by Naomi Niles
“We didn’t have sex at the lake,” I said.
Her face dropped a little. “You didn’t have sex with him?”
“I didn’t say that,” I replied, with a smile.
“Is that so?” she said, beaming once more. “Your place, then?”
“I don’t know what came over me,” I admitted. “He walked me to my door and I just…grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inside. I basically assaulted him.”
Danny sighed. “I wish women assaulted me like that.”
“Hush,” Lacey snapped at him. “Brit’s talking. Go on.”
I smiled. “We didn’t even make it to the couch.”
“Damn! How good was he?”
I paused a moment for dramatic effect. “I came three times.”
Lacey’s eyebrows hit the roof. “Say that again?”
“Urgh, please don’t say that again,” Danny quipped.
“You heard me,” I laughed.
“Three times in one…session?”
“Yup.”
“Damn, he’s better than I thought.”
“Oh, and I found out what he does,” I said.
“Do tell,” Danny said, obviously eager to change the topic from my sex life.
“He’s a professional MMA fighter.”
“No way!” he said, obviously impressed by that. “I haven’t really heard of him.”
“That’s because he just landed a huge contract,” I explained. “His first official fight is coming up, which is why he’s in Quebec at the moment. He’s training.”
“Fuck, that’s sexy,” Lacey said with approval. “That explains all the scars on his body. It also explains why he’s such a tiger in bed.”
“How the hell did we end up talking about sex again?” Danny said tiredly.
I laughed. “All in all, it was a good night.”
“Good night?” Lacey repeated. “You had three orgasms – it was a fucking amazing night.”
I nodded. “True,” I said as Danny rolled his eyes at the both of us.
That night, after our shifts were over, Lacey gave me a lift home. I heard my stomach growl slightly and prayed Lacey wouldn’t hear it. My measly lunch had lasted me only a couple of hours before the hunger had set in again.
“Thanks for driving me again,” I told her when she came to a stop outside my building. “I know I can’t keep bumming lifts off of you forever.”
“Have you looked into any other jobs?”
“A few,” I nodded. “But none that are realistic options. I’d have to work six months at least in order to make enough money to get any repairs done.”
“That’s a bummer,” Lacey said.
I sighed and leaned back in the seat. “I’ve actually been thinking of…”
“Yes?”
“Calling my father.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue.
Lacey gave me a sympathetic look. “How seriously have you been thinking about it?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I go back and forth. It depends on the time of day and how desperate I am.”
“Hang in there, kid,” Lacey said, but they were just hollow words she was saying because there was nothing else she could do.
“Thanks again for the lift,” I said as I got out of the car.
I waited till Lacey had driven away and then headed up to my apartment. The place was freezing. I realized that I’d forgotten to close my windows that morning.
“Fuck,” I complained, rushing forward to shut them.
I went straight to my fridge, but there was only one slice of bologna left. I ate it as slowly as I could, but it only made me hungrier. “Screw this,” I said as I changed into my running tights and a sports bra. I needed a distraction and running seemed like my only option at the moment. I put on a hoodie and headed out the door.
Surprisingly, the running did a good job of distracting me. It fed into my hunger a little, but it also made me feel strong and pro-active. I was only planning on running for a half hour or so, but then I just kept going, letting my thoughts run free. I kept thinking about my father and somehow, that pissed me off so much that I had more energy to keep running.
I was thinking back to my childhood when I heard someone calling my name. Thinking I had just imagined it, I kept going, but then I heard it again. I stopped running and looked up towards a modest red brick apartment building. To my amazement, I saw Talen at a window on the third floor.
“Talen?” I called, walking up to the pavement of his building.
“You wanna come up for a bit?” he asked in his abrupt manner.
I hesitated only because I was so surprised to see him. “Umm…sure,” I nodded.
“Apartment three-zero-nine,” he said, before disappearing from view.
I took the elevator up to his floor. It was by no means a luxury apartment building, but it was leaps and bounds better than mine. It was actually pretty homey and comfortable. Talen was waiting outside for me when I turned into the corridor.
“Fancy running into you here,” he said.
“It was a surprise,” I nodded.
“You must have been running for quite a while to have ended up in my neighborhood.”
“I guess so,” I nodded. “I didn’t even realize it.”
I stepped into his apartment and immediately the smell of fresh pasta assaulted my nose. I almost went weak in the knees at the aroma. It was so unbelievably temping.
“You’re cooking dinner?” I asked.
“Just finished actually,” Talen replied. “Would you like to join me?”
I tried not to answer too fast. “I’d love to.”
We sat down at his small circular table, and he handed me a plate heaped with creamy linguini. I could smell garlic and cheese, and my stomach growled impolitely.
“Hungry?” Talen asked, meeting my eyes.
I blushed scarlet. “Dear God, did you hear that?”
“Only a little.”
“Oh God!” I gasped, covering my face with my hands.
“You’ve been running for awhile,” he said. “Of course, you’re hungry. Don’t be shy to go for seconds.”
