by M. L. Young
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just going to have to make sure I get myself off before going back for a date like that, or else something will happen. I can’t believe I pulled back,” I said, laughing.
“Hey, I’ve done that tactic before. It’s helped many men get through painful sexless times,” he said, laughing. “So, what’s going on with this fight you told us about? Sorry to change the subject, but I don’t want to forget.”
“I’m supposed to sign the contracts tomorrow at work with Tino. It’s for a single fight at the pay-per-view in a few weeks. I’m not sure where it’s being held, I bet the paperwork will say where,” I said.
“No idea about the opponent?” he asked.
“Not a clue, but I’m not scared. I know I’ll get a knockout,” I said.
“That’s my boy, exuding that confidence. I think we’re all going to head downtown and watch the fight. We’re all chipping in to buy it. Once it’s official I know this town is going to go nuts,” he said.
“You think?” I asked, smiling.
“Dude, are you serious? Our own hometown boy is fighting a pro fight on national pay-per-view. People will be wearing shirts and making posters and shit. You come back here after a win and you’ll get a damn parade,” he said, laughing.
“I hope to make you all proud,” I said, smiling, as I looked around at the emptiness of my apartment.
“Well, I better get going here, Anna’s walking through the door and wants to talk about something,” Bentley said.
“Okay, man, thanks for the pep talk, I appreciate it. See ya,” I said.
“Take care, goodnight,” he said.
I set my phone down, looked around, and felt both full and empty at the same time. Here was to hoping the fight was in Iowa.
•••
“Hey kid, they’re back here,” Tino said as I walked in the gym.
“Be there in a minute,” I said, walking to the back.
I quickly tossed my bag into my locker and briskly walked to his office like a kid on Christmas morning about to open a giant present he’d waited for all year. There, on his desk, was a thick manila envelope, and inside was my future.
“You ready?” he asked, the sleeve still sealed.
“Yeah,” I said, sitting down.
He opened the envelope and pulled out the crisp white documents before starting to scan them. “Yup,” he mumbled periodically while reading over bits and pieces.
I found the page that I was most interested in, the compensation page, as I saw the exact same numbers that I was told in the meeting. Twenty-five grand for a loss, fifty for a win, and two more bounties on the table for every fighter for best knockout of the night and best submission of the night. I could walk out of there with so much money, and I knew I’d get a great chance at a contract if I won my fight and then got one of those bounties as well. Imagine, Liam Hawthorne, professional signed fighter. The thought alone made me smile so hard my cheeks hurt.
“I think it’s all here, kid. It’s all up to your signature now. As soon as you sign I’ll go down to the law office and deliver it myself to make sure it gets there,” Tino said.
“Where is it happening?” I asked.
“Boston, it looks like. It says they’ll pay for all travel accommodations, including train fare, hotel, and even a food stipend for two days. Looks like it’s for you and a guest, too. Have anybody you want to bring along?” he asked.
“Maybe,” I said, smiling.
“Well, here’s where you need to make it official,” he said, putting the final piece of paper in front of me.
“I just can’t believe it,” I said, with warmth in my stomach.
“You’ve worked so hard, harder than most, and you’ve given your blood, sweat, and tears to this career. I remember when I first saw you I saw the potential in you and a true champion fighter who’d take over the world if given the chance. I knew I was right, and that’s when I knew I had to take a chance on you,” he said, patting my back.
“Have a pen?” I asked.
Tino handed me one, and I took off the cap and pushed the ball to the paper. I only wished that my family were here to celebrate this occasion with me. That was the only thing that would make this better, especially after the sacrifices they made with wrestling when I was growing up. They gave up their time to make sure I could excel in the sport, and now I was going to make them proud and let them know those countless hours, days, and weeks weren’t wasted. I was going to make my mother proud.
I signed my name, big and bold like I was John Hancock in Independence Hall, before Tino co-signed next to me and stuffed the fat stack of papers back into the envelope. “I’ll leave now. Take care of the place while I’m gone,” he said before walking out.
I walked to my locker, got changed, and started my sparring and warm-up training right away. I needed to be in peak physical shape for this fight.
Chapter Ten
Jessica
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Taylor asked as I packed my bag three and a half weeks later.
“Of course I will, why wouldn’t I be okay?” I asked.
“You’ve never really traveled like this before,” she said.
“I won’t be alone, though. I’ll have Liam there with me. It’s for his fight, after all,” I said.
“How long are you going to be gone?” she asked.
“Tonight and tomorrow. His fight is tomorrow night, and then we’ll be back on Sunday early afternoon. We’re taking the train,” I said.
“Well, just be safe. I know you’re cautious, but you’ll be somewhere strange,” she said.
“Hey, I’m already somewhere strange, remember? We live in New York, after all,” I said.
