by Criss Copp
“Not so good!” I reply.
“Yeah, I heard you didn’t sign on for this year’s UFC; they reported family reasons, so I guessed it would be your Mum.” He explains.
“Yeah... she’s got the Cancer!” I clarify. “I’m here to help her through the end stages... she’s a fighter, so she wants to extend her visa here in this world!” I say light-heartedly, but I feel the pinch.
“Damn shame... she’s a fine woman!” he says.
“She is!” I agree, looking around my surrounds. I came here as a troubled teen without direction. My Mum was beside herself with what to do with me, so between Cliff, Mark and Troy; I got my three disciplines of training, which lead me to fighting professionally. I owed it to those guys, and to my Mum!
“Troy gone?” I ask.
“Yeah... he moved away. Mark’s still here though, putting some lads through their paces; we’ve got some particularly talented ones, some of them may be as good as you were!” he chuckles.
“Do you think there’s room for a class I can teach?” I ask.
“It won’t be a big class... but yeah, I can think of three young fellas that could be interested in you teaching an MMA class. One of them will blow even you away. He’s rough cut, but he’s skilled... he’s got something going on behind those eyes; when he’s in the zone, he’s scary!” Cliff explains. I give the man a look of wonderment. I’m surprised he would offer so much praise. He was always a hardarse!
“Going soft Cliff?” I ask, chuckling.
“No!” he huffs... “I used to say the same for you... just not when you were around!” he smiles.
We’re sitting on some chairs looking at the boxing ring.
“When’s a good time? I’ll need three days a week.” I explain.
“Well as you know I do Boxing every afternoon, Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. But the boys you’re interested in take the same classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The most talented of the trio, Silas... he also does Muay Thai with Mark on Monday’s and Thursday’s. The other two do Karate with a guy name Tony on Tuesday’s and Friday’s. You’d be looking at a later slot, but these guys won’t fartarse you around!” he explains.
I think about it for a bit; Mum’s in bed by 8:00pm every night... she’s tired, her afternoon rest is really only a slumber, so by then she’s crashing hard. I could say goodnight to her and be here by 8:30pm. I’d like an hour and a half session, so at least I can warm up, even if the guys are already! It should be good!
“Do you think you can arrange something for me? See if they’re interested, and then I can get the paperwork sorted and start training them.” I explain.
“Yep... and drop by on Wednesday to see what these three are like. I should be able to tell you something by then.” He grins.
Chapter Seven: Banter and Stuff.
Ben.
I’m parking out the back of Paul’s gym and I notice the Kawasaki 650 Ninja settled there; and I’m already excited. I make a rapid exit from my Mum’s car and a rapid entry in through the back door of the gym. She’s already jogging on my machine; she’s a little early, but not by much. She must’ve done this on purpose.
I race into the locker room and throw my bag into a locker and then quickly reef the key out after locking it; almost snapping it off in the process.
Yesterday I was left so delightfully frustrated by this woman I determined that she was not only a match for my sarcastic manner; but that she and I would have real fireworks in bed, and I really wanted that!
Our sarcastic banter was ripe with innuendo, insinuations and accusations. She even slapped me across the face at one stage for suggesting some chest press exercises to improve her pectoral muscles. I guess being a nurse; she’d know that I may have been referring to her breast size, which incidentally isn’t as bad as I originally thought.
She wears a sports bra and some sort of tank bra over the top that holds her in while she’s working out, but yesterday, she walked out of the locker room without her jacket on; and from what I could tell in her singlet tee, she’s got something I wouldn’t mind putting a hand on, if she offered of course!
Before she left, she noticed me looking at her... so; I asked her what we should do for our first date... what she enjoys doing! She told me that she has plans that night... (I didn’t give her a day or time)... but for my own enjoyment, I should totally check out a place called Wild Roses in Sandgate; because from everything she can gather from me, I’d be totally into that.
I chuckle at the way she said that comment. She had looked totally genuine. Her big expressive eyes looked like they were offering legitimately good advice to a tourist.
I looked up the joint on the internet. Okay, I was expecting it was somewhere I didn’t want to go, but to find out it was a brothel, I just near wet my pants laughing!
I’m on the treadmill in the corner now, and I know why she gives me that sour expression when she’s forced to use it. It totally makes you feel boxed in, but she’s slowing down and finishing up her jog, so immediately I slow down my machine and hop off; in order to head on over to her machine; well, the popular machine in any case, to await her departure.
I look up as I step off and catch her watching me.
“You checking me out Red?” I ask, meandering over to stand beside her.
“You wish! I was just noticing the band aids on your fingers. Are they to cushion the dragging of your knuckles on the floor?” she growls; slowing down to a stop and gathering her towel and water bottle.
“Nah... They’ll give me better grip on you when we go for it later!” I reply. She just gives me a dirty look. Wow, if she had lasers at her disposal, she’d totally drill me with them right now! “You know,” I say, as she goes to move away; she stops, turns and rolls her eyes very obviously. “I looked into that place you suggested, but I couldn’t find your work schedule, so I couldn’t book myself in!” I say, with a completely normal expression.
