by P. A. Jones
"Ease up. Let me have a look at your knot." I pushed him on the bench and examined his back. It looked much stiffer than it should have been. "Aren't you taking regular therapy sessions after matches?"
"Please don't tell this to Gavin, but I have missed some in the last few days."
"That's not good, Tony. You’ll break your back if you continue like this. Physical therapy is a must for fighters like you." I sighed. These new fighters thought they could get away with anything.
"I heard you’re new to the city. Did you get a place?" he asked while I worked on the knot I found in his shoulder.
"Orison Avenue, just four blocks down from here."
"Wow. I live next to that block. We’re practically neighbors." His voice cheered up. This man was like a kid. He was really something. I liked it. He gave me friendly vibes, instead of the lustful ones I usually got from men.
"So how did you get into fighting?" I was getting bored by working on his shoulder. I was hoping for some conversation.
"It's a long story, thanks to Gavin. He literally lifted me up from the slums. I was an orphan boy, worked at a local store back in the day and fought in an underground league in the night. Gavin saw me and asked me to join."
"But I guess the fees here must be more than you were earning?" If Gavin was paying me a huge amount of money, he must be getting a good income from every fighter here.
"Well, Gavin is a billionaire, he inherited his money from his family. He could run this club for plenty of years without getting a single penny from anyone here. Anyways, in my case, he offered me sponsorship. Now I fight for his team. He is a superb person. I wish if I had met him before I got into the underground league." He sounded sad.
"Look at the positives. You seem to be doing good now. And I'm sure you will do great in this fight." I tried to cheer him up.
"Yes, I will do anything to help Gavin's team. He’s my mentor, and a friend.” He smiled.
I finished. "You’re done, neighbor. But you have to promise me that you will get therapy done regularly from now on." I was afraid that he would just continue neglecting therapy after the match.
"Of course. I'm already feeling wonderful. Are you done for today?"
"Done?"
"I mean, is your work finished?”
"Yes. I was actually going out when you called me. I'm leaving a bit early today."
"What about lunch, then? Please, let me buy you a lunch, as a token of my gratitude."
"Don't worry. Gavin pays me for it." I grinned. He was a nice guy.
"I know a good joint around the corner. I'm sure you will like coffee from there."
I could already feel the aromatic taste of coffee in my mouth. I loved coffee, and Tony looked like a good guy. But I had some shopping to get done, so I couldn't join him. "Not today, Tony. I'm sorry. I've some work to do."
"What about dinner then? I know a good place. Please don't say no to that." He asked again, with a puppy face this time.
I relented "Okay. Call me when you’re ready to go." I gave him my number. He lived around the area, and it couldn’t hurt to learn where the best places to eat were. It would come in handy someday.
Chapter 11
Noah
When I looked around, I regretted letting Rose choose the place for the dinner. She chose a cheap place, which I wouldn't visit even in my wildest dreams. Apparently, it was the best place she knew.
Why did I allow her to pick? I didn't have the answer. Maybe I was too distracted by the way Julie was talking with that guy. My mind was still trying to believe that it was real. She was exclusive to me, so why would she talk with another fighter?
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I was thinking too much about her. It was because she seduced me by pushing her boobs on my face. It's all because of the dry spell I'm going through. I haven’t had sex in last six days.
But the dry spell would be over in an hour. Rose was my twenty-eighth Monday girl. I would get her to my hotel as fast as possible, and then fuck her brains out. My cock was already throbbing at the thought of getting inside her pussy.
When I came to this restaurant, I felt cheated. But now, thinking about Rose, made everything different. I was scoring tonight.
"Hi, sweetheart." Rose bent down on my shoulder to kiss me, pressing her round tits on my cheeks.
I wrapped my hand around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Her ass pressed on my rock hard cock.
"Easy, beast. I'm all yours after dinner," She giggled, and I let her go. I could wait. After all, it wasn't the first sex I’d ever had.
