Fight Town: Inspiration

by Jinx, Hondo

  He rinsed it around and spit in the bucket and gulped air.

  “How you feel?”

  Johnny nodded. “Good. Plenty left. Man, I love to fight!”

  “Good,” Marvella said. “That’s what I want to hear, kid. But this last round can’t be close. You gotta go out there and hammer him, you feel me?”

  Johnny nodded, gasping for air.

  Freddie stroked his cheek. “Breathe with me, Johnny. In 1, 2, 3…”

  He closed his eyes and breathed, listening as Marvella said, “Balls to the wall this round, baby. Every second, start to finish. He’s gonna go for it, you know that, right? Boy doesn’t know how to lose yet. You gotta teach him.”

  Johnny nodded and held his breath as Freddie counted, her voice calm and measured, as if they were sitting on her rooftop garden.

  “Now exhale,” Freddie said, “1, 2, 3…”

  And when he had released his breath, he opened his eyes, filled with calm, his mind and body and juice having responded to months of daily meditation.

  “Seconds out!” the ref shouted. “Last round!”

  Johnny stood.

  Marvella patted his cheek, her good eye blazing up at him. “Now get out there and kick his ass. Be first! Be the boss!”

  The bell rang, and Stevenson sailed across the ring, winging hard shots.

  Apparently, his corner thought he was down two rounds to one and couldn’t win a decision without at least putting Johnny on the canvas.

  Either that, or the so-called Alpha had lost his cool.

  One way or the other, he was going for it, firing every shot with bad intentions.

  You should’ve stuck to your plan, Johnny thought, bracing himself and firing back with everything he had. Because this right here, this inside turf, I own it.

  For a few seconds, they traded heavy shots.

  Stevenson could really crack. His shots exploded against Johnny’s head, catching him clean and filling his skull with lightning.

  But Johnny hung in there, winging heavy shots, making the undefeated fighter’s head jerk back and forth.

  Then Johnny leaned sharply to the left, dipping under Stevenson’s shots, and launched an overhand right. It was a mugger shot and looping punch that came crashing down on the side of Stevenson’s headgear and knocked him on his ass.

  Johnny hurried to a neutral corner and raised a fist toward his corner, where Freddie was up off her stool at ringside and screaming, “Finish him, babe! Finish him!”

  By the time the ref counted to four, Stevenson was back on his feet, complaining that it hadn’t been a knockdown, only a slip.

  Bullshit, Johnny thought and grinned, thumping his gloves together.

  All his work and sacrifices, his boosts and dedication, all those early morning runs and meditation and pushing through the pain night after night after night… it was all paying off.

  The ref dropped his arm. “Box!”

  Johnny sprinted out of the corner.

  Stevenson tried to dance away, tried to outhustle Johnny the way he had again and again during their sparring match, when the Wolf Town fighter had insisted on demolishing and humiliating a guy without a single match under his belt, shouting at him afterward, calling him a bitch, disrespecting him in his own gym.

  But now, Stevenson’s legs were wonky, and he couldn’t escape.

  Johnny closed the gap, caught Stevenson’s glove with his lead hand, rolled his shoulder, blocking Stevenson’s left, then swung back around, dipping under the taller fighter’s hook.

  This time, just as he practiced over and over in the gym, he did not bull forward. Instead, he slammed a short right into Stevenson’s gut then cranked a hook to the liver, sinking the shot deep. Instantly, he twisted, reloading, and drove another hook into the sweet spot.

  He felt Stevenson’s floating rib break.

  Stevenson grunted and hunched just as Johnny came upstairs.

  The hook caught Stevenson on the point of his jaw. Johnny followed through every ounce of power and strength, twisting his lead foot, nailing his back heel to the canvas, and turning his shoulder sharply.

  He knew, as he felt the punch land, his knuckles flush, Stevenson’s head snapping around, that the fight was over.

  Stevenson dropped like he’d been shot between the eyes.

  Save for a small contingent of screaming fans from the Ward, the vast arena fell silent, tens of thousands of dumbstruck assholes instantly silenced along with their hotshot poster boy.

