This was the part Xander enjoyed the least. Journalists were always looking for the next buzz-worthy article to publish. All Xander wanted to do after a fight was grab a beer and go home to sleep.
A little smack talk makes them wet their panties. Just give ‘em what they want.
“I feel lucky to be here. Jose put up a good fight, but I think he’s a little young to be comin’ into the ring with The Beast.”
Journalists turned their head to look at one another. The looks on their faces were enough to convince Xander that they had their headline.
“If you say so Beast, we’ll believe you. In the first round we thought he might walk away with the cash though. What happened to make it all turn around? Someone send you a naughty picture during break? A little booty to get your blood pumping?”
Bait. They want to know about my person life—surprise, surprise.
Xander was about to interject some clever rebuttal, but his thoughts were clouded with
images of Molly, proudly looking up at him from the crowd. All he could muster was a coy smile. He put his hand up to show he was done with the interview and walked to his locker room.
Xander unwrapped his hands, examining the dried blood on his knuckles and rinsing off the aftermath. Xander stared at himself in the mirror.
It was one night. You’ve had tons of one night stands before, so why are you caught up on this one?
The possibility of any intimate relationship made Xander uneasy. He had made a point of never involving himself with anyone in that way. His friends had been in and out of relationships, breaking up just to make up, and Xander swore he wasn’t going to fall into that same cycle.
“Get over it man. You have bigger things at stake right now than some girl you spent one night with.”
Xander gathered his things and walked out to the parking lot. Getting into his Camaro, he glared at the couples who were piling out of the stadium.
They all look so happy holding hands and laughing.
Shaking his head, Xander started his car and headed home for the night, leaving his fantasies behind.
Chapter 22
A week had passed and it was time for Molly and Elodie to move out of their dorm room.
“I am so happy to be out of this shit hole, El. You have no idea. We can finally move into a house where we don’t have to see each other naked all of the time. Privacy at last!”
Elodie was midway to having her pants undone, getting changed for the third time that morning.
“Oh Mol, you’re so funny. I’m still going to be walking around naked in our new place.”
It had been two hours since they started putting their belongings into boxes. Molly was mostly finished organizing the remainder of her clothes and labeling the sealed boxes, while El was still deciding what she was going to wear for the big move.
“El, no one is going to care what you’re wearing. You’ll be a hot mess in an hour anyway, once we get our shit over to the new house.” Molly threw a dress of hers over to El’s bed, the very one Elodie always stole from Molly’s wardrobe when she couldn’t decide on anything of her own.
The movers showed up an hour later and Elodie was packing the last of her things. Hearing a knock, Molly ran over and opened the door.
“It’s time El! Let’s get out of here.”
Molly picked up a box and skipped down the stairs.
Onto a new chapter.
Chapter 23
The sun had gone down and a long day of moving was over and done with. Molly went down to the local liquor store and bought an inexpensive bottle of wine as a celebratory gift to her and Elodie.
“To us. To new beginnings and to moving into a house that isn’t a total disaster.”
Elodie held up her glass to Molly’s and both of the girls laughed and took a drink.
The house was a cute flat that had just been recently renovated with hard wood floors and modern style decor. What the dorm lacked in comfort, the new place made up for with squishy couches and a private patio.
“So, I guess this means we should probably go get jobs, hey? I’m gonna blow through my savings pretty quick here. What about you?” Molly asked, checking bank statements on her phone.
Elodie put down her glass and threw her head back, staring at the ceiling.
“You don’t even want to know how much debt I’m in. Luckily, the banks take pity on me. But yeah, I don’t think I have a choice. Job hunting tomorrow for me.”
The next morning, Molly awoke to the sun shining through her window. She rolled over to where she thought Elodie was sleeping in the bed next to her.
“Time to wake up, El,” Molly mumbled, opening her eyes to reveal that she was speaking to the wall.
Right. You have your own bedroom now.
Half asleep, Molly walked into the kitchen in just her t-shirt and underwear to make a pot of coffee.
“Morning Mol! Rise and shine, toots, we’ve got jobs to get and money to make. I’ve already got a cup of coffee here for you and a muffin from the cafe down the road.”
Elodie was fully dressed, complete with makeup and a ponytail on the top of her head.
“What time did you get up? You’re never up this early.” Molly said, feeling groggy and hung over.
“Oh I hardly even slept. I was too excited, and stressed, mostly stressed, actually. Go get dressed. I have a few places picked out where I think we could easily land a job.”
Molly got ready and met Elodie in the foyer.
“Ready?”
Elodie handed Molly her sunglasses and purse.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter 24
Hours had passed and Molly and Elodie were both drained and exhausted.
“Mol, I think if I have to introduce myself one more time I’m going to literally go crazy.”
Elodie dropped her purse and sat hard on a wooden bench. Molly estimated they had applied to about ten places each. Both she and Elodie had only one resume left and were back on the street they had started on.
“Wait, did we apply there?” Molly said, gesturing toward a small Bar and Grill squeezed in between two large cafes.
Elodie raised her sunglasses, looking in the direction Molly was pointing.
