by Lane Hart
“It’s fine,” I tell him without encouraging further small talk. “Jude said you were looking for me.”
“Right, so I know you’ve had your heart set on the IFC, but I’m not having any luck, and you’re not getting any younger,” he says, finally getting to the point.
“Thanks, you old bastard. Neither are you,” I tease, making him chuckle.
“If you want a fight and some publicity, I just heard that the American Championship League is growing in popularity.”
“They’re a bullshit, amateur league, right?” I ask.
“Yeah, but they’re trying to change that, starting with a reality television series. They’re recruiting welterweights now for the first season. It’s eight weeks at a training facility where they’ll air the weekly fights, a hundred or more guys all competing for one championship belt to be awarded at the end.”
“So what’s that got to do with me?” I ask.
“The truth is you’re good, but you’re just not IFC material. Maybe that will change, but for now, you probably need to start looking at other options if you want to fight.”
Coach’s proverbial sucker punch through the phone is so brutal my jaw throbs.
“You think I’ve got a shot at that show?” I ask in understanding.
“Maybe. There are no guarantees, but at least you have the IFC team fights on video to send them. It couldn’t hurt, right?”
“And if I get picked, I’m expected to live with a group of fighters with a camera constantly on us?”
“Yeah, the camp is in San Diego. The winner also gets to take home a quarter of a million, not that you probably care about that, but you’ll get some fights for sure on national television.”
At the moment that seems like a ton of money compared to my current net worth, but Coach doesn’t know my dad cut me off. I told him I came down to North Carolina for a change of scenery. And while it’s not the IFC, the top tier of the fighting world, this could be a decent way for me to get noticed if I win.
“Let me think about it,” I tell him. “How soon do you need an answer?”
“You need to make a decision fast. They want to start filming in January, so applications are due by the end of this week. And I’ve got some other kids here who hope to give it a shot if you don’t,” Coach replies. “I know this isn’t exactly the career you wanted, but it would beat being stuck in the gym. Who knows how far a win in this could take you.”
“Thanks, Coach. I appreciate you telling me about it first.”
“No problem,” he says. “Take it easy.”
“You too.”
After hanging up, I recline back in Jude’s seat and consider this opportunity, the pros and the cons. Of course, the first thing that pops up in my mind is Whitney. Things are still so new with her, but I really hope we’ll still be seeing each other in January. If so, how would she feel about me going to California for two months?
On the other hand, not having to bust my ass as a waiter for those months would be a nice reprieve since all my expenses would be paid.
Then there’s Luke who just recently moved in with me. I’m not sure if he could make the rent on his own, and I would hate to bail on him after offering him a place to stay.
Fuck.
Would it even be worth it anyway, or will this reality show thing turn out to be a huge crock of shit with a no-name fighting league?
Not that I have anything better going on.
Except for Whitney.
Tonight, I’ll talk to her and see what she thinks. If she’s cool with it, then I guess I’ll call Coach and tell him to apply for me. Which reminds me that there’s no guarantee that I’ll even get picked. And wouldn’t that be fucking great if I’m not even good enough for amateurs?
Screw that. They would probably bend over backward and lick my balls if it meant signing me up. I train with some of the best fighters in the IFC here at Havoc, so I’m confident that I can run circles around amateur assholes.
And I have to admit that, for once in my life, it would feel good to actually earn a championship belt.
Whitney is the most sensible woman I know. I’m sure that if I tell her how important this is that she’ll urge me to give it a try.
So, instead of giving myself the time to talk myself out of it, I pick up the phone and hit the redial button.
“Hey, Coach. Let’s go ahead and give it a shot,” I say as soon as he answers.
“I’ll email them right now and call you when I hear something,” he says.
“Great, let me give you my new cell number, so you won’t have to call the gym.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Whitney
Something’s up with Alex. He’s practically bouncing with excitable energy when he opens his apartment door. At least one of us is in a good mood. I’ve been going back and forth on what to do about Kenneth. Going away with him is the best thing for my father and all of his employees, but I can’t help feeling guilty like I should tell Alex. Then I picture his reaction and lose my nerve. Would he understand that this is just a business arrangement with Kenneth and nothing more? Or would he assume there was something going on between us and not trust me?
Alex is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so I don’t want to lose him. I would be crushed if he ended things because of a stupid financial deal. If I thought there was any other choice, I would make it. It just seems like I’m running out of time and options.
“Hey, you look…happy,” I tell Alex when I wrap my arms around his waist for a much-needed hug. I’ve missed his warmth, his wonderful smell and his rippling muscles underneath his shirt.
“Hey,” he says, hugging me back and placing a kiss on top of my head. “I’ve got some news.”
“Good news I take it?” I ask as I pull away from his embrace to see his face.
“Well, it could be,” he says. Taking my hand, he leads me over to the living room, and we sit down on the sofa beside each other. “I talked to my coach up in Maryland today, and he told me about this fighting competition.”