  Johnny thrust his fists overhead and bellowed triumphantly down at the unconscious fighter crumpled at his feet, savoring the moment and rewarding all of those glorious, savage riders who’d never stopped believing and who had stuck with him over the long haul.

  Then Freddie was in the ring, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him, crying, “You did it, Johnny! You did it, my love!”

  Chapter 54

  The crowd’s silence didn’t last for long.

  Soon, they started screaming for Johnny’s blood.

  “Good job, kid,” Marvella said, her eye flicking from side to side as she pulled the tape from his gloves and the crowd grew more belligerent. “We gotta get the fuck out of here.”

  That’s when Johnny noticed a section of the crowd breaking apart, his supporters from the Ward moving as a single unit for the exits, the blur of conflict here and there at the edges as Wolves started shit.

  Johnny felt a pang of concern for his friends, especially Lennie and Millie and, oddly, his crotchety landlord.

  Stevenson’s trainers got him to his feet. His dazed eyes swung toward Johnny and blinked with confusion.

  The ref raised Johnny’s fist in the air and echoed Marvella’s sentiments. “Y’all better get the fuck out of here.”

  Then trash was raining down. Wadded up paper, plastic cups spraying beer, even bottles.

  Johnny, Marvella, and Freddie rushed from the ring and ran the gauntlet, hurrying out the lane flanked by furious assholes shouting and spitting and hurling shit at them.

  When a young, muscular guy who’d lost his damn mind stepped in their path trying to block their way, Marvella jabbed him in the solar plexus with her cane and dropped him with the fastest right hand Johnny had ever seen.

  Some other guy came rushing toward them, and Freddie threw the contents of the spit bucket in his face.

  Someone else reached for Freddie, and Johnny clocked him, knocking him back into the snarling mob.

  From there, they ran.

  Within the sanctuary of the blue corner locker room, Marvella shoved the gloves at the guy with the clipboard and said, “Fuck this place, and fuck you fucking wolves!”

  Johnny didn’t have a chance to change. They grabbed their shit, headed out a side door, and followed Marvella through another byzantine maze of hallways that opened onto the lot, where they piled into her beater and headed home, bouncing over potholes and blowing stop signs as they raced across these urban badlands toward civilization.

  Johnny and Freddie sat in the back seat, shouting back and forth with Marvella, recounting the fight, and stealing kisses in between.

  “Good work in there, kid,” Marvella called back to Johnny. “You got heart. Real heart. You stick with it, you might even have a future.”

  “Thanks, Marvella,” Johnny said, “and thanks for everything. For training me, I mean.”

  “No problem, kid. It’s what I do. Boxing’s my life. It’s nice, working with a couple of truly dedicated fighters. At first, I gotta be honest, I had my doubts about you. Mostly, I was concerned you would derail Freddie. But I was wrong. You two are good for each other. You push each other, make each other stronger. For what’s it worth, you have my blessing.”

  Marvella turned on the radio and blasted Santana’s “Oye Como Va,” as Johnny and Freddie made out in the back seat, the hot air from the beater’s open windows rushing over them.

  Johnny plunged his fingers into Freddie’s long, purple hair, loving the feel of her thick tresses.
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  Freddie’s hands wandered over his body, touching his arms and chest and face, then dropped down to run up his thighs, and finally crept between his legs as she kissed his ear, giving him goosebumps.

  As her hand jammed up against the thick barrier of the protective cup he hadn’t had time to remove after the fight, she groaned with frustration. “Want to go over to your place after we get home?”

  “Yeah,” he said, locking eyes with her. “That sounds awesome.”

  When they got back to the gym, a large crowd awaited them.

  Johnny got out of Marvella’s beater and was mobbed instantly, people pressing in from all sides, crying out their congratulations and shaking his hand and hugging him from all directions.

  Lennie pushed her way to the front, threw her arms around him, shouted, “That was awesome, Johnny!” and shocked the hell out of him by planting a big, wet kiss right on his mouth. She ground against him, probing his mouth with her tongue, until Freddie pulled her off and shook a chastising finger in the face of her panting twin.

  “Oh no you don’t, Lennie!” Freddie scolded. “He’s mine first!”

