The Fight Within

by Laveen, Tiana

  “Your mom was dating other guys long before I came on the scene, Brian. What gives?” He took a gulp of his drink as he waited for the damn answer.

  What is it about me that he takes such objection to? He acts like her divorce is fuckin’ fresh? Like I’m the first guy to arrive at Treasure’s door! What tha hell!

  “She never brought anyone home though…inside of our house.” Brian sat back in his seat, looking thoroughly exasperated. “She’s been acting different since you’ve entered the picture, acting silly…whispering on the phone, locking her door.”

  “…It’s called being happy. You should try it sometime.”

  The boy’s eyes widened a bit as he no doubt combed through the recesses of his mind for a rebuttal, but the search proved in vain.

  “Look, man.” Sean grimaced and fell back in his seat. “Your mother and I are together. It’s a done deal.” He waved his hands in the air as if to say, ‘That’s all, Folks!’ “I meant what I said to you about loving anyone that she loves, though. She cares for you and your sister so much, and I’m not trying to come between that. Matter of fact, it’s a bonus.”

  “Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?!” Brian said woefully. It sounded more like a sad plea, a cry for help, than anything else, despite his angry expression. Sean’s damn chest grew tight, filled with uncomfortable sudden warmth as he looked down the table at the guy, met with another heated glare…man-to-man, eye-to-eye.

  “Brian, this is a buncha bull and we both know it. I’m not going to apologize to neither you nor anyone else for falling in love with your mother. You must’ve mistaken me for some idiot. You already admitted that you basically have, but this crap you’re pulling isn’t going to fly. Besides, I don’t even think this is really about me.”

  “Of course it is.”

  “No it isn’t. I think…I think that you haven’t had to really share your mother with anyone since your dad left, and for a while you’d hoped they’d worked it out. They didn’t, and now you feel threatened.”

  Much to his surprise, the boy didn’t protest. He simply stared at him, fidgeting just a tad as he chewed on his lower lip fast and tight like a dog on flea-ridden flesh.

  “You had to sit back and watch your family fall apart, and you stepped up to the plate.” Sean began a slow clap, seemingly startling the boy out of his thoughts. “That’s admirable, a great thing. But you’re not a man, you’re a teenager and you should be enjoying life. Not chasing after your mother’s boyfriend, thinking you can run me off. And what if it worked?”

  “What if what worked? Me getting rid of you?” He sat a bit taller, proud and bold. “I’d throw a damn party.”

  “No you wouldn’t, because you would’ve spoiled something your mother was enjoying. You’d feel like crap and never forgive yourself.”

  Brian turned away, rolling his eyes.

  “It’s true.” Sean scratched his cheek with the tip of his index finger and continued. “I’d do anything for your mother. You wanna know why? Because I love her, Brian, and she’s good to me.”

  The words were so simple, yet complicated. So genuine, so true, so pure… A declaration from his mouth to the boy’s ears, and he needed it to sink in.

  I. LOVE. HER.

  Brian looked at him a long while, his face still twisted in a scowl.

  “She loves you too…”

  “I know. So why would you wanna mess this up?” Sean asked in almost a whisper.

  The boy looked down at the table and clasped his hands together. “I guess it might be like what you said, it’s a bunch of stuff, really. Like,” he placed his hand on the table as he explained himself, “I told her a while back that I didn’t want her getting hurt. That’s my mom, man!” He came to life, breaking from his sleepy tone, as if refusing to relinquish his previous post without one more gallant fight.

  “She’s your mom, but she’s my woman.”

  They stared at one another long and hard, sizing each other up for old time’s sake.

  “Imma be watching you, man.” Brian rocked back in his chair, his eyes narrowed, his lips curled in a smirk. If Sean didn’t know any better, he’d swear the little asshole was stifling a laugh.

  “That’s fine, watch me,” Sean offered a half grin as he leaned back in his seat, relaxing. “You should. Because you love your mom, you want her safe. I’m gonna take care of her, though…matter of fact, I already am.”