“Are you talking about the place over there called Tiny’s? Molly, I’m not working at a place called Tiny’s. It’s so fucking small we apparently missed it three times today. Why would I want to work there?”
Molly sat down beside Elodie, turning to face her.
“Well, maybe because we applied to fifty million places today and none of them were actually hiring. This place, happens to have a “Now Hiring” sign on the front window, so I think maybe we should give it a try? What do you think? Do you want to get a job?”
Molly hated the sharpness of her tongue sometimes, and instantly apologized when she saw that Elodie looked defeated.
“Sorry, El, I’m just tired and worried. This has been a depressing experience. Let’s go hand in our resumes and then we can go home and not talk for the rest of the night. I know you’re sick of hearing your own voice, too.”
The inside of Tiny’s took both Molly and Elodie by surprise. The vibe was better than any of the shops or restaurants they had visited all day. The counter was a thick, clear glass and underneath was a collage of famous celebrities and athletes who had been there since it opened in the early 70s. Molly approached the counter and rang a silver bell by the cash register. A small dark-skinned man who looked like he was somewhere in his sixties came out from the kitchen.
“Welcome to Tiny’s! How can I help you ladies?”
Elodie squeezed Molly’s arm.
“Hi, we saw your sign saying you’re hiring.”
Molly was already opening her purse to take out a resume.
“Don’t bother taking out your resumes. You’re both hired. I’ve had enough creeps and fake women come in here today asking for a job. I can tell from the look of you both that you’re neither of those things
.”
Molly stuffed the papers back into her purse.
“That’s amazing! Thank you so much, um, sorry, what is your name?”
The man behind the counter put both of his hands to his round belly and chuckled.
“I’m Tiny. The face behind the name. Can you both start tomorrow?”
Elodie stepped in front of Molly and put her wallet onto the counter.
“I think we’re going to share the ‘Big Burger Platter’ to celebrate our new jobs.”
Tiny smiled and rang the meal into the till.
“One Big Burger Platter on the house!”
Chapter 25
Molly and Elodie had been working at Tiny’s for a week now and so far they both loved it. The tips were great and the customers always had funny and interesting stories to tell them.Today, a man with long, shaggy hair and a messenger bag walked in through the doors.
“Welcome to Tiny’s! Just you today or are you meeting someone?”
Molly glanced over the man’s shoulder, looking for a group of people who might have been accompanying him.
“I’m just here to post the weekly flyers, Miss. The name is Jim. I’ve been coming here every single week for over twenty years and I haven’t seen your pretty face before. You must be new. Go about your business. You can pretend I’m not even here.”
He opened his messenger bag and removed a hand full of flyers. Molly saw mostly advertisements for various classes around town, but one paper caught her eye. The background was emblazoned with red flames and two men stood at the forefront, wearing only boxing shorts and staring grimly at one another.
“You like goin’ to fights, Miss?” Jim asked Molly, who was now inches away from the poster.
“Do you have another one of these that I could keep?”
Molly hadn’t taken her eyes off of the fighter pictured on the left.
The Beast
“You must be a big fan of one o’ those guys. The fight is tonight at 8:00 and it’s gonna be a good one. Those two guys have been rivals since day one. Rumor has it that people from outside the gyms have been stoking the fire if you catch my drift—trying to get them even more riled up for when they get in the ring together.”
Jim handed Molly an extra poster from his bag.
“Here you go. I got plenty of them to go ‘round anyway.”
Molly stuffed the paper into her apron and returned to her post behind the counter where Elodie was bartending.
“El, look at what just got posted. It’s him. It’s Xander.”
Elodie finished pouring scotch for a customer at the bar and inspected the paper Molly was holding.
“Hell yeah, we should go. It would be cathartic for you to see that asshole get the shit beat out of him. I know the guy on the right, he’s a massive dude with a bad temper. Maybe I could tell him what Xander did to you. Then he’d have all the more reason to knock him out cold.”
Elodie smiled through her teeth, handing the scotch across the counter. The customer handed her a ten dollar bill and told her to keep the change.
“People keep givin’ me tips like this and I’ll be able to pay for the both of us to go.” Elodie said, under her breath.
Two sides of Molly were now at war. She was eager to see Xander, but was conflicted as to why. One side of her wanted to watch Xander get hurt the way he had hurt her. A bloody nose and a broken finger or two might be exactly the kind of justice he deserved. On the flip side, Molly was eager to hear an explanation for his rude behavior. For leaving her in the middle of nowhere after taking her virginity the night before.
A third possibility lingered.
Maybe I have feelings for him. Not just attraction or lust, but real feelings.
Seven o’clock rolled around and the girls were done their shifts. Elodie waited for Molly outside of the restaurant, puffing on a cigarette.
“Since when do you smoke, El?”
Elodie quickly dropped the cigarette from her mouth and stomped it out on the pavement.
“This is like my second one ever. Don’t lecture me, I know it’s bad for you. Speaking of which, are we gonna go watch Xander tonight or what?”
Molly and Elodie arrived back home and changed out of their work clothes.
