by Claire Adams
“I want you to finish him this round, Jet. Don't let it go to a decision. End it.”
I nodded, and stood up as the bell for the third round went off. I moved in toward The Destroyer slowly. We exchanged a couple of jabs that didn’t really make their mark. As I came in, he landed a front kick to my stomach that took the wind out of me. I needed to end this quickly; he was a powerful fighter, and I didn’t want to risk having him get the drop on me and have the fight go to a decision.
I made a quick assessment of how close I was to The Destroyer, and I moved in quickly. I feinted a low kick, and quickly swung my body around in one smooth motion, catching him completely off guard with a spinning back fist. As my gloves made contact with his face, I heard a crack, and I was fairly confident that I broke his cheekbone.
He dropped immediately, and the ref called for the bell and the fight was over.
The medical team came in to check to see if The Destroyer was conscious, which he was―just a little disoriented, and in some pain. He lucked out by only having a fracture in his cheekbone, not a broken bone. He was still yelling out in agony, though.
I grinned as I looked around the room at the audience, made eye contact with my mother, and winked at her. I imagined her heart had raced the entire time, and it could finally rest easy.
When the medical team was finished with The Destroyer, he surprisingly met me in the middle of the cage where the winner was to be announced.
“By way of K.O., the winner of tonight's event is Jet!”
My hands flung in the air as I took my victory lap. I was then given a medal for my match, and I left the octagon to meet with my team.
“Why didn't you take him to the ground, man?” my coach asked me.
“He was strong, really strong. I didn't want to go down unless I had to. You know, for me, going to the ground is a last resort. I like fighting. I like feeling a solid knockdown.”
“That was a pretty sick back fist, I have to admit.”
“I had everything under control, man, no worries.”
“Yeah you did. It was a solid win, but it’s time to get your mind set for the next one.”
My mindset was already ready for the next one.
I received my congratulations, and went out to meet with my family. We were all planning to celebrate tonight with some decent food and a couple of drinks.
Chapter Nine
Natalie
I slowly opened my eyes to a sound. I couldn't place where the noise was coming from, or what it was. God, I was tired. No, not tired, utterly exhausted. I rubbed my eyes and settled back on my pillow, trying to focus on the sound. I couldn't figure out what it could be. It was a great indication that I may need to get regular sleep. I had a long day, and retired to bed early, probably too early. I looked around, trying to place where the sound was coming from again. My thoughts were still fuzzy, and it felt like it had to be the middle of the night.
I had just gotten to sleep, hadn't I?
The clock beside my bed read 11:00 p.m., and I wondered what in the hell was going on. I had only been sleeping for a few hours, and I did not want to be awake again.
I jumped when Julie started banging on the wall from the adjacent room. She scared me half to death. I tried to sit up in bed as my heart was beating in my chest furiously.
“Come on, Natalie, I have a 7:00 a.m. class tomorrow, for crying out loud! Either answer the damn phone, or turn it off. I need to get some sleep here.”
My phone. Ah, it was my phone, of course. Now the sound registered in my brain. I slowly wiped at my eyes. Wow, did I ever feel tired. How did I not recognize my own phone ringing? I wondered who on earth would be calling at this hour. Not one of my friends would ever call me this late. I rolled over in bed and grabbed my phone, looking at the screen. When my eyes had finally cleared from sleep and exhaustion, I looked at the number, and I didn't recognize it. I figured what the hell, and clicked the talk button.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Natalie, it's Jet.”
I groaned inwardly. “Jet? Why the hell are you calling me at this hour?”
“Why, were you asleep?” I heard him chuckle on the other end.
“Well, yes, I was.” What a moron.
“You need to live a little. It's only 11:00 p.m., why are you already in bed?”
“I live just fine, thank you. I have classes in the morning, and I’m exhausted. So what do you want, Jet?”
“I want to see you.”
“Seriously? Jet, it's kind of late for a get-together, don't you think?”
“But I'm already here. You don't have to go anywhere.”
“Excuse me?” He better not be here. He so better not be here.
“I'm standing outside your apartment right now.”
“What? Are you joking? Actually, you had better be joking.”
“Nope, I'm out here, come down.”
“Jet, I'm not going down there. It's late, I'm tired. Just go home.” I rubbed at my eyes, wishing I could just close them again instead of dealing with another selfish man.
“I'm not going anywhere until you come down and say hi to me first.”
I groaned inwardly; what the hell was with this punk? He had some nerve showing up at my apartment at this hour, wanting to visit. He was becoming increasingly annoying by the day. I turned on my bedside lamp and assessed the situation. My hair was a mess, and I was wearing a tank top and pajama pants with elephants on them. Perfect.
“No shot, Jet. I will see you another day.”
“Come on, Natalie. I just won my conference battle tonight. At least come out and congratulate me.”
His battle? Julie was right; he really was on the MMA team.
Defeated, I laid my head back down on the pillow. I was so not in the mood for Jet tonight. But he was tugging on my heartstrings with his win. I wanted to be nice. I supposed I could at least go down and congratulate him before getting back under the covers.
