by Neal, Xavier
“She’s always been the only one, Luke.” Those are the first words I’ve said to him today.
He’s right. I am a pussy.
The door swings open and Stuart walks in gripping his camera with a smile. That is until he takes one look at my face. Immediately it disappears.
“Bad time?”
“It’s always a bad time,” I grumble scratching the stubble that’s coming in on my face.
I know. Why ruin this beautiful face with facial hair? Because shaving was one more fucking thing that I couldn’t wrap my mind around doing. Be thankful I fucking showered.
Stuart shuts the door behind him. “You look like shit.”
My eyebrows furrow.
When the fuck did he grow a pair?
“What? You do.” His response causes Luke to chuckle to himself.
Yeah. He’s got it bad. I don’t give a shit what he says. You can see it too, right?
“Look.” He treads carefully now seeing that I haven’t made any effort to respond or laugh at his attempted humor. “I have to take at least one photo before the fight and then I’ll be out of your hair, all right?”
I nod before I lower my attention back down to the spot in front of me.
A single click goes off. I shut my eyes immediately after.
It’s not gonna get any better is it? One night without being beside her, and I’m strung out like some sort of crack addict. This is not fucking healthy. But I don’t do permanent. I can’t. I just…I can’t.
“Wanna talk about it?” Stuart offers.
I’m sorry, do I have please let me weep like an infant without a bottle to the world written on my forehead tonight?
I shake my head and Stuart nods in return. “I understand. Just thought maybe you could use an outside opinion. Sometimes it helps.”
“He’s not wrong, Kellar.” Luke immediately backs him.
Talk about ass kissing to impress your crush.
“I’m good.” is all I say, eyes still shut.
“He’s terrified of commitment,” Luke blurts out like some gossip whore.
Seriously?
My head shoots up, and my eyes throw daggers at him, although he doesn’t seem to notice as he adjusts his navy shirt while continuing to drool over Stuart.
“Who isn’t?” Stuart chuckles leaning against the back of the door. I let my eyes fall closed again.
Luke. Luke isn’t. And Maxx. Maxx isn’t. My Maxx…damn it.
Before Luke can retort, Stuarts says, “I mean, it’s human nature to be at least a little afraid of putting yourself in someone else’s hands like that. But what matters is what you want. If you’re just looking for fun, then have fun and get laid.”
I was. I was looking for fun. To get laid. To never get attached. And I was damn good at it. But now the only thing I can think about is doing just that. Attaching myself to Maxx. I don’t wanna lose her. Any part of her.
“If you’re looking for more…take the leap.”
Curious, I open my eyes and mutter, “How do I leap?”
“Well something tells me you’re not a wizard with words.” The sarcasm in his voice gets a giggle from Luke.
Ugh. Does he have to flirt during my misery? There’s a rule in the Dude Code about that kind of shit.
“So make a gesture.”
“I did that when I stopped fucking other girls,” I clarify.
That counts, right? That’s a pretty big statement for me.
“How about something a little more personal?” Stuart’s offer is followed by a quick glance in Luke’s direction.
Am I the third party here?
“I bought new sheets.”
In unison, like dogs who don’t understand what they just heard, they tilt their heads at me.
“No? That’s not personal?”
“Do I wanna know why you think buying new sheets is a sentimental act?”
“Cause his old ones would give the unclean hotel rooms on those undercover shows nightmares.” Luke’s answer gets a smile from Stuart.
I’m glad that my life is the merry fucking joke bringing them together. And for the record, I wash my sheets quite frequently. Well, frequently enough.
Annoyed now that Luke is more concerned about flirting with his crush than actually helping me, I say to Stuart, “What kind of gesture would you make for your boyfriend? What’s his name again? Robert?”
My reminder causes Luke to freeze back and retract inward.
Dick move. I know. I’m being an asshole. Help me, please?
“Well, considering the fact he’s my ex boyfriend now, a middle finger would be the most he’d get from me.” This new information causes Luke to slide his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants.
“Sorry to hear that you broke up,” he offers.
“No you’re not.” I shake my head putting him in the hot seat.
He scowls at me.
Yup. Being a dickhead. Again. I thought I asked for your help.
“However, if I were you, Kellar, the one who is known for his cock seeing more pussy than the backstage VIP section at a KISS concert, I would do something loud. And in front of a crowd. And fast…” he adds the last part wetting his lips as there’s a sharp knock on the door.
Erin’s face appears in the doorway. “Showtime.”
Fuck. Me.
“Alright.” I drag my body and prepare to march into the ring.
“Good luck,” Luke and Stuart call out in unison as I exit the room.
A little soon to be so coupley, isn’t it?
The moment my body enters the ring, the lead feeling I’ve been carrying around gets heavier at the sight of Maxx. She’s standing in a short jean skirt and a tied, red button up shirt, and her hair is hiding beneath a cowboy hat with curls at the ends.
Really? Are you fucking with me right now? I haven’t actually been laid in weeks. I haven’t been able to pound my fist into anything in the past twenty-four hours, and you’re gonna dress Maxx up like some Texas wet dream? How the fuck am I supposed to compete with that?
