by Claire Adams
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why the hell do you care if she was there? She's this nothing little art student who you banged a hundred years ago. Move on, already.”
“Are you serious? Did you seriously just say that shit to me?”
“Whoa, relax, Jet. I just don't get what your fixation with her is.”
“I don't have a fixation.”
“Like hell you don't.”
“Explain yourself, Kyle, and please do it quickly.”
Kyle took a minute before responding, probably to allow me to calm down before I lost my temper with him. He placed a bunch of eggs on a plate, tossed a few strips of bacon on it, and handed the plate to me. I didn't touch it. Instead, I waited for him to speak.
“I saw her talking to Brian; they were all buddy-buddy at the drink stand. He was all over her, of course. She's nothing. I don't get where the interest is with her. Why does she have all these guys in heat?”
“I'm not in heat. She's a nice girl; she's different from the rest.”
“A nice girl? Wow, that's new. Since when do you look for girls that are 'nice’?”
“Kyle, what is your problem? Why do you care who I spend time with?”
“I care because she's just going to bring you down. Where are you going with this?”
“I don't know. But I assure you that Brian doesn't stand a chance; he’s hardly a threat to me. I don't know if anything will come of Natalie and me, but I would like to determine that for myself.”
“She must have beer-flavored nipples, man, ‘cause there are hotter girls out there than she is.”
“I don't know about that. Natalie is stunning.”
Kyle stared at me in disbelief. “She's not bad-looking, but do you remember that octagon girl from last night?”
I nodded; I remembered all too well.
“She was smoking hot. She was practically humping you in the locker room before your fight, and then followed you around all night long. If I were you, I would have bent her over somewhere and had my way with her. That's the kind of ass you should be chasing. She would have been a good one to keep around for a few nights.”
“I wasn't interested.”
“You're crazy. Did you see her face when you told her she wasn't coming home with you last night? You broke the girl’s heart, to be sure.”
“She will recover, I'm sure. She was probably on the next fighter after me. I'm a dime a dozen in her world.”
Kyle laughed. “Man, you are a real piece of work.”
“I could snap my fingers, and a hundred girls like that would be by my side. It gets old, man. Don't you find that boring now?”
“No shot; I love it. I have no intention of settling down. I will take an octagon girl home any day.”
I chuckled. “Well, you should have taken her home, then.”
“Yeah, I wish. She only had eyes for you, my main man.”
I started to dig into my breakfast feverishly. I was starving, and I was about done with the conversation with Kyle. He had no clue what he was talking about, and he was the reason girls like Natalie didn't trust guys like me. I was no different; I had spent many years behaving like an idiot, too, and because of that, Natalie may never spend any time with me. I hoped, however, to eventually change her mind.
Chapter Nine
Natalie
“Julie, you just have to leave, and that's that.”
“Come on, Natalie, be reasonable. You can't expect me to leave after saying something like that.”
I laughed gleefully. “I didn't mean to get your blood pressure raised, but I had to tell you in order to get you out of here.”
“Please, let me stay. I will just peek around the corner.”
“Be serious. If you want to see Jet without his clothes on, you just needed to be at the fight the other night.”
“You are so cruel.”
“I'm sorry, but I can't have him here to draw with you drooling in the corner.”
“Are you guys going to do the nasty after you're done?”
I giggled at the thought. “Not likely.”
“Okay, so how long am I expected to be gone this time?”
“I don't know. Can I just text you? Are you going to be at the library?”
“Yeah, probably. I have an essay to write that I was hoping to do in the comfort of my own home. But I guess I will do it at the library.”
“Thank you; you're the best.”
“No problem.”
“Okay, well I'm going to call him and make sure he’s going to be here on time.”
“Sure, you go ahead.” She had a small smile on her face. She was really enjoying herself. I guess I couldn't blame her; she really did find my situation amusing.
I picked up my phone and dialed Jet. He picked up right away.
“Hey, Natalie, what's up?”
“Hi Jet, I just wanted to make sure that you were still good to go for tonight?”
“Yes, of course. What time do you need me there? I can come at any time.”
“You are more than welcome to start heading over.”
“Sure; do you think we could have some of that wine this time?”
I laughed. “Sure we can. Actually, you're probably going to need it.”
He laughed with me. “Great; now you're making me nervous.”
“No need to be. I will see you soon.”
I disconnected the call and set my phone down. “He's on his way over, so get going.”
“I am so unimpressed with you. You're gonna get him naked eventually, aren't you? That's the end result, right? The last drawing?”
I smiled. “Yes, it is.”
“Well tell me this then, Natalie; do you plan on drawing Jet when he's hard or soft?”
I slapped her shoulder. “You're ridiculous! Stop talking like that.”
“If I were you, I would get a little wood from him while you can.”
“Get out!” I said, laughing.
I went into the kitchen while she puttered around, collecting everything she needed to take to the library with her. She headed to the door and called over her shoulder, “Have fun!”
