Boxer Next Door

by Summer Cooper

  “Just have a seat, I will warm it up for you,” Margaret said and went about the kitchen. Rainn sat quietly and patiently as she heard the familiar clatter of plates and knives. Her cell phone vibrated a pattern in her hand and she simply ignored it.

  “Jack again?” Margaret asked after watching Rainn ignore her cell phone.

  “Yes.”

  “I have to hand it to him, the guy is relentless,” Margaret said and placed a plate in front of Rainn “Do you want some soda with that?”

  “Yes please.”

  Rainn picked up her fork and slowly began to nibble and pick on her food. She had not realized how hungry she was until she started chewing; she could feel the rumblings in her stomach scramble for the chunks of food that she was throwing its way.

  Margaret on the other hand, wondered whether she should touch on the subject of Jack. She watched Rainn, who went on to eat as Margaret pondered the thought.

  “Go ahead, ask the question,” Rainn said as she went on to chew and sip on some soda.

  “I hate it when you do that,” Margaret said.

  “Hate what?”

  “How you know that I am burning to ask you a question?” Margaret asked.

  “I could feel it.”

  “I do not want to get into that right now,” Margaret chuckled.

  “So, what’s the question?”

  “Why are you ignoring him?” Margaret asked, as she curiously looked in Rainn’s direction. She knew that Rainn was blind but also knew that she could feel her looking her way.

  “It’s nothing personal, I just need to concentrate on me right now,” Rainn replied and continued to nibble and play around with her food for Margaret’s sake. She paused and was about to put her plate aside, before she realized that Margaret was still looking at her.

  “What else is on your mind?” Margaret asked in a concerned tone. She had watched Rainn for the past two days and had noticed that she had been slightly distracted.

  “I need to be my best tonight,” she let out and Margaret could detect the frustration in her voice. She watched as Rainn let her fork drop to her plate and it made a loud clanging sound throughout the dining room.

  “Take it easy,” Margaret said to her. She had her arm around Rainn in a minute, holding her in a tight embrace.

  “You are too hard on yourself,” Margaret said as she rubbed her hand on Rainn’s back comfortingly “I watch you, you hardly eat or sleep. You’re in overdrive.”

  Rainn could not help it as the tears streamed down her cheeks; she wiped them with the back of her hand and stifled a sob.

  “You’ll be fine,” Margaret went on to say, but did not stop Rainn from letting her feelings out.

  “I need to be perfect,” Rainn said emotionally as she again wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

  “You should hear yourself play my dear, I think you transcend perfection,” Margaret cooed, as she held Rainn ever closer.

  “You are truly a wonderful cousin,” Rainn replied as let her head rest on Margaret’s shoulder.

  “I know I am,” she replied smartly “Now, I want you to eat your food. I wouldn’t want to see you faint on stage in front of a thousand plus people.”

  “That would be such a sight,” Rainn replied as she sat up and took the fork in her hand. She picked through her food and started to nibble into it again.

  “I can almost see the headlines now,” she went on to say in between mouthfuls “Blind girl faints in the middle of a performance.”

  ‘That’s not supposed to be funny,” Margaret replied albeit her manner suggested otherwise “I shouldn’t be laughing this hard at such a scenario.”

  The two women went on to make light of Rainn fainting in the middle of her performance as Margaret secretly monitored her eating. She felt relieved when she saw that Rainn had cleared her plate, giving her a thumbs up.

  “Now you can go back to practice with more energy,” Margaret said and watched as her cousin slowly got to her feet and walked out of the room. She slightly shook her head when she thought of her and Jack and decided that she was probably doing her a favor by hiding the letters. Rainn had been dealt a hand in life and a straining relationship would not really work for her at that time.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jack sat on the floor, cell phone in hand and wondered what to do next. He waited and hoped for it to ring as he stared at his surroundings at nothing in particular. He was camped at Rainn’s door, outside the empty house and had decided not to move. It was a chilly day and he hugged his coat tightly to his chest as he again threw a glance at his surroundings. He thought of the many times he had tried to reach out to her and felt even more frustrated. He had spent the past few months calling her and trying to appease her with gifts and flowers, but he would never get any response from her. No phone call, email, text or even letter. The thought of rejection and the feeling of frustration made Jack reach into his pocket and pull out a flask. He took a long gulp from it and welcomed the ever familiar feel of burning liquor on his throat. He shut his eyes tight, again looking around at his surroundings. He noticed that the neighbors had started looking at him weirdly, but he simply did not care. Jack got to his feet when he remembered that if the press were to take a snap shot of him drinking at the front of Rainn’s door, she would get into trouble. He walked over to the plant that was perched next to the front door and began fishing through it for a key. He let out a victorious yelp when he finally circled his palm around it. Jack then staggered slightly to the door and turned it open. He was greeted by the familiar scent that he had gotten used to and he could feel his heart melt at the memory of it. He closed the door behind him quietly and took a few steps around the apartment. His footsteps echoed throughout the house as the loneliness of the place acknowledged the human presence that had just intruded. The dust on the furniture and the few cobwebs that had begun forming on the walls confirmed the fact that Rainn had not been at the house for quite some time. He wondered what to do and kept on walking around the house; he could hear distant nostalgic laughter as he recalled the good times that they had together in that apartment.