Screams and cheers get louder as she shimmies her boobs for the crowd to enjoy. I growl.
Those are meant for me.
My opponent, whose name is Hollywood, struts over to Maxx when she beckons him for her, now signature, kiss on the cheek. His green eyes meet mine and he wets his lips before placing them on her cheek.
I’m gonna knock his teeth in.
Seeing that it rattles me, he slides an arm around her waist and pulls her into him, giving her another kiss, creating an uproar from the crowd.
I’m gonna fucking kill him.
“And now….” the D.J. announces. “You can push him…you can pull him…you can bend him…but you can. Not. Break. Him. Ladies and gentleman, the one! The only! Unbreakable!”
My heart starts beating rapidly against my chest. Much in the same way that I imagine I’m gonna be beating my fist against Hollywood’s caramel mocha colored face in a minute. I flex my fingers, the fact that they are numb a direct reflection of how I’ve been feeling ever since I let Maxx walk up those stairs last night.
I should’ve gone after her then. I should’ve made some sort of effort to show her that she means the world to me. Please let the fact that I sound like a total chick right now slide, okay? I’ve never been in love before. I’ve never had to deal with these kinds of fucking emotions.
I give the fake smile on Maxx’s face another hard look. It hurts to even glance at. I approach her slowly as she points to the spot on her cheek that I’m expected to kiss. The moment I reach her my eyes fall into hers. They’re clouded with doubt. And sadness. And pain.
And fuck me if it’s not all my fucking fault.
Impatiently, she poin
ts again to the spot doing her best to remain calm, to keep her game face on for the overly zealous crowd.
Yeah? Well fuck them.
I slide one hand on her waist and the other around her neck pulling her lips against mine. She lets out a squeak of surprise, but it doesn’t stop me. I gently suck her bottom lip into my mouth hoping her body relaxes and lets me in. The second her lips part, my tongue darts inside and tastes her like it’s my first time all over again. Her body molds against mine and I grip her harder. Desperate to keep her. Desperate to have her. Our tongues tangle for a moment more while the crowd cheers behind us reminding me I still have a fight to win. And if I don’t take a long deep breath the world is gonna see what I’m packin’ in these black shorts.
Wouldn’t wanna make the whole world jealous now would we?
Reluctantly, I pull my lips away from hers but keep my gaze locked on her eyes. “I choose you, Maxx. I choose you.”
Chapter 8
Maxx
The moment my feet are outside of the ring, I slam my back against the wall in shock.
That happened, right? Like, I didn’t hallucinate that from lack of sugar or anything? I mean, I’ve had an unusual lack in the amount of sugar…well food, I’ve been consuming.
Quickly I hustle around the corner in time to see Logan’s fist dive into Hollywood’s face rendering him damn near unavailable to fight.
Well, as you can see, this is gonna be quick.
While my brain is anxious to try and process the fight I’m watching, what my body just witnessed, and what my ears just heard before the entire thing started, it has no time to do so thanks to my headset that’s going off in my pocket. Slightly annoyed that I can’t even wallow in the amazing thing that just happened, I slide my earpiece into my ear.
“Maxx!”
“Yeah,” I say back to Erin quickly handing my signs off to the new Ring Side Girl who is gonna take my place. Unfortunately for her, tonight she gets to play shadow aka my assistant.
“Frank wants to see you in his office. Now.”
“On it.”
I pull the piece out of my ear.
You don’t think he saw that kiss do you? You don’t think he’s gonna fire me for that, right? I mean, he does have that no fraternizing with the employees policy, but the man can barely write the word let alone know how to enforce it.
“Put those away and go find Erin,” I tell Monica as I head towards Frank’s office.
The moment I enter his office he plasters a shit eating grin on his face. “Ah. My prized possession.”
“We’ve talked about this.” I roll my eyes and shut the door. “I’m not an object. I’m a person.”
“A prized person.”
He wants something.
“What do you want, Frank?”
He slides a cigar in his mouth and lights it. “I wanna make you an offer.”
“There’s not enough money in the world to get me to sleep with you.” I walk over and place my hands on the back of the leather chair that’s across from his desk. “Again, we’ve talked about this.”
“Just like Erin.” He rolls his eyes and blows out smoke. “I wanna make you an offer about an event.”
Intrigued I raise my eyebrows. “I’m listening.”
“You know the tournament is coming up.”
“Sooner rather than later.”
“And almost everything is in place.”
“I’m aware that I’m good at what I do, Frank.”
“Are you aware that Jacob Anderson is coming into town?”
I shrug. “Who?”
“Jacob Anderson.” The repetition of his name does nothing for me.
See why I can’t talk to him? It’s like talking to a chimp who only understands basic English. I take that back. Don’t wanna offend the chimps. They deserve better than that.
Frank lets the cigar dangle from his lips in a way that reminds me of the old mobster movies. “Jacob Anderson is one of the most prestigious people in the industry. He’s one of the need to know names if you plan to last, and it just so happens he’s an old friend of mine.”
