Undisputed

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  My cellphone ringing woke me up. I silenced the call and rolled back over, hoping I could fall back to sleep. I had been gone from my home for two weeks straight and had flown into LAX late the night before. All I wanted in the entire fucking world was a solid seven hours of sleep. I loved my job at Ringside Magazine, but hotel hopping got old during a long tip.

  Instead of leaving a voicemail, the person called right back, and I knew immediately who it was and what he wanted. “Good morning, Jerry,” I said to my editor when I answered the phone.

  “When are you going to turn in your interview with Animacio De Niro?” I didn’t get a good morning, a hello, or a bend over and grab your ankles. Just straight to the reason for his call. Jerry Wisnowski was a brilliant reporter-turned-editor, but his people skills were lacking.

  “Jerry, I already told you I didn’t get enough out of him to write a story.” I didn’t bother disguising my frustration with him. “The coach and publicist only gave me half an hour to interview him and most of that was spent arguing with the guy over why I was asking certain questions.” I slowly released a frustrated breath. I had never dealt with such an infuriating athlete since I had been hired by Ringside five years prior. “I think he answered two questions.”

  I thought our readers would love to know how Macio got started fighting – hell, a lot of people could relate to being bullied. Knowing the reason he liked Batman over Superman was cute and would give personality to the article, but those two things were not nearly enough. I feared I was about to do something I’d never had to do before; I was going to mark the interview off as a failure and accept that I wouldn’t be writing an article about my time spent with Macio… Mr. De Niro.

  “You’re a writer, Aiden. Make it work.” There was a flick of a lighter, followed by Jerry inhaling deeply from a cigarette. “I’m giving you one more week to come up with something. Don’t let me down after I stuck my neck out for you.” The call with Jerry ended as abruptly as it had begun.

  I had never heard Jerry get so worked up about an interview. Other staff reporters had run into a wall like I had with Macio and weren’t told to make it work. I sure as hell didn’t appreciate his parting comment to me, like he’d really gone out on a limb when I wrote my article about being gay and the homophobia that existed in sports. He wanted no part of that article, but was overruled by his boss who didn’t mind making a splash.

  Hell, I expected an, “I told you so,” out of Jerry and was shocked that I didn’t get it. Jerry’s problem wasn’t with me being gay; I had been very open and honest about who I was from the very beginning. He just didn’t want chaos in his calm, orderly newsroom. I had spent more years than I cared to remember in the closet and I wasn’t going back for anyone. Jerry might’ve had a prickly nature, but he wasn’t an unkind, cruel man. Once the decision was made to run my article, he got behind it and dared anyone to mouth off.

  I couldn’t figure out where in the hell he was coming from with the Macio interview. I knew it was the interview of the year, but damn. I was wide awake after that call, so I decided I might as well get up and settle in. I had a shit ton of laundry to do after being gone so long. I glanced at the clock and saw that I had slept for six hours and it would have to be enough because I was expected at my mom’s house for brunch.

  I zombie-walked my way to the shower, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I went. I liked my showers as hot as my men and barely used cold water. The heat from the water beating down on my weary body was just what I needed. My dick apparently hadn’t received the memo that I was tired because it stood proudly from my body, demanding attention. Ignoring my diva of a dick wouldn’t work either; it was either take care of business in the shower or suffer the consequences of discomfort all damned day.

  I wrapped my hand around my cock and began stroking with the intention of making it fast, but he appeared as soon as I closed my eyes. My fantasies of Macio only got stronger after being only a few feet from him. Later, I’d castrate myself for jerking off with a straight guy in mind, but right then, I needed to come and thoughts of him always made that happen.

  In my dreams, Macio had me in every conceivable way – on my hands and knees, beneath him, over him, against the wall… they went on and on. I dialed up my favorite that morning. I was looking down upon a large city through a wall of windows while Macio fucked me from behind. My body shook all over as the fantasy played behind my eyelids, hotter than any porn video I had ever watched. I imagined the way he’d growl in my ear as he possessively took what I so gladly offered.

