“Oh Christ, you sure do.”
“Good, now get up!” She bounces off the bed and quickly runs into the bathroom.
“That’s not even fair, Say! You can’t leave me here with blue balls.”
Poking her head out the bathroom door, she giggles, “A cold shower will do you some good.” She shuts the door behind her.
Damn her. I begrudgingly get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. As I near the door, I hear the water running. Now’s my chance; she’s naked and wet. I slowly turn the door handle, trying to not to make any noise. Once I open it, I see Salem brushing her teeth. “I turned the shower on for you,” she smiles.
I hang my head and trudge into the bathroom. “I’m sorry, Gabriel. But I had to do something to get you out of bed. Frankie and Jimmy are going to be here in twenty minutes. You know if we had time, I’d give you a little something.”
The five of us sit quietly in the locker room; anxiety fills the air. This is the first time Salem’s experienced a locker room full of men before a fight, and I can tell she’s feeling uneasy. “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m in here?” she asks for the umpteenth time.
“Say, it’s fine. I want you here.”
We hear the crowd roar. “’The Dragon’ must’ve gotten another TKO,” Jimmy announces. “That guy is a fuckin’ beast.”
I jump up from my seat and pace. “I’ve never fought in front of a crowd this big,” my voice quakes as I crack my knuckles.
“You’re gonna be fine, kid. It’s just like any other fight, just with more people watchin’.”
“What if I freeze? What if I trip goin’ in the ring? Oh God,” I rush into the bathroom stall and puke my guts out.
There’s a light tap on the door. “Gabriel?”
“Yeah,” I groan.
“Are you okay, baby?”
“Yeah.”
“Salem,” Frankie’s voice comes into earshot. “Do you mind if I have a few minutes alone with him, sweetheart?” He always takes a much softer tone when he speaks to Salem.
“No, of course not, Frankie. I was just making sure he’s okay.”
“Let me let you in on a little secret,” Frankie lowers his voice, “he’s always like this before a fight. So, you don’t have to worry about him.”
“I know he’s in good hands with you, Frankie.”
“I can say the same thing about you, Salem. I see you two together. I know how much he adores you and that the feeling is mutual. I’ll come and get you when we’re done.”
I can sense a slight hesitation in her voice when she says, “Okay.”
“Alright,” the door flies open, “it’s time to get you ready!” Frankie takes me by the arm and helps me up. “You good? You got all the nerves out?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Alright then, we got a fight to win,” he nods confidently and pats me on the back. “Let’s get you suited up!”
We walk out of the bathroom area and over to the bench I was sitting on before I got sick. I notice that Jimmy and Patsy have cleared the room along with Salem. Taking a seat in front of Frankie, I hold one hand out while he laces the wraps around my knuckles and wrist. “I’m so damn proud of you, kid,” he says out of nowhere. “You’ve got what it takes to be a world champion. And with that girl by your side,” he looks over his shoulder toward the door, “you could be unstoppable.” I’m sure the look of confusion on my face matches what’s going on in my head. This wasn’t the way I thought our talk was gonna go. He’s usually rough and abrasive, barking out combinations I should do during the fight, and reminding me of my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. After he finishes my other hand, our eyes meet. “You’ve got a keeper with that one. Don’t do anything to fuck it up, you hear me? Keep your dick in your pants and your eyes off of other women.”
“Frankie, I can promise you, my eyes are always on Salem,” I start to laugh, “and my dick is always inside of her.”
Frankie laughs and shakes his head. “Let me tell ya, I don’t know how you and Jimmy did it, but you managed to find great women.”
Patsy, who’s obviously eavesdropping just outside the door, calls out, “The best women, just like my Gwennie!”
We both laugh at him and I respond, “I agree.”
There’s a knock at the locker room door. “You have about five minutes, Mr. Carbone.”
We look at each other and then laugh again. “I can’t get used to you using my last name,” Frankie shakes his head.
“You mean, our last name,” I remind him.