"I was just checking. I needed to make sure that you’re good in bed when naked." I winked.
"And what did you find?"
"You’re not wearing anything under that dress."
"What? How did you know?" She sat next to me and pressed her hand on my cock. It jumped against my trousers and kissed her hand. "My, my. Your little man is already ready to jump in. What did you eat for lunch today?"
She sounded cheap. She didn't know how to talk dirty. Maybe she was type of girl I never sleep with. But because of this fighting gig, I didn't have time to find a high-class girl to fuck. And I didn't like empty Mondays or prostitutes.
I pulled her little closer and pushed my hand up her skirt. As I predicted, she wasn't wearing anything under there. She was wet, and I liked it. It would be easy to slide my cock inside her and pin her on the bed.
"Did you hear about Tony?" She picked up my glass of wine. That was another thing. I hated when a girl drank from my glass. It was a tasteless thing to do.
"Tony?"
"Yeah, him and the new girl? Julie?"
Fuck! Why would she talk about other people when I was rubbing my fingers against her clit? She was acting like she had no sensation down there. I pulled my hand out of her skirt. The thought of sex with her was thrown to back of my mind. It wasn’t fun anymore. She fucking talked about Julie, and I didn’t want to hear about her.
"Yes, she’s my trainer. What about her?" I asked with mild interest.
"I think she’s trying to sleep with you. Keep yourself away from that bitch."
"What?" Why did she say that? Julie hated me.
"She’s trying to hook with Tony. He’s a big name out here. Gavin made sure that he got best training, and the best supervision for the next year's league. But Julie is trying to get in his bed. I know that for sure."
"Who’s Tony?" Why was Rose hell bent on discussing Julie’s love life?
"When you asked me out this morning, Julie was talking with him. Didn't you see her?"
"No. I didn't." I lied. I didn't want her to know that I had, indeed, seen them together.
"He’s a seasoned fighter. He will get big. And I think Julie wants to cash in when he does. I don't like that bitch. And I'm worried about you too, darling. You’re an innocent person. She’ll corrupt you, too."
She touched my cheek and behaved like she cared about me. Fucking crazy girl.
"I don't know him. And I'm not bothered with him right now," I said in an irritated voice.
"Look at the corner table! Both of them are sitting there," she hissed.
Instantly, I turned my head. Rose was right. Julie and Tony were sitting right by us.
My eyes fixated on Julie. She looked gorgeous. She had loosened her hair and placed the locks on her shoulder. She looked nothing like Tonya. Her lush lips were moving, and I wished I could kiss them.
I shook my head. What the hell I was thinking? I hated her, and all I could think about was kissing those red lips. And the dimple on her cheek. It was killing me with every smile she shared with Tony. Damn, why was she talking with that guy? She should be with me, sitting in front of me, sharing something funny.
But instead I had Rose, drinking the wine from my glass, irritating me with her nonsensical blabber. I remembered this is why I only fucked high class girls, they know manners, and they don't come behind you blabbering all the nonsense in the world. But Julie was something different. She amaze
d the heck out of me. She was opposite of what I believed she was. When girls knew who I was, they always jumped on me for some or other benefit. But Julie, she fought with me for what was right.
I could clearly see the smile on Julie's face, and it was mesmerizing. I wish I was sitting next to her, looking in those purple eyes.
No. She looks like Tonya. I can't feel attracted to her. She isn’t for me. But I was losing myself. She was taking more than enough interest in that jerk Tony. She was my trainer. Only mine.
I was falling into a trap. Today is Monday, and you have to fuck someone’s brains out. That's how you forget her.
I looked at Rose. She was talking to me, unknown to fact that I didn't care for a single word she said. She was disgusting. I couldn't sleep with her. No, she can't be the one for this Monday. I had no one else to fuck, and every moment I sat there, I got irritated by looking at Julie enjoying her date with Tony.
