So what, I should get with him cause he’s the best fighter out there
?
We hadn’t texted in three days, but I still thought about him at least once every hour. Dad’s verdict hadn’t been an ultimatum, but it had dovetailed so neatly with my worries. Everything that made me want him also made him feel like too much risk to be worth it.
“You ever seen him at work?” Jada asked. “You’ve got to come.”
I sighed and looked at the two men on the flyer. They were just inviting me to see him fight right? It didn’t mean I had to talk to him. This fight was the perfect chance to watch from a safe distance.
“Alright, fine.”
They packed up and soon we were driving north. The suburbs we passed were old and rich and white - not all that different from Grosse Pointe.
“Where exactly are we headed?” I asked Jada up front, when we left those burbs and started zooming up another highway.
“You should have asked before you got in this car, yeah?” Jamal did an exaggerated evil laugh. “We are almost there.”
‘There’ turned out to be a community gymnasium that was out in the middle of nowhere. Now the parking lot was jam packed with pickups and muscles cars and beaters. We had to drive three blocks to find street parking by a house. People inside scowled at us as we climbed out and headed to the gymnasium, but there were no signs against us parking. I almost wanted to yell, “Don’t worry, we’re not like the others.”
I had an idea of the sort of guy who watched this. Jamal was cool on the surface, but he had a bit of roughness under that smooth coating. The other guys packing in to the audience didn’t bother trying to hide it.
Jamal bought tickets and I crowded in close to him and Jada, just to avoid the leers from the sausage party around me. The crowd was mixed: white, black, Latino. All had the same hungry look on their drunken faces. Hungry for blood, maybe, but that made other animal hungers rise up too.
The three of us filed up into the bustling arena. The place had been filled in with a giant metal cage in the center and chairs had been added all around. We’d gotten seats closer to the front, thank God. I don’t know how I could have avoided the guys next to me on the risers ringing the auditorium. I took the aisle seat, isolated from just about all these guys, but still felt antsy. The place sounded like a chainsaw on idle.
“It’s quite the atmosphere,” I said.
“It’s wild,” Jada said. “It’s like anything could happen here.”
“That’s kinda what I’m worried about.”
But Jada was lip-locked with Jamal already. I sighed and checked email on my phone to stay busy. Somewhere around, Sean must be getting ready, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to see that. It might stir up too many old feelings.
I only had a few minutes before the lights dimmed. A spotlight struck the center of the cage, and a man in a referee uniform walked into it with a mic.
“You ready to see some hardcore, brutal action?” he boomed.
The crowd erupted into some tribal roar around us. I could barely keep my eyes open under the intensity. The referee announced a whole bunch of titles and then a name. The crowd erupted again as a tall, shirtless black man strode into the ring. He faced each of what I realized was actually eights sides of the cage and pumped his fists into the air.
“Is that the hunk that white boy’s fighting?” Jada asked.
“Only hunk you gotta worry about is the one sitting next to you, girl.”
Jada threw Jamal a sideways hug. “I’m just trying to be interested.
“That’s Lamar Tatum. I don’t know about you two, but I’m still rooting for him.”
“Really?” I asked. “I thought we were here to see Sean.”
He threw me a confused look. “Between him and your white boy? I’m sorry but Lamar’s one of ours.”
The man had coal black skin that glistened under the lights. I knew what Jamal meant. Still, even if I was here just as research, I knew I still wanted Sean beating this guy down.
“And now,” the announcer boomed. “The Oirish Tiger himself. The challenger to the throne. Give it up for your boy: Sean Smith.”
The crowd erupted again as Sean stepped up into the ring from the other side. He didn’t go pumping his fists. He just prowled the edge of the ring, giving out a stern look that swelled the roar of the audience as he passed.
He’d always looked intense, but now he looked deadly like a caged beast. Even though he probably couldn’t spot me in the darkness, I had to duck away from his glance as it passed over us.
“Damn,” Jada said. “I forgot how he fine he looked that night.”
“He’s good,” Jamal agreed. “But Lamar’s the best Detroit’s got.”
The two men squared off, eyes full of anger. Sean rose well above the referee, but Lamar had a couple inches even over that. My stomach wrapped itself in knots as I realized that this man’s intent was to break Sean.
The bell clanged and the two men circled each other. They looked like caged cats, approaching, growling, batting each other’s paws and then separating. Tension churned in my stomach with each pass.
Then Lamar got a wide swing in that batted the side of Sean’s head. I yelped, but Sean just staggered sideways. Lamar came in swinging and I couldn’t see Sean at all. I jolted out of my chair, but just saw that broad black back and the elbows pumping like pistons. It sounded like meat being pounded in a kitchen.
Oh god, why wasn’t anyone stopping this?
Lamar came staggering back, and then he went flying back, straight into the cage. The crowd on the other side of the arena screamed for blood, and I saw Sean overhead, pounding at Lamar’s raised block.
“Hey, sit down, bitch,” someone shouted behind me.
I sat back in my seat, but already Lamar was back up and the two were circling, breathing a bit harder, but still up. Watching Sean’s chest heave, I couldn’t help but imagine him over me, grunting as he pushed into me over and over again. I’d put up no defense at all. I didn’t want to.
A warmth flooded me that made me squirm in my seat. This wasn’t the effect I’d come here for. I needed to see things clearly.
The first round passed after a couple more tussles. They were just wearing each other down, it was clear. The two went back to their corners and I saw a couple of the guys that had been at the restaurant talking to Sean as he wiped himself down and drank water.
“That was hot,” Jada said. “That white boy’s good.”
“He is,” I said.