“Fine, I'm coming. But only for a minute.” I hung up the phone and quickly got out of bed. I went to the bathroom to make sure I didn't look like a complete disaster. I was wearing no makeup, but it wasn't the end of the world. I quickly put a brush through my hair and got out the knots. I grabbed my apartment keys, so I didn't end up locking myself out of the building, and I shuffled out the door. I pitter-pattered down five flights of stairs before I got to the main level. When I left the building, Jet was standing there proudly, with a medal around his neck. He was quite a sight, I had to admit. He was pretty handsome besides sporting a split lip. His tight shirt, which showed off his incredible body, made me forget about that, though. His medal was shining in the light, as if he were some kind of superhero. I’m sure it was only there to impress me.
I could smell booze on him, but he didn't appear to be intoxicated. He must have come back from celebrating.
“Wow, is that what you wear to bed? Are those elephants?” He was staring at my pajamas in what could only be a look of shock. It took him a few moments before his eyes finally left my pants.
I laughed. “Shut up. And congratulations on your fight.”
“Why, thank you,” he said, practically beaming at me. He truly was quite proud of his accomplishments.
The night was cool, and I instantly got a chill all over my body. I wrapped my arms around my body to keep myself warm. I had goosebumps all over my body, and I was looking forward to going back into the apartment. The weather was changing as fall progressed, and I wasn't up to being out in my pajamas, freezing my ass off.
“Well you got me out here, Jet, now what do you want?” I smiled softly, unsure of what he was really doing there.
“I want you, of course.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. I couldn’t tell whether or not he was joking, and it made me uncomfortable. He laughed when he said it, but the laugh seemed awfully forced.
“Be serious.”
“I am serious.” He was serious, and it made tiny little butterflies flutter around
in my stomach.
The last thing I needed or wanted at that point in my life was another guy. The last one had devastated me to the point that I had a hard time staying out of the bars. I was just now, after a long time, starting to get a grasp on life again. I didn't need someone else coming in, breaking my heart, and making me spiral out of control again. I could see Jet doing exactly that to me. He didn't care who he hurt, especially a female. I would be just another girl he played with and then tossed aside. That would hurt, maybe worse than the last one; how would I be able to bear that?
I decided to not say a word, it wasn't worth getting into a debate over at 11:00 p.m. All I wanted was to return to my warm bed, and the slumber that kept me snuggled in tight. However, the silence seemed to stretch on indefinitely, until I felt desperate to break it. He just stood there with a small smile on his face. I didn't know what to say or what to do.
So I asked, “You're really serious?” I already knew by the look on his face that he was.
He inched closer to me. “You know I'm serious.” Standing there in my pajamas, I didn’t even know what to say back. I couldn’t believe he was hitting on me without a touch of makeup on my face. He must really be hard up if he was coming to see me in the middle of the night.
He continued to move toward me, until he was only inches away. We were practically breathing the same breath. I thought my heart may have stopped. Nervous tingles rode up and down my body. I had never felt that way before, and I couldn't explain what Jet's closeness did to me.
Trying to break the tension between us, I tried to joke with him. “Why don't you go bother some other girls? I bet there are tons that would be more than happy for a late night visit from you. Get your needs met, you know.”
“And you're not one of them?”
“No, I'm not.” I almost enjoyed saying those words to him. Words he probably had never heard from another girl.
“Well, there aren't any other girls out there who are like you. You are one of a kind.”
Then, to my surprise, he slowly brought his lips to mine and kissed me softly. Sparks went off in my mind, but not just there; my heart also sprang alive with his kiss. It was the softest kiss; there wasn't even any tongue, and yet it lit me up instantly. I couldn't remember the last time a kiss had that effect on me, maybe never. It not only made my mouth tingle in a delicious way, but it enticed heat to run through the length of my body. I gasped as it took my breath away.
He pulled away and stared at my trembling bottom lip, and then kissed me again, just as softly. But this time it was with a little more urgency as his tongue slipped into my mouth. Heat exploded through my body. I stopped myself from letting a moan escape my lips. I knew if I allowed that, it would be my undoing. He would not take no for an answer if he knew I wanted more from that kiss. I had no idea why he had such an effect on me, but I wasn't about to let him become aware of that fact.
I pulled away suddenly and saw confusion written on his face.
“Not now, Jet,” I said.
“What's wrong?”
I just shook my head. “Nothing. Is that all you needed, then?” I smiled before looking down at my feet when I spoke, knowing that my cheeks were flushed.
There was a moment of silence before he said, “I guess.” There was a certain sadness in his voice that I couldn't quite understand. I really just couldn't comprehend what I had that he wanted.
I looked up to watch him slowly walk away. He faced me at first, and then turned his back to me and walked down the sidewalk. I watched him until he disappeared, more confused than I had been the entire night.
I walked up the steps of my building and slowly unlocked the door. I trotted back up the five flights of stairs, and exhausted, I practically fell into my apartment. I slipped silently back into my room and bed, making sure not to wake Julie again. Although I was exhausted, and should have fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, I didn't. Instead, I lay there, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, and thought about that kiss. I thought about that kiss for hours.
