by Naomi Niles
I rested my head against the counter as Lacey took a seat beside me. “Rough day?”
“The worst,” I sighed.
“How’d you make out in tips?”
“Seven measly bucks,” I complained. “What about you?”
“All I got was sixteen,” Lacey replied.
“Still better than seven,” I pointed out.
“True,” she nodded. “Are you okay? You look wiped out.”
“That’s because I am,” I said. “In fact, I think I’m going to head out now. Can you say goodbye to Danny for me?”
“Are you sure you want to leave now?” Lacey asked. “You haven’t even eaten dinner.”
“Danny’s given me like five free dinners in this last month alone,” I said. “I can’t keep relying on him to feed me.”
“He doesn’t mind.”
“Which is exactly why I don’t want to take advantage,” I said.
“I could lend you some money?” she suggested. “It won’t be much, but it’ll be enough to get you a nice hot meal?”
“I love you for offering, but no thank you,” I said firmly. “I can manage.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” I said, as I grabbed my coat and put it on. “To be honest, I’m not even hungry. I just want a good night’s sleep.”
“I know what will cheer you up,” Lacey said, clapping her hands together. “Bowling!”
“Bowling?” I repeated in disbelief.
“Danny and I were talking about going old school and heading over to Millennium Park tomorrow night,” Lacey said. “It wasn’t set in stone or anything, but now I think we should definitely all go.”
“Aw, Lace…”
“Come on, Brittany,” she insisted, cutting me off. “You need to have some fun. All this working can’t be good for the soul.”
I smiled. “Alright,” I nodded finally. “I’ll come.”
“Excellent,” she said, clapping her hands together.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, as I headed out.
It was a cold night, and I regretted wearing a skirt today of all days. I had hoped the sunshine yellow might act as a good luck charm, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect. I reminded myself that I needed to collect my car tomorrow, too. I had decided against getting the repairs done, not that it was much of a decision considering I didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t have the cash to pay for the repairs, which meant I had to just drive the car and hope that it wouldn’t kill me.
I had told Lacey that I wasn’t hungry, but that had been a lie. I just hadn’t wanted her to feel sorry for me and knew she would have insisted that I take her tips for the day. I passed a couple of different corner shops on my way home, but I resisted the urge to go into any of them. If I spent the money on a hot meal tonight, then I wouldn’t have money for bowling tomorrow.
So I gritted my teeth and kept walking. The cold didn’t exactly help my hunger, but I told myself to be strong and stop thinking of food. The moment I got to my apartment, I changed into my soft woollen pyjamas and drank two glasses of water, hoping that would distract my stomach a little. Then I got into bed and pulled the covers up around me.
I stared up at the ceiling, feeling frustration set in just as concretely as hunger. “Think of something else, Brittany,” I told myself. “Wallowing doesn’t do shit.” As I looked back on my day, I realized with a start that the highlight had been talking to Talen.
“Okay,” I said. “Fine. I’ll think of Talen.”
It was a last ditch effort to distract myself, in addition to being a desperately pathetic plan. But to my surprise, it worked.
Chapter Nine
Talen
“You ready for tonight?” Ryan asked, ducking away from my punch and backing into the corner of the ring.
“Tonight?” I asked, in confusion.
“Yeah...” he nodded, panting slightly.
“Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?” I asked.
My concentration was focused solely on our fight, but I could tell Ryan wasn’t really paying attention. He seemed excited about something and his head wasn’t in the ring.
“Tonight,” he reminded me. “I’m taking you out, remember?”
I froze in place and dropped my fists. “Fuck.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “It’s good to see how excited you are.”
“Do we have to do this?” I asked.
“Yes!” he said firmly. “You already gave me your word.”
“I don’t recall giving you my word.”
“We were standing in this very ring,” he said seriously. “Or close enough to it, in any case…don’t desecrate this sacred place.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are such a weirdo.”
“You’ll learn to love me.”
“You’re making it freaking difficult.”
Ryan gave me a big smile. “If I was a weaker man, that might actually hurt.”
I took a step forward and punched him in the gut. He spun into the ropes and bounced towards me. At the last second, he managed to parry out of my second punch and suddenly, we were back in the fight. Five minutes later, I had him on the ground in a headlock.
“Tap out,” I instructed him.
“Never!” he said dramatically.
I tightened my grip on him, and he let out a high scream. “Fine, fine…tapping out.”
He banged his hand against the floor of the ring, and I released my grip and stepped back. Ryan lay there for a moment before he flipped himself over and stared into the high ceiling hanging above us. “You are a killer,” he sighed.
“I have a match to train for,” I reminded him.
“I heard,” Ryan nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Should I have?”
“We’re supposed to be training partners, man,” he said, sitting up and shaking his head at me. “It’s the kind of thing you share. Anyways…congratulations; it’s a big fight, huh?”
“He’s a good fighter.”
