their stuff at me! It’s a smorgasbord of free pussy! Why would I want to just give that up?”

  Alexander laughed again. “Point well taken! So what’s next for you?”

  Zachary paused for a moment. He shifted in the ice bath, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through his body. “Well, getting you married is at the top of my list.”

  “Yeah, there is that! I’m definitely going to need your help making that happen.”

  “After that I have some promotional things I need to do for the UFC, and for the gym. Then I think I might spend some time in Spain. After that, who knows what I might get into!”

  “You can always come back to Boulder.”

  “I’ll definitely get back there a time or two. Someone needs to keep you on your toes!”

  The two men talked for another hour. When it became obvious that Sarai wasn’t going to return, Alexander stood up to leave.

  “You need to get some rest. Do you want some help getting out?” Alexander asked.

  Zachary shook his head. “No, I’m good. I’m about to get a hot shower and then I’m going to bed. Just check on me if I’m not up in the next two days because right now I feel like I could sleep forever!”

  “Not a problem!” Alexander said, giving him a wave. “And congratulations, Z! You made us all proud!”

  * * *

  Back in his own suite Alexander found Sarai sleeping soundly. Once again she’d made herself comfortable in the king-size bed. Stri
pping out of his clothes, he tiptoed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It had been a long day and an even longer night. He was as ready for a hot shower as he imagined his brother was.

  The room was soon heated, the hot water misting the air. Stepping into the shower, he eased into the warm spray, allowing the moisture to rain down over his shoulders. It felt good, and he pressed his palms against the marble tile as he dipped his head under the flow.

  Losing track of time, he didn’t have a clue how long he’d been standing there when Sarai suddenly called out his name.

  “Are you well?” she questioned, concern ringing in her tone.

  Alexander slid the shower curtain aside. “Hey, baby! I’m good. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “I was missing you,” she said softly.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stay that long. Zach and I just kept talking and the time flew by.”

  “That’s good,” she said. “It’s one reason I left so that you two could have some time.”

  Sarai was eyeing him intently. Alexander had to be the most beautiful man in the whole wide world, she thought. He was solid, every sinewy muscle hardened to perfection. His dark complexion mirrored the chocolates she loved, and his spirit was just as sweet. Seeing him standing there, his skin heated from the hot water, water dripping over every hardened line, suddenly had her feminine spirit quaking with desire. Everything about the two of them together brought her immense joy.

  Alexander was watching as she slowly teased the strap of the black lace top she was wearing off her shoulders. A smile crawled across his face, his eyes lifting when she pushed the matching black lace boy-cut shorts down past her knees and stepped out of them.

  He stepped back as she moved in his direction, easing herself into the shower to join him. As he wrapped his arms around her, he leaned to capture her mouth beneath his own. Neither said another word, but both knew it was going to be another long and sleepless night.

  Chapter Nineteen

  They had only been back in Phuket for a few short hours when wedding plans kicked into high gear. With everything that needed to be accomplished before the ceremony that was supposed to take place some four short days later, Alexander was expecting Sarai to shift into bridezilla mode, but she didn’t. In fact, she was so incredibly calm and even-tempered that Alexander actually found it disconcerting.

  Zachary laughed at him. “She is always like that. The building could be burning down around you and she doesn’t even flinch.”

  The two men were both being fitted for their wedding attire. Alexander stood with his arms stretched outward as the tailor took measurements for the traditional silk barong and straight-legged trousers that Sarai had selected for him to wear. His brother’s barong was almost identical, but the color was a pale gold. Both dress shirts were lightly embroidered, collarless, and striking against their warm skin tones.

  “She needs to get a little anxious or something because it scares me!” Alexander laughed as the tailor gestured for him to put his own clothes back on. “It’s not normal!”

  “What’s not normal?” Sarai suddenly asked. Neither man had noticed her moving back into the store.

  “You!” Zachary said, giving her a wink of his eye.

  She shook her head, fanning a hand in his direction. “Are you two almost finished?” she asked. “We all need to talk.”

  Alexander stepped back into the space. “That sounds serious. What’s up?”

  She held up an index finger as she communicated with the store clerk.

  When he heard the word baht, Alexander passed the man his Black Card.

  Minutes later when Sarai was confident their suits would be ready for pickup the next day, she suggested they stop for a moment to enjoy some lunch. They headed to the Green Tamarind Kitchen. Taking seats on the outside patio, they ordered burgers, fries, and drinks.

  “So what’s so serious, baby?” Alexander questioned, taking a sip of the lager beer that he and his brother had ordered.

  “Nothing bad. I’ve called Dan.”

  “My Dan?”

  She nodded. “Nike has put a sponsorship offer on the table for the two of you. What they’re proposing is an athletic line that will revolve around you both. It would be a joint venture. I know Dan has been instrumental in negotiating some of your other deals so I thought he should be in on this from the start.”

