The Fight Club

by P. A. Jones

  He sounded innocent. And I knew he had a point. If I rejected my first client right away, Gavin could get angry, and fire me. If I told Gavin I didn’t want to work with Noah after trying a match with him, I would sound justified.

  "And why would I trust you? What if you decline my claim, and get me in trouble?" I asked.

  "You don't have to. But you are his employee, and he trusts you more than me. You have nothing to lose." He smiled innocently.

  Gavin was a good man. He would take my word over Noah’s. I knew that.

  "Fine. Let's fight tomorrow morning. I’ll kick your ass." I smirked and walked away. This jerk was a bit smart after all, but he judged me wrong. I will be kicking his ass soon. My muscles were already twitching to spar with him.

  ***

  "Are you ready Noah?" I asked. I was itching to go against him, and teach him a lesson or two. I had been practicing this fight in my mind all night, and now, it was time to execute it flawlessly.

  "Here I come!” He charged at me.

  I took him head-on. I bent down and pushed my shoulder into his chest. He tried to flip me, but I stuck my leg out, and in the next moment he was on the ground. The loser took me with him, and my body landed on his, my face just a couple inches away from him. I could feel his breath hitting my cheeks. A strange feeling passed through my body. I somehow liked it.

  "You are a strong woman. I didn't expect that move," he said in surprise.

  "And I didn't expect that you would bring me down with you." I pushed my hands on his chest and stood up, giving him my hand. He took it, jumping to his feet. He pulled me closer, so close that if he wanted he could easily bend his head and kiss me on the lips.

  What the heck I am thinking about? Why would I think about a kiss?

  He smelled like sweat, a smell that I enjoyed. I loved the smell of sweat, because it reminded me of the fight coming ahead.

  "I won't be so lenient next time," he said, his arrogant voice returning.

  "And I won't either." I stuck my leg behind his and pushed him back. He stumbled and hit the ground again. But this time I didn't go with him, because I was careful.

  He had weak legs. If he wants to fight, he needed to work on them. Now it was time to test his upper body.

  "Come on! Get up and fight!" I teased.

  He jumped on his legs and took a stance. I moved forward and hit him with a swing kick. He parried it with his right hand and punched me with the other, which I blocked. In the next moment, I hit him with a drop kick. It was hard to defend, and if he put his hand in-between the shot, he would get hurt.

  But he didn't do that. Instead, he put his chest in the line of kick. That way, the kick impact lightened. As I hit his chest hard, I was pushed back, and I fell on my ass.

  "That was nice," I said, catching my breath. Another unusual movement from him. A normal fighter would’ve moved back, and I would’ve had time to hit him with my other leg. But he took a chance and surprised me. If we were in a real fight, he could’ve taken advantage of my setback and KO'ed me. He had a strong upper body.

  "Does your decision remain the same?" he asked, moving backwards.

  I paused. He was a good fighter, and if I worked with him, I could make him great, which would be good for my career. I had been putting my personal issues ahead of my professional choices. That had to stop now.

  "I think we would work good together. What do you think?" I asked.

  He softened. "I was being an ass that day, when I pushed you over. And I'm sorry for what I said. Please forgive me, and work with me as my trainer."

  I saw honesty in his brown eyes. "It's a deal, then." I extended my hand, and he shook it. We had a deal after all. Maybe he wasn't as big of a jerk as I thought.

  Chapter 9

  Noah

  A day to convince her to work with me, another day to insult her, and a day more to convince her to leave the club. Yes, I needed three days to set my plan in motion and complete it. At first she was reluctant to work with me, but I made sure that she changed her mind. She would learn her lesson very well. I grinned while parking my bike. The fight club was just five miles away from my house, and I used that opportunity to ride my old Ducati.

  "I love you, babe. At least you’re loyal,” I said, caressing the yellow metal. The Ducati was my favorite. It was a present from my Uncle Sam on my eighteenth birthday. Even after six years, I made sure she looked brand new.