“Yeah, kid, our last name.” He helps me slide my gloves on. “They good? Nice and tight?”
“Yeah, Frankie, they’re good.”
Frankie nods confidently as he checks my gloves one last time. “Alright, son, you’re ready.”
“Can you go get Salem? I wanna see her before I go out there.”
“You got it, kid.”
“Thanks Fr…” I catch myself, “thanks, Dad.”
He looks over his shoulder before he opens the door. “I could get used to you callin’ me that.”
“I could get used to sayin’ it.”
I take the next few moments alone to gather my thoughts, and to process what the hell just transpired between Frankie and I. And, what I’m gonna say to Salem when she returns. My head spins. This is the first time in my life everything is going right. If I could pinch myself, I would, but Frankie already put on my gloves. Resting my forearms on my thighs, I close my eyes and hang my head. Taking several deep, cleansing breaths, I try to rid my thoughts of any negativity, to just think about the fight and what this could mean for my future; everything I’ve worked for and dreamed of is happening. The blood, sweat, and tears I’ve spilled onto the mat are now paying off.
My eyes pop open when I hear the door open and then close, and a second later, the sound of high heels clicking across the floor. It gets my blood pumping and a smile spreads across my face. It’s Salem. As her footsteps get closer, my pulse gets quicker and my need to feel her, to touch her, and to kiss her becomes unbearable.
I rise to my feet and wait for her to come into sight. Her face is red and her eyes are filled with tears. “Say…” I hold my arms out and she rushes into them, nearly knocking me over.
“I’m scared, Gabriel,” she mumbles into my chest.
“Scared of what?”
“I’m scared to see you fight. I’m not sure I can watch.”
“You’ve seen me and Jimmy spar a thousand times. There’s no difference.”
“There is a difference, Gabriel. This guy wants to hurt you.”
“He doesn’t wanna hurt me. He wants to win, just like I do.”
“Saint, it’s time,” I hear Jimmy’s voice bellow through the locker room.
Salem’s hands capture my face as her eyes burn into mine. “It doesn’t matter to me if you win or lose, Gabriel, I’ll always be your ring girl. Remember what I said, I don’t need a champion. I just need you, and preferably in one piece,” she smiles.
“Ring girl?” I shake my head at her. “Fuck that, Say, you’re my corner man. You’re always takin’ care of me and giving me the best advice. I couldn’t do this without you.” I give her a wink then hit my gloves together. “Now, let’s go win this fight!”
Arm in arm, we walk out the door and down the small hallway. In that moment, I realize that I’m surrounded by the people that I love and trust the most. I’d go the distance for them, and I know, without a doubt, that they’d do the same for me. As the sound of the crowd cheering increases, oddly enough, my nerves lessen. I hear my music playing through the speakers. Axl Rose’s smooth voice sings, “Please allow me to introduce myself…” I turn to Salem, kissing her like my life depends on it. When the curtain opens, I begin my descent down the aisle toward the ring. The announcer’s voice booms over the music, “Fighting out of the red corner, Gabriel ‘The Saint’ Car-Bo-Neeeeee!”
Frankie’s eyes nearly bug out of his head when the announcer sa
ys my name. Just as I’m about to step into the ring, I turn to my father, and with the utmost respect, I nod and smile.
THE END
“Will you quit fidgeting? I’m trying to tie your tie and you keep messing it up!” Salem nearly chokes me as she puts the final touches on the knot.
“I feel ridiculous, Say.” I’m standing in front of a full length mirror wearing a graduation cap and gown. I can’t help the anxious feeling that’s churning in my stomach.
Standing behind me with her hands wrapped around my shoulders, she checks me out in the mirror. “I think you look handsome. Maybe you can leave that cap on when we celebrate tonight,” she laughs, giving me a wink.
“Do you think it’s really necessary to attend the ceremony?”
“Of course, it’s necessary! You’ve worked long and hard, Gabriel. Besides, I can’t wait to see my sexy-ass husband walking across that stage as magna cum laude,” she’s smiling proudly.