My phone buzzed and it was Liam telling me he was about five minutes away. I zipped up my carry-on bag and stuffed some last-minute things like my phone charger and tablet into my purse. “Well, I should head out, he’s almost here,” I said as I lugged my bag sideways through my bedroom door.
“Have fun, and don’t forget to let us know when you get to the hotel or whatever,” Taylor said, while Emily sat on the couch eating chips.
“I will,” I said, grabbing my keys and heading out.
I decided not to tell my parents about going out of town with a guy I’d known for like a month, mainly because I knew what they’d say. My dad would probably freak out more than my mom, and they wouldn’t want me to go, even though I was fully grown and could do what I wanted. They wanted what was best for me, but I wasn’t a child anymore. Besides, it wasn’t a total vacation. The train took like four or five hours, and then Liam had to keep himself fairly rested and in shape for the big fight tomorrow night.
“Ready to go?” he asked as I walked out of my building.
“Yup, I have everything ready to go,” I said, and he came and helped me with my suitcase.
He had a car ready for us, just to take us to Penn Station where our train was waiting.
“This is so exciting,” I said, smiling ear to ear.
“I’m starting to feel the nerves,” he said.
We’d decided to stay in the same room together, even though we weren’t together yet in an official sense. We still hadn’t spent the night with one another yet, so this was going to be a big deal for our budding relationship. The promotion only paid for one room, and neither of us could spring for another just for me, and we were getting fairly close anyway. It only seemed natural.
The train was densely packed, a Friday afternoon apparently being a busy time to travel to Boston. We found our first-class seats and slid into them. I took the window seat, to give Liam more legroom with the aisle, and wrapped my arm around his while we waited for departure. “Comfy?” he asked.
“Very much so, thank you,” I said, squeezing harder on his arm.
He just laughed a little, looking ahead, before the train started to move and our first adventure together began. Who would’ve guessed a month ago when I panicked in the coffee sho
p that I’d be going to a professional fight, and my hopefully soon-to-be boyfriend would be fighting in it. It was crazy, and thankfully, it was my reality.
•••
“You’re in room 223, Mr. Hawthorne. If there’s anything at all we can do to make your stay more pleasant, please don’t hesitate to let us know,” the concierge said.
“Will do, thank you for your help,” Liam said, taking the room key cards.
“Here you go,” he said, handing one to me.
“This lobby is so beautiful,” I said, looking around.
The lobby had marble, a fireplace, and even some chairs and couches set up for guests in a cozy atmosphere. The elevators had shiny golden doors and the hallways were well lit and actually clean. The PFC really sprang for a place like this, that was for sure.
“Here we are, room 223,” Liam said, opening the door.
“Holy shit,” I said as the door opened.
There was a view looking over the city, at least a little bit of it, and a basket full of assorted goodies sitting on the table up front. “Read the note,” I said.
“Dear Liam, thank you for signing for this match and putting your faith in the PFC. We know what you’re capable of, and we hope to have a great future with you in it. Your friends at the PFC,” he read, opening the basket.
“Fruit bars, granola, organic candy—man, you really got a good one,” I said as I perused the items and planned what order I was going to eat them in.
Liam walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out across the view before I walked next to him and looked up at him. “You know, it’s just so crazy that I’m here right now. I’m about to have the biggest fight of my career tomorrow, the one that will determine my career going forward, and I’m just finally getting this opportunity,” he said, not breaking his stare out the windows.
“And you have me to cheer you on and make sure you reach those goals,” I said when he looked down at me.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said with a smile.
•••
Even though Liam and I were supposed to take it easy, we didn’t that night. We had dinner nearby at a small French restaurant that was highly rated online, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the reviews were very accurate. It was romantic, Liam was calm and relaxed, and even though I tried to get him to have a drink, he said no alcohol before the fight. I gave up trying, and instead had some of what was supposed to be his glass. He promised me we’d drink after the fight, so I told him I’d keep him to that offer.
We took the rest of the night to walk around town, just holding hands and enjoying the scenery, as neither of us had ever been to Boston. He told me that Tino wouldn’t be here until the morning, so we didn’t have to worry about anything and could just enjoy life together. And boy, did we.
Chapter Eleven
Liam
“I really don’t feel all that good,” Jessica said later that night.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I just think I need some medicine, like something for nausea. I don’t think this food is sitting well,” she said, and I felt her forehead.
“You’re getting a little warm. I’ll go get you something,” I said.
“I don’t want you to have to before your fight. You need to rest. I’ll go get it,” she said, trying to get out of bed.
“No, you stay here, I’ll go. There’s a pharmacy open twenty-four hours I saw not too far from here. We passed it when we were walking. I’ll get you some ginger ale, too, and maybe some crackers,” I said, putting on my shoes.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. You’re so good to me,” she said, smiling.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said before heading out.
The streets of Boston weren’t too bad, though I always kept my guard up while in a big city at night—especially when I didn’t know anything about that city. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was a fighter, or because I was from a small town and just felt guarded when in a big city, but I never let my guard down.