  Jack placed his left hand on his chest and let out a resigned sigh. He sat down on the floor in a lump and again reached out for the flask from the inner pocket of his jacket.

  “Be still my heart,” he sighed as he again looked around the room, before taking a longer gulp from it, letting his head rest on the wall that was behind him. His phone rung a few times and he ignored all the calls; he eventually decided to switch it off and sat in silence, deep in thought. He buried his head in the palm of his hands for a minute before looking up and combing his right hand through his hair. He was so engrossed in his own concerns that he didn’t hear the door open, or realize that he was no longer alone until Rainn spoke up.

  “How did you get in?” she demanded curtly as she stood over Jack, facing him.

  Jack felt a mixture of both excitement and shock when he heard Rainn’s voice. He looked up her and realized how much he had missed her. She was looking particularly lovely; he especially loved how the low cut fitted blue dress hugged her body.

  “I let myself in.” Jack answered eventually, after letting his eyes hungrily feed on Rainn’s lovely body.

  “I can see that, but why? What do you want?” Rainn went on to inquire in the same tone.

  “I have been trying to call you,”

  “I know, I’ve been busy,” Rainn replied and started walking towards the living room to sit on the sofa. She was well aware that he was closely behind her and loved how his scent overwhelmed the room. He sat on the sofa next to her and Rainn could feel the alcohol stench in his breath.

  “You’ve been drinking.” she stated.

  “Yes I have.”

  Rainn could think of a few choice words to say to him at that moment, but knew they would all lead to an argument with him and she decided to remain silent.

  “So how have you been?” Jack asked as he tried to lift the aw
kwardness from the room.

  “I’ve been well.” Rainn answered. She really wanted to provoke him by saying a few things about his drinking but decided not to. Hearing his voice was soothing and she didn’t want to ruin the moment with an argument.

  “What about you? What else have you been up to, other than slowly ruining your liver?” Rainn asked and was sure that Jack got the disapproving tone in her question.

  “Nothing much, I was working on a movie in New York.”

  “New York?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were in New York? You knew I was performing there and staying at Margaret’s,” Rainn complained. She wasn’t really sure whether she actually had wanted to see him, especially after avoiding his phone calls.

  “Well, if you would have picked up your phone, you would have known that I was also in New York,” Jack answered smartly.

  “You should have tried harder,” Rainn said this as she slammed a fist on her knee to prove a point “You should have come over to see me at Margaret’s!”

  “I did.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes, several times.” Jack answered and watched as Rainn’s eyebrow twitched at the mention of these words.

  “How come I was never informed that you came?” Rainn asked in a confused tone.

  “Margaret said that you did not want to see me and that you needed some space to clear your head from all that was going on in your life.” Jack stated, before watching Rainn’s disturbed expression and went on” She said you didn’t need any distractions.”

  Rainn went silent and pondered those words for a minute longer. She intertwined her palms and let her head bend low when she heard this. It indeed sounded like something that Margaret would say and she knew that she was only looking out for her. She however felt slightly disappointed for meddling into her business.

  Jack seized the opportunity, placing a comforting arm on her shoulder, he waited for her to resist and pulled her closer when she didn’t.

  “I missed you,” he whispered as he ran his hands through her hair and let her head rest easily on his shoulder.

  “I missed you too,” Rainn replied. She felt vulnerable at that point but simply did not care. She had sincerely missed him, New York had been a great distraction for her, but she still had a deep longing for him. She let him have his way with her and did not resist when he lifted her chin and engaged her in a long passionate kiss. The taste of him mixed with the stench of liquor in his mouth was a bit strange for Rainn, but was also a turn on in its own twisted way. She responded by placing her hands on his shoulders and pulling him closer to him. She loved how masculine he felt and loved the feel of his broad shoulders in her arms.

  Without warning, Rainn pulled back and got to her feet.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked in a concerned voice, as he stood behind her and circled his arms around her tiny waist.

  Rainn leaned on him, loving the masculine feel of his body as she did so. She loved how his rugged beard caressed her neck and enjoyed the feel of manliness that came with his embrace.

  “I don’t know if I can do this again,” Rainn said as she let out a long sigh.

  “Why not?” Jack asked. He had a pleading and desperate tone in his voice and Rainn could tell that he really wanted to make things work this time.

  “I need to concentrate on me now, relationships are just too straining,” Rainn answered and pulled out of his embrace. She walked a few steps away from him but could still feel his gaze fixated on her.

  “I don’t think that’s the reason,” Jack said as he held her in a tight embrace “I think you’re scared.”

  Rainn took a moment to feel his breath on her ear, his grip on her arm and the tone in his voice. She felt assured and hated how he was spot on, moreover hating how well he knew her.