I shake my head and roll my eyes. So much has happened in the past five years. I’d be the last one to tell you it’s been easy, but I certainly wouldn’t change anything that has happened. Who knows, if I changed one little thing along the way, maybe I wouldn’t be where I am right at this moment.
Blaine got a mere slap on the wrists for the attempted rape of Salem. Of course, I’m convinced his money and his parents’ pull had a lot to do with it. Yet, the Assistant District Attorney reassured us that because he hadn’t had any prior offenses, this was a typical ruling. I was proud of my girl for holding her own against him, even while testifying. After all was said and done, he received a few months of probation, and he was ordered to attend anger management classes. The decision certainly wasn’t good enough for me. I would’ve liked to see him in jail for the rest of his miserable fucking life, being some big bastard’s bitch. But, I guess I had to settle for the fortunate work of karma. A few years ago, he wrapped his beloved Corvette around a telephone pole after a night of drinking. He escaped with no injuries, although I did get satisfaction knowing his “baby” was totaled.
Shortly after my huge win against ‘The Destroyer,’ Salem and I got the unexpected news that she was pregnant. It came as quite a surprise, considering we’d always been so cautious, but after what seemed like twenty-five pregnancy tests, the news finally sank in. I’m convinced that she conceived that night in the shower at Dad’s gym, even though there were one or two prior slip-ups. I think that her body overheard me saying that I wanted to have kids, sucked up one of my boys, and fertilized her egg before I could change my mind. Salem still laughs and says that all things happen for a reason.
With the pregnancy news, I was then faced with a gut-wrenching decision: Do I turn pro or do I give up my dreams for my new family? Salem urged me to follow my dreams. She told me that to give it up would be a travesty after everything I’d put into it. She promised that she’d stay by my side, but to me, the decision was made. I had to man up and opt for stability; I’ve never regretted my decision.
Another obstacle we had to overcome was Salem’s parents. Her father welcomed me with open arms. I guess he must’ve seen the love I had for her, because from the moment we were formally introduced, we’d hit it off. We even spend a couple nights a week hitting the heavy bags at the gym together.
Her mother, on the other hand, was very cold to me, and the news of Salem’s pregnancy drove her even further over the edge. She even went as far as trying to bribe me to walk away from Salem and the baby. When the two of us finally came to blows, she accused me of getting her daughter pregnant on purpose, for the money. I, in turn, threw in her face that the reason she hated me so much was because of what Salem’s biological father did to her. I told her that she was doing the same thing to Salem that her very own mother did to her. She slapped me across the face for my accusation, but then broke down. She confessed that she’d never gotten over the man who’d abandoned her while she was pregnant, leaving her alone, scared, and with a broken heart.
I assured her that I loved Salem with everything in me and that I would never leave her. I did my best to convince her that my intentions were to marry Salem and take care of her for the rest of our lives, as well as to be the kind of father that I never had to our children. After an hour of hashing out our issues with one another, and more than a few tears shed on both sides, her mother and I had finally made peace. We’ve developed mutual respect for one another, and in the end, we both love Salem with all of our hearts, so we had no choice but to work it out.
Within a few months, we were planning our wedding. Of course, Salem and her mother had it out over the planning. Salem wanted small and intimate, and her mother wanted huge and lavish. Salem won, just like she always does. The ceremony was held on her family’s estate. Jocelyn was her maid of honor and Jimmy was my best man. Salem explained her dress to me as a strapless, trumpet style gown with a shirred tulle bodice and a sweeping train. It didn’t matter to me what she wore, as long as she became my wife.
Prior to the ceremony, Jimmy and I had done a few shots to calm my “pre-wedding jitters” as Stephannie had called them. But, as I explained to Steph, my nerves weren’t from the idea of marrying Salem. They were more from the fact that I still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to be my wife, and that we were about to start a family together... soon.