Feeling a little less conscious of myself, I dug into the plate before me. It had to be the best thing I’d tasted in awhile. Talen also had fried chicken on the table and a fresh loaf of garlic bread hot from the oven. Once the edge had been taken off my hunger, I looked up at him.
“This is amazing,” I said. “Did you really cook it all yourself?”
Talen smiled. “Just the pasta,” he nodded. “The bread and chicken is from the supermarket around the corner.”
“Still… I’m impressed.”
“Good.”
“How did your photo shoot go?” I asked.
He groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
“That bad, huh?” I laughed.
“It was the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
“That can’t be true.”
“It is,” Talen insisted. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
“So…did they put make-up on you?”
Talen closed his eyes, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh no.”
“Like I said, I’m putting the whole sordid experience behind me.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Out of respect, I will refrain from asking the dozen other questions running through my mind right now.”
“I appreciate that,” he smiled.
We spent an hour at the table, eating slowly, taking seconds and in my case, thirds. It was the nicest dinner I’d had in awhile, and the conversation was just as good. It was light, but it was nice getting to know Talen, especially because his answers were always a little out of the ordinary. I could tell that he didn’t really fit the mould. He was an unintentional rebel and that somehow made him more attractive.
“Can I give you a lift home?” Talen asked when I excused myself for the night.
“That’s nice of you,” I said. “But I’d like to jog back home, actually�
��work off that delicious dinner. I need to keep in shape, in any case, for the marathon.”
“Marathon?”
“There’s a winter marathon coming up,” I explained. “Danny, Lacey, and I decided to take part.”
“Wow,” Talen nodded. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the marathon running type.”
I smiled. “Neither would I,” I said. “I’m just…trying something different.”
He nodded as though he understood the hidden nuance behind my words. He walked me out of his building and at the threshold I turned to him. “So, when will I see you again? Outside of the diner I mean.”
One corner of his mouth went up in a tilted smile. “Sundays are usually better for me,” he replied. “I have some free time then.”
“Good to know,” I nodded. “Goodnight, Talen, thanks for dinner.”
He nodded back at me and I headed home, resisting the urge to turn around and sneak another glance at him. It must have been pure instinct, but somehow, I knew he was watching me jog away and I knew he would watch me until I turned the corner.
Chapter Seventeen
Talen
“Talen!” Lacey greeted me as though we were old friends who had long, drawn out conversations every day.
“Lacey,” I replied in a more subdued voice.
“Forget the booth today,” Lacey said. “Why don’t you sit at the counter today and have your breakfast? That way, Brit and I can keep you company with our scintillating conversation.”
Brittany was clearly uncomfortable with her friend’s request. She shot a warning look in Lacey’s direction, but Lacey ignored it completely.
“Ignore her, Talen,” Brittany said. “You can sit wherever you’d like.”
I smiled. “No, actually, that’s a good suggestion,” I said, taking a seat at the counter.
“See?” Lacey said, slapping Brittany’s ass. “It was a good suggestion.”
Brittany rolled her eyes. “Coffee and toast?”
“Please,” I nodded.
Lacey seemed thrilled to have me front and center. It was obvious she wanted to do a little more interrogating, but I was prepared for it this time. Brittany was obviously embarrassed by her friend’s blatant curiosity, but she was powerless to rein Lacey in.
“So, Talen…” Lacey started. “I hear you’re a professional MMA fighter.”
I nodded. “Getting there.”
“When is your first fight?”
“January,” I replied. “I’ll be going up against Kendrick Conner.”
“Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“Not unless you’re familiar with the MMA.”
“Hmm…hold on,” she said. “I’ll Google him.”
She got out her phone and a few seconds later her eyes went wide. “You’re going to be fighting him?” she asked incredulously. “He’s fucking huge.”
“I’m huge, too,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but this guy…”
Brittany peeked at Lacey’s phone over her shoulder. “Whoa,” she breathed, looking at me with a start. “He seems…”
“Scary?” I offered.
“A little,” she nodded.
“Are you worried for me?”
“That depends,” Brittany said.
“On what?”
“How good you are.”
I smiled. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
Lacey put away her phone and turned back to me with interest. “According to Google, this guy is already an MMA champion.”
“That is correct.”
“But this is your first fight?”
“Also true.”
“Doesn’t it seem kind of…uneven? To pair the two of you together?” she asked, as she placed my toast and coffee in front of me.
“Sometimes it’s about working the crowds,” I explained. “Pitting a virtually unknown fighter against an established one can garner interest.”
“Does it work?”
“It can.”
“Risky.”
“True,” I nodded.
“So, Talen?” Lacey continued.
“Geez, Lace,” Brittany interrupted. “Will you give the guy a break? He’s just trying to eat his breakfast.”
“I’m not stopping him,” Lacey said, with a shrug.
Brittany rolled her eyes and mouthed an apology at me. I smiled as Lacey continued with her question, completely unfazed by Brittany’s interruption.