  It was five in the morning when I entered the club. I loved that time of day, because I knew the club would be almost empty. I could get time alone for myself, and some time to think about ways to insult that bitch.

  I decided to take a shower as soon I entered. I needed to wipe out the last bit of sleep from my eyes, and be completely fresh and energetic so I could win every spar with her. She was good. She had showed her strength and clever thinking already. I needed to outwit her.

  And then my morning began to sparkle. Julie walked out of the women’s shower room when I passed by, her hair scattered on her face, water droplets falling from her blonde locks. There were few droplets on her eyelids, enhancing her beautiful eyes. There was a small dimple on her right cheek, which beautified her blooming skin.

  "Wow." I couldn't believe that she looked so beautiful, in spite of resemble to Tonya. Heck, she looked nothing like Tonya in that moment. Instead, she looked like a completely different woman, whom I adored in that moment.

  "Noah. You’re already here?" A smile bloomed on her face. I could watch her smile for hours, and wouldn’t grow tired of it. "I didn't expect you here before six."

  She looked surprised, but then, she didn't know I woke up at four every morning to start my daily routine.

  "Julie. Let me get a quick shower, and then meet you in the ring. We’ll have a good spar today." I ran away. The more I looked at her, the more I noticed how pretty she was. Tonya That made me doubt my actions. After all, she looked like Tonya, and deserved every bit of punishment I planned for her.

  "See ya in the ring," she replied with a sweet voice. Tonya What the fuck was happening to me?

  Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in front of her in the ring. "We’ll start with some stretches," she said.

  "I'm fine with the direct match. I do my warm up the moment I get out of bed,” I said.

  "Aha, not a warm up. I want you to yoga-up. It will help the blood to flow through every corner of your body."

  "What's wrong with the jumping jacks and running I do every morning?" I asked.

  "There is nothing wrong with it. But flexibility is the most important aspect in this game. And I don't want you to fail in the match just because you didn't make your muscles flexible enough."

  She replied to my insult with serenity. I felt irritated. I wanted to show her that her ways were futile, and I was the master here.

  "Okay. You win."

  "Whatever you say, Noah." She smiled again, and this time, her dimple roped me closer to her smile.

  She demonstrated me various poses of yoga. They were simple, and at first, I laughed. But when I was down to my fifth round, I was sweating. I never thought that yoga would make me break a sweat.

  "Now, move onto the Warrior." She demonstrated. It was a pose where I had to extend my hands parallel to my body, while standing in a lunge.

  I was worn out by trying the same poses again. I wanted to fight with her and pin her on the ground. And all I got were yoga poses.

  "Stretch your hands on both sides, Noah." She swiftly moved in the same pose and stretched her hand parallel. But she was too close to my body. Her chest was pressed on my back, and something was happening in my trouser.

  What the fuck? Why am I getting aroused by her touch? I had no answer, but the monster rising in my pants wasn't ready to stop. If she walked in front of me, she would find me in a very embarrassing position.

  "That's enough for today. Are you planning to exhaust me with these silly poses?" I stood up, making sure that the erection in my track pants was hidden fr
om her.

  "Come on, Noah. Don't be a jerk. We are just halfway through. We have yet to try Warrior Three. Let me show you how fun much it is." She bent through her waist, and then moved into a forward lunge. She then raised her back leg, and extended both hands in the air. Her tight sports bra was showing me her cleavage, and it was working on me in a very wrong way.

  Fuck. She’s just a normal woman without the curves I love in any woman, and I still get heated up by just looking at her boobs.

  This was bad. I was here to focus on insulting her, but rather, I was appraising her body in my mind. What the fuck was going on?

  "Julie, let's get to training." I grabbed her hand and broke her yoga position.

  She looked at me with furious eyes, but I didn't care what she thought. I needed her to stop.

  "You’re a jerk.”

  "Whatever you say," I replied, taking a stance. I would beat her in the ring.

  We judged each other by moving in circles, opposite to each other. Though I could beat that young kid a couple of days back, it was only possible in rage. In reality, I had not practiced for almost three years now and beating Julie would be tough.

