by Jayne Blue
“Jessie, wave to Cassidy!” Whitey bellowed. The fighter lifted a gloved hand towards her in salute.
“Now back to work.” Whitey barked at his grandson.
“We got a lot of siblings, father-son, and such in here, fighting runs in families.”
“I see.”
“I’m going to get over to the ring, if you have a question, ask. And here’s the number to the guy to talk to from GWG management, Sawyer. It’s California so they won’t be up for what? Is it three hours? Who the hell knows?”
“I’ll get going.”
“Good. There’s a hook over there for your coat. And we got a fridge and microwave in the back. Though it don’t look like you eat at all, girlie.”
“I do fine.” Whitey narrowed his eyes at her and turned to the two in the ring. It was clear he didn’t miss much.
“You two. Is that the intensity I can expect today? You look like you’re under water. Step it up.” Whitey walked to the ring and it was then that Cassidy noticed who was in it — Craddock and another guy that looked nearly as dangerous. Most of the men in this placed looked like they could remove your limbs with their bare hands.
Cassidy watched as the slow sparring Whitey complained about got fast and violent. She was transfixed as Craddock Flynn jabbed and charged while his opponent tried to fend him off. He backed his sparring partner up against the ropes and paused. Craddock looked her right in the eyes and finished it. A punch to the jaw had his sparring partner with his hands up and in what was a purely defensive stance.
“Okay, okay, no need to kill him. Jonesy, you step over to the bags. Craddock, get some water, then partner up with Jessie after he’s warmed up and work on your holds a little. I want to see if you’re finishing that choke or not.”
Whitey was barely done giving the orders when Craddock Flynn jumped out of the ring and strode across the gym to where Cassidy was trying to pretend they hadn’t locked eyes.
“Good morning, Cassidy. You look gorgeous today.”
“Good morning, and don’t you think gorgeous is a little bit of an overkill in the compliment department?”
Gorgeous? She blushed pretty much everywhere. This man’s lines worked on her, she realized. Even if she was working hard not to show it.
“You are. I like your hair like that in a bun, like mine. Though I liked it down yesterday, too.” She touched a tendril that had escaped.
“You going into hairdressing if this fighting thing doesn’t work out?” She was trying to keep a tough exterior around him. Though he looked like the toughest thing in the city, she had her own brand of tough. She figured she better use it or be another notch on this guy’s fight belt.
“No. I’m just into your hair. A lot of it there for such a little package underneath.” She was embarrassed. He probably fawned over the big-boobed, booty-shaking types. She was more in the Anna Kendrick size department.
“I do just fine.”
“I bet. And you look just fine. See you later, Cassidy. Oh, and thanks for watching me work out. I like it. You looking at me turns me on.” Craddock winked, then turned and headed to the mat where they were working on what was the word? Oh yeah, grappling. She inferred that meant wrestling. He really did love himself. But unfortunately, he was right. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She spent the morning getting the computer set up. By mid-day, she had it up and running. She took a phone call with the California manager of GWG, Sawyer, on what they wanted regarding membership and other forms online. She even started entering membership information on each fighter who worked out there. Once they were all in, all they’d need is a new magnetic card to swipe.
Whitey came over at one point to check on her.
“You came in on the right day. I was getting heat to get this stuff done and now you’re almost finished!”
“We can start issuing the cards tomorrow and by the end of the week everyone will just swipe and we’ll be able to keep track without all the files cabinets.”
“Good work. You’re a smart little cookie. Pretty as a picture too. Anyone too fresh?”
“No, sir. I’m fine.” She decided not to let him know that Craddock kept catching her eye and looked like he would eat her alive. Along with that, she’d had winks from quite a few of the other guys, the terms sweetheart, hottie, and darling were flung at her from all directions. She decided it was part of the job and harmless. She’d told them her name was Cassidy, not sweet cheeks, and that usually took care of it. Except in Craddock’s case.
At around 1 p.m. she realized she hadn’t eaten and laid her little lunch out on the desk as she continued to enter the gym members into the new database she’d set up with the GWG guidelines. There were about 100 members, mostly men, but a few badass women. She may need to watch them a little closer too, badassery could come in handy in this place, she thought.
Cassidy jumped in her chair a little when Zeke Powell pounced over and sat on the side of her desk. He had his own lunch in hand and a mouth full of food. Powell’s light hair and skin were the perfect counterpoint to Craddock’s dark hair and deeper skin tone. They were opposite and the same in a lot of ways. While Craddock had tats on his back, Zeke Powell had just one, a cross, on his shoulder. He was the cleanest cut of the bunch, she’d decided.
“I thought we’d have a lunch date together,” Zeke said between bites.
“Oh really?” Somehow his hitting on her was less laden with sex. It was a relief to some degree. Zeke, while just as muscle-bound as Craddock, didn’t act like he was picturing her naked.
“Not exactly doing a good job of a balanced lunch there, Cassidy.” Zeke smiled at her and she couldn’t help but smile back. She liked him.
“I suppose not. What’s your lunch today?”