  “Let’s move in together,” Jack suggested, out of the blue. He saw how Rainn literally froze from these words and was ready to give her more reasons to support his statement but stopped when he saw the corners of her mouth turn up. He clenched his fist and threw it in midair as a sign of joy and disbelief.

  “I haven’t agreed yet you know, don’t start rejoicing.” Rainn said as she turned and faced him. Her head lay on his shoulder carelessly and he responded by rubbing her back up and down. Rainn then reached up to him and planted a long wet kiss on his lips as she circled her hands on his neck.

  “Is that a yes?” Jack asked, after pulling away from their embrace slightly.

  “It’s a maybe”, Rainn answered cheekily.

  “What do I have to do to get a yes?”

  “Take me out to dinner, buy me a bouquet of roses and some ice cream,” she answered and Jack loved the sweet shy smile that she displayed when she said all these.

  “Anything for you, my love.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It had been a few weeks since Jack had asked to Rainn move in with him. Rainn had tried to ignore the subject, but he somehow kept bringing it up in a conversation. She was waiting on him to show up and make her dinner that day in her apartment so she sat on the living room sofa reading a book. She wasn’t really concentrating on it; her mind kept thinking about Jack and when he would show up. She pressed the audio clock that was in the living room and listened keenly to it.

  “The time now is 8:45pm,” the automated voice rang through the empty apartment and Rainn smiled when she thought of how she had made it ring exactly two minutes before.

  Jack was only fifteen minutes away and her insides began to churn at the thought of him. She could already picture his lovely woody scent and the rugged beard that was carelessly distributed on his face. She thought of his warm embrace and the feel of his masculinity on her body. She thought of the way he always played with her tongue whenever they made out and the way he would let her head rest on his chest every time they were done making love and fulfilling each other’s desires. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the distant footsteps approach her door and Jack turning the door knob. She listened keenly to him as he took off his shoes and walked on bare feet to the living room.

  “Hello beautiful,” he announced. Rainn could hear him carrying a handful of bags and guessed they were groceries. She listened as he walked over to her and placed a light peck on her left cheek.

  “Hello,” she answered “You’re early” she added, as she listened to him walk over to the kitchen counter.

  “I decided to show up early. God knows I have other plans with you later in the night,” Jack answered and Rainn could detect the innuendo behind those words. She let out a slight giggle and placed her book aside as she listened to what Jack was doing in the kitchen.

  “What are you looking for?” she asked.

  “The chopping board.”

  “Top shelf to your right,” Rainn answered and listened as Jack opened the cabinet door and pulled out what he needed. Rainn’s kitchen was always organized and immaculately arranged, that was the only way that she could go about it without bumping into things and hurting herself.

  “What are you making?” she went on to ask as the whiff of red pepper got to her nostrils.

  “Stuffed peppers,” Jack answered “Wine?”

  “Yes please.”

  Jack walked over to where Rainn was comfortably seated with a glass of wine in hand. He gave it to Rainn who was waiting patiently for him and watched as she took a sip from it.

  “Smooth, right?” he asked as he saw how her face lit up from the taste of the wine.

  “Yes it is,” she smiled, after letting the wine caress her tongue and glide down her throat. Jack leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips and Rainn detected the scent of gin on his breath.

  He waited for him to walk back to the kitchen counter before mastering the courage to ask him about it.

  “How much have you had to drink today?” she asked bluntly.

  “Not much.”

  Rainn was not in the mood for a fight and decided to change th
e angle of the conversation to something else as soon as she got the defensive response from Jack.

  “Tell me about your first encounter with alcohol,” Rainn asked. From the way he laughed at the question she knew that it must be a hilarious story.

  “Well, I was a young man trying to experiment with everything,” Jack started “You name it! Pot, cocaine, cigarettes, ecstasy, speed, liquor, heroin; I think I tried out all the drugs that are known to mankind”.

  “Meth?” Rainn asked curiously.

  “Of course”

  Jack let out a nostalgic but half amused chuckle when he said these words.

  “But liquor became your poison?” Rainn concluded.

  “Unfortunately it did.”

  “So how did you not get hooked on the rest of it?” Rainn asked. She had now sat up, her back was still rested on the sofa.

  “Various reasons actually,” Jack admitted “For most of the drugs, I was a peddler and could not mix business with pleasure.”

  Rainn placed a hand on her mouth to cover her shock but it was a bit too late, Jack had noticed and only let out another laugh.

  “Relax sweetie, I retired from that business a long time ago.”

  “Thank heavens,” Rainn replied “So tell me the other reasons.”

  “Well, I watched a very close friend of mine waste away on meth and decided not to go that way. Cocaine would make my head reel and heroin made me throw up a lot.” Jack explained

  “From that, it sounds like you love yourself too much to let yourself waste away on drugs.”

  “You could say that.” Jack answered.

  He was now done chopping a few onions and Rainn could tell that he was turning on the stove and placing a frying pan on it. She listened as the cooking oil slid around the pan and sniffed as the smell of garlic and onions filled the room.