Going the Distance

by Christa Cervone

  After hefting my laundry down to the basement of my apartment building and back up, I plop down onto my couch. I check my phone for the umpteenth time; still no call or text from Salem. Fuck this. I need to get outta here.

  I begin walking the stretch of road that I’ve taken, pretty much every day, for the last couple of years. I’m headed to Frankie’s whether he wants me there or not. He can’t expect me to just sit in my apartment all damn day.

  I put in my earbuds and start jogging. With the music blaring, my pace picks up until I’m in a full sprint. My heart’s pounding against my chest when I stop to catch my breath. I’m gasping for air and my lungs feel like they’re on fire. I’ve only been out of commission from training for a few days, how can I be in this rough shape? Then it dawns on me. Christ, maybe I did really get hurt. I walk the rest of the way to Frankie’s as my lungs continue to burn.

  As I open the front door of the gym, I hear Frankie’s voice bellowing through the empty space, “I’ll have your money for you by the end of the week. I’m just waitin’ on some funding from the state.” The phone slams down.

  I reopen and close the front door loudly, so that Frankie knows someone’s in the building. The last thing I wanna do is surprise him while he’s pissed off. I’d probably give him a heart attack. In a voice full of anger he yells, “Who’s there?”

  “It’s just me, Frankie,” I call out while I’m walking toward his office.

  “What’re you doin’ here? I thought I told Jimmy to tell you to stay home for the rest of the week.” He’s shuffling through the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

  “And you thought I’d listen?” I take a seat in front of him.

  He mumbles something under his breath.

  “You okay?”

  “Of course, I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “You seem a little angrier than usual.”

  “It’s nothin’ I can’t handle, kid.” He finally looks up at me. He appears to have aged so much in the short time I haven’t seen him, if that’s even possible. The creases on his forehead are much more obvious, and he has deep-seated frown lines framing his mouth. He looks tired, and the dark circles under his eyes lead me to believe he hasn’t slept in days.

  “If you say so, Frankie.”

  “I say so. Plus, you’ve got other things to worry about. You feelin’ okay?”

  “I’ve got a clean bill of health,” I state proudly.

  Frankie just gives me “the look.”

  “I don’t wanna hear it. I’m fighting.”

  “And how do the doctors feel about that?”

  I shrug my shoulders at him.

  “They don’t want you to fight, do they?”

  I sit silently, refusing to say the words out loud.

  “So, you’re gonna go against the doctors’ orders?”

  “It’s only a recommendation.”

  “A recommendation? You’re goin’ with that? And how long is this recommendation for?”

  “Six months to a year,” my voice is nearly a whisper.

  He snorts. “So, you’re health doesn’t matter to you at all?”

  I tune him out. I’ve heard it all before. I’m not exactly sure how long he’s droned on when I snap out of the daze I’m in.

  “… is not that long,” is all I hear as his lecture finally comes to an end.

  “I’m fighting,” I announce adamantly.

  A look of disappointment washes over his face as he shakes his head at me.

  “I wanna start training on Monday, and if you’re not gonna do it with me, I’ll find someone who will.” I slam my hands on his desk and stand up.

  Frankie runs his hands over his face and then looks up at me. “Are you really sure you wanna do this?” I can hear the uncertainty in his voice.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Christ, kid,” he exhales heavily. “I can’t believe I’m gonna agree to do this.”

  A huge smile spreads across my face.

  “I’m only doing it because if you think you’re goin’ to another trainer, you’re dead wrong. I’ll be supervising every aspect of your training. I want you doing only what I say, nothin’ extra.”

  “Deal.”

  “Early to bed, no partying, and absolutely no broads. If I find out otherwise, I’m walkin’ away and you can find yourself a new gym.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Then we have a deal,” Frankie shakes my hand.

  “Do you think I can get the kids today? I actually miss those little rug rats.”

  “Go ahead. Jimmy’s workin’ at Best Buy today so it was my day to do it. They’ll be thrilled to see you.”

  “Thanks, Frankie.” I walk out the door of his office.

  “Don’t mention it, kid.”