“Good?” Ryan repeated incredulously. “This is Kendrick Conner we’re talking about. He’s a fucking fantastic fighter. I’m surprised they paired him up with a rookie – no offense.”
“Some taken,” I grunted at him.
“Aw come on, you must admit, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”
“They do this sometimes,” I said. “Pair a seasoned fighter against someone relatively unknown… It creates intrigue and tends to draw the crowd. If the newcomer manages to hold his own, it propels his career, even if he doesn’t win.”
“But you’re planning on winning,” Ryan said.
“Of course,” I nodded. “Why show up if you’re not planning on winning?”
“That’s the spirit,” Ryan nodded, pushing himself to his feet. “Now we should head out. It’s time for our boys night.”
I groaned. “Please don’t call it that.”
“Then what should I call it?”
I rolled my eyes and headed towards the lockers as Ryan shouted out after me. “I’ll meet you at your place at seven. Be ready.”
He was five minutes early. I was lounging on my couch with the television on when I heard his enthusiastic knock. Sighing, I turned off the TV and went to answer the door. Ryan was standing there in a teal blue shirt and dark pants. He had obviously combed out his hair and he was wearing so much aftershave that I had to resist the urge to gag.
Ryan looked me over once and raised his eyebrows. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“What?” I asked, looking down at my jeans and t-shirt.
“You can’t go out in that,” he said, pushing past me and entering the apartment without my invitation.
“Why the fuck not?” I demanded.
“Because we want to make an impression tonight and that certainly won’t do it,” he said, looking around. “Where’s your closet?”
“Stay the fuck out of my closet,” I said firmly.
Ryan ignored me and
walked into my bedroom. Stunned, I followed him in disbelief. I had never met anyone with less respect for personal boundaries. He was rifling through my closet as though he owned it.
“Are you kidding, man?” I asked. “Those are my clothes.”
“Pathetic excuse for clothes, if you ask me,” Ryan said, holding up a t-shirt and shaking his head. “Seriously don’t you own anything in color? I feel like everything in here is black, white, or gray.”
“My moods are usually black, white, and gray,” I retorted. “And right now, I think it’s bordering close to black.”
“So dramatic,” Ryan said, without concern. “Hey, you have a button down shirt. It’s black, but it’ll have to do. Put this on.”
“You’re seriously dressing me?” I demanded, as he threw the shirt to me.
“I am,” he nodded pleasantly. “You’ll thank me later.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Just put it on.”
“Isn’t this shit what women do?” I asked, as I swapped my t-shirt for the shirt he had just thrown at me.
“I have three sisters,” Ryan said.
“Well, that makes sense,” I said. “No masculine energy in your household, huh?”
“Apparently your household had a little too much masculine energy,” Ryan said, darting a glance in my direction. “Seriously, this macho man thing you’ve got going on is impressive and all, but it doesn’t scare me.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Ouch, you wound me.”
Ryan laughed. “Do you have some cologne or after shave?”
“I think you’re wearing enough for the both of us,” I said.
“Well?” he demanded.
I sighed. “No I don’t have any cologne or after shave.”
“Seriously?”
“Until recently, I couldn’t afford shit,” I snapped. “And certainly not luxurious crap like colognes.”
“Hmm…I could rub myself on you?” Ryan teased.
“You come near me and you’re dead,” I promised.
He laughed. “Okay, let’s head out. I know this great bar in the city. It’s called Camille’s.”
“Doesn’t sound like much of a bar,” I said critically.
“Wait till you see it,” Ryan said. “They have pool tables, video games, a killer dance floor and the music is always great. The liquor is awesome, too.”
“I don’t drink,” I said, as we headed out of the apartment.
Ryan turned to me in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Not for a couple of years now,” I admitted.
“Are you in AA or something?”
“Nothing like that,” I said. “Just a…personal choice.”
“Why did you make it?”
“That’s a long story,” I said evasively. “And, now’s not the time for it.”
I saw Ryan’s face scrunch up a little, but he didn’t insist. We drove into town, and he parked outside a massive bar that to be seemed bursting at the seams. I could sense Ryan’s excitement as we walked in and something about it reminded me of Sam. I found myself warming towards Ryan slowly, much to my chagrin.
Pulsing lights filled the space. The bar was right in the center in the back of the pub. On its left was the dance floor and on the right were a bunch of pool tables mixed with seating for anyone who wanted to eat or drink. The atmosphere was alive and electric.
“Let’s go sit by the bar,” Ryan suggested. “That way we can check out the talent.”
I followed him to the bar, where we managed to grab two stools. Ryan promptly ordered beer for himself, while I asked for water.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like something harder?” Ryan asked.
“Positive,” I nodded.
“It’s not an addiction is it?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “Just a choice.”
“Then why deprive yourself?”
“Because discipline is my biggest weakness,” I replied. “And overcoming it takes drastic action.”
“Wow…okay, sensei,” Ryan said, with wide eyes.