  “Wow!” Zachary exclaimed. “That might be pretty cool!”

  Alexander voiced his agreement.

  Sarai smiled. “They’re going to fax over the initial offers and then we’ll take a meeting with them to see where it goes.”

  Zachary extended his hand in a high five. “You done good, girl!”

  Alexander winked his eye at her, allowing his leg to gently brush up against hers.

  “Which brings me to my next idea,” she continued. “Champs and Revolution. You both have incredible athletic facilities and I was thinking that since you two work so well together you should develop a partnership arrangement where you cross-train at each other’s property.

  “We have kids and men here in Thailand who would love to learn how to play basketball, and Alex, you could do something like your summer camp programs in the US. And since you don’t have a fully developed mixed martial arts program, Zachary could help get that set up and be a guest trainer. There would be some back and forth on both your parts but it could really be a great thing.” She looked anxiously from one to the other.

  The twins both exchanged a look, reflecting on her suggestion. Although both had thought about what their relationship would be like once Alexander and Sarai flew back to Boulder, neither had considered anything past that.

  “I like it,” both said, speaking at the same time. Then they laughed, giving each other a high five. “We like it a lot!”

  Sarai grinned. “Good. We have some details to work out but I think it’ll be a good thing.”

  “How are you working and planning our wedding and not freaking out?” Alexander asked.

  Her laugh was a sweet vibration through the warm afternoon air. “The very bossy, very controlling aunties are doing most of the wedding work. And I am freaking out! I’m just keeping busy so it doesn’t show.”

  Alexander brushed the hair from her face with his fingers. The smile he blessed her with was filled with adoration.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” she said, casting her gaze on Zachary. “The two of you have gotten half a dozen requests for exclusive interviews. I’ve spoken to all the media outlets and I’ve narrowed it down to Sports Illustrated International. It will be an eight-page spread, color photos, and will coordinate with a sixty-minute prime-time TV special. I just need both of you to agree and I need your permission to give their journalist access to Revolution and to Champs.”

  “Define access!” Alexander said, sitting a little straighter in his seat.

  “They’d be able to come and go without interruption, and also interview staff and members at their discretion. They will also do an extensive interview with the two of you. They would not be allowed to see your financials or client records. It’s strictly a public-interest piece to allow their readers and fans an inside look on how you both operate. And you both have final refusal if you don’t like what they write or what they film.”

  “And how long would we have to put up with this person being in our way?” Zachary asked.

  Sarai giggled. “One month. Maybe less, maybe more.”

  The two men stared at each other.

  “Do you think this is a good thing for us to do?” Alexander asked.

  “Yes,” Sarai answered. “I think it’ll be very good, especially if you do a joint venture. It’ll be great advertisement to promote both gyms and the two of you individually.”

  Zachary nodded. He looked at his brother as he gestured with his head in Sarai’s direction. “You trust her judgment?”

  Alexander shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Do you?”

  Sarai playfully pun
ched them both in the shoulder. “Really!”

  The twins burst out laughing.

  “So what do we need to do, baby?” Alexander asked, still chuckling.

  “I have some contracts that you both need to execute. Dan has already had your attorney review them. Zach, your attorney has looked them over as well, and now you both just need to sign on the dotted line.”

  Alexander picked up his burger with both hands, the massive sandwich overflowing with salad, caramelized onions, crispy bacon slices, and chunks of blue cheese. “I can see why you’re not freaking out about our wedding ceremony. You’ve been too busy to think about marrying me!” he said jovially.

  “Oh, I’ve been thinking about you,” she said. “In fact, after we eat, you and I have to go do pa-alam.”

  Zachary burst out laughing, practically choking on the food he’d been ready to swallow. She patted him against his back as he coughed to catch his breath.

  “Why am I suddenly scared?” Alexander questioned, looking from one to the other.

  His brother was still laughing. “Be afraid, A! Be very afraid!”

  * * *

  For the rest of the afternoon Alexander and Sarai visited the homes of her relatives, most of them elderly, to announce her marriage plans and deliver the formal wedding invitation that had been printed earlier that morning. The senior citizens in the family tree saw the longtime custom as a sign of respect, and it quickly became apparent to him that the gesture was also much appreciated.

  Alexander enjoyed the experience. He was in awe of the many family members Sarai had, most especially since both his parents had been only children and he and his brother had never experienced aunts, uncles, and cousins. He also enjoyed the opportunity to practice the language, his hello greeting, Wai, spoken with much exuberance.

  As with many of the Thai people he met, he was welcomed warmly, everyone kind and accepting. A few were excited, knowing who he was and his connection to the famous Muay Thai fighter with the successful business. It was obvious that many felt Sarai was marrying well and they were happy for her. Those who were surprised asked a ton of questions, wanting to know how they’d met, what he did, and who his parents were. By the end of their pa-alam, he felt accepted and overwhelmingly loved.