by Ana Layne
“We do talk all the time. I’ve been super busy all day, so it just slipped my mind.”
“I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look this evening.” I glance down at the jeans and the shirt I’m wearing. If he thinks this is beautiful, then I’ll take it.
“Thank you.”
He leans over and kisses my cheek. His lips linger for a moment and I actually feel my face flush. Maybe I could give this a chance, why not? What could it possibly hurt?
He breaks away and we climb out of the car. I decide to tuck my purse under the front seat except for a few loose dollars that I stick in my pocket. My phone vibrates and I pull it out wondering if it’s Ruston, but it’s just an email alert. I dismiss the notification and slide it back into my pocket. With my camera in my hand, we walk toward the double doors of the arena. I have no clue what to expect as we enter.
People are seated everywhere and there’s a big ring in the middle where the fights take place. I have only seen stuff like this on TV when my Dad watches the fights. It seems a little surreal to be inside getting ready to watch one take place.
Austin grabs my hand and pulls me closer to some people. I instantly recognize the guy from Austin’s first night in town at Joe’s. He sees Austin and puts his hand out. “Hey, man, I was wondering if you were going to make it. Is Ruston here?”
“Nah, it’s just me, and this is Tamilyn. Tam, this is Lance. He’s the one who told me about the gym.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I extend my hand, but Lance envelopes me in a hug.
“My girlfriend Hilary is in the restroom. She’ll be out in a minute and then you two ladies can do your thing. She’s pregnant, so she’s peeing like a damn race horse every few minutes. What’s the camera for?” Lance asks.
“Tamilyn owns her own photography business and I thought it’d be pretty cool if she could take some pictures. She could probably get some badass action shots.”
“I’m a beast in the ring, just so you know, Tamilyn. Every photo you take of me will potentially blow your mind. Oh, and I’ll pay you for prints if you get really good shots.”
“Oh God.” I laugh. “Well, I’ll tell you this, you win this match and I won’t charge you for the shots. How’s that?”
“I think I want to take you to Disneyworld when Garrett and Raegan take me.” He grins. “Oh, hey babe, how are you feeling?”
I turn to see a very pregnant girl walking up. She looks like she’s got to be uncomfortable but she just smiles. “Much better.” She notices me and turns to introduce herself. “I’m Hilary, Lance’s girlfriend.”
“I’m Tamilyn. I’m here with Austin. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Now, ladies, you two get to know each other. I’m going to give Austin the behind-the-scenes tour.”
Austin squeezes my hand and leans over to kiss my cheek again before walking off with Lance. Hilary watches Lance adoringly as he walks off. “You two are very cute together,” I tell her. “When are you due?”
“Not soon enough. We have another baby. She’s with my parents right now. It’s going to be double the work but we’re good together. What about you and Austin? Any kids?”
“Oh no.” I shake my head. “We aren’t dating. We’ve only been out twice, this is the second time. He’s my best friend’s cousin. He just moved to town.”
“He’s very affectionate toward you. Y’all are cute.” She begins walking toward some chairs in the front. “I usually sit around this area. It’s best to get our seats now.”
I sit in the hard metal chair and try my best to get comfortable. I turn on the camera and practice a few shots of just the ring itself. “So, how did you and Lance meet?”
“Well, we grew up together, but last year we reunited, I guess you could say. He helped me get out of a bad relationship and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Talk about a knight in shining armor, huh? That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, he is pretty awesome. I love him. If Raegan hadn’t had her baby, you could have met her tonight. She’s Garrett’s girlfriend and she’s really nice.”
I love how accepting everyone seems to be and they don’t even know me. I could be a legit crazy person and they would still be so open and friendly. “I heard someone was having a baby. I have a feeling I’ll be around quite frequently now. Between Austin joining, and then he got Ruston to join, one of them will drag me here.”
“Who’s Ruston?” she asks with a crinkled nose. I’m almost ready to ask her why she’s making that face but she suddenly sneezes and that explains it.