“Fuck off,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“Hey,” he said, his eyes honing in on someone behind me. “There’s a stone cold fox over there checking you out.”
I turned subtly and caught her reflection in the huge mirrors that adorned the walls of the bar. She was an attractive woman – tall, skinny and overly conscious of herself.
“Nah,” I said, turning my gaze away from her.
“Are you serious?”
“Not my type,” I said, gulping down my glass of water.
“She’s everyone’s type.”
“I like brunettes,” I said, and instantly Brittany’s face popped into my head.
“You’re going to be difficult about this, too, aren’t you?” Ryan guessed.
I smiled. “I’m not looking for a hook up.”
“Fine,” he said tiredly. “Then you can be my wing man.”
“Fine,” I said. “Go for it.”
He smiled and looked around. “Hmm…how about that girl over there by the pool table?”
The girl Ryan was eyeing was blonde and petite. She was wearing a red skirt and a green top that clashed badly in my opinion.
“She looks sufficiently lonely,” I nodded.
Ryan shot me a glare. “Is that meant to be helpful?”
I smiled. “I thought it was.”
“You just sit there, drink your water, and watch how it’s done,” Ryan said confidently.
He jumped off the bar stool and walked over to where the petite blonde stood. It was close enough that I could actually make out there conversation.
“Hi, there,” Ryan said. “You look like you could use some company.”
She raised one eyebrow. “I do?”
“You looked lonely,” he said. “I thought I’d come over and make you…not lonely.”
I cringed. I had actually believed Ryan was good at this. But after the first five seconds, it was clear that he had no game whatsoever. Apparently, the petite blonde realized that, too.
“Uh…actually, I’m not lonely at all,” she said, her tone changing instantly.
“Let me buy you a drink,” Ryan said, without taking the hint.
“I’ll buy my own drink, thanks,” she said before walking away.
Ryan stood there for a moment before he walked back towards me. “Turns out she’s a lesbian,” he told me convincingly.
I suppressed a laugh and nodded. “Okay, how about that girl over there?”
“The blonde or the redhead?” he asked, following my gaze.
“Either,” I shrugged.
“I’ll go for the redhead this time,” he said. “I’m all about equality and diversity.”
Over the course of the next hour, Ryan hit on four different women. He started employing cringe-worthy pick up lines that were so bad that inevitably I had to look away. After being shot down, Ryan would walk over to me with a faltering smile and give me some barely transparent excuse.
He claimed that one woman was married, two others were mentally impaired, and the fourth was had nostrils that were too big up close. I listened to all his excuses and laughed until my sides hurt. I realized that I was actually having a good time. Sure it was at Ryan’s expense, but he didn’t seem to mind all that much.
Towards the end of the night, when it was clear that Ryan was too drunk to be allowed to approach any woman, I grabbed him by the arm and marched him out of the bar.
“Aw come on,” he begged, with slurred speech. “I was jus…just…getting started.”
I smirked. “You were done two hours ago. Get in the damn car.”
He collapsed into the backseat, but apparently, Ryan was as talkative a drunk as he was sober. “Today was a successful…success,” he announced from the backseat. “Don’t you think so, Talons?”
“It’s Talen,” I corrected, in amusement. “And, I think we had very different experiences of tonight.”
“You we
re smiling,” he said, in a high voice, as though he thought I was a child.
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve just never seen a guy crash and burn in such quick succession before.”
“Please, I was a triumph.”
“I’m sorry, are you delusional?”
“Delusional like a fox,” Ryan stuttered.
“Whatever that means,” I said.
“Aren’t you glad you came out with me tonight?” he asked.
I pursed my lips. “Yeah, maybe I am.”
“You know what this means, right?” Ryan asked.
“What?”
“This means we’re finally friends.”
I laughed. “If you say so,” I said, shaking my head at him.
Chapter Ten
Brittany
“Well, isn’t this fucking typical,” Lacey complained moodily.
“What is?” I asked.
“This whole marathon thing was his idea, and he’s not even here.”
I smiled. “He had to go over the accounts for the diner,” I reminded her. “Sundays is the only free day we have and you know Danny likes to be on top of things.”
“Humph.”
I laughed. “You know what? I actually enjoy the running.”
We slowed our pace to a leisurely jog, and Lacey threw a glare in my direction. “Are you being serious?”
“I am,” I nodded. “It helps clear my head. And, it actually makes me feel…proactive.”
“I’ve heard runners say shit like that,” Lacey said. “Always thought they got too much fresh air.”
“You really are a fitness grinch, you know that?” I accused, in amusement.
Lacey laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll give it a rest…for now.”
“Thank God.”
We took a seat on one of the benches lining the track. I stared down at my running tights. They were an old pair that I’d dug out of storage. There were a couple of holes in the knees, but they were small enough that I could still get away with wearing them.
“Thinking about doing some shopping?” Lacey asked, noticing my fixation.
I sighed. “You need money to shop,” I reminded her.
“We could try some discount places in the city.”