“Mol! Holy shit, you look hot! When did you get a dress like that? Turn around for me!”
Elodie moved her finger in a circle and Molly spun like a runway model.
“I bought it the second day we moved in from a little boutique down the road. I know it’s not my usual style, but I wanted something to make me feel sexy again, like that chest binding contraption you put me in that night.”
The dress was a black, skin-tight halter that just covered Molly’s bum. Her hair looked like she had just gotten back from the beach, and her makeup was dark and smoky.
“Well, I know for a fact that Xander is going to be kicking himself when he sees you. If I wasn’t batting for the other team already, I’d wanna tap that for sure.”
A horn beeped from the street out front.
“Cabs here. Let’s go make this ‘Beast’ whimper.”
Chapter 26
Elodie bought her and Molly seats near the front. Molly insisted on being somewhere further back so that Xander couldn’t see her in plain sight, but Elodie was not one to be easily swayed.
“Molly, you didn’t dress like that so you could hide in the shadows. You want him to see you, so let him see you.”
Between the two of them, Molly and Elodie nearly polished off an extra-large bag of popcorn. Molly ate handfuls at a time to quiet her nerves.
“I don’t know about this El, maybe we should—”
The blaring music came to a sudden halt, and an ominous voice came over the speakers.
“And now, the event you’ve all been waiting for. Laaaaaaadies and geeeentlemen, it’s Fight Night!”
Molly plugged her ears at the uproar of whistles and hollering. Elodie however, stood out of her seat to join in, cheering along with the rest of the crowd.
“This is awesome!” Elodie mouthed, looking down at Molly who was still in her seat.
Molly gave a halfhearted thumbs up, then covered her ears again.
“You don’t wanna be on the wrong side of a fight with this guy. Coming out of the South Corner, put your hands together for Mr. Pain!”
The spotlight shone on a blonde haired, surfer looking guy wearing bright blue boxing shorts. Molly looked around and saw that a small portion of the crowd was cheering for Mr. Pain, but most were loudly booing.
Mr. Pain made his way to the ring, bumping fists with his fans on the sidelines.
“Our next fighter slays his opponents left, right, and center. Coming out of the North Corner, give it up for The Beast!”
The crowd went wild, and this time Molly stood up to get a better look. Xander had overwhelming support and as he stepped out into the light, Molly thought he looked like some kind of ethereal being, not of this world. It was as if his devoted fans were praising him, ready to fall to their knees.
Molly stood on her tip toes, watching him approach the ring.
He looks humble despite all of this attention. He’s bowing his head to his fans, like he’s grateful to them or something.
It made Molly confused to see Xander acting this way. What she was seeing didn’t match up with the villain she had conjured up in her mind. A beast with no heart, not someone who would show humility to others.
The moment Xander stepped into the ring, Molly could see an instant change in his expression. His look of humility had turned to contempt as he stared down his opponent. Elodie must have noticed it too. Grabbing Molly’s hand, she pulled her in close enough to whisper.
“They look like they could eat each other alive. I think there’s some serious beef between them. Did you see Xander’s face when he got into the ring? Oh man, this is gonna be good.”
Molly nodded her head enthusiastically, but felt sick to her stomach thinking of Xander getting seriously hurt by this guy,
especially in front of so many people.
The bell rang, signaling the start of Round One. Xander jumped up and down on the spot, full of adrenaline and ready to pummel his competitor. He wasted no time throwing down the first few punches, connecting with Mr. Pain’s face and leaving at least one bloody gash. Every time Mr. Pain lunged in to send a right hook or an uppercut, he was blocked effortlessly by Xander, who retaliated ten times harder than before, becoming more and more aggressive with every hit. A crazed look in his eyes at the end of the first round worried Molly, and left her feeling uneasy about watching any more of the fight.
“El, I feel like I’m watching someone getting murdered. It’s just so violent. I don’t know if I can stand to watch anymore of it.”
“Oh Mol, it’s all in good sport. They don’t like each other out there, and they get the chance to show how much they really don’t like each other in here. The fans cheer and they both love it, even if someone loses. Don’t worry so much, they’re fine. It’s just a few scrapes.”
Molly wanted to believe that it wasn’t a big deal, but she couldn’t help but be in shock at this side of Xander.
Where is the sweet, tender guy who held me and told me everything would be alright? How can he go from the man he was in the truck that night, to this monster I’m seeing now?
The fight continued for two more rounds. Xander practically annihilated his opponent within the first thirty seconds of the last round, but then seemed to back off a little, wanting to give Mr. Pain a chance to redeem himself. Xander mocked him, throwing his hands up like a scared little girl. Turning to face the crowd, Molly could have sworn he looked right at her. The show boating caused an uproar of laughter. Mr. Pain found it to be less than comical.
He took two steps towards Xander and threw an unexpected left hook straight into Xander’s cheek. Xander stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance and falling to the ground. An audible gasp came from the crowd, as Xander put his hand to his face, rubbing the blood from his cheek and then onto his shorts. Xander, realizing his mistake in letting his guard down, cocked his head to one side and yelled at Mr. Pain.
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