My face lights up as I begin excitedly telling her how he’s my best friend and how we grew up together and all those details. She just listens and watches with kind eyes as I babble on. When I finally stop, she just sort of laughs.
“So, you’re sure he’s just your best friend? Because it sounds like so much more. Almost like a love story.” She zones out in the middle of her sentence and snaps back into reality rather quickly. “Sorry, I’m a sap and I believe in fate. How could I not after Lance and I were brought back together?”
I wondered how she could be on to me, when I just met this woman a few moments ago. “You are creepily accurate. I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m a great listener if you ever want to talk,” she assures me. Truth is, I could probably spill for her right now, and ask her opinion, but considering I just met her, I’m not looking forward to running her off.
Before I can reply, the lights dim and a spotlight shines brightly in the middle of the ring. A voice booms over the speaker and I notice someone entering the ring. “That’s Blaize,” Hilary tells me. “He announces all the fighters.”
This Blaize guy makes me laugh as he jokes with the crowd. The adrenaline running through the arena is contagious. The hairs on my arm are standing on end as I wait to hear who is fighting first. He talks a little bit longer before announcing the line-up for the evening. Lance will go first against some person whose name I didn’t catch. Once the line-up is finished, Blaize steps out of the ring and music begins playing as each opponent makes the walk down.
I get my camera ready and manage to capture a few good shots of Lance walking down to the ring. Once or twice his eye caught the camera and he gave a thumbs-up or tried to give the most badass look possible. Thank God I’m not videotaping because my laughter would be too clear.
I look for Austin but I don’t see him at first. I finally catch him standing on the side of the ring with a few other people. They’re shouting things I can’t quite hear at Lance as the fight begins. I don’t know a single thing about what is going on but it’s exhilarating to say the least. I make a mental note to thank Austin for suggesting I bring my camera, because by the time Lance’s arm is raised in victory, I’ve got so many shots that I can’t wait to get home and look through them.
Hilary cheers loudly for her man and stands to her feet. I almost feel like I should help her up seeing as how she’s got that huge belly. She points in the direction we were standing in earlier and nudges me to walk that way. Once we get away from the crowd, I turn to face her. “I have no clue what was going on but that was so amazing to watch. I can’t wait to look at these photos. I told him if he won, I’d give him the prints for free.”
“No, you have to let us pay you. Oh, hey, maybe you can take my maternity pictures. What’s your rate?”
“Don’t worry about a rate. Just tell me when you want them and as long as my calendar is clear, I’m yours.”
“You are too sweet, Tamilyn.”
I just smile. I love helping people and I love taking pictures. I make enough money most of the time that doing two jobs for free isn’t going to hurt me. Lance and Austin come toward us and Austin’s arms snake around my waist. “You enjoy your first fight?”
“Yeah, that was pretty amazing. Oh, and Lance, I am positive I have some amazing shots. I can’t wait to go through them.”
“Your camera was just blessed, anointed by the amazing one’s face
.” He tries to speak seriously, fails tremendously, and I’m doubled over laughing. “What are you two up to now? You sticking around to watch the rest of the fights? We’re probably going to go check on Garrett, Raegan, and the baby.”
“We’re gonna go get something to eat,” Austin says. “I’m glad I saw this. Now I can’t wait to get inside the ring, man, for real.”
“In time. Y’all have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I wave to Lance and Hilary as they walk off. Austin leans forward and kisses my lips. I’m taken aback by his kiss but I don’t exactly push him away. “I’m sorry I just left you hanging during the fight. I’ll make it up to you.”
“It’s fine, Austin. Hilary and I just sat there and talked. I had a good time, I swear.”
“Want to go back to the apartment? I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.” His eyes are sparkling and I know I should say no in case Ruston is there, but I nod and tell him yes.
I could be adding salt to the wound, but right now my stomach is growling, and all I want is something to eat.
