Liam (Hawthorne Brothers Romance)

by M. L. Young

  “Okay, now I’m getting a little paranoid, let’s change the subject,” I said, laughing. “So you have the meeting tomorrow morning?”

  “Yeah, first thing, actually. It’s kind of terrifying,” he said.

  “You’re going to do so well,” I said with an assuring tone.

  “I feel like it will go well and all, but I still can’t help but be terrified. Guys train and fight their entire careers without ever getting so much as a glance from the big promotions. I’m still super young and they want a meeting with me. It’s a big moment, and I don’t know what they’ll want,” he said.

  “Well, won’t they want to sign you? Or at least talk about signing you?” I asked, before Robson brought our appetizer and drinks.

  “Well,” he said, taking a sip of his drink, “they might say something like they want to see how I do in more amateur fights. Basically they’d say they’ll be coming to the next couple fights and will watch and analyze me while I fight like I normally do now. Or they might say I need more training, or they might come forward and just tell me they want to work out a deal for a trial fight in the promotion at the next pay-per-view.”

  “Wow, those are so many options. I’m still confident in you, though. I think they’ll want to do a trial fight in their promotion, like you said. You’ve already proven yourself, so I don’t see why not,” I said.

  “Yeah, I hope so,” he said.

  I saw his hand tap against the table a little bit, shaking. He looked visibly nervous. “Hey,” I said, grabbing his hand from across the table. “You’re going to nail this,” I said, holding his hand and looking him in the eyes.

  His tapping stopped and the shaking went away while his eyes softened and he smiled a little bit. “Maybe you’re right,” he said before Robson came back over.

  “Have you had a chance to look over the menu?” he asked, and I realized that we hadn’t even ordered our entrees yet.

  “I’m ready if you are,” Liam said.

  “Go ahead,” I said, looking over the menu and trying to find something good.

  “I’ll have the pineapple-glazed pork short ribs,” Liam said.

  “Are the fried rice and steamed vegetables good with that?” Robson asked.

  “Can I make that brown rice?” Liam asked.

  “Certainly. And for you?” he asked, looking at me.

  “I’ll have the goat cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breast, please,” I said, picking the first good thing I could find on short notice.

  “Excellent choice. We’ll have those out for you shortly,” Robson said, collecting the menus and leaving.

  “Bold choice,” Liam said.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Those things are huge. There’s one there,” he said, pointing to a table a few down from us.

  Holy shit, I thought to myself, as I saw a massive chicken breast stuffed to the absolute brim. It was like three normal meals for me, and that didn’t even include the side of what appeared to be mashed potatoes. Hopefully Liam didn’t think I was a pig or something.

  “So, what’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done?” Liam asked.

  “Well, I went zip-lining, rappelling, and exploring in a Mayan sacrificial cave,” I said.

  “Wait, what?” he asked, perking up and laughing.

  “Yeah, it was a few years ago before school started. My family and I went on a cruise down to Panama, Costa Rice, and Belize. We did a bunch of other stuff too, but in Belize we rode a bus to the site where we crawled through tiny caves deep inside of a mountain that ancient Mayans used to treat as holy and sacrifice people in,” I said.

  “Holy shit, that’s amazing. And you zip-lined and rappelled?” he asked.

  “Yeah, the rappelling was terrifying. It was essentially a drop down, maybe twenty or thirty feet, though we were harnessed. The zip-lining was from one cave to another, a few hundred feet apart. I was probably fifty feet above the jungle floor, maybe more. It was beautiful, but also very humid and hot,” I said.

  “Wow, I’d love to see that,” he said, looking amazed.

  “Actually, I have a few pictures on my phone, if you want to see. I know phones are a no-go on dates, but maybe we can make an exception?” I asked, smiling.

  “Bring it out, come on,” he said, motioning for me to get it.

  I smiled, getting it out, before going to the album in my photos and handing over my phone. I could see his face clearly in the glow of my backlit screen while he flipped through the photos and looked genuinely surprised and amazed. “Wow, I hope to see something like this some day. I’ve never had a super cool experience like this.”

  “Well, what about you? What’s the most daring or adventurous thing you’ve done?” I asked.

  “Well, my brothers and I went skydiving once. It was very scary,” he said.

  “Wow, yeah, you have me beat on the adrenaline scale. I could never do that,” I said.

  “I’m very afraid of heights, especially super high heights, but we did it the summer I graduated from high school and yeah, I wouldn’t do it again unless I had to,” he said.

  “That bad?” I asked.

  “Well, it wasn’t all bad, but like I said, heights and me don’t mix whatsoever. I’d rather keep my feet on the ground. I’ve heard about indoor skydiving, though, and I’d do that if given the chance,” he said.

  “Wait, that’s a thing?” I asked.

  “Yeah, you go in this chamber with some trained person and you kind of float around and go up and down like you’re flying. You’re only a few feet off the ground, though. I saw a YouTube video once,” he said.

  “Maybe we’ll have to try that sometime,” I said.

  “Yeah, I’d like that,” he said, looking into my eyes.