  Brian reached for his glass of cream soda and took a hearty chug, then plopped it clumsily back on the table next to his half eaten plate of baked chicken, risotto, and broccoli casserole.

  “So you kickbox, huh?” Brian sucked his teeth and crossed his arms, giving him another once over for good measure.

  “Yup.”

  “And you teach jujitsu? I used to take karate.”

  “Why’d you stop?”

  Brian looked down and shrugged, his lips twisted to the side.

  “I don’t know…got bored with it I guess. That was a long time ago anyway.”

  “Were you any good?”

  “My Sensei said so.”

  “What belt did you reach?”

  “…Brown 1st degree.”

  “You stopped way too soon.”

  “You know karate, too?”

  “Of course. There are similar elements. It wasn’t my passion though, jujitsu and kickboxing were, but that’s where I began. I was taking karate classes starting at six years old. I begged my parents to let me do it. I’ve been addicted to martial arts ever since.”

  “So you think you Chuck Norris now, huh?”

  “Chuck Norris is a Grand Master. Very few people are Chuck Norris’ level…that takes forty years of discipline. I’m not forty.” He smirked.

  “Don’t I know it!” Brian laughed mirthlessly. “My mama is robbin’ the cradle.”

  “Hey,” Sean burst out laughing and threw his hands up in surrender, “she’s nice lookin’. I couldn’t help myself!”

  “Yeah, I’ll give you that. I got my good looks from her.” The boy raised his chin high and rolled his tongue around in his mouth, popping it at the side of his jaw, making the skin stretch as he appeared to fall against the lap of deep deliberations. “Y’all don’t look strange together… I hadn’t seen you this up close until now. You kinda fit, actually. That’s good, I suppose.” The boy seemed to be trying to make his way through, accept the inevitable, make it ‘okay’ in his own eyes. That was fine with Sean; whatever he needed to stop, drop and roll the interference was an achievement. They went quiet for a short while.

  “So, what gym you practice and work out at, man?”

  “Over there on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, mostly. I go other places too, but that’s my main spot, Urban Martial Arts.”

  The boy nodded, as if realizing just where the place was. “I’mma let you stay. I’mma let you date Mama, at least for now.”

  Sean grinned wide, so much so, his face felt like it might split in half.

  This joker right here…

  “I wish I could say I didn’t like you, that your face got on my nerves or somethin’ like that, but I can’t. You seem alright. But you be careful with her, I’m warning you.” He pointed down the table at him. “I don’t care that you can fight. There’s other ways to take a man down.” The boy glared hard, sealing his warning with a fair dose of teenage bravado.

  “Duly noted.”

  “Cool. By the way, she’s gonna ground me and do some other shit I don’t want after you leave tonight.”

  “Why?” Sean reached for his glass and took a sip.

  “’Cause of how I acted, man!” Brian yelled, as if it were obvious. It was; Sean was simply killing time while the dust settled.

  “Well,” he shrugged and laughed, “that’s what Moms do…and she loves you, but you went too far.”

  Brian offered no more words, only stared out a window, as if an enthralling scene were playing outside on the suburban street. But nothing was there minus the plush lawns unde
r the smile of the brilliant crescent moon.

  “Treasure and Asia!” Sean called out, wanting them to return, to join him at the table now that Bruiser Brian had had his fill and found he’d tried to bite off more than he could chew. “We’re done!”

  A few moments later, the two rejoined them, both their eyes shifting between the guys, trying to figure out what the hell had happened.

  “Brian, your behind is—”

  “Mama, I know!” The boy looked up at her, a slightly angry expression on his face. “I know I was wrong, and I’m sorry. I also know my phone will be gone, my PlayStation,” he paused and leisurely scratched the back of his neck, “and I’ll be stuck in the house, too.”

  Everyone was quiet for a while while Treasure and Asia quietly re-took their seats.

  “I take it you two had a decent chat,” she stated while reaching to the middle of the table and pulling a roll out from under a thick, napkin-covered wicker basket.