Chapter Ten
Jet
There weren't many cabs in that particular area; most circled the downtown area to pick up the drunks, even on weeknights. There was always someone out having a good time. Never Natalie, though, she wouldn't know a good time if it hit her in the face. I could not figure that girl out if my life depended on it.
I had walked a block from Natalie's house before I saw a cab make a turn on the street I was on, and I stuck my hand down to flag it. The driver saw me and slowed until he pulled up right in front of me. I wasn't in the mood for chit chat, so I opened the side door of the van and climbed into the back. I gave the driver my address and he pulled away from the curb.
To avoid idle talk, I leaned my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. He probably assumed I was drunk, and would just leave me alone. On the entire drive home, all I thought about was Natalie. Was I wasting my time with that girl? She just wouldn't give in, not even a little bit. I hadn’t gone there with the intention of sleeping with her, but I wouldn't have turned it down. A kiss for sure, yes; a lot of kissing was definitely on my mind. But in the end I had hoped that she would warm up to me.
It had seemed like she really enjoyed the kiss. In fact, she had kissed me back. It had been intense, seductive, and God yes, arousing. Her lips, the taste of her, were like a drug, and I was hooked. I wanted more. I would have kissed those lips alone all night long, and still been satisfied. But she had once again thrown me for a loop. She had separated from the kiss, and looked like she even regretted it. I couldn't figure out why she kept pushing me away. Most girls knew my reputation, and they still came back for more; why was Natalie so different? And how could she not know by now that I thought of her differently? I most definitely wouldn't have continued trying so hard with her if I just wanted to sleep with her and toss her aside. There were plenty of other girls I could seek out at this point if that was all I wanted.
Why had she pulled away and sent me off like a dog with his tail between his legs? It had been marginally humiliating, and although I probably should have confronted her, all I could do was walk away to avoid further rejection. The girl had my nuts by a sling, and I couldn't seem to get them back. What could I have done at that point? I didn't know, but I was starting to wonder if I should consider bailing on her, the project, the pursuit, everything, because she was starting to drive me half mad.
I rubbed my eyes hard, frustration building up in me. I didn't want to let her go, but I knew I might have to, because there was a strong possibility that Natalie would never warm up to me, despite her lingering mouth on mine.
The cab pulled up to my apartment, and I sat up straight in my seat. I dug deep into my pocket for some bills. I handed him a twenty and a five, and told him to keep the change. He thanked me as I pushed open the van door and stepped out. I closed the door behind me and headed to my apartment door. What a night.
I opened the door to my apartment and walked inside to find my roommate on the couch drinking beers again. Kyle couldn't seem to curb his drinking, despite being on the MMA team. Some people just didn't have the discipline. He was young; he might grow up eventually, but right now partying was one of his priorities.
“Hey man, where ya been? Did you find that girl of yours? Was she primed and ready for you?” He laughed as he said those things to me. I just stared at him at first, unsure of what to say. I made the mistake of telling Kyle after my fight that I was going to go hook up with Natalie. I certainly thought I would have, in one form or another, and if not, then at least get her warmed up enough to go out on a date with me.
The last thing I wanted to have to do is tell Kyle that I had struck out. In his eyes, Natalie should have been an easy lay. If I couldn't get her to sleep with me, he would find it hilarious and it would spread like wildfire, and I would feel humiliation among all my teammates. I was a big shot amongst my friends, and although the embarrassing fact that I couldn't get her in bed wouldn't
last long, it would sting long enough for my friends to begin to look at me in a new light, and I couldn't have that.
“Yeah, I found her.”
“Sick. What happened, man? Did you finally slay the dragon?”
I started laughing. I couldn't believe Kyle sometimes. “I don't know about that, but I got exactly what I wanted.”
“Did you fuck her?”
I paused, hating myself for saying it, but it's not like she would ever find out, “Yeah, I fucked her twice. She liked it so much that she asked for seconds.”
“Ohhhhh, you're the man! That's awesome. Was she any good?”
“Yeah, she was Grade A, man, a pretty good lay.”
“Did she try to get you to spend the night? I hate when they ask that. I just want to pump them and then get the hell out of there. Move on, ya know?”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. After I banged her into the headboard twice she wanted to cuddle, and I'm like, naw, I gotta go, baby. But maybe next time.”
“Next time!” He burst out laughing.
I felt like a complete idiot telling that story, but there was no harm in it, and at least I wouldn't look like a complete fool.
“So are you gonna keep banging her?”
I paused, and thought about Natalie. I thought about how much I really did want to sleep with her, and stay with her as long as she would let me. “I don't know,” I said slowly.
“Hey, why not? If she's good, take a few more rounds out of her before you move on.”
“Maybe.”
“Unless you think she's getting attached. Then it might not be the best idea to keep her around.”
Attached? I almost laughed. I had gotten her to kiss me before she sent me packing, and that was about it. I wasn’t even sure she would ever let me get that close to her again. She couldn't be less attached to me. Despite her reaction to my kiss, I couldn't even tell if she liked me. She could despise me. No matter what I did, I couldn't get that girl to warm up to me. It was heartbreaking, really. For me, at least, she didn't seem to care one way or another. What was I going to do about Natalie? The puzzle was still driving me mad, and I didn't know whether to drop her or keep trying.