“He held his own,” Jamal said. “Why don’t you go offer him a little incentive?”
I scrunched deeper into my seat. “Not yet.” It was true. I might be firmly in Sean’s corner, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do about
us
.
Just then I spotted one of Sean’s friends in the crowd. He was the guy with the suit - a manager maybe. Right then he was being passed a thick handful of bills by some greasy looking guy
For a flash, I wondered if the match was rigged, but then another couple men walked up and handed Sean’s manager other wads of cash.
He was a bookie. That’s where the other cash was coming from. I doubted it was strictly legal, but it was a far cry from the gang-banger I’d built Sean up to be in my head.
Some bikinied girls came and left and round two started. Right away, Sean slipped up. Lamar and he tussled in another engagement and I saw both take body blows.
It was brutal, but I wasn’t feeling scared anymore, just the impacts. I was too in-sync. Each blow to Sean made me groan like I’d taken it, and each land of his fist made me want to jump out of my seat. There was more than just pure brawn at work in Sean’s head. He was following some rules for points and landing his attacks where they needed to go.
The two men separated and when they came together again, Sean suddenly dropped to the floor. Lamar dropped on top of him and started raining fists.
“What?” I screamed and turned to Jamal. “Can he do that?”
“Until Sean stops defending? Sure.”
I couldn’t see anything below Lamar’s furious face. I jumped to my feet. Screw whoever was behind me.
Sean had his arms raised, but barely. Suddenly his legs whirred, and Lamar toppled over. Sean flipped on top and coiled around him like an anaconda. It looked really erotic. All I could think of were his muscles binding me instead.
“Oh shit,” Jamal said. He was on his feet alongside me. The whole audience was.
“What?” I asked, but I could already see. Lamar was jerking and pressing to get up, but Sean had left no room to move. The referee hovered close to both of them, signaling something with his hands. I saw fingers counting down.
Lamar bellowed like an outraged animal, and then his whole body slumped. He tapped the mat.
Sean leaped upright, arms thrust in victory. Some of the crowd groaned but the rest shook the roof, chanting Sean’s name. I was yelling right along with them.
Lamar staggered to his feet, and Sean clasped his hand. The referee raised Sean’s fist into the sky.
“Winner by submission,” he boomed.
The crowd chanted his fighter name: I-rish ti-ger, I-rish ti-ger. Sean glowed at each side of his arena in turn, then paced towards the exit.
I leapt from my seat and ran that way.
“Gabi,” Jada’s voice called, but I was far away already.
A lane had opened along the exit and rough-looking men crowded along it, eager for a glimpse of their champion. I thought I’d never get through, but one guy spotted me and pulled his buddy aside to make room.
I slipped through just in time to see Sean pass.
“Sean!” I screamed.
He froze, looking around as if he’d heard a ghost. I yelled his name again, and he turned directly to me.
His blonde hair stuck slick to his head and sweat dripped off every cliff on his chiseled face, but it lit up with a glow.
He stalked up to me, clasped my chin wordlessly and fastened his lips to mine. I tasted the salt and sweat, and ran my hands through his damp hair. The crowd whooped around us.
He pulled away, still smiling. “You like what you saw then?” he asked.
“Heck yeah,” I said, feeling ashamed I couldn’t say anything stronger.
His chuckle was lost in the noise, but he came back in and pecked me on the nose. “Guess that means you’re willing to see me again.”
I nodded. “I am. I’m sorry.”
Something hardened on his face. “I know just how you can make it up to me.”
“I think I know, too,” I said. This fight might be over, but I was more than ready to be his next match.
He reached across the low metal fences and plucked me over to his side as easily as a flower.
Tucked into his raw muscle, I went out into the night with my champion.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sean
I checked myself in the mirror again and adjusted my collar. Over my usual gym tees, I now sported a checkered button down. I wore it furled back at the wrists and buttoned all the way down to where it met my khakis just like I’d seen on a male fashion site. Everything bulged at the seams, even though my muscles ran lean. Apparently this shit was built for hipsters.
It was my first real night out with Gabi. I was like a damn high school kid going to the prom. Only difference was that I’d already fucked my date many times over. This was just the first time I’d be with her aiming to do more than get into her, but that had me on edge more than before any fight.
I
was
my body. I’d built it up well and it served me now in business and pleasure. Take it away, and what did I have left to offer?
Well, my body was still there at least, and it still had some power over her. For now.
I checked out of my apartment and rolled downtown towards the Motown Lounge. It was the classiest place that my boys and I had ventured. I wanted to be on home turf, so I’d told her to meet me there. She’d turned down my offer to pick her up from her place, which wasn’t a great start, but I could deal.
The place tinkled with elevator music as I walked through the doors. Rather than the damp darkness of the pubs I usually frequented, this place was open and bright. It was almost like a giant fight ring with tables and softer light.
The bouncer checked my ID cautiously, then pointed me inwards. I found an empty table and had barely sat before a slim blonde in trim black uniform came up to me with a menu.
She beamed as she handed over the menu and went over some fruity specials. Her eyes never left mine, and even after I ordered a pint of porter, they lingered a couple seconds longer.
She had an hourglass body. All I would have to do to get her into my lap was reach out. I didn’t though, and she walked away.
Didn’t know why the thought crossed my mind. It almost felt like I needed to prove to myself that I still had some worth. Gabi was screwing with my head, even out of sight.
She didn’t stay that way for long. The next time the door blew open, Gabi breezed in. She had on a yellow number that was somewhere in tightness between a summer dress and a club dress. Her long legs and arms spilled out like smooth milk chocolate. It looked amazing and classy as hell.