“You got a fight?” I ask with a smile, knowing how much he’s been wanting one and how important that is to him.
“Sort of,” he replies, combing his fingers through the top of his hair. “There’s this television show they’re doing about fighters. Coach sent in an application this morning for me, and they called him right away. They want me.”
“That’s great, Alex,” I tell him honestly.
His smile is tight and doesn’t quite reach his eyes, yet I can tell he’s happy, so why… Oh.
“You’re leaving?” I infer since it’s unlikely a show would be recorded here in our state.
“They’re filming in San Diego,” he answers with a nod.
Of course he would be going all the way to the other side of the country.
“So when does it start?” I ask.
“January,” he says. “I’ll only be gone for a few weeks. Eight weeks, well, maybe nine or ten with the pre-filming and all…”
“You’re leaving for at least two months after the holidays?”
“Yeah. But I don’t want this to end. I mean, I know we haven’t been seeing each other very long, so I hope that…do you think we could…would you want to…”
He’s so sweet when he gets all tongue-tied and nervous talking to me that I could just kiss him. So I do. Leaning forward, I end his stammering with my lips and tongue.
Grabbing me by my hips, Alex pulls me on top of him so that I’m straddling his legs, all without our mouths even parting for a second.
“I don’t want to lose you,” he whispers against my lips, nearly making my eyes water. “I know it’s not fair to ask this after just a few weeks, but will you wait for me while I’m away?”
“Yes,” I tell him without hesitation. How could I not when he’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever met? He treats me like I’m the most important thing to him in the world, and nothing, not even a few months apart would make me forget that.
In fact, this may work out perfectly with what I have to do. Now is probably the time for me to fess up and put it all out there, or at least most of the truth.
“Actually, I was thinking of doing some traveling the next few months too,” I start.
“Traveling?” Alex asks. “To where?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe over to Europe?” I reply since I don’t honestly know Kenneth’s itinerary at this point.
Narrowing his eyes, he says, “Hold on. You’re going to Europe by yourself?”
“Oh, no. I’m sure I could find a friend to go with me and keep me company,” I fudge, because there’s no reason to try and explain the situation with Merchant Industries only to have Alex misunderstand and get upset. I can go away with Kenneth like he’s requiring to secure the money for my dad, keeping it strictly platonic while Alex does the fighting thing. And once it’s all over, we can really be together. No sneaking around with another man or worrying that my father will work himself to death. Alex will never have to know or wonder about Kenneth, and I would never, ever cheat on him, so it’s not a betrayal. It’s just doing what I have to do.
While he’s gone, we could talk on the phone from wherever I happen to be. At night, we could Skype and see each other. It’ll be like we were never apart. As long as he doesn’t find out I’m with another man, everything will be great. I can see myself living here with Alex once he’s back and the two of us having a serious relationship. One for the long haul.
There’s just one other little thing I need to tell Alex before this goes any further, and it’s better to do it now before we start a long-distance relationship in case he can’t handle it.
“Not to freak you out or anything, but there’s something you should know about me,” I begin, watching my fingers as they fidget with the open collar of his shirt.
“What’s that, babe?” he asks, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“How do you feel about kids?” I ask.
Shrugging, Alex says, “I like kids, I guess. Never really been around them much.”
“Do you want to have your own?”
“Ahhh,” he starts, immediately pulling back to put more space between us, which I don’t think is a good sign. “I…I dunno. Maybe? Eventually? Why?”
“I can’t have kids.”
“Well, yeah, you’re on birth control, right?” he asks with a creased forehead.
“Yes, but that’s not why. A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian failure,” I explain. “I thought…I thought I was pregnant because I was late. My periods have always been wonky, but I wasn’t having sex often before, so I thought Ryan had gotten me pregnant. But then all the tests were negative. When I went to the doctor, they did a bunch of blood work and figured out what was going on. So not only was I not pregnant; I found I could never be…”
“Oh,” Alex replies with a frown. With a gentle finger, he reaches up and swipes away the tear from my cheek that had slipped out. “I’m really sorry, Whit. I…I don’t know what else to say, babe.”
“I still want to have kids, no matter what. But if you don’t want to be with me, I’ll understand –”
“What?” he exclaims. “Why wouldn’t I want to be with you?”
“Because if you ever want your own kids, it will have to be with someone else,” I say before covering my eyes to prevent more tears from falling. “Oh God. You’re gonna dump me now, right? Just for talking about our hypothetical children or lack thereof so soon and freaking you out…”
“Whitney, baby, calm down,” he says softly, reaching to pull my hands away from my face. “I’m not going to dump you for bringing up something that’s important to you.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. “You say that now; but once you leave and start thinking about it, you might realize you’re better off with a woman who can carry your children or decide you don’t want any kids at all, which is your decision. But I do want them, no matter what it takes. So that could end up being stressful and costing a lot of money. I’ll do whatever it takes to adopt or find a surrogate, even if I have to get one of those job things…”
“Take a breath, babe,” Alex says, placing a finger over my lips. “Let’s go one step at a time, okay?”