  It felt so real, as if I could feel his bruising grip on me as he thrust deep and long inside me. I unraveled and came all over the tile floor in my shower while fantasy me spurted all over the glass window in front of him. Seeing my spunk all over the window pushed Macio over the edge; he came hard and deep inside me.

  My orgasm was so intense, I had to brace myself against the wall of the shower until I caught my breath and my legs were stable enough to support my weight. As it always did, guilt and irritation slipped in and chased away the last residue of pleasure. I berated myself for not finding another suitable fantasy, or better yet, a live person who could give me what I needed.

  I just couldn’t seem to get Animacio De Niro out of my head.

  “My baby.” My mom flung her arms around my neck the second I walked through her door. “I’ve missed you so much. How was your trip? Meet any hot guys?” She looked hopeful when she pulled back and it made me sad that I might have let her down in some way. I knew she hoped to see me settled by then, but it just hadn’t happened yet. I never would have guessed I would still be single at nearly thirty years old.

  “Not this trip,” I replied.

  “Well, I know the perfect man is out there for you.” She looped her arm through my elbow and we walked into the living room where my two older sisters and their families had gathered.

  Jessica was the oldest at thirty-four, and Brittany was the middle James sibling at thirty-two. My father, Matthew, was killed in action during the first Gulf War when I was only four years old. My mother was left to raise three kids on her own. Drucilla James was my very first hero and there was no one I admired more than her.

  My sisters jumped up and greeted me like they hadn’t seen me in two years rather than the two weeks I had been gone. I shook their husbands’ hands and then wrestled with my nieces and nephews until we were called to the table. My mom was an amazing cook and was always trying new recipes. That morning, I was happy to see she had served up my favorites – crispy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and Belgium waffles with a platter full of different toppings that would please everyone. Her kind gesture was a much-needed balm to my battered nerves.

  I’d heard many people complain that it took hours to prepare a meal but only minutes to devour it. That was never true in my family. We lingered and talked about the things happening in our lives. Seldom did anyone ever eat just one plate of food and no one ever left my mom’s house hungry or without leftovers for the road.

  My sisters and their families left before me so they could get prepared for their upcoming work and school weeks. I just wanted a damn minute to catch my breath and spend some one-on-one time with my best gal.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, Aiden.” Mother’s intuition never failed to amaze me.

  “There’s nothing wrong.” I tried to deny it, but the look on her face said she wasn’t having it. “It’s stupid, really, and not worth wasting your time.”

  She reached over and gave my ear a yank. “Talking to my children is never a waste of time. So, spill.”

  “This is ridiculous.” I laid back against the couch and crossed my arms over my chest. “There’s this guy that I like a lot who is unattainable for several reasons. I know that nothing will ever come between us, but I can’t get him out of my mind.”

  “What reasons?” she asked.

  “For one thing, he’s straight.” I released a frustrated groan. “Even if he wasn’t, there would be n
o chance for us. We’re too different.”

  “Don’t believe the saying that opposites attract but don’t last long.” A wistful smile spread across her face. “Your father and I were as different as night and day, but we made one hell of a team. It was hard work,” she admitted. “But what worth having isn’t?”

  “True, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s straight and I’m gay.”

  “Aiden, I’ve never known you to fret and fantasize over a straight guy. Maybe your radar is broken.”

  “It’s called a gaydar, Mom.” I leaned my head back against the couch and laughed harder than I had in weeks.

  “Whatever it’s called,” she said, then paused for me to laugh some more before she continued. “Yours must be broken.”

  “It’s not; believe me.” There was no way in hell that Macio was gay. I needed to accept it and move on. “What about you? Let any silver foxes catch you lately?” I asked, changing the subject. I hated that my mom was alone. It was sweet that she felt so devoted to my dad, but I doubted he would’ve wanted her to spend the rest of her days without love.