  “Yup.” Sean scooped up a forkful of risotto. “It was decent. We have an understanding now.”

  “Oh, really?” She offered a slight smile as she took a slow, leisurely bite of her bread.

  “Yes. I think your son and I understand where we each are coming from now.”

  Sean gleamed down the table at the youngster, observing the guy move around in his chair, sit a bit higher and taller. He wanted to know more about Brian, find out what sat at the core of his anger. He had his suspicions, but he was drawn to the kid, so much so, he knew that this had turned out to be the first chapter of something much bigger. He liked Brian; the kid had heart. He wanted him to smile and be proud, yet, the boy was wounded and wildly lashing out, making a bloody mess out of all he encountered. Whether good intentions or bad inclinations, it seemed to be all treated in a similar fashion. He could tell the fella was intelligent; also, he loved his mother and family hard. He had a lot weighing on his thin shoulders, and though Sean had never encountered the truths of a fractured nuclear family, he’d had enough hurt in his lifetime to know that no matter the trauma, shit like this proved at times unbearable. It would break a soul down, grind a spirit into dust.

  It’s not me; it’s not about Treasure, either. This is about Brian needing things to stop changing for a second or two. The boy needs someone, and Treasure simply isn’t enough. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t be everything to this boy. He’s searching for something, and I want to either be that person he desires in his corner, or help him find it…

  ‡

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Yeah, sure, no problem.” The large man opened the massive doorway, allowing her to step inside. “He’s workin’ out still,” he said, glancing down at his watch and working a piece of mint candy around in his mouth. “He should be finished soon. What you want to do is walk down there,” he raised his big tattooed arm and pointed straight ahead, “and then hook a left. He’ll be over there.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  The man offered her a quick nod and disappeared back behind a small counter on which sat a computer and a large clear bin filled with small metal hand weights. Unbuttoning the top two buttons of her coat, Treasure looked around the place, taken aback at the sheer size of it, and at the way their voices had carried and echoed. Each step she took, her knee high, black leather boots clicked onto the hard surface she trekked. It was a bit chilly in the place, and much to her surprise, rather sterile. Two large rings, empty and void of life, stood to her right, and to her left she saw various exercise equipment, along with a large, glowing vending machine showcasing energy drinks.

  “Uhhh!” BAM!

  She heard a loud grunt from a short distance and what sounded like something being socked so hard that at any moment it may burst.

  “Uhhh! Uh!” BAM! BAM! BAM! As she drew closer, she heard a faint squeaking nose, like sneakers moving across a floor. She took a few more steps and…there he was. His back to her, his muscular arms swinging to and fro, Sean was making a large punching bag dance around in crazy circles. His big calf muscles flexed as he worked hard, moisture pooling at his nape, and soaking his head and back. He wore only a pair of loose shorts, his muscular torso completely exposed. The Celtic cross tattoo on his upper arm glistened with the freshly drawn sweat as he continued to beat the living daylights out of the air around him. He suddenly stopped, huffed and stormed away, then sat on a bench. She smiled at the realization that the bastard didn’t even see her, and delighted in her voyeuristic pleasure. Standing back up, he lifted the large weight effortlessly over his head, then repeated the action several times as if the thing weighed nothing.

  My Lord…

  She ran her finger along her coat collar, feeling some sort of way.

  “Mmmm!” he groaned, lifting over and over.

  So strong…so resilient…so majestically rugged…

  He slowed and lowered the barbell back down, lay there for a moment, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. He glared up at the ceiling as sweat collected in the gullet of his collarbone. His Adam’s apple moved and his lips parted, he caught his breath. He wasn’t the only one covered in wetness…or utterly breathless…

  Her vessel cried streams of gratitude as she glared at the man, as if she’d never seen him before a day in her life. Her eyes roamed up and down his well-formed and fit frame, that of a damn modern day Adonis with an incredible sense of humor and a dick she craved. Her face flushed when she realized he’d spotted her, his gaze ripping her out of her saucy thoughts. He looked at her across the way, catching her reflection in a mirror placed on a nearby wall.