  I didn’t think I’d ever had this good of a conversation before on a date in my life. Hell, it was hard to find this good of a conversation even with friends, with everybody burying their faces into their phones and computers. Maybe I was a little old-fashioned, liking these face-to-face human interactions more, but I also loved technology and all my gadgets. I just thought you built something stronger like this, and it was pretty apparent with the way things were going with Liam and me.

  He was just so real, and I could feel that he was sincere and a great guy. How in the hell he was single was beyond me, but I was very happy that he was, and that he was out with me right now.

  Our food came and he laughed a little when he saw my face as I realized just how much food I’d ordered. “I know I’ll need a box,” I said, laughing.

  “Oh come on, you can eat all that,” he said, smirking.

  “Really?” I asked, looking up at him with an “I can’t believe you just said that” face.

  He just laughed, making me smile, before we started eating.

  “How do you feel about going to get some dessert?” he asked after we’d finished.

  “Depends on what you have in mind,” I said.

  “Maybe ice cream?” he asked. “There’s a place around the corner that’s pretty damn good.”

  “I could do that,” I said, before Robson came back and Liam gave him a debit card.

  “Thank you so much for dining with us tonight, and I hope to see you two back here again soon,” Robson said as he brought back the card and receipt.

  “Thank you for dinner, Liam. I really enjoyed it and appreciate it,” I said.

  “It’s my pleasure, trust me,” he said, signing the receipt.

  I snuck a peek, seeing how much of a tip he left, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was twenty-five percent after trying to do the math in my head. You knew you had a keeper when he treated wait staff with respect and dignity and also tipped well, even when the meal was a little pricey, which this was.

  “So, what looks good?” he asked as we pondered the ice cream flavors a few minutes later.

  “Mint chocolate chip, the green kind,” I said.

  “Me, too! That’s my favorite,” he said.

 
“You’re freaking me out with how compatible we are,” I said, laughing.

  “Hey, I can’t help it if I’m perfect,” he said, smiling.

  I rolled my eyes a little. He was fairly sarcastic in his humor, which I loved. I thought he was hysterical, and he always had my stomach hurting from laughing, which was a pretty good thing.

  “Let me get this,” I said, pulling out my wallet.

  “No, it’s my treat,” he said.

  “Nope, you got the Thai food and the dinner tonight. I’m not letting you get it,” I said, handing the cashier a ten-dollar bill.

  “Thank you,” he said as I got my change.

  We got our ice cream in waffle cones, looking like that annoying twin-like couple, before we walked outside and started wandering aimlessly. “I still have some time,” he said, licking his cone.

  “Same. I don’t really want the night to end,” I said, looking at him and giving him a small smile.

  “Would it be all right if I held your hand?” he asked as we walked slowly.

  “Yes, I think it would,” I said, feeling butterflies before I stuck it out.

  He grabbed it, our fingers lacing together, and we went back to eating our ice cream, as if both of us were a little too shy to fully acknowledge what had just happened.

  We walked towards the East River before the smell got to be a little much and we walked back towards the subway lines. “Want me to go with you?” he asked sweetly.

  “No, I’ll be fine. Besides, I can’t have you being my bodyguard all the time, can I?” I asked.

  “No, I guess not. Talk to you soon?” he asked as we stood outside the entryway.

  “Yeah, you will,” I said, smiling.

  There was an awkward moment as we stood there, wondering if another move was going to happen, and then it did. Liam leaned in, kissing me gently on the lips, before I felt them leave and he pulled back. It was a simple kiss, not passionate, though definitely not dull, and the perfect ending to an amazing night together. I bit my lower lip a little, wondering if he noticed, before he said goodnight and I was suddenly left alone atop the steps to the train.

  I felt pretty good right now.

  Chapter Seven

  Liam

  “Are you ready to do this?” Tino asked as we stood in front of the building where we were having our meeting.

  We were in Midtown, in front of a giant building, maybe fifty stories or more. I said yes and we walked inside. We checked in at a giant security desk with turnstiles, and we got our visitor passes and looked at a directory to see which floor we needed to go to. Twenty-three.

  We got into the elevator with five other people. I would be lying if I said I was feeling good. I felt a little nauseous, my hands clammy, forehead sweating a tiny bit, with a giant knot in my stomach that wouldn’t go away.

  “You ready, kid?” Tino asked as we got off the elevator and stood in front of the office door.

  “Yeah, I’m ready. As ready as I can be,” I said, and he opened the door and we walked inside.

  “We have a meeting at nine, the names are Tino and Liam,” Tino said.

  “Certainly. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll let them know you’re here,” the woman behind the counter said.

  “You’re going to do great, kid. I just know it,” Tino said.

  “What if I choke?” I asked.

  “You perform in front of all those people and never choke, so why would you now?” he asked.

  “Because this is my future we’re talking about. Everything I’ve worked for, dreamed of, and punched for is based on what happens in this meeting. It’s a big deal,” I said, looking him square in the eyes.

  “Don’t think of it like that. They should be nervous whether you’ll sign with them or not. You’re going to make a lot of money with this gig, and in turn, you’ll make them a shit ton of money,” Tino said.