  I can’t help but walk with a little spring in my step as I go to get the kids. Frankie agreeing to train me is something I never thought would happen. He’s such a stickler with doctor’s orders. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I quickly reach for it in hopes that it’ll be Salem, but Blaine’s number appears on my screen.

  “Hey, Blaine.”

  “Hey, Saint. I hear you’re out of the hospital. How are you feeling?”

  “I feel great. I’m ready to get back to work. Do you have anything lined up for me?”

  “Well, I cleared your schedule at Frankie’s request, but I’m sure we can get some people in for you tomorrow if you’re up to it.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, I know, man. But it’s kind of short notice for tonight.”

  “I get it. No worries.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. Maybe I can get some of the ladies to do an impromptu kickboxing class tonight.”

  “Really? That would be great!”

  “Yeah, I’ll call Salem and have her round up some of her friends.”

  “Salem?” I repeat.

  “Yeah, plan to be here around seven. We’ll have a class for you.”

  “Thanks, Blaine. I really appreciate it. See you tonight.”

  I quickly hang up the phone. Fuck, fuck, fuck! He’s getting Salem and her friends to take my class. I definitely didn’t have this in mind. How the hell am I gonna hide how I feel about her from everyone? Will people catch on about her and I?

  My phone vibrates again. It’s Salem, finally.

  “Hey,” I answer, trying my best to hide the excitement in my voice.

  “Hey yourself. Are you feeling okay?”

  Oh for Christ’s sake, will everyone please stop askin’ me that? I’m fine!

  “I’m good, you have nothing to worry about.”

  “So…” she starts our conversation.

  “So, I guess you talked to Blaine?” I ask with a nervous laugh.

  “Uh, yeah. I don’t think this is a great idea, Gabriel.”

  “Salem, it wasn’t my idea, I swear. I called him today to find out my schedule for lessons. He told me that Frankie wanted my schedule cleared for the rest of the week. I think he thinks that if you and some of your friends show up, it’ll drum up some business for my class.” I realize, right then and there, that I’m defending Blaine’s decision.

  “I told him I’m not sure if I’m able to make it tonight. But he’s insisting I bring Jocelyn, Daniela, and a few other friends. Gabriel, I’m not sure I can do this.” I can tell by the tone of her voice that she’s upset.

  “I’m not thrilled by the idea, either. But I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself and be on my best behavior.”

  She lets out a small laugh. “What if someone catches on?”

  “Well, you could always go back to hating me,” I joke.

  I hear her sigh. “I never hated you, Gabriel.”

  “You sure had me fooled.”

  “Was I really that mean to you?”

  “Yeah, you were pretty mean,” I confess. “The dirty looks you gave me were like I was a piece of dog shit on your shoe.”

  “Well, if you didn’t look at me like I was a piece of mea
t, then maybe I would’ve treated you differently.”

  “What can I say, I know a good piece of meat when I see one,” I tease. “But seriously, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll act like I always do.”

  “That’s not encouraging, Gabriel.”

  I chuckle. “So, I’ll see you tonight?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there,” she huffs.

  “Make sure you wear somethin’ sexy.”

  “Gabriel.”

  “I’m kidding,” I laugh. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Bye.”

  TKO’s parking lot is pretty full as Jimmy, Stephannie, and I arrive. Jimmy convinced Steph to take my class. I figure, the more bodies that are here, the better it’ll look. Unbeknownst to me, Steph invited Aimee and Sarah as well, and Jimmy had neglected to tell me this tidbit of information until we were halfway here. Not that I could’ve done anything about it anyway. I was actually surprised to learn that Steph had extended the invitation to them, since the last time we’d all been together, I was hooking up with them. To be honest, I was pretty shocked they both agreed to come considering I never even called them. Come to think of it, I don’t think I even got either of their numbers.

  The three of us enter the gym and I’m greeted with well wishes. I reassure everyone that I’m fine and that I’ll be back in full force next week. As I round the front desk, I look over my appointment calendar and it appears Blaine has already started filling my schedule with appointments. My first one is tomorrow at five-thirty a.m. Nothin’ like hittin’ the ground runnin’.