She smirks and then gives me a disgusted look; placing her hand on her hip she replies with a deadly tone, “You want to come and lie down where I work? I could arrange it for you!” She offers.
“What do you charge?” I ask, totally understanding where this is going and the possibility that I’ll get kicked in the nuts.
“Oh... we’re way too expensive for an average guy like you; you know, totally VIP... invitation only, but because you asked so nicely, I’ll make an exception! But you’re not likely going to remember much about your time with me; you’ll be floating along in a state of euphoria and oblivious to my ministrations!” she says, playing along and totally selling it!
“High class then?” I ask, chuckling.
“The highest!” she confirms, before throwing her body back away from me and walking around into the weight room.
Paul is totally getting off on the banter between us, he is laughing his head off over at the counter. I give my head a jerk; asking him to come over. Today the gym’s a little more crowded, so he’s been a little busier than I’ve thus far seen.
Paul is well aware I want to ask where she works, and he’s chuckling as he strides over, just as I start jogging.
“ICU.” He confirms his knowledge.
“ICU?” I ask.
“Yeah... you know; comatose patients; trauma, car accidents and shit!” he says.
“Oh yeah!” I nod. I know now. She’s the angel that takes care of people when they can’t even breathe for themselves.
She’s been listening out for Paul to explain, because she shouts from the weight room, despite the other patrons, “So Ben! You need to organise to get hit by a car! Then you can spend some time in one of my beds! Anyone care to assist him?” she asks around.
Two guys totally put their hands up and offer their support. I’ve never seen them, but now that I look at them, they’re checking her out, and she doesn’t bother giving them lip about it; so perhaps they know her.
“There you go... Carl and Terry will knock you into a coma.” S
he laughs.
“I’d let them do it to me for you!” I shout back, “But only as long as it’s your hands touching me... everywhere!” I argue back.
“Have no fear!” she shouts back. “I’ll totally have my hands on you... you mightn’t like the reality of it though... you may be sporting some marks you didn’t previously have, around your neck; and, there’s nothing sexy about catheters and nappies, unless you really are that perverted.” She laughs.
“Can you take me home and give me a run through?” I respond, “I may like it very much with you!” I banter back.
“I’ll fucking run you through.” She growls, barely loud enough. It has me laughing so much, that I can’t run anymore, I have to take a breather!
Jade.
This guy’s a total arsehole! He’s a cocky fuck! I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to ever clean his arse and roll him over in one of ‘my beds.’ I’d seriously get done for manslaughter if that happened.
I’m so glad that tomorrow I’m on the afternoon shift and I’ll have a morning episode at the gym. He’ll be off his game then, because I won’t be here for him to torture.
I’m on the row machine, back in the cardio room; I’ll leave in a moment to go home and start dinner. Silas will be home, and then he’ll go out for boxing for a while, but we’ll eat together around 7:30pm when he returns.
I’m thinking about what I should collect from the butcher on my way home, when I realise I feel a penetrating stare to the side of my head. I’m thinking its Ben eye-fucking me again; but when I turn, it’s some guy I’ve never talked to before, though he was here yesterday as well. He’s probably on one of those free weeks, designed to get you hooked and becoming a paying customer. He’s probably about 40 years old, slightly balding, and keeping his hair short; slight beer gut, rosy cheeks, not very tall... indescript features, and nothing to write home about. He’s smiling at me in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable.
I’ve had enough of today, I’m going home. I’m thinking Paul needs to re-think his friendship circle, and make a sign for the front door... ‘Creeps not catered for.’
I give the guy a death stare and go to the locker room to shower and change; passing Ben on the way, who whistles as I walk past. I give him my middle finger in response, and continue on my way.
When finally I’m stepping out of the locker room, I’m greeted by quite a sight. Creepy guy is on the floor, his bloody face getting squished into the carpet, and Ben is sitting on him telling him that he needs to get the fuck out of the gym, or the cops will be called.
I look at Paul for an explanation, and he comes over to me.
“Another creep like that Michelin Man.” He says, referring to the guy that looked like he had five spare tyres around his waist, who followed me into the showers and tried to catch a perv two months ago.
“Oh...” I say.
Now it means I’m not allowed to hate Ben for doing something chivalrous. It still doesn’t mean I have to start getting all warm and fuzzy about him either.
I lean into the creep, who Ben is crushing to the floor.
“Thought you’d give it a go did you fuckface? You’re lucky he got to you instead of my brother, because if you did something to me, anything to me, it wouldn’t be a question of whether you’d be eating through a straw or having intravenous fluids; it would be a question of whether the magistrate took the plea for manslaughter over murder!” I stand up, giving the guy a disgusted stare.
I look at Ben... “Don’t think you’re in the clear Ben. Thanks for the protection, but don’t expect a blow job out of it!” I say, walking off through the back door.
“At least you used my name! And can I get a rain check?” he shouts, despite nailing a man on the ground for probably thinking something similar. He probably thought our banter meant I was a slut.
“Not fucking likely!” I shout back.
“I’ll take that as a maybe then!” He replies, and then I have my helmet on, and I can’t hear a thing.
Ben.