I stood and threw a hundred-dollar bill at Rose. "Keep the change." I had no reason to be there, and no reason to eat from that fucking, nasty old hotel.
I heard Rose calling my name when I walked away, but I didn't care. I needed a long ride on my bike. But when I reached it, I found the back tire was flat.
"Fuck you." I bit my lower lip. I needed the ride to calm down. But the bike was fucking dead.
I called up my butler to get the bike back to my house. I couldn't leave it there.
Now, I had to take a cab or walk.
Instead, I ran to my house. It was just a few miles. I looked like a fool, running in a business formal, but I didn't care. I ran until my lungs gave up, until I felt my sweat dripping on my shirt inside the jacket. I cared about nothing.
When I stopped, I saw my uncle’s house. It was a big old house, and I used to love it when I was young.
What the fuck am I doing here? I had lived here, until Tonya left me. When she was gone, I left the house, and bought another one. But my Uncle Sam was too old and stubborn to leave. He chose to live in the old house.
"Noah, is that you?" Uncle Sam walked outside from the front door. He looked older in the night lights.
"Yes, Uncle Sam. It's me.”
"You’ve been gone for a while. I wondered if you even cared about this old fella." He chuckled, flashing his artificial teeth.
"Come on, Sam. How could I forget you so easily?”
"Come inside. You could use a drink or two."
"Maybe some other time, Sam. I'm in a hurry." He reminded me of the mistake I made in my life, the mistake of trusting Tonya. So better I don't indulge too much in any conversation with him.
"I don't see your car, or your bike. And you’re dripping wet. Were you running in business suit?"
He was an old uncle, but his mind was sharp. I shrugged.
"I guess you can use my car to go to your house. But first come inside and have a drink. You’re here, and I wouldn't let you go without one." He wrapped his hand around my arm and dragged me inside.
"I don't need one." I resisted, but eventually walked inside. It had almost been three years since I’d last been in this house. Uncle Sam used to come and meet me in my new place, but not anymore.
Uncle Sam opened the mini bar he had in the main hall. And then I saw her picture. A picture of the two of us, when we were in school. I grabbed it and threw it on the floor. Tonya
"Why do you still have this, uncle? Weren’t her actions enough for you?" I asked. My emotions had gotten the better of me now.
"I don't know how many years I have left, Noah. I just can't get rid of her that easily,” he replied calmly.
"Why did dad set me up with her? Why did he think that it would end in a happily-ever-after? Didn't he know that there is no such thing in this fucking world?"
I pushed my hand in my hair. My heart was racing faster than ever. Anger was boiling inside. I wanted to punch someone, destroy something.
"Because he believed in love."
"Then he should’ve let me choose.” I grabbed a bottle of wine and threw it on the wall. It shattered in pieces, but that wasn't enough to calm me down. I grabbed another one and threw it on the floor. "Does that dilute the poison in your heart?" he asked, still calm and composed.
"I'm angry with you, Sam. You watched my life get burned in her hands. You never tried to wake me up from the spell of that bitch."
"I know, my son, and I regret it. But I will keep loving you, no matter what."
I laughed bitterly. "You keep doing that."
I left. I didn't care where I was going, because I didn't care about the destination. Seeing her in that picture ignited the memories that I had buried deep inside my mind. I despised Uncle Sam for that.
Chapter 12
Julie
I saw Tony sitting at a corner table when I entered the restaurant he’d messaged me about earlier. Tony pulled out the chair for me. He was a gentleman, but if he was trying to impress me, then he was dreaming. No matter what, I wouldn't budge. Love and dating was a distant thing for me, at least for now."I thought you wouldn't be coming." He gave me a sweet smile.
"And why is that?"
"Because..." He paused for a moment. "Nothing comes to mind. Just a gut feeling."
I giggled. "I see. So, what are we ordering? Anything special?"