Does he want a sticker?
“He’s asked me to hold a mingling event for fighters, trainers, owners, agents, PR…the whole nine yards.”
“Uh-huh…”
“I’ve already made the invite list, sent them out and everything.”
“And now you want me to actually create and organize it?”
“Exactly.”
“And what do I get out of this added stress nightmare?”
“Aside from triple what you make here?”
Did you hear him say triple too?
“Jacob has some connections that are looking for an Events Coordinator to help with some future projects around the country. For lawyers, doctors, congressmen. All kinds of opportunities. Make this happen for me, and I’ll make that happen for you.”
“And you’re willing to just let me go like that?”
“Of course not.” He quickly shakes his head, ashing the cigar. “You would still work for me, but less face time. You’ve got a simple system you use that basically runs itself, so you would just continue to do what you’re doing without having to physically be here on Fight Night.” Frank slides the cigar back in his mouth. “So…do we have a deal?”
“I’ll start tomorrow.”
“You’ve got six weeks to pull this off, Maxx.”
Cockily I shrug and turn around to walk out of office. Before leaving, I toss one last remark over my shoulder. “I’ve done more with less.”
His chuckle is the last thing I hear before I shove my earpiece back in and shut the door.
First, my dream guy kisses me, now my dream job is offered to me? Gods of Fate, if this is some sort of trap to completely ruin my life, I’ll have you know it would’ve been easier to just offer me a cupcake.
I head towards the front of the bar where I know I’ll find Erin. This amazing news is just waiting to travel from my mouth to her ears.
And the kiss with Logan! I have to talk to her about the kiss with Logan!
The minute I’m in view of the bar, I smirk at the sight of C.J. in his cowboy hat, those jeans he bitched about, and a button up plaid shirt filling up shot glasses. In his best Texan accent he yells, “Can I get a yee-haw?”
“Yee-haw,” the group of giggling college aged slutty cowgirls reply before taking their shots and tossing them back.
Shaking my head I can’t help but smile.
“If only he didn’t look so damn good dressed like that.” Erin sighs tilting her head to the side.
When I open my mouth to respond, I quickly shut it as C.J. shoots Erin a wink.
“Clearly he knows,” she growls quickly annoyed. My eyes give her tiny jean shorts, her bright red bra that’s being covered by a jean vest, brown cowboy boots, and hair that’s braided with ribbons at the ends a good look. She looks pretty good herself. Erin licks her painted lips and shoots her head back at me. “But seriously, did you see how good his ass looks in those jeans?”
C.J. smiles widely again as he slides a beer mug across the bar.
“Even being smug like that he’s sexy.”
“You’re pretty sexy yourself, Babe,” his voice says in my ear through the headset.
Erin’s jaw hits the ground as a bright shade of red covers her face.
Huh. So that’s what it looks like when she blushes.
“Aw, don’t look so hurt, Babe.” His tone lowers. I look up to see his back to us as he reaches for a bottle of liquor. “I’m flattered to know the dirty thoughts about me that are going on in your head.”
Erin yanks the earpiece out. “I hate these things!”
“They were your idea!”
&n
bsp; “And exactly whose side are you on?”
“Don’t yell at me because you forgot your mic was on.”
Shaking her head she scowls at me again, this time adjusting her shorts. “Stupid. So stupid.”
“Not that I’m not relishing in the fact you are beating yourself up for making a mistake, which you rarely do, but have you seen Logan?”
“You mean the boy who shoved his tongue down your throat for the entire world to see? No. I haven’t. But maybe Chuckles has.” She tilts her head at C.J. who is obviously pretending to flirt with a couple college girls for tips.
The cuter the guy, just like the shorter the skirt, the higher the tips. Hint: that’s why we all look like something from the porn version of the Dukes of Hazard.
“You’re gonna have to go over and ask him. Apparently he’s taken his earpiece out and turned off his mic,” she snaps.
Snatching her hand, I drag her with me ignoring her mouthy, profanity filled protests.
Pushing my way through the crowd, I lean over the bar. “C.J.!”
“Yeah.” He turns around tossing the bar rag on his shoulder.
“Have you seen Unbreakable?”
C.J. nods his head and I turn around to see Logan standing behind me, a crooked smirk on his face. “You looking for me?”
Holy shit. Just when I thought he couldn’t look any hotter I was mistaken. He’s pulled on a pair of black gym shorts over his fighting pair, a white t-shirt, and a black, backwards baseball cap. He literally looks like he just rolled out of bed. God, I wish he was rolling around in my bed.
“I uh…I…” The words get lost as I look over him again, his body ceases my ability to talk.
Is that happening to you too?
Logan leans forward, winds his hands in my hair, and plants his lips on top of mine
Oh. God.
Without even thinking about it, my lips part and Logan’s tongue greets mine as I let out a small sigh. It only pushes against mine once more before it slides out of my mouth leaving my panties wet and my body feeling empty.
I’m horny enough to let him push me against this bar and go to town. I don’t even care that we’d have an audience. Oh…that’s bad isn’t it?