“Okay,” I agree against his finger with a nod.
“I don’t like the fact that you can’t have children.”
“Oh,” I mutter as I begin deflating with disappointment.
“Only because I can tell that it was important to you. I hate seeing you upset and not being able to do anything to fix it.”
“Oh,” I say in surprise at his kind words.
“And you’re right; we haven’t been together long, so it does seem crazy talking about something so radical as getting married and having kids.”
“I know,” I agree with a cringe of embarrassment.
“But you know what the first thing I thought about when I was trying to decide whether I wanted to leave for that competition?”
“No?” I answer.
“You.” Cradling the side of my face in his palm, Alex says, “I thought about you and whether or not you would be done with me if I left or if you would care enough to still want to see me when it was over.”
“Of course I still want to see you.”
Giving me a small smile, he tells me, “I’m really glad you do, even though we haven’t known each other very long. The thing is, looking further into the future, I don’t see an ending for us, which I have to admit is a first for me.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Really,” he replies. “So not even your hypothetical adopted or test tube kids will scare me away. While I’ve never experienced being a father or thought about it much, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have anything to do with sharing the same genetics but everything to do with being able to love and care for someone else because you consider them to be yours.”
“Aww,” I mutter, unable to prevent the cascade of tears flowing down my cheeks.
“And I know that because I already love you, and we’re definitely not related,” he says, wiping away my tears with both of his thumbs and making my heart hiccup in my chest.
“I love you too,” I tell him, leaning forward to capture his lips to show him how much.
Alex kisses me back just as hard, with his fingers tangled in my hair to make sure I can’t retreat, for several long, amazing minutes before releasing me.
“So…I believe there was just one more of your concerns for me to address,” he says with our noses still pressed together. “I may not have much money now, but I promise you that will change soon. Everything you need and whatever you want will be yours.”
“Well, that will be easy,” I assure him. “You’re all that I want and need.”
“God, I want you,” he replies before kissing me again.
As his lips move down my neck, I ask, “Do you think we know each other better now?”
“Almost,” he answers right away, knowing exactly what I’m referring to.
“What’s my favorite color?” I ask him.
“Red?” he supplies.
“Yep. Now take my shirt off.” Once the material is gone, his mouth moves down to the cleavage between my bra cups. “Is your favorite color…green?” I ask him.
“Uh-huh,” he mutters, then lifts his arms for me to get his shirt off. Filling his hands with both of my breasts, he says, “Your favorite show is I Love Lucy. What’s mine?”
“Ahh, a fighting show?” I guess.
“Right again,” he answers, unsnapping my bra while I start undoing his pants.
Alex’s mouth begins to do naughty things to my nipple while he talks. “You’re sweet…kind…funny…smart…a slip-and-fall risk…highly flammable…along with being a choke hazard. And you’re the sexiest…most gorgeous woman I’ve ever known.”
Winding my arm around the back of his head to press my breasts into his face while I pull his dick out and stroke it, I tell him, “You’re so freaking ho
t. I-I can’t stop thinking about you. I love the way you look at me. How you make me laugh, and you always know what to say to make me feel better…”
“Is that it?” Alex asks with his hands on the waistband of my pants. My brain is short-circuiting from the way he’s sucking on my breasts, but then I remember one other very important characteristic he possesses.
“Oh, and you have a big dick!”
“That’s my girl,” he replies, ripping the front of my pants open. “Bedroom?” he asks.
“Condoms?” I inquire to make sure this is going where I hope it is.
“All ten are still ready and waiting for you,” Alex answers as he gets to his feet with me still in his arms.
“Thank God,” I say on a sigh of relief when I feel his hard cock pressed against the crotch of my pants so insistent and demanding access.
After Alex climbs up on the bed with me underneath him, the rest of our clothes quickly disappear between urgent kisses and needy groping.
“Hold on,” Alex says when he pulls away and reaches into the nightstand drawer. Prying open the box of condoms, he grabs one and tosses the rest to the side. With quick and efficient hands, he opens the wrapper and rolls it down his impressive length.
When he returns above me, he brushes the hair from my face and tells me, “I know I don’t know everything about you yet, but I will if you let me.”
“I love you,” I tell him, reaching up to grasp the side of his beautiful face to bring his lips to mine.
“I love you, too,” he says against my lips.
Being pressed against each other, skin to skin, feels so amazing that neither of us is in a rush to have it end. I wrap my legs around Alex’s back, opening myself up to him, and without forcing it, our bodies eventually join in the most perfect way.
…
Alex
My first time with Whitney was…incredible. It was sweet and slow and so different than anything I’ve ever experienced before. But that doesn’t mean sex between us can’t also be hot and dirty, because that’s how our second time was. Being with her is better than I ever imagined, and the connection we share makes me love her even more.