  Before Johnny could sort out exactly what the sisters were saying, Lou stepped forward and took his hand.

  “Fantastic show, Johnny,” Lou said, pumping his hand up and down and smiling, eyes glittering beneath the snowy mantles of his scarred eyebrows. “Just like the old days.” He rocked back and forth, evading imaginary punches. “That head movement! And the angles! With the angles you killed him.”

  Lou raised his voice. “Everyone! A celebration is in order! To the bar, then, aye? Let us drink to Johnny ‘Rock Hard’ Rockledge, 1-0 with 1 knockout, and while we’re at it, to his lovely girlfriend, ‘Fearless’ Freddie Lopez; beautiful, the two of them, the best we have to offer, the pride of the Ward, our future; and of course, to their trainer, the best, the absolute best, Marvella!”

  The crowd, which seemed to be growing by the second, cheered wildly, latching onto Lou’s suggestion.

  “Where would you like to celebrate, Johnny?” Lou asked.

  Johnny thought for a second and smiled. “The Hawk.”

  “The Hawk it is,” Lou said. “The first round is on me!”

  Everybody cheered again.

  “Thanks, Lou,” Johnny said and raised his voice. “Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate everybody coming out, and I appreciate the warm welcome home. I gotta shower and eat, but anybody wants to party, I’ll see you in an hour or so.”

  For some reason, Lennie laughed out loud then grinned at them knowingly.

  “Come on,” Freddie said, pulling him away from the crowd. “Marvella, see you at the bar?”

  Marvella said she’d meet them there.

  Then, Johnny and Freddie crossed the street and at last were alone.

  They walked quickly, neither of them saying much, both of them hurrying to the Oasis, where they ran up the stairs hand in hand, Johnny thinking, I sure hope Millie isn’t cleaning my room in the nude. That might be a little tricky to explain.

  But the room was theirs.

  They hurried inside, banging into each other and kissing awkwardly as they slipped through the door laughing as they closed it behind them and embraced, kissing deeply and passionately, pausing only to gasp for air and profess their mutual love.

  Beyond that, neither one of them was much interested in talking.

  Johnny backed Freddie up against the door and pinned her there with his body and his mouth, kissing her feverishly. Kissing and sucking, his mouth moved down her neck, making her squirm, then rose again to catch her earlobe gently in his teeth.

  Again, their hands roamed, each lover exploring the still unfamiliar territory of the other’s body.

  Freddie felt amazing. Johnny wanted to eat her alive. Instead, he reached under her shirt, smoothed his hand up over her flat abdomen and cupped her firm breast, throbbing at the feel of her.

  Freddie shuddered, whimpering, then laughed, sounding embarrassed. “Sorry, Johnny. I’m… um… pretty inexperienced at… um… stuff like this.”

  He removed his hand. “We can take our time.”

  Freddie shook her head, caught his hand, and lifted it to her breast with a fresh shudder. “No, I like it. A lot. I’ve wanted this for so long. It’s just… I’ve never been with anyone before. So, you know, I might be kind of—”

  Johnny cut her off with a kiss that soon had them both panting again.

  “Sorry I made you wait so long,” Freddie said.

  “It’s cool, Freddie. You’re sure now?”

  “I’ve been sure for a long time. Ever since my fight when I finally kissed you and told you I loved you. But Marvella made me promise to wait until you’d had your fight.”

  Johnny laughed incredulously. “She’s gotta stay out of our love life.”

  “Yeah, don’t count on it. Our trainer is a control freak, and I always honor my promises.” Freddie laughed then grabbed his shirt front and stared up into his eyes, looking fierce. “I love you, Johnny Rockledge. I love you with every fiber of my heart and soul. I am yours forever and ever.”

  “And I love you, Freddie Lopez, with every ounce of my being. Nothing will change that. I’m yours for eternity. All the way to the top, right?”

  Freddie nodded. “And beyond. Partners forever?”

  “Forever.”

  They started kissing again, and he felt her fingertips hook into his waistband.

  “Stupid cup,” she laughed, and yanked it down his legs, taking his shorts and underwear with it.

  Johnny mashed his mouth into hers, kissing her greedily as he ripped her shirt up over her head and tossed it aside.