  Blaine walks up behind me. “Oh great, you’re checking your schedule!”

  “Of course, and thanks for already gettin’ me some appointments.”

  “It wasn’t too hard. Your five-thirty overheard me talking to you and asked for a time as soon as I hung up the phone.”

  “I can’t argue with that.”

  “It sounds like you’re going to have a pretty decent crowd tonight, as well.”

  “Cool. Jimmy talked his girlfriend and a couple of her friends into coming, too.”

  “Fiancée,” Stephannie corrects me as she and Jimmy pass by us.

  “Jimmy! You got engaged?” Blaine asks loudly.

  “Yeah, a few days ago,” Jimmy responds proudly.

  Hooking Jimmy with my arm, I put him into a headlock. “Can you believe Steph agreed to marry this knucklehead?”

  “We should go out and celebrate,” Blaine suggests.

  “Who’s we?” I wonder, releasing Jimmy from the hold.

  “Me, Salem, Jimmy, Steph, you, and I’m sure you can find someone to bring,” Blaine flashes me a smile.

  I see Jimmy shoot me a look. Nervously, I look over at Blaine to see if he noticed, but as far as I can tell, he didn’t.

  “Nah, that sounds more like a couple’s thing, so I think I’ll pass.”

  “No, it won’t be a couple’s thing, and believe me, I know some ladies here that are dying to spend a little time with you.”

  “Come on, Saint, it sounds like fun. We haven’t been out in a while,” I look over at Jimmy and give him the “shut-the-fuck-up” look. Even though Jimmy doesn’t know the full extent of mine and Salem’s relationship, he must realize something’s up. He saw the two of us kissing in the hospital parking lot for Christ’s sake.

  I stand there quietly, trying to think of an excuse to get out of this. “You know guys, I just got out of the hospital and I have Jase at home.”

  “It’s just dinner and drinks. We can have you home no later than ten-thirty/eleven o’clock,” Blaine adds.

  I turn to Jimmy, wide-eyed. I’m at a loss for words and really have no good excuse why I can’t go. Both Jimmy and Blaine are staring at me, waiting for a response.

  Exhaling heavily in defeat, I give in, “Alright, I’ll go.”

  “Great! How about Saturday night? You guys free?”

  Jimmy and I look at each other. “I’m free,” I say.

  “I better ask the boss,” Jimmy smiles, looking over at Stephannie. “Doll!” She’s standing with Aimee and Sarah, and she looks over her shoulder when Jimmy calls her. “Come here for a second,” he waves her over.

  “What’s up?”

  “We got any plans for Saturday night?”

  “None that I can think of.”

  “Good, don’t make any. The six of us are goin’ out.”

  “The six of us?” She looks puzzled.

  “Yeah. Me, you, Blaine, his girl, Salem, Saint, and…” everyone turns in my direction. Jimmy continues, “And whoever Saint decides to bring.” He looks like he’s at a loss for words.

  “I think I’m gonna pass,” I begin to protest again. “I don’t need to bring this celebration down.

  “Aimee!” Jimmy beckons her over to us.

  “Jimmy, please, you don’t have to do this. It’s fine. You guys go and have a great time.”

  “No, Saint, you’re comin’,” he insists. What the hell has gotten into him? First of all, he knows I had a one night stand with Aimee, and second, he’s well aware there’s something goin’ on with Salem and I.

  My eyes begin to narrow. He catches my glare and realizes what he’s done, then looks at me apologetically. But it’s too late. Aimee is already at Stephannie’s side. “What’s up, guys?” She’s smiling from ear to ear; she’s so cheerful.

  “Well, we were planning a couple’s night out in celebration of Jimmy and Stephannie’s engagement,” Blaine explains. “We were wondering if you’d like to join us as…”

  “As my date,” I jump into the conversation. I can’t let this go on any further. I need to at least show a little interest in her. I can’t have Blaine or Jimmy asking her out on a date for me. This isn’t fourth grade.