Chapter 10
Ruston
One of these days I swear I’m going to invest in a cat or a dog. Any kind of animal would be nice. It would beat being home alone. Being alone just makes me grumpy, giving me the mentality that the world is out to get me and no one is my friend. That’s because no one really is my friend, because my one best friend is out with my cousin, thus sealing my alone status. Fuck, I really need a pet.
They’ve been gone about an hour or so and stir crazy isn’t even the word anymore. I’ve managed to clean what little mess I’ve made over the last few days and I’ve done laundry. That shit has been cleaned, dried, folded, and put away. I know I could have gone to the fights tonight to scope it out like Howard suggested, but I decided I didn’t want to be part of that tonight. Why be reminded that the one person who dragged me to the gym is the one person who is single-handedly taking everything that’s important to me?
The doorknob turns and I jolt out of my trance to see who is walking in. Of course it’s only going to be one person. I pull myself from the couch and slowly trudge toward the refrigerator. I need a beer to get through whatever pathetic story he’s going to feed me. I’m sure the night they had was magical, but it has nothing on the night I shared with her.
I take a swig of the beer in my hand and notice Austin walking in. I’m ready to speak to him, ready to get this shit over with, when I realize the door doesn’t shut right away. My stomach knots up tightly almost cutting off my ability to breathe. I can’t believe the nerve of both of them. Well, it’s not like he knows any better, but Tamilyn of all people should have known what being here would do to me. Yet, here she stands, practically making a mockery out of me. I just want to fucking disappear but my feet won’t move.
“Hey, man, I’m surprised you really did stay in.” Austin grins as he walks over toward the cabinet. He pulls out a pan and sets it on the stove. When he’s not looking, I glare at Tamilyn. I want her to feel as uncomfortable as I do right now.
“I told you I was staying home. What are you cooking?” My stomach growls, reminding me I haven’t eaten. My appetite has been scarce today.
Tamilyn shuffles her feet nervously. She no longer is making eye contact with me. Instead, she’s staring at the floor. What a fucked up night this is. “I told Tamilyn I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich. Do you want one?”
I want to be a total dick, but my stomach is winning this battle. “Sure, I’m starving.”
I watch as Tamilyn carefully sets her purse down on my kitchen table. Her hands are shaky as she releases the strap and her gaze darts in my direction. Her lip moves upward into a smile and as much as I want to smile back, I just can’t right now. This is beyond fucked up. Austin grabs the butter as well as the loaf of bread and cheese. He begins cooking like he’s some sort of fucking master chef and she just stands beside him and giggles the entire time. I didn’t know grilled cheese was considered some sort of delicacy. I hate that my mouth is watering and I hate it even more when he sets three plates down on the table and announces it’s ready. I hate watching her hang onto his every word and of course I hate it even more the way she acts like nothing happened between us last night.
I sit in the chair across from Tamilyn. I can’t handle sitting beside her right now. My self-control is lacking right now and I’m bound to do something idiotic like touch her fair skin. She takes the first bite, moaning as she begins to chew. Austin begins talking but truth be told, I’m not listening to a single word he’s saying. I just nod and go with the motions praying he doesn’t ask any questions. I finally take a bite of my grilled cheese and it’s delicious. I want to tell him how good it is but he’s already got a big head because of the attention Tamilyn is giving him.
“So, Tammy Lou, how did your shoot go today?” I ask, breaking this awkward silence.
She finishes chewing and then sets the rest of her sandwich down. “It was so good. The couple was perfect! Oh, and I took some photos at the fight this evening. I can’t wait to see how they come out.”
“Cool.” I really want to tell her how proud I am of her, but I say nothing else. It’s not worth it right now. I want to be able to talk to her alone, without Austin in the way.
Tamilyn stands to her feet once her sandwich is gone and begins to wash off her plate. Austin grabs my plate along with his and brings it to her. I’m relieved when he walks off to the bathroom. The perfect opportunity. She’s still standing at the sink when I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. I lean into her ear and whisper, “Tam, what are you doing?”
She turns abruptly, almost dropping the plate into the sink. “I’m washing up from dinner. What are you doing?”