  “Well… maybe.”

  I was so surprised because the answer had always been a resounding no whenever I asked her. I immediately forgot about my problems and listened to my mom talk about a handsome, widowed doctor who had come into her gallery looking for art pieces for his new home. I loved the way her cheeks blushed when she talked about him.

  I ended up staying longer at her house than I normally did on a Sunday night, so it was late when I checked my email. I was shocked as hell to find that Macio had contacted me. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then realized that no one knew how bad I crushed on the man. My heart raced and I found myself holding my breath when I opened his email.

  Mr. James,

  I owe you an apology for the way I behaved during our interview. I just didn’t want you to think I was a complete jerk.

  Mr. De Niro

  I must’ve read those two sentences ten times before I worked up the courage to respond. I agonized over every single word that I wrote.

  Mr. De Niro,

  I think our interview got off to a rough start, but it was heading in the right direction before we were interrupted. I understand that you are a very private man and I respect that. I just wish we’d had a little bit more time to chat.

  Mr. James

  I didn’t expect to hear back from him, but his response was almost immediate.

  Mr. James,

  I noticed that our interview hadn’t appeared in your magazine and figured you didn’t have enough information to write a paragraph, let alone an entire article. Most journalists would’ve made up a bunch of shit to fill the page. I wanted to thank you for not doing that. It’s okay if you call me Macio. You’ve earned the respect.

  Macio

  Holy fuck, such a simple statement shouldn’t have made me so fucking happy. It changed nothing between us. I was still a gay man lusting after a straight one. Still, reading that I had earned Macio’s respect meant the world to me.

  Macio,

  I wouldn’t dream of making up a bunch of shit just to write an article. I’m not that kind of journalist, but I respect your reasons for being wary. It’s okay for you to call me Aiden. You’ve earned the respect.

  Aiden

  I was certain that it would be the last I heard from him that night or any night. It was nice to get past the awkwardness we both must’ve felt during his interview, but I didn’t expect it to lead to a grand friendship. I guess that was why his final email really rocked my world.

  Aiden,

  I’ll be in L.A. visiting my brother this week. Perhaps we could meet up and finish the interview. I feel bad that you came to Vegas to interview me and left with nothing. It’s the least I can do.

  Macio

  My response to him was short and sweet.

  Name the place and time!

  The smile that spread across my face was nice and wide when I read the words written in Aiden’s email. Name the place and time. This wasn’t easy for me to do. I just didn’t open up well… to anyone, really. But there was something about Aiden that made me feel like I could tell him things and he wouldn’t exploit me. The fact that he didn’t write some bullshit article was a pretty good indicator that he could be trusted. It also helped that I wanted to fuck him like there was no tomorrow.

  Since meeting him, I’d worn my dick out jerking off in the sauna, shower, in bed, even in the locker room, for Christ sakes! He was in my blood, flowing through my being, making me hard with just the slightest thought of his beautiful, warm smile. Or his gorgeous blue eyes with the ridiculously long eyelashes. Ah, shit… there it went again… my dick poking a tent in my sweats. I swore Aiden was like a virus I couldn’t get rid of and he ran a fever through me with barely the mention of his name. I had to have him.

  First things first, get the second interview. My fingers trembled over my keyboard as I prepared to type in a response. I wanted our meeting to be as private as possible. I had no idea if he lived in a house or an apartment building, but I didn’t want to meet in a place with nosey neighbors. My hotel room would be best. What Aiden didn’t know was that I was already in L.A. I’d taken a gamble that he’d be willing to do another interview since our first attempt was an epic failure. Not even my brother knew I was in town yet.

  Rico was my excuse to escape. It wasn’t easy to break away from Barry and Rupert, who were both pulling me in two different directions. Barry had worked my body hard with strength and conditioning training, which I loved. Rupert had been training me on how to conduct a proper interview and still keep myself guarded. Between the two of them, I could take on the world. At least, I felt that way.