  Aimee looks at me inquisitively, as if she’s trying to read my mind. “So, you wanna go out on a date with me and your friends?” she sounds shocked.

  “Yeah, it’ll be fun,” I do my best to try to sound as convincing as I can, hoping she won’t see through the lie. Truth be told, I like Aimee; we had a fun time together, but she’s not Salem and she never will be. I really hate Jimmy for putting me in this position, making me pretend I want to spend time with her and leading her on.

  “Sure, why not,” she finally agrees.

  “Great!” Blaine chimes in. “Once Salem gets here, we’ll iron out all the details.”

  “Come on, Jimmy, let’s go get ready for class.” I start walking toward the back of the gym.

  “Saint!” I hear Aimee call out. Shit, just when I thought I was safe.

  “Yeah?” I spin around on my heel.

  “Can I talk to you for a quick second?” Jimmy’s standing right next to me, waiting for her to speak. “In private,” she says quietly, so only Jimmy and I can hear.

  “Oh sure, of course,” Jimmy gets the hint. “Saint, I’ll meet you in the locker room.”

  “Sure thing. What’s up?” I let her lead the way.

  “How come you never called me?”

  Oh Christ, here we go. “You never gave me your number,” I lie.

  “You’re gonna use that line?” She gives me a look of disapproval. “You could’ve easily asked Steph for my number.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I could’ve.” I’m not even trying to make up an excuse. “So, you’re okay with going out on Saturday?”

  “Sure, why not. I can handle the rejection,” she replies coolly.

  “Okay, I deserved that,” I respond.

  “You deserve more than that,” she swats my bicep. “So, I guess I’ll see you Saturday night,” she confirms, then walks away, rejoining her friends.

  “See you then.” I look over at the three girls who begin laughing.

  I hustle to the locker room so I can kick Jimmy’s ass for dragging me into this. “Seriously, Jimmy?! What the hell were you thinking?”

  He nearly jumps out of his skin. “Christ, Saint, you scared the shit outta me.”

  “I’m gonna kick the shit outta you, next
.”

  “I… I… I’m sorry,” he stutters. “I wanted you to come and Aimee was standing there.”

  Shaking my head, I scrub my hands over my face. “I can’t go, Jimmy. I can’t see them together.”

  “See who?” He’s totally confused.

  “Jimmy, are you a fuckin’ moron?” He truly is clueless. “The other couple we’re goin’ out with on Saturday night.” I hiss, “Blaine and Salem!”

  Finally, he has a revelation. “Holy shit! I’m so fuckin’ stupid.”

  I’m certainly not gonna stop him from saying that. “Dude, why do you think I was trying to stop it from happening?”

  “I guess I just got excited about us all hangin’ out together. I thought it would be fun.”

  “Fun for you, maybe.”

  “I’ll tell Blaine I can’t go, that I forgot I have plans,” Jimmy starts to back pedal.

  “Forget it, Jim. I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

  “So, are you gonna tell me what’s goin’ on with you two?”

  I shake my head. “It’s probably better if you stay in the dark.”

  “Understood,” he nods his head. Jimmy knows I’ve reached my limit on this topic.

  “I’ll see you out there.” I open up my locker and grab my stuff.

  I do a quick change and I’m ready for my class. I don’t have to do much, just instruct the girls, make sure they’re hitting and kicking properly, and run drills.

  As I step out of the locker room, I’m standing face to face with Salem.

  “Hey,” I smile, happy to see her.

  But by the look on her face, I know she’s not. “We have to talk,” she whispers.

  “Sure.”

  She pulls me out of plain sight. “We’re all going out on Saturday night?” Her eyes anxiously shoot back forth.

  “Salem, it wasn’t my idea. I tried to get out of it,” I try to explain.

  “This is bad,” she paces, “really, really bad.”

  “We’ll get through it,” I do my best to convince her.

  “What about Jimmy? He saw us kissing.”

  “Don’t worry about Jimmy. He’s not gonna say a word.”

  “How about his fiancée, do you trust her?”

  “Salem, relax,” I stop her from pacing. My hands are firmly on her shoulders. “Jimmy and Steph have my back.”