“Sorry about that, Talen,” Lacey said. “She can be so rude sometimes. Now what was my question… Oh yeah, do you have any more at home like you?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you asking if I have brothers?”
She gave me a wink. “I am.”
I smiled. “I have four, actually.”
“Really?” Brittany asked. “You’re one of five boys?”
“I am,” I said. “I’m the youngest.”
“Strange,” Lacey said. “I would have pegged you for an older brother. You just have that vibe. Now about your brothers… Are they hot?”
I paused. “Umm…they’re my brothers… I haven’t really stopped to think about whether they’re hot or not. And in any case, they’re all paired up at this point.”
“All of them?” she asked, with obvious disappointment.
“Peter and Alan are married, John’s about to have his first child with his partner, and Sam just got engaged.”
Lacey sighed dramatically. “Just my luck.”
I smiled. “You don’t look like you have any trouble finding men.”
“Awww, how sweet of you,” she said, giving me a wink. “But the truth is that the pool here is small. And, even a stone cold fox like me finds it hard to meet men. Which brings me to my next question… Do you have any hot fighter friends who enjoy wrestling a girl to the ground?” Brittany laughed from behind her.
“What?” Lacey demanded, turning to Brittany.
“Nothing,” she replied quickly.
Lacey turned to me with raised eyebrows, obviously waiting for my answer. “Actually… I might have one that would be very interested in doing just that.”
“Really?” Lacey asked, inflecting her tone with possibility. “How hot is he?”
“Uh… I think I’ll leave that up to you to decide.”
“Fair enough,” she nodded. “When can I meet him?”
“How about this Sunday?” I suggested. “We don’t train on Sundays.”
“Perfect,” she said excitedly. “We can all meet, you and your friend, Brittany and me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
I made eye contact with Brittany, looking for her approval, and she nodded in agreement. I finished my coffee, paid for my breakfast, and said my goodbyes.
“He’s in the MMA, too, isn’t he?” Lacey called after me.
“He is.”
“Excellent,” she said. “That means he’s got an awesome body.”
I left the diner smiling and shaking my head. Somehow, I had a feeling that she and Ryan would get along great. Ryan was already at the facility when I got there. He was working over a punching bag in the corner by the ring when I put down my bag and joined him.
“You’re here early,” I observed.
“I’m not a slacker,” he replied. “Like you.”
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “I’m the slacker here.”
He gave me a wink. “What have you planned for Sunday by the way? I was thinking another boys night out.”
“Do you really have to say shit like that?” I demanded.
“Shit like what?”
“Boys night out,” I repeated. “We’re not teenagers.”
“We’re not old men, either,” he sighed. “You’re such a fucking killjoy…”
His annoyance amused me. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew what I just did for you,” I informed him.
Ryan dropped his arms and turned to me, obviously intrigued. “What did you do for me?”
“I’m n
ot sure I want to share it with you now,” I said, with a shrug. “I might just call and cancel actually.”
“Cancel what?” he asked urgently, his tone rising to a panic. “Call whom?”
“The girls.”
“Girls?” he asked adamantly. “What girls? There are girls? And, you’ve made plans with them?”
“Well, I had,” I nodded. “But now I’m not so sure.”
“Stop being a fucking asshole and tell me,” Ryan demanded.
I laughed. “There are these two waitresses at the diner I go to every morning for breakfast. I’ve kind of being seeing one of them; her name is Brittany, and she has a friend called Lacey… I made plans with them for Sunday.”
“Plans that include me?” Ryan asked stupidly.
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously,” I replied. “Lacey is interested in having a professional fighter pin her to the ground, apparently.”
“She actually said that?” he asked, with bulging eyes.
“She did.”
“She sounds like my kind of woman.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “That’s what I thought, too.”
“She better be hot,” he said. “And skinny with low standards, though I’m flexible on the skinny part. I draw the line at one-sixty though.”
“She’s definitely under one-sixty kilos.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at me. “I meant pounds.”
“She’s a living, breathing woman who’s actually open to meeting you,” I said. “Just be thankful for that and shut up.”
Ryan held up his hands. “Geez…you ask a few innocent questions. But in all seriousness – is she hot?”
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Does it matter?”
“Yes!” he practically yelled. “You better not have stuck me with the ugly one.”
“She’s not ugly,” I said finally.
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“I’m not going to rate her for you,” I said.
“Hair color?”
“What?”
“What color is her hair?” Ryan asked slowly, as though I were the slow one.
“Red…” I said uncertainly.
“Red?” he repeated with interest. “Natural or dyed?”
I sighed heavily. “What the hell does it matter?”
“I just want to know if the curtains match the drapes, if you know what I mean…”
I groaned, already regretting my decision to introduce Ryan to the girls. I had no doubt he was a well-meaning guy, but when it came to women, he could be both awkward and perverted in the same breath. I didn’t really care about Lacey’s opinion as much, but I didn’t want Brittany judging me by merit of the company I kept.