Reaching into the cupboard over my head, I pulled out a bottle of wine. I grabbed a bottle opener and proceeded to open the bottle. I was willing to allow this particular session to be a little more laid-back, now that I had slept with Jet. We were a little more comfortable together than the last time I drew him. Plus, I was asking him to take off his clothes, so he would probably need to relax.
It wasn't long before I heard a knock at my door. I headed over to it and swung it open, finding Jet on the other side of it.
“Hi there.”
“Hey, beautiful.” He came inside, and I closed the door behind him.
He headed to the kitchen, where he found the wine bottle. “Do you mind?”
I shook my head and admired his form as he poured two glasses of wine. I walked to the couch and sat down, waiting for him to follow suit. He came to the couch and sat down beside me, handing me a glass of wine.
“This is great stuff,” he said, admiring the wine he drank.
“Yes, my roommate buys it. She knows her wine; I do not.”
“I heard that you were at the fights, Natalie.”
I stared at him, confused. “You saw me, Jet. You knew I was at the fights yourself.”
“Yes, you're right. That's what I meant. Why were you there?”
“I had no idea your fight was that night. Had I known, I probably would never have gone, but I had a photography class that night. We were essentially hired to take the fight shots for the evening.”
“Yeah, Kyle mentioned something to that effect. Can I see the photos? I would love to see what you caught.”
“They aren't ready yet. They have been downloaded to my computer, but I haven't had a chance to work on them yet. So if you're asking to see them, you can't.”
He stared at me. “Did you catch it, Natalie?”
I wasn't quite sure I understoo
d what he was talking about at first. Then it clicked, and I smiled. “Yes, Jet, I got it.”
“Oh my God, girl, you have to let me see that back fist.”
I grinned. “Yes, I'm sure you want to see it. It looks incredible, if that helps. I'll make sure to get you a copy.”
“That's really cool, Natalie. You are really cool.”
I believed him when he said it. “Thank you, Jet. Would you like another glass of wine?”
“Sure. Now why is it that you think I need to loosen up for this session?”
I smiled. “You'll see.” I got up and poured us both some wine. I handed him his glass and started to set up my easel. He took the hint and picked up his glass of wine, heading to the wall.
“Okay, so what's it going to be this time? Should I bend over and hold my butt in the air?”
“Funny. No, that's not what I want.”
“So what is it this time?”
I looked down at my pad of paper and picked up a pencil. “I want you to take your shirt off, Jet. That's the change I need for this session. Everything else stays the same.”
He stared at me for a few minutes. “Are you serious?”
“Very.”
He continued to stare, until a look of realization came over his face. “Am I going to be taking off more every time we do this?”
I laughed nervously. “Yes, you will be. Is that okay?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I'm surprised that you are okay with that.”
“I will deal with it. I am determined to have a really good project.”
“At all costs.”
I giggled. “Yes, that's right.”
Jet slowly pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed it to the side of the room. His chest was firm and strong. He had a six-pack that most people would kill for. I had a hard time drawing my eyes away from his body, but I did have work to do.
“Promise me one thing, Natalie, please.”
I looked up at him when he spoke. “What's that?”
“Promise me that I won't have to be fully naked for any of these drawings.”
I paused before I spoke. “I promise.” I had a hand behind my back, and what Jet didn't know, was that two of my delicate fingers were crossed. We would cross that bridge when we got there.
“You have a really nice body, Jet. You must work really hard at maintaining it.”
“Are you checking me out?”
I grinned. “Maybe a little.”
“Nice. I do actually spend quite a bit of time on it. But it's all part of the game, ya know. You have a pretty nice body yourself, if I remember correctly.” I looked up to catch the wink he threw my way, and I blushed excessively.
I started the drawing the same way I had done the last one, by starting with a vague outline that I would fill in with detail later on. He stood there without moving for half an hour before we took a break, but by then I had most of the drawing completed. I just needed to add the shading and the final details.
We sat on the couch together, and I realized just how comfortable I was in his presence. I was no longer freaked out at the idea of being in the same room with him. Despite the obvious attraction he felt for me, he was on his best behavior. He swirled the wine in his glass before he looked up at me.
“So, what do you plan on doing with all this afterwards, Natalie? What career are you looking for?”
“I haven't decided yet. Before my program is finished, I will have to decide on which part of my art experience here I loved the most. At that point, I will specialize in that for a year straight, and then I graduate. I hope by then I can afford to freelance, and sell my work in galleries, but of course, that remains to be seen.”
“Do you know which one you are going to choose?”
“I have no idea. There is really something great about all of them. Writing will have to go by the wayside, I think. I just don't have a natural talent for it. But as for the rest, I can't decide yet. I will play out the rest of the year, and then make a decision for my final year.”
“That's so interesting. The idea of you being out there; you could be famous one day.”
“So could you,” I shot back.
He nodded chuckling. “Yeah, I guess that's true.”
“What would you do, Jet, if you got injured? What then?”