“Wondering why he brought you here like this. You’re driving me crazy.”
“Ruston, I know what I told you this morning. I know I said I didn’t want things to end up awkward, and I want you to know our secret is safe with me but…” Fuck, I hate the word but. It never means anything good. A lump forms in my throat as I wait for her to finish. “I like him. I want to give it a try. That means last night can’t happen again.”
My face goes pale. All the blood seems to rush out of my body and I feel as though I may faint. This cannot be fucking happening. “What the hell, Tam? What changed your mind? This morning you were pretty adamant. You said you loved me.”
“I do love you, Ruston, but we both know the only reason last night happened is because we were drunk and you’re jealous someone is showing me attention. I want to try things with Austin, okay? Can you respect that?”
“Can you stop ripping my heart out? Answer that. I hope you know he isn’t the settling down kind, so I’m not sure what you’re looking for,” I spit out.
“Don’t be like this, please. This is why I wish last night hadn’t happened. You’re going to treat me differently now.” She hangs her head.
“No, Tammy Lou, I didn’t start treating you differently until you started it.” I push my finger into her chest. Tears well in my eyes but I won’t let them fall in front of her. She doesn’t deserve to see the pain I’m going through.
She’s ready to respond. Her mouth is open, her hands ready to flail about, but Austin breaks the moment. “You guys want to watch a movie or something?”
Tamilyn waits to hear what I might say. Much to her dismay, I make up the excuse of having to be up early, when the reality is after what she just told me I can’t fucking sit out here and be near them. I just want to lie in my bed.
Chapter 11
Austin
“What’s with him?” I ask as Ruston shuts his bedroom door. I figured he’d want to sit out here with us and watch whatever junk is on TV tonight. I can’t complain, though. I’m a little excited to get to spend time alone with Tamilyn.
“I don’t know. He’s acting weird.” She sighs. I know they’re best friends and probably tell each other way more than they lead me to believe, so deep down, I think
she knows something she isn’t telling me.
“Yeah, his loss.” I sit on the couch and pat the empty spot beside me.
She saunters over and sits cross-legged next to me. I want to wrap my arm around her but I keep it slow. I am trying to be respectful of my cousin in his own house. I’m not a complete dick.
“You were right,” she tells me. “You do make a mean grilled cheese.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” I lean forward to kiss her forehead.
I’m drawn to her in a way I can’t explain. I reach for the remote and turn the TV on just to have some noise in the room. There’s nothing on, but that’s okay. She leans closer to me and I wrap my arm around her. “Thank you for tonight.”
“Well, you’re welcome. It was nothing special but I’m just glad I got to spend a little time with you.”
“When do you get to fight?” she asks. That’s a good question, because I’m wondering the same thing.
“I don’t know. I’m going to ask tomorrow, though. I can’t wait to get out there. It’s going to be different to finally fight legally, but I’m game.”
“Let me know when you do because I’ll definitely take some pictures.” She yawns.
“Speaking of, did you leave your camera in the car?”
“Yeah, I tucked it below the seat so it’s safe.”
“I want to see the pictures when you go through them, if you don’t mind.”
“Definitely. Maybe tomorrow you can come by after practice or something.” She mentions it so innocently. Who am I to tell her no? I’d be a fucking fool.
“Yeah, sounds good. You’ll just have to let me know when you’re ready for company.”
“Duh.” She laughs.
“Did you just say duh?” I ask incredulously. That’s one word I haven’t heard in a long time.
“I sure did.” She smirks.
I lean over bringing my hands to her sides. She laughs as I tickle her. It’s so mesmerizing the way her hair swings back. She’s begging me to stop but I keep tickling. I’m laughing alongside her and I remember we should probably keep it down so we don’t upset Ruston. I pull my hands away and lean forward. She’s still trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard when I press my lips against hers. She gasps for a moment, almost like she can’t believe I just kissed her but she kisses me back. Her lips are soft against mine. My dick throbs inside my jeans but I block that out.