  He caught a glimpse of her black bra before the glorious sight was eclipsed by his own shirt, which Freddie hauled up his body and over his head.

  Staring at his naked body, Freddie unfastened her bra and let the rounded perfection of her breasts spill free.

  Johnny gaped at her.

  Freddie bit her lip and blushed, twisting from side to side, naked from the waist up save for the glowing golden ring in her furry purple cat ear.

  “Holy shit, Freddie,” Johnny said, his voice husky with desire. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “Thanks, Johnny. So are you.” She crooked her finger with a come-hither gesture. “Now, get over here and kiss me.”

  They kissed, both of them trembling like racehorses now, their bodies taut and ready, his hardness pulsing against her bare midriff.

  Johnny trailed his fingertips down her toned back and stroked her soft tail as she kissed his ear and neck and chest.

  Then he returned the favor, kissing her ears and neck and the soft hollow of her throat and finally dropping his mouth to her perfect breasts.

  Freddie gasped when he took her nipple gently into his mouth and purred as he sucked. She squeezed his shoulders as he switched to her other breast.

  Johnny smoothed his hands over her lithe torso and unbuttoned her shorts.

  Pantingly heavily, Freddie arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his face as she reached around and unsnapped the button that fastened her shorts above her tail, which twitched back and forth now like the tail of a cat ready for its feeding.

  When they were both naked, Johnny led her across the room and laid her gently upon the bed.

  Freddie stared up at him with a nervous smile, her huge blue-gray eyes full of emotion. “I’m ready, Johnny.”

  Johnny stood beside the bed and grinned down at her. “Great, Freddie. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

  Freddie looked shocked. “What?”

  “Gotta shower.”

  “You have to be kidding. I’m naked and ready on your bed, and you’re going to shower?”

  “I’m covered in sweat and blood.”

  “I’m a boxer, not a cheerleader. I bathe in sweat and blood.”

  Johnny shrugged, enjoying her frustration. “You made me wait all this time. You can wait five minutes while I take a shower.”

&nb
sp; “Fuck that!” Freddie said. With amazing hand speed, she lashed out, grabbed his erection, and pulled him back to the bed. “We’re having sex right now!”

  Laughing, Johnny knelt overtop her.

  “I was just messing with you,” he laughed. “I wouldn’t take a shower for a million dollars right now.”

  “I would,” she said, “if you showered with me.”

  Still gripping his hardness, Freddie guided him between her legs and positioned his tip against her wet heat.

  Johnny took Freddie’s beautiful face in one hand and stared into her eyes, all joking behind him now. “I love you, Freddie. I really love you.”

  “I love you, too, Johnny. I love you like crazy.”

  He eased forward and felt his throbbing tip part her outer folds.

  Freddie smiled, releasing his shaft, and gripped his ass in both hands, urging him forward.

  She winced, briefly, when he entered her, then smiled and nodded, and he slid deeper into her hot slickness.

  “You’re inside me!” Freddie laughed. “You’re finally inside me!”

  Johnny grinned. “You feel awesome, Freddie.”

  “Go a little deeper?”

  Johnny lowered his head and kissed her, allowing Freddie to guide him. She squeezed his ass and pulled him slowly forward, inch by inch, until he was buried inside her.

  “You okay?” he asked her.

  Freddie nodded. “It hurts but it feels good, too. I love it.”

  He kissed her again, pulled his hips back and forth, pumping gently away with slow, shallow thrusts, letting Freddie get used to this new experience.

  It didn’t take long.

  In fact, a few minutes later, she broke their kiss and gasped urgently. “Oh, stick it all the way in! Stick it all the way in now, Johnny! I’m gonna cum!”

  Surprised, Johnny jammed forward, burying himself deep inside this beautiful woman he loved with all his heart.

  “Oh!” Freddie’s mouth flew wide open, and her eyes squeezed shut. “Oh, fuck! I’m cumming!”

  She arched her back, and her breasts wobbled as she jerked with climax. She cried out with pleasure. Her head rolled back, and she winced, biting her lip, the veins in her neck standing out as the intense orgasm tortured her with overwhelming euphoria.