The pharmacy, a chain, was pretty empty aside from a few workers and one woman looking at greeting cards as I walked in. I nodded hello and went back to the medicine aisles, where I found some anti-nausea medicine, before grabbing a two-liter of ginger ale and a box of saltine crackers.
“Ten seventy-seven,” the cashier said, his eyes looking a little bloodshot, like he’d been here for hours.
I swiped my card and got a bag before heading back towards the hotel. It was about seven minutes away, a quick walk, but as I turned around a corner, I started to put my guard up.
“Hey, hey you, buddy, come here,” one of three men said.
“Man, he’s big, like a linebacker or something,” another said.
I continued to walk towards them without saying a word.
“Are you a mute or something?” one asked, laughing.
I could see a bottle in his hand, his speech slurred to the point that I knew he’d been drinking. “Sorry, man, have somewhere to be,” I said politely, not stopping.
“Hey dude, we asked you to come here,” one man said, putting his hand on my chest to stop me as I approached.
“Please don’t touch me,” I said.
“Oh, the big man doesn’t like being touched. What’s the matter, you can’t hang out for a second?” he asked.
“I just have to get some medicine to somebody I care about. I don’t want any trouble,” I said as I smelled the vicious aroma of booze on their breath.
They circled around me, one behind, and two in front of me, though to either side. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to walk away from this. “Listen, man, you don’t want to do this. Just let me walk away and nobody will get hurt,” I said.
“Give me your wallet,” the one in front said.
“I can’t do that,” I said.
“I said, give me your wallet,” he said, coming forward and reaching for my pocket.
I punched him, my hand grazing his jaw, as he’d moved at the last second and didn’t allow me a clean blow. I felt something hit me from behind, at the base of my neck, before I was hit again behind the knee and fell down.
“Get him,” one said, and I felt weight on top of me and kicks to my back and side.
I tried to fight back, but all I could see were stars. The hit to the neck really knocked the wind out of me and completely turned off my hand-eye coordination. “Get off him! Get off!” I heard from a distance.
“Shit, get out of here,” the guy said, and I heard them run off.
“Sir, are you okay? Sir?” the man asked, as I looked up at him and saw double.
“My phone, get my phone,” I said, pointing towards my pocket.
“Who can I call? We have to get you to the hospital,” he said.
“Call Jessica, in my phone. She’s at the hotel nearby. Call her,” I said, and everything went blank.
Chapter Twelve
Jessica
“Hey, get lost already?” I asked when Liam called.
“My name is Harold, I just scared off some guys who were attacking this guy whose phone I’m using. They beat him up pretty bad. An ambulance is coming to take him to the hospital and he told me to call you before he blacked out,” the man said.
I froze, my nausea coming full term before I threw up in the wastebasket next to me. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I was speechless. He went out for me, and now he was going to the hospital because of it. I knew I shouldn’t have let him go.
“Where? What hospital? I’m coming now,” I said, jumping out of bed.
I burst through the hospital doors and asked where the room was. The man had rode with Liam, for whatever reason, and kept me in the loop, though he didn’t know which room he was in.
“Jessica?” I heard from behind me.
“Yes?” I asked, turning around.
“I’m Harold, this is my wife, Connie. We found your husband, Liam,” he said.
“Oh, he’s not my husb
—. How is he?” I asked.
“We don’t really know anything. Here’s his phone, though. I’m not sure if you know anybody else to call. I didn’t want to go through his phone or his personal belongings,” he said.
“Thank you so much for this. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t know he was taken here,” I said, starting to cry.
“Well, I’m happy to help. He got jumped pretty bad, and I hope he’ll be okay. We just wanted to meet you and give you his phone, though. We really should get going, the sitter is getting antsy,” Harold said.
“Yes, of course, thank you so much for your help and kindness. I know Liam appreciates it so much,” I said, tears in my eyes.
The waiting room was half-full, and as I looked around at the nurses and staff, I knew I had to see him. The only problem was that I wasn’t family, and they wouldn’t let me in. I’d had this problem with my best friend when I was younger, and it took her parents bringing me in for me to see her. I understood privacy laws and protecting people, but I was all he had here right now, and he needed me.
I decided to play a secret agent, as stupid as that sounds, and walked through the doors like I knew where I was going while I looked for Liam. I looked at the directory, finding the emergency room, and decided to start there. Nobody questioned me, not even security, as I slyly peeked through every open curtain.
Finally, as if through a saving grace, I saw him, just as the nurse came out of the room and left the curtain open.
“Liam,” I said, rushing towards him.
“Hey,” he said, stretching his back.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I was coming back from the pharmacy and these three drunk guys beat me up. I could’ve taken them, but one hit me with like a pipe or something in the back of the neck and that really screwed me up,” he said.