  So why in the fuck were my fingers trembling so much and I hadn’t written a reply? He must be thinking I was going to punk out, but that wasn’t me. I just wanted to make sure I formed the right words. There was no take backs on emails sent. Okay, here goes nothing.

  I’m already in L.A., my plane flew in this afternoon. I’m staying at the Dorchester hotel. Why don’t you meet me here tomorrow evening at five, in the penthouse?

  I was only going to be in this hotel for one more night. It was expensive, for one thing, but once I made contact with my brother, he’d insist that I stay in his guest room. Barry gave me five days to visit family and relax… then I was to fly back and train like a gladiator. So, I was going to make the most of this visit. I scooted back, elbows resting on my knees and my hands locked as I waited to see the response from Aiden.

  I will be happy to meet you tomorrow evening. And like before, if you aren’t comfortable with one of my questions, we can discuss it. I don’t want you to feel any pressure to answer anything you don’t want to.

  -Aiden.

  I smiled again, then typed my reply.

  I am looking forward to our interview.

  -M

  I shut off my laptop and walked over to the window, stepping out onto my balcony. L.A. was beautiful at night, not quite as lively as Las Vegas, but it had its own flair, no doubt. My cock was still throbbing in my pants and no amount of breathing in fresh air seemed to be helping. I was going to have to handle this erection personally. I reached down, grabbing my dick and giving it a nice squeeze, and quaked a little from the pleasure. My libido was always in overdrive and I thought the only reason I didn’t get more aroused during the day was because of how much I trained.

  Six days a week, twice a day between cardio, strength building, Muay Thai, Ju Jitsu, and Akido. My body was a well-oiled machine, but even after all of that, I still had energy to burn. I walked back into my hotel room, closing the balcony doors behind me. Instead of turning on a porno, I picked up one of Ringside’s magazines… the one with Aiden on the cover. His coming out story. I’d read it multiple times and jerked off to his pictures at least five times. It was actually my second copy, because I pretty much ruined the first issue with spunk.

  I was taking better care of this
one and held it away from me as I stroked my cock. I memorized the shape of his mouth and imagined those sexy lips sucking me down whole. My muscles flexed as I stroked my cock faster and harder. It didn’t take long for me to hit that moment and my mouth opened as my back arched. I tossed the magazine aside as my dick fired off its pent-up load all over the carpet, my thighs, and my hand. I quaked hard as I relished the pleasure of another release.

  With the last drop oozing from my slit, I let go of my cock and just laid there on the sofa, spent… but not completely satisfied. No, I wanted the real thing, damn it… and I always went for what I wanted with extreme aggression and a take no prisoners attitude. That was why I was the undisputed champion. Oh yeah, I was really looking forward to our interview now. Ahhhh, Aiden…

  Being away on vacation didn’t mean I wasn’t going to work out. I’d utilized the hotel gym for a few hours, working up a nice sweat, and I felt great afterward. Lunch was Tilapia, ribeye, and broccoli; after burning all those calories, I needed to refuel with a lot of protein and electrolytes. I called my brother and told him I was coming to L.A. tomorrow to visit him and the family. He, of course, was ecstatic and insisted that I stay with him in his guestroom, which I knew he would do. He also said he could pick me up from the airport. But since I was already in L.A., I told him not to trouble himself that much. That I’d take a cab. There was some debate on the necessity of a cab when he could just pick me up. It took reminding him of how much he hated the traffic at the airport to get him to give in. So, it was settled.

  I looked at my watch, Aiden would be here in less than ten minutes. I was nervous, not going to lie. This was the first interview I’d ever had without Barry or Rupert there to guide me or even bail me out of it. Just one on one, like it was in the ring. I was dressed in what I normally wore when I was chilling. I felt it was best to keep the mood comfortable. So, black t-shirt and gray sweat pants it was. No socks or shoes. Being a MMA fighter, I was used to being barefoot a lot. I also did a quick breath check, all was good on that front.