  “They’re ready to see you,” the woman said.

  “Let’s go,” Tino said.

  We walked down a hallway filled with pictures of fighters. They were like glamour shots from the octagon, with guys looking ripped as hell and causing a ripple effect on the faces of other guys from their punches alone. Maybe I’d be on this wall some day.

  “Here they are,” the President of the PFC, Michael Potter, said.

  “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I said, shaking his hand and then shaking the hands of the other men in the room.

  “Please, call me Mike. Why don’t we get down to business? Have a seat,” he said, extending his hand to chairs near his while he walked to his chair.

  “So, Liam, I bet you’re wondering why we called this meeting with you,” one man said.

  “We’ve been keeping tabs on you, and that fight you had Friday night was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. You took out that guy so quickly and didn’t even get hit in the process. I’ve watched that video a few times now,” Mike said.

  “Oh, I didn’t know there was a tape,” I said.

  “We like to record potential fighters so we can review the footage and make sure they’re a good match before bringing them in. The recruiter can only relay so much back to us. It’s better to get that raw emotion and excitement from seeing the fight rather than just hearing about it,” Mike said.

  “That’s a great idea, I didn’t even think of that,” I said.

  “We want to give you a shot in the PFC, Liam. It would be a trial fight at the next pay-per-view, which is in about a month, give or take a few days. It would be televised, near the start of the show, and you’d be going up against another young man we’re also talking to right now, so it would be pretty fair in that it’s not somebody already on the roster,” Mike said.

  “How do you feel about that?” Tino asked.

  “I’d love the opportunity, I really would. I’ve dreamt about fighting professionally for a long time now, and I’ve worked so hard towards it. I’m more than willing to fight any opponent you feel I deserve,” I said, as the spit in my mouth seemed to be filling up awfully fast.

  “That’s so great to hear. You’ll get a purse of twenty-five thousand just for fighting, a standard amount for first-time fighters, and you could potentially get another twenty-five if you win the match. There’s also both a strike of the night and submission of the night bounty prize, like we always do, for another fifty thousand. Sound good?” Mike asked, smiling.

  “Wow, that’s just, wow,” I said, smiling from ear to ear.

  “I think those terms are more than fair and very, very generous,” Tino said.

  “Great! Well, I think that’s all we wanted to talk to you about today. I’m so happy that you’re choosing the PFC for your inaugural professional fight. Our lawyers will be in touch very shortly and will draft the contracts for the fight for you to look over. As long as they’re signed and everything is in order a week before the fight, you’re going to be fighting on national television, young man,” Mike said.

  “Thank you once again for this amazing opportunity. I won’t let you down,” I said joyously while I shook their hands.

  “Kid, that’s amazing,” Tino said as we rode the elevator down.

  I could see the absolute amazement in his eyes, both for my opportunity and also the money. He did get a small percentage of my winnings, and I could see him already wondering what to spend his share on. Classic Tino.

  “Well, I have to get to a dentist appointment before going back to the gym. You going to be there later?” he asked as we walked outside.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there. I have to get my ass more in gear for training,” I said.

  “See you later, kid. I’m proud of you,” he said before walking off.

  I took out my phone, standing against the side of the mammoth building, before texting everybody I knew, including Jessica. I was feeling so up, so happy, I knew I just had to see her soon and tell her the good news in person. Besides Tino, she was the only person I really had to tell, and I knew she’d be absolutely thrilled for me.

&nbs
p; Chapter Eight

  Jessica

  I had about twenty minutes until my next class, so I waited outside the building it was in because Liam asked if he could meet me immediately. I was pretty sure I knew why he wanted to see me, since he had his meeting this morning, and I was pretty happy that he thought of me and to tell me in person. It really showed that he was into me, and besides, I was interested in supporting him either way.

  He came up smiling, waving at me, and I began to smile from how infectious his was. “I got it,” he said, walking up, as if he couldn’t contain the news any longer.

  “You got the contract?” I asked.

  “Well, kind of. It’s a one-fight thing, to see how I do before they’d give me a contract. They do a trial with all the fighters before actually signing a contract with them. The pay is pretty damn big, even if I lose, but I won’t. I never do,” he said.

  “That’s so amazing, I’m so happy for you,” I said, giving him a huge hug.

  “I’m not sure exactly where it’ll be, whether in New York or not, but it’d be cool if you came,” he said.

  “I would love to! I think it would be very exciting,” I said.

  “Good, I’m glad. I just wanted to tell you this in person. I’m so pumped and just needed somebody to tell it to and thought of you. I hope I’m not keeping you from class,” he said.

  “I still have a few minutes before I have to head in,” I said.

  “Oh yeah, are you free Friday night? I was hoping that maybe we could have a date,” he said.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think we should go out,” I said, playing a ballsy move.

  “Oh? What did you have in mind, then?” he asked.

  “Maybe I could make you dinner and we could watch a movie at my place? My roommates will be gone, and I’ll have the place to myself,” I said.

  “You want to cook for me?” he asked, smiling.

  “Of course I do. I think it’d be fun,” I said.

  “Then it’s a date,” he replied.