“Well, that's where I would have to say I have no idea. I've never even considered doing anything else. This was always all I wanted. I couldn't even imagine doing a regular job. I know it sounds juvenile, but I can't. I would probably have to go work at my father's company, which is actually the last thing I want to do, but it would be a guaranteed career, where I would one day own the company,” he shrugged, and I could tell that the idea of giving up his dream caused him sadness. I hoped he would never have to do such a thing. Seeing him fight the other day had made me realize that it could be very easy for a fighter to get badly injured―enough to end his career. The thought of it scared me, not for myself, but for him.
It was his turn to change the subject and get us back on track. “Well, let's get back to it, okay?” He stood up and headed back to his position, and I could tell I hit a nerve with my comment. I wondered if he would ever feel comfortable talking to me about his dad. That, however, was probably too much to ask, since I didn't really want him in my life long-term anyway. It was best to have him keep his personal life to himself. I did not want to feel anything for him.
I rose from the couch myself, and headed back to the drawing to finish what I had started.
Chapter Ten
Jet
“Here's the moment you all have been waiting for! Come on out, Jet!” It wasn't just their moment, it was mine, too. It was the moment I had been waiting for, as well. It was the time when adrenaline started pumping overtime. I felt jacked, and ready to kick some ass, and you better believe that I planned on it.
Coach was beside me. “Okay, Jet, are you ready to go?”
I nodded. I was more than ready.
The crowd, as usual, was losing its mind, screaming at me as I came down the aisle toward the cage. They called out my name in a fury, and it was obvious that I had some very loyal fans. I rushed into the cage and circled it, awaiting my opponent’s arrival. I saw my team going into my corner just as my opponent came out of the curtain and headed my way.
Bradley joined me in the cage, and we positioned ourselves in our respective corners and waited for the bell to ring.
With the ring of the bell, Bradley charged me. My head flew to the side from the impact of his punch. Blood spurted from my lips, and I took a step back to reset my position. I didn't step back far enough, however, as Bradley pummelled me with three blows at once, all to my face.
He swung again, but I blocked, and we exchanged jabs for a few minutes before the bell rang and we returned to our corners. Robbie applied something to my wounds, and gave me a drink of water, all the while yelling at me.
“Jet, get your head in the game, man. There is no reason for you to be taking any hits. We have prepared for this over and over again. Now get out there and ring that guy’s bell.”
I was nodding my head. It was about all I could do. I looked angrier than ever, and I was determined to do my coach proud. The bell went off, and we went at each other with kicks flying and punches slamming. I feinted to the side, and Bradley punched into the space where I had been. It was the perfect opportunity for me to come in with an uppercut to the face that connected so hard that Bradley staggered backwards. It took him a moment to recover his footing. He swung out his arm, but I ducked, and came back with a punch to the ribs, gut, and face, all landing perfectly.
I got the guy, but I also didn't expect him to stay put and swing a punch to my body, landing near my liver. I thought for a moment that I would throw up. I moved to the left, only to get another body shot, and I felt something twist in my back.
Bradley threw another punch, aiming for my face, but I blocked the punch, returning with a punch of my own. I slammed my fist right
into Bradley’s face, bringing him to his knees.
I was bleeding, and although I was doing well, I needed to make sure that the fight didn't go to decision. I wanted a win, and Bradley had gotten in some pretty good shots.
Bradley stood up and hit me in the face. My head swung back, even though my body stayed firmly planted on the cage floor. I spun around with a spinning back kick, and pushed Bradley away from me, allowing me some time to breathe. When he came back in, I grabbed him in a clinch, and drove a few knees into him.
He pushed out of my grip, and I swung back, and hit even harder with a three-punch combination. We get into another clinch, and then we shoved off of one another. I charged at him, blood pouring from my head, and I hit him with a pow, pow, pow of punches.
Bradley started to back off as I hit him against the ropes. I was hitting him hard, but he wouldn't go down. What a mean monster that guy was; it was time to end this game.
I was focused as I systematically pummelled Bradley, hitting him mercilessly, crushing him in a pool of his own blood. I grinned as I looked down at my opponent, who wasn't about to get back up for more. I looked around at the crowd, and saw that there was blood dripping from his eyebrow down his nose.
The endorphins going through my body at that moment would prevent me from feeling any pain for the next little while, and hopefully vodka would take care of the rest later. I turned to look around at the crowd, screaming for their “king of the ring,” who just won yet another fight.
The guys in my corner, along with Coach, poured into the cage, jumping up and down in excitement. Coach grabbed me, and wrapped his arms around me, patting me on the back. That was when I felt the pain.
“I think I hurt my back, Robbie.”
“Okay, Tough Guy, we will have someone look at you. Let's wait for the decision, though.”
We didn’t wait long before the judges ruled me as the winner of the fight. My hands went into the air, and I circled the cage a few times before I headed out of the cage with my team. We went right back into the warmup area to see about getting me to a doctor.
“Jet, just have a seat while I get the doctor. I’m sure they are still trying to put Bradley's face back together.” I smiled, loving Robbie even more for that comment.