  Julie charged forward. I expected her to take me head-on, but she diverted her path and threw a sidekick at me when she passed my right side.

  I ducked to dodge her kick, but it threw me off balance and I hit the ground. She stood there with a serious look on her face. She gave me a hand to get up, but instead of taking her hand, I moved quickly and wrapped her waist in a hug, planning to throw her over the top of my head. It was a wrestling tactic I learned from one of my friends.

  But she expected that, and flipped before I could lift her in the air. The result was her breast pressing against my face, and my back on the floor, again infuriating me. But then an ecstatic warmth emerged in my body as I could feel her hard nipples pressed on my cheeks. My nose was perfectly placed in-between the two round blossoms. It was the ultimate arousal I could feel in that moment. My tongue was itching to lick her nipples.

  God damn, Noah. Push her away.

  I did so. I didn't like the way she was making me feel. Tonya

  "I wish you had a curvy body when you thought of rubbing your nipples on my face." I chuckled in a sarcastic way, to insult her.

  She didn't say a word, but her eyes told me that my insult had worked. She stood up and waited until I was once again standing.

  "Now come on, and don't rub your boobs on my face again," I said, jibing her on.

  She jumped in the air and her knee hit my chest pretty hard. I moved slightly back to avoid some of the impact. If I hadn't anticipated her move, she would’ve done some damage to my ribs. But still her kick had the power to knock me down on the ground. Then she was on back of me, wrapping her hands around my neck in a death lock.

  Fuck, what is she thinking? Is she going to kill me today? Her grip was tightening, and I was losing it. I tapped on the ground frantically. There was no escape from the trap. She had to release me, or I would die.

  Thankfully, she loosened her grip.

  I took a deep breath. "Have you gone mad?" I shouted after I caught my breath. But she had already left the ring.

  "She’s fucking crazy," I whispered as I walked to the shower room. "If she ever does that again, I’ll complaint about her."

  But then again, it was her job to train me, and my opponent in the ring wouldn't take the time to teach me anything. He would just beat the shit out of me.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Am I losing it? I was missing my touch. Three years back I fought fiercely. Maybe because I was in my prime. I should’ve anticipated her move. If I had moved a little and locked my own hands, I could’ve saved myself from that lock. My prime fights flashed in front of me when I took a shower.

  When I left the showers I found she was standing outside, talking with another man. A fighter, actually. A fighter in his prime. I knew it, because he looked the way I used to.

  Something was kicking inside my brain. I felt hostile towards that bastard. Why was he talking to Julie, and why was he standing so close to her?

  What the fuck I am thinking about? Why would I even bother caring about who she talks to?

  I needed a girl. I needed someone to fuck that evening. I looked around, and I found a trainer walking by.

  "Hello, miss." I flashed a smile at her.

  "Hello Mr..."

  "Noah Rich, owner of the Orange Computers. And you are?”

  I knew she would be ready to fuck me by that evening, just by the way she looked at me with those dreamy eyes. It was the look of a girl ready to warm my bed in the night.

  Chapter 10

  Julie

  Noah’s words remained with me the rest of the day. How could he comment on my body? I carried myself with pride, and he was no one to comment on it. At the same time, I wished he didn’t mean them.

  What the fuck. I was right before. He was the biggest asshole I had ever met in my life. But some part of my mind hoped that it was just a joke. Yet why did I feel insulted when he said those words? If he was joking, I shouldn't care at all. If I grasped his nature, he was flirty, and arrogant. I felt kind of bad. Why was he affecting me this much?

  No, Julie. You are a fighter and fighters don’t have lots of curves. Fighters have muscles.

  There was a spark that flew between us. What was that about? When he wrapped me in his arms, and when my breasts were pressed on his mouth, I felt like he was trying to suck my nipple.

  Oh god, what is happening to me? Am I feeling so horny that I'm daydreaming? I'm not looking for any relationship, and fucking my client is out of the question. Come on, Julie. You need to get a hold of yourself.