When I saw that pervert walk into the female locker room thinking he was being all stealthy, only moments after Jade had gone inside; something inside me snapped. I dropped the barbell I was using onto the floor, narrowly missing my toes, and ran in to follow him.
He was just about to slip into the shower section of the rooms where I could hear the shower turned on; when I reached forward, pulled him back and punched him in the face. I then dragged his sorry arse out of the locker room and unceremoniously tackled him to the floor and basically hog tied him without rope.
“Not again!” Paul said, watching me emerge and throw this fucker down.
“What do you mean again?” I ask angrily.
“Jade gets her fair share of stalking types and creeps.” He explains, “Not including you...” he leans forward toward the floor, “I think most people here with a brain can see you two bouncing insults off each other is just a bit of fun.” He explains, indirectly aiming the barb at the perv.
“This has happened before?” I ask incredulously.
“Yep... I’m surprised she still comes here. Other women might have sued or at least left by now.” Paul says, shaking his head.
“Did you call the cops last time?” I enquired.
“No, she just told the arsehole if he didn’t leave, she’d call them. And then she told him how she’d cut his balls off if he returned, and feed them to a homeless dog. She described how she could do it too; I totally believe she knows how. She’s probably seen it in surgery or something.” Paul shudders.
“Do you hear that motherfucker? She’s got skills, and so do I, and that girl there is not for you... ever... period! If I even see your eyes look at her again, I’ll fucking tear them out and throw them to the seagulls.” I explained.
I told him how we were going to play this, and when I got to the part about him leaving immediately or I would call the cops, he was pissing himself... almost literally.
That’s when Jade walked out and assessed the situation.
She totally handled it, she got in his face and warned him off with a brother even I was a bit nervous about getting on the wrong side of now, and then she thanked me in a back handed way, while using my name.
She didn’t even flinch from continuing the banter we have been engaged in; she threw me some shit, and I threw it back... she didn’t even stumble! It was fucking brilliant!
This is definitely looking more and more like an extended play and not a one nighter. I’ll need to keep her around for a little bit longer, I’m very much in lust with her. She’s a God damned Amazon of a woman... an all straight talker and take no shit attitude! My Mum would be salivating over the prospects! My type has never really been my Mum’s type, but she had accepted things and gone along with it all.
Mum’s type of girl for me is exactly the Jade type. Because as a young man growing up, I was a whole lot to handle, and she always wanted me to meet my match. Yep, Jade would definitely be my Mum’s idea of perfect for me, and if I was in the market for a full time girlfriend, I would totally agree! I better be careful not to introduce them, I’m still looking for a bit of fun with her, not a commitment.
***
Cliff was moving around the room and talking to the young men as they warmed up with skipping ropes and jogging around the outside of the room; some were doing stretches. My eyes glossed over the vast majority of them, there were a couple of hopefuls, but apart from them, nobody really stuck out. And then a man walks in; no, he’s a young man too; he’s just big, and he commands a presence!
He’s moving fluidly vzyl towards a row of chairs, before taking his helmet that he has tucked under his arm and placing it on one of the chairs, alongside his backpack. Then he’s stripping out of his jacket and jeans and boots, till he’s standing in just a singlet and boxer briefs, with socks. He isn’t looking at me, he’s scanning the young men, watching everything they’re doing like a hawk. I instinctively know this is the guy that Cliff mentioned on Monday,
Silas! It’s an easy name to remember. He’s pulling off his socks, maintaining an easy balance while he remains standing, and although his red/brown hair is hanging over his eyes, I know he has now noticed me, because he has begun to turn in such a way as to be prepared for anything unexpected from my corner... almost ready for a challenge. Out of the backpack he pulls a pair of boardies, and eases them over his feet and up his legs; tying them off at the top.
Cliff goes up to him and stands next to him. Judging his height against Cliff, I know he’s a tad over 6 foot. Cliff barely reaches his chin. Silas stands coiled and ready for action, but he relaxes the moment Cliff says something to him. He gives me a look all of a sudden, staring at me directly with green eyes that pierce through me. I’ve seen eyes like this a lot lately, funny how two people with mesmerizing green eyes have managed to find their way into my presence lately. I can’t remember another time when I’ve been presented with such a colour before. I let it slide for now, I’m here to see if I can get together some potential MMA fighters for a class, not study the unusual shades of eye colour present in the greater Newcastle area.
Cliff nods at something Silas says, and placing a hand on his shoulder, directs him over to where I am seated.
The way he walks toward me is all predatory; he’s stalking towards me like I’m his prey, but just before he gets to me, his sombre face splits into a grin that completely changes his approach from dangerous to friendly; he stretches his hand forward in a handshake greeting, which I accept, and then he introduces himself. I stand to meet him.
“Silas Tayte!” he says, firmly gripping my hand.
“Benjamin Reynolds, but please call me Ben!” I reply, warmly returning his greeting.
He pulls his hand back and stands tall. I’m thinking six foot two now. I’m six two, so I can perhaps see that my eyes line up with his.
He’s athletic! I would say he has a swimmers body, but looking at his upper body strength, I know he’s more than just that.