  “I see I have a visitor.” He got this his feet and casually grabbed his gym bag. “How long have you been here, baby?”

  “…Not long.” Her voice cracked as she kept her eyes on his tight ass while he moved about.

  He nodded. “You could have called… I would have given you a tour.” He winked at her as he drew closer. “Follow me.” He led her into a back area filled with changing areas, restrooms and several shower stalls. She got the strong sense she wasn’t supposed to be in there, but hell, the place was nearly vacant. She shrugged off her concerns.

  “I needed to see it for myself.” She broke the silence as he busied himself, putting items inside of his locker.

  “What for?” Sean asked, placing a dollop of Bengay along his calf and massaging it in just right.

  “Because you’ve been spending a lot of time here.” Treasure turned from right to left, sizing up the space as she took a seat. “And I needed to speak to your mistress, let her know I didn’t appreciate it. This gym and I are going to have it out.”

  He chuckled and he started ministering to his other leg. “It’s late. I’m surprised you’re not asleep, actually.” He stood and reached into his locker to pull out his gym bag, then placed it on the bleacher style bench. Unzipping it, he removed his white hand towel and dabbed it across his sweaty face. He closed his eyes real slow, his exhaustion more than apparent. Even his eyelashes were webbed with perspiration, and the more she stared at him, the more beautiful he became.

  “I missed you.” She shrugged. “Besides, Brian got home at a decent hour and is in the house. I can rest easy.” She grinned. Adrenaline swirling within her, she began to slowly pace back and forth like an old drill Sargent. The nervous energy had to be dumped somewhere, stowed away. Her body itched for the man in the worst way. She didn’t expect to see him that way…didn’t expect to find the way he hit things hard so damn sexy and alluring…and the way he pushed weight…

  My God…

  “The warden, huh?” He smirked, bringing her out of her trance.

  “I have to be. He is a mess as you witnessed personally.” She continued to pace, her boots click clacking like a Newton’s cradle.

  “No, I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about him!”

  They both burst out laughing.

  “Yes, indeed. I suppose you’re right.” She sighed and sat next to him, her sparse weight causing the
rickety bench to creak.

  “So, when is this fight of yours again?” She crossed her arms, knowing the damn answer but yearning to hear him talk about it.

  “I’ll give you a flyer.” He placed a pair of rolled up socks inside of his bag.

  “Oh! You’re fancy, huh?” she teased.

  “Yeah, I get paid good money for this shit. What’s better, you know?” He shrugged. “Getting paid for doing something you’d do for free? That’s tops in my book.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree.” She ran her hands down her jeans. “I missed you, Sean.” She got real quiet; so quiet, she could almost hear her own heartbeat.

  He paused, took a good, hard look at her. “I missed you, too.” The only sound to follow was the zipper to his gym bag. It reminded her of the way his pants would come slowly down before he’d… Oh God. The lust struggle was real…

  “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the night?”

  “Shit, well,” he said, scratching his forehead. “I gotta study, I have to drop some shit over Colin’s house, too. He helps me sell shit on eBay…takes the photos for me.”

  “He’s a photographer and a fireman, huh? All these talents in one family!” she joked, causing him to crack a smile. “The stories you tell about this guy, I swear, you two are hilarious. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  He nodded and yawned. “He wants to meet you, too. Speakin’ of which,” he turned serious, his smile faded, “and I don’t do this sorta thing, ’cause they’re fuckin’ nuts, but I want you to meet my parents soon. They know all about cha now and my mother won’t leave me alone about it. So, I figured, ‘why not?’”

  “I would love to meet all of your friends and family, Sean. It is long overdue.”

  “Well, honestly, Treasure, I was just waiting for you is all, you know? Family is important to me.” He ran his hand over his chest and yawned. “Regardless, I felt it only fair that I meet your family first, ya know? I know the deal with you and your mother, so I never brought that up, pushed it, but I’ve been on you about your kids for weeks. You know how I felt about it; we even had a disagreement about the shit on the phone one time.”