"It's my favorite restaurant. I used to live across the street. I could never afford it before I worked with Gavin. So when I got my first pay, I came here to celebrate." A happy memory flashed in his eyes..
"It's costly." I looked at the menu. It was more expensive than many places I visited while in New York.
"Welcome to Hollywood. And wait until you visit some really nice ones. This place would look cheap.”
"I have no cravings for such costly restaurants. I'm happy where I am." I was a satisfied person. I never looked too deep in my future. May be that's why I was ready to get married and have kids at twenty-two.
"I'll take you to one of them. Once I win the championship, I’ll be rich.”
"Thanks, but no thanks." I smiled. I wasn't sure how to take his hint. Did he really want to take me to dinner as a good-hearted person, or did he want more from me?
"Have you met Rose?" he asked, looking over my shoulder.
"Yes, I met her on the first day of my job. What about her?"
"She’s here with your client."
"My client? Noah?" I looked around and saw Noah talking with Rose. They were laughing at some joke. I felt a jealous clench in my gut.
Why would I feel this way about Noah? What was she doing with him? Did they know each other?
"Do you think they’re friends?" I looked at Tony.
"I doubt that. Rose would’ve said something. I heard her moaning about your client the other day. If she had known him, she would’ve talked with him, right?"
He was right. But they behaved like they knew each other for a long time. But why was I feeling jealous? Did I have feelings for that man?
No way. I hated him for insulting me.
Suddenly I saw Noah walking out on Rose. She called his name so loud that all the people in the restaurant looked at her. But Noah didn't come back.
"She’s alone now." Tony stared at Rose. "I should ask her to join us. Do you mind?"
I did mind, but I didn’t want to tell him no. "It's okay. Go ahead and ask her to join us."
Tony thanked me with a smile and walked to her. They talked for a few minutes, but then she stood and left the restaurant.
"She didn't want to disturb us." Tony came back glumly.
"Do you think she’ll listen if I talk to her?"
"I doubt that. Leave her alone."
Tony ordered continental dishes for us. The food tasted awesome, and for the first time, I enjoyed being in L.A.
"I'm extremely happy with the food. Thanks for the dinner, Tony,” I said in appreciation.
"Would you go out with me tomorrow evening?" Tony asked, looking worried.
"What place?"
"I will tell you once we get
there."
He was putting me in a tight place now. He expected too much from me already. If he was thinking about a relationship, then he was going to fall on his face. I wasn't ready. I thought it would be better to tell him the truth rather than break his heart later.
"Tony, I'm sorry to bring this up after such delicious food, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now,” I said.
"Oh.” His face became confused. "Wait, what did you say? What sort of relationship are you talking about?"
"I can understand your hints, Tony. Please, don't try to show me that you are naïve." He was irritating me now.
His expression became shocked. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry if you felt that way. But I wasn’t trying to hit on you. I actually need a help. I'm not looking for a relationship either. My complete focus is on the league next year." He took a deep breath.
"Are you sure about that?" I was still skeptical.
"Please believe me, Julie. It's not what you think.” He made his puppy face again.
I sighed. “Okay. So what do you need my help with?”
Chapter 13
Julie
Noah was already there when I entered the club the next day, practicing in the ring. For a moment, I froze. I didn't remember seeing him that determined before. He had the technique, but he lacked the practice. If I focused on his weak spots, he would be good. He could even fight in a league. I would’ve loved to work with him, if only he wasn't mean.
You are a professional, Julie. And you can't let your personal issues cloud your judgment. Professional me was debating with the emotional me, because I had almost made up my mind to ditch Noah.
What should I do? Maybe I would find the answer if I did some yoga. I skipped Noah's ring and went to the third floor. I needed some alone time.
"What are you doing here?" Noah walked into the workout room when I was starting my fifth round of yoga meditation.
I put a finger on my mouth to shut him up. I then got up, and walked outside so we could talk.
"It's a meditation room. You’re not supposed to talk inside there,” I told him, irritated.