“Two turkey sandwiches on rye, two apples, a bag of chips, don’t tell Whitey, and a cookie. Also, half a gallon of Gatorade. My momma knows what I like.”
“Well, you’re lucky, then. What does momma or daddy do?”
“He’s a pastor and she’s the pastor’s wife. Sort of a full-time job, too.”
“I see, and you beat people up for a living? Not too Christian of you.” Cassidy took a sip of her water bottle.
“Well it’s my talent, fighting, and Jesus doesn’t want us to hide our talents, so actually, not fighting is the sin.”
“Interesting. Never thought of it that way.” Cassidy was done with her meager lunch and carefully dumped the crumbs from her napkin into the nearby garbage can. She folded the brown bag so she could use it tomorrow. It was still good.
“What do you do? Any hobbies besides dealing with us here at GWG?”
“I’m a fourth-degree black belt in jui-jitsu so there’s that.” She gave him a wink like he’d done to her earlier.
“That actually would help around here. We’re an overwhelming bunch and aren’t used to having someone who smells so fresh in our midst.”
“Well thank you, soap and shampoo, quite the beauty secret.”
“Craddock Flynn seems to like it just fine. You’re a really nice girl, can I offer a friendly warning?” Zeke had gotten serious all of a sudden.
“We’re friends?”
“I hope so. We’re practically BFFs now that we eat lunch together. It’s our thing.” Zeke Powell was funny, she had to give him that.
“Okay, what’s the friendly warning?”
“Be really careful with Craddock. He comes on strong and he’s dangerous. He’s got a not-so-friendly side. Let me know if he gets fresh.”
“Fresh? Is this 1956? Thank you, but I’m good. Besides, fourth-degree black belt, remember?”
“Oh yes, very scary!” They laughed. It felt good to laugh with Zeke.
“You know, you’re welcome to come to visit the chu-”
“Is he bothering you? Why don’t you get your fat ass off her desk and show some respect?”
“You’re being an asshole, as usual, the lady and I are on a lunch date.” Cassidy watched as Zeke Powell
seemed to enjoy instigating anger in Craddock. It did not seem like a what-would-Jesus-do characteristic. But Craddock was no saint, either. Zeke stood up and the two men were chest to chest. All of a sudden her cup-a-soup “date” with Zeke was turning into World War Three. If these two got her fired…
“Lunch date? Don’t flatter yourself.” Craddock said. It didn’t look like either man was planning on backing down. Cassidy saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of her eye. Maybe Whitey had noticed the ruckus. Shit.
“Zeke, thank you, I need this job.” It was her way of begging them to cool it. She shot a look toward Whitey, who appeared irritated by the distraction her presence had caused. Zeke caught her meaning, thank God. Maybe God was on his side, after all.
Zeke broke off the stare down with Craddock, releasing the tension between the two men to some degree. “Back off Craddock. We don’t want to get her in trouble. And Cassidy, thanks for lunch.” The two men eyed each other. Would they have fought right there if she hadn’t asked Zeke to think of her job?
Clearly the two fighters hated each other and it wasn’t just about who had lunch with her. She wondered what it was about. Zeke eased away from her work area.
Craddock looked at her now that Zeke was clearly stepping back.
“He’s the snake in the garden. Trust me on that.”
Zeke rolled his eyes at the warning. “Whatever Flynn. You’re over reacting as usual.”
“Fuck off.”
Zeke sauntered over to the free-weight area of the gym. Cassidy felt grateful that Zeke understood her distress. Craddock on the other hand…
“We were just eating our lunches.” Why she felt like she needed to explain this to Craddock Flynn, she had no idea.
“You’re not dating anyone in here, but me.” Craddock crouched down to her level and then grabbed the arms of her rolling office chair and jerked it toward him. Shocked, she inhaled sharply as she swerved forward.
“I’m not dating anyone in here, period.” It was a whisper and sounded more seductive than she’d planned.
“We’ll see.” He ran a finger along her jawline, down her chin, to the hollow spot at the base of her neck. A part of her wanted to reach out with her mouth and draw it in. What what she thinking?? She was at work, not out to find a boyfriend.
“As soft as I thought it would feel.”
She swallowed hard and pushed her chair back away, leaving Craddock slightly out of reach. He fixed an almost mean gaze on her, and she felt goose bumps rise up on her arms. She hoped he didn’t notice that.
Craddock got up and strutted back to his training station. Cassidy struggled to remember what day it was after that little exchange. No one she’d ever encountered affected her the way he did. She was determined not to get sucked in, though. She didn’t know how she would accomplish that, but in the deepest part of her, the part where logic or survival or life plans didn’t reign supreme, she felt something unfamiliar stirring. Something she’d never let see the light of day before. A strange warm feeling in her core, her chest, her mind.
She wanted Craddock. She wanted his finger to continue its trail on her skin, to the top of her blouse, and beyond. The image of him doing just that blossomed in her mind and she could still feel the hot trail of his touch on her skin. This was bad, so very, very bad.
The phone rang. Good. Work. Distraction. Life.
“Great Wolf Gym,” she answered with a confidence she didn’t feel, but she pulled it together to finish her first day on the job.
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