As she stood at the end of the aisle and started to make her way toward me, I found myself blinking back tears. She looked so beautiful walking so gracefully down the aisle; her dress fit her like a glove. The bouquet of wildflowers she held in her hand hid her small baby bump, and I grinned like a fool knowing our child was growing inside of her.
She looked truly stunning with her glowing complexion. Her hair was swept up off of her neck, and a simple veil hung over her face. With each step she took closer to me, my nervousness lessened, and as I took her hand, it was like we were the only two people in the room. Time stood still when I slid the simple gold wedding band onto her finger, and during our first kiss as husband and wife, Salem squealed with delight as she felt the baby kick for the very first time. Again, she reminded me that all things happen for a reason.
There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to step up my game. It wasn’t going to be just Salem and me anymore, and I certainly wasn’t gonna let her be the sole bread winner in our house. When the baby first came, I was the one who stayed home and cared for him while Salem worked on building her law firm. But once things settled into place for her career and we were comfortable with daycare, I made my move.
With her encouragement and support, I applied at a local community college where I attended classes at night, while still working for my dad during the day. Within a very short period of time, I’d transferred to a four-year state school’s accelerated program to pursue a degree in social work.
“Papi! Papi! Mira, te dibujé una foto de ti y Mami.”
I look down at our son, as he dances in place waving his drawing of Salem and I. I’m wearing my cap and gown and she’s wearing a dress. Crouching down, I take the picture from him. “Hiciste un buen trabajo, Jayson,” I compliment him proudly on the good job he’s done.
As I stare at him, I can’t get past how much he resembles Jase at that age. He looks so much like him; it’s almost eerie. Although he does have a touch of Salem in him; he bears her beautiful blue eyes. Other than that, he’s my brother, through and through. Thank Christ for second chances. “Are you gonna be a good boy for Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Steph when they watch you today?”
“Si, pero porque no puedo ir contigo, Mami?”
“Because, it’s gonna be long and boring.” I lean in toward Jayson. “I don’t even wanna go, but Mami is makin’ me,” I whisper in his ear. “Uncle Jimmy said you guys can play his Xbox.”
“No blood and guts games, Gabriel,” Salem interjects.
Both Jayson and I roll our eyes.
Salem rushes by us. “Steph is going to be here in about five minutes to pick up Jayson. Can you make sure his overnight bag is all rea
dy?”
“Hey,” I try to get her attention. “Salem?”
“Gabriel, I’m trying to finish getting ready,” she whines anxiously as she rushes past me again.
This time, I catch her by the wrist, bringing her against my chest. “Will you relax?” Looking into her eyes, I try to calm her. “We’re gonna have enough time.”
“What if we hit traffic? The invitation says we need to be there at least an hour before the ceremony starts.”
“You look beautiful today.”
“Gabriel…” she panics, trying to get away from the hold I have on her.
“Will you just stop for a second, please?”
I feel her body deflate, and her face softens as she looks at me. “I’m sorry,” she exhales.
“Shhhh, just breathe for a minute,” I place my finger over her lips. “I just want to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, all of this wouldn’t be happening right now.”
Salem opens her mouth to speak, and I give her a warning glare; she immediately stops.
With my hand caressing her cheek, I continue, “Thank you for supporting me these past five years. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you for all those late nights you helped me study, when you should’ve been working. And thank you for being such a wonderful wife and mother.”
“Oh Gabriel,” her lips search for mine, and my tongue grazes her bottom lip.
“Ewww…” Jayson yells and goes running out of the room.
Both of us laugh. I turn my attention back to Salem, and once again that fluttering feeling in my stomach is there. Even after all this time, her kiss can still bring me to my knees. “I can’t wait to give you your surprise tonight,” she murmurs as she smiles against my lips.
My eyes open. “Surprise?”
“Mmhmm.”
“You’re such a damn tease,” I squeeze her firm ass.
She reciprocates my action, then her hand wanders down the front of my gown. “Hard already, I see,” she winks at me.
“Always,” I breathe out.
“I have so much planned for tonight.”
Going the Distance Page 31