  But then, the way he looked in his sleeveless tee, his muscular abs exaggerating all that he had…wow. I felt like I wanted to touch them, and imprint them in my mind.

  God, what was I thinking? I had seen hundreds of better abs in my life. Heck, I worked with them, and still my mind was fixated on Noah's body.

  "Julie, he insulted you, so get him off your mind quickly," I whispered again.

  "Are you talking to someone, Julie?" someone asked. I turned back to look at them. A fighter was standing in front of me, looking puzzled.

  "Was I talking out loud?" I asked.

  "I didn't hear what you said. But I wanted to make sure that I didn't disturb you."

  "How do you know my name?" I had never met this man.

  "Mark told me about you. I'm Tony Wade. I fight in states league."

  "Hi Tony. How may I help you?" So he was a fellow fighter. As a trainer, it was my job to help these guys and not have fantasies about them. Yes, Noah was totally out of my league, and he was a jerk on top of everything.

  "I was wondering if you could do me a favor." His blue eyes lurked with hope.

  "Yes. I'm here to help." I smiled at him, to give him confidence.

  "Thank God. I was so afraid to ask you about that. You know, I kind of... don't talk with girls."

  "No worries. I can understand, people have different orientations." So he was gay. But that was perfectly fine with me. I was there to work with him and not judge him on his sexual fantasies. Heck, I had my own fantasies, and I was trying to run away from them.

  "Why would you say that?" He looked puzzled. He was scratching his head now.

  "I know your issue. It’s perfectly normal to be different."

  "Different? What kind of different? Why do you think I'm different?" His voice was bewildered.

  "It's okay, Tony. You don't have to hide it from everyone. I have friends who are like you." I was bitterly reminded of Eddie. But he was gone for good, and it wasn’t fair to hate other gay people just because my ex-boyfriend turned out to be one of them.

  "Please tell me what’s going on? I don't get girls." He grabbed his hair, eyebrows pulling together.

  "Don't be shy, Tony. I know you’re gay. It's perfectly fine." I touched his shoulder. I saw Noah looking at us from the corner of my eye. He looked furious. H
e walked towards Rose, who was standing in front of the pool. Why was he going to her? He didn’t work with her, so why would he approach her?

  "What? Why would you say that?" The words dropped out of his mouth.

  "You only mentioned that you like talking to boys."

  "I didn’t say that." His jaw fell wide open.

  "Relax, Tony. It's okay. And I will help you no matter what.” I hoped his issue would be something related to training, and not an emotional breakdown. I wasn't ready to hear him crying over some boyfriend running away. My mind was still dwelling on Eddie.

  "Okay, lady. I don't know what really got into you, but I'm not gay,” Tony said, a bit angrily. “I have issues talking to girls because I'm a shy person. And I want your help to work on my shoulder. Jimmy told me that you did wonders on his shoulder other day, so I wanted to see if you could help me with mine, too."

  "Oh. So you’re not gay then.”

  "Why do you sound like you are disappointed? Is it bad that I’m straight?" He rolled his eyes, and I tried not to laugh.

  "Never mind. I'm just glad your problem has something to do with your shoulder." Thank God. I was saved from becoming a complete emotional disaster.

  "You are weird, girl," he said.

  I giggled. "I guess. So tell me, what kind of help do you want?"

  "I have a match tomorrow. Nothing big, but with another fight club. For a few days, my shoulder has been hurting. I was wondering if you can check it. If you are not too busy."

  "I'll check right that away. Lie down on the bench here for me." I pointed to a massage bench.

  "Sure, girl."

  He wasn't shy to remove his shirt. He had a marvelous body, chiseled, every muscle popping. But he wasn’t my kind of guy. A giggle spurted out of my mouth when I remembered our conversation just now.

  "Why are you laughing? Don’t I look like a fighter when I'm shirtless?" he made another funny face. "Damn. I knew it. This is why I never talk to girls."