by Terra Kelly
“I had no doubts I could take my opponent down.” Lily sounded so confident.
“Look at you all smug and shit.” I pushed at her arm.
“My fight was a wee bit different. I’m surprised they called my name,” Zoe said, sitting down at the table we all were occupying.
“What happened?” Some fights were so close it was hard to know where the judges would lean in the end.
“It was just a fucking great match up.” Zoe shrugged her shoulders and reached for the menu sitting in front of her.
“Well, this calls for a celebration.” I grabbed my water and held it up. “Wait, I can splurge a little. We need wine.” I enjoyed a cocktail here and there. When I was cutting wine was not allowed. Since I was not cutting at the moment, I planned to treat myself. I waved over our waiter and asked for the best champagne they had available.
That may have been a bad decision.
My head was buried below two pillows. I was not ready to get up yet. Last night after the fight, we all went for a night out on the town and ended up staying out until four in the morning. Now, as I slowly woke up, I fought against my body and tried to keep my eyes shut.
Finally, I gave in to defeat and threw the pillows off. “Do I have to get up?” I moaned and slid my hand up Brooks’s back. Leaning forward, I kissed his shoulder blades and then turned to jump off the bed.
Last night, I threatened to cover the mirror with a sheet to avoid looking at my bruised and battered face. I knew I looked awful and questioned going to the beach for the next two weeks. At first glance, everything was blurry. Then as my eyes adjusted to the light. I wanted to shrink away at the horror before me. Both my eyes were swollen with black and blue coloring around each one. My cheek looked three times too big and had six stitches. The cut above my eye was small and only required a butterfly bandage.
“You’re still beautiful to me.” Brooks wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Yeah, yeah,” I teased. “You’re supposed to say that. You’re the boyfriend.”
“And the boyfriend is not supposed to lie.”
“Hopefully.” I reached for a towel and my face wash. “Hey, did you meet with the creep at eight this morning?”
“Julian and I sat there for about thirty minutes, but no one showed.”
“I had a feeling that would happen.”
He turned his head to the side. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Setting my face wash back down, I leaned against the counter. “I just mean, if that is my brother, he would only show his face for me.”
“Why would your brother even be here in Liverpool?”
“I don’t fucking know.” Continuing the process to wash my face, I reached for the towel and carefully blotted instead of wiping. “I think an Epsom Salt bath is in order for me. May not sound sexy but you can still join me?”
“You really know how to sweet talk your man,” Brooks said, tugging me closer to him. “First you insist we have sex in an airplane bathroom. Now you want to get busy while soaking in an Epsom Salt bath. Is this a sign?”
“Sign for what?” I was struggling to hold in a laugh.
“That you are ready to throw me to the curb?”
I stopped laughing. “Oh, God.” My face had to show my horror. “I didn’t mean—”
He placed his index finger over my lips. “Baby, I’m teasing.”
“You do know how much I care about you, right?” Saying I love you was not in the cards for me yet. That deep of a commitment scared the shit out of me. “You better not go anywhere. I need you.”
“You do?”
“Why would you ask that question? Of course I do.”
“Good. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
I swatted at his arm. “You’re still getting in the bath with me.”
“Where else would I go?”
He started to fill the tub, and I ran to grab the box of Epsom Salt. “I think this day requires a whole box.” Pulling the tab open, I poured all the contents into the hot water. We both moved the salt around to help it dissolve before stepping in.
Brooks held out his hand. “Ladies first.” Then he helped me to step carefully into the tub. As he eased into the small space, I placed my legs on his lap and let my body go deeper into the water. “Earlier I was looking at the drive down to the Jurassic Coast.”
My head was resting against the back of the tub, and my eyes were closed. “Yeah. Does it seem crazy long? Should we fly instead?”
“Nah, it may take a full day to drive there. Is that okay?”
I opened my eyes. “Yeah, we can sightsee then.”
He rubbed his hands up and down the length of my legs. “That’s what I thought, too.”
I reached for his hands, and he helped me to a sitting position on his lap. “Good. Now let’s talk about a more pending situation.”
“Oh, does it have to do with this?” Where he placed his hand made me jump.
“You catch on quickly.” I leaned forward and kissed his nose. “It also involves this.” I reached my hand down, causing him to jump.
“Two weeks. Really?” Lily pouted.
“You knew I was leaving for that long, silly.” I tugged at a lock of her long blonde hair. “And this trip better not fly by. I want to soak it all up.” Reaching for Brooks’s hand, I squeezed it tightly. “Every last second of it.”
“Fine but know I will miss you like crazy.”
“I’ll send pictures to make you miss me even more.”
“Bitch.”
“But you love me.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed. “You’re right. I do.”
I reached for Brooks’s hand before I turned to leave, and I waved goodbye. We rented a small car that almost didn’t fit Brooks’s tall frame. He said he would be fine. I had a feeling he would end up with a neck cramp two minutes into this adventure.
“Where to first?” I slid into my seat and rested my hands on my lap.
“Well, I only want a beach and you in a bikini.”
“But there has to be some beautiful places to explore before all that?” He leaned back in his seat and seemed to be thinking. “Oh my shit, you never set up a fun itinerary?”
“I might have neglected to do that.”
“But you do know how long we will be in the car, right?”
“Only five hours, unless you need to stop for a momentary pause for a sanitary cause.”
“Which will happen.” I pulled out my phone and looked for the nearest hotels by Durdle Door. “There is a hotel thirty minutes from our destination. Let’s head to Rudds of Lulworth first.”
Brooks plugged the details into the app on his phone and placed it in the holder on the dashboard. We both agreed before leaving our hotel room this morning we needed to rest. Throwing on a pair of sunglasses to cover my beautiful black eyes, I leaned back in the seat and enjoyed the skyline as he started the first leg of our adventure.
Eleven
“You’re in charge of music,” Brooks said and turned onto a main road.
“Wow, you’re giving me control?”
“I’m sure I made a poor decision.”
“Such low confidence in me. That hurts.” I threw my hand over my chest and let my head fall back in a dramatic fashion.
We continued to tease each other until we finally made it out of the city. Then my eyes were glued to the country skyline. The grass was a vibrant shade of green and went as far as the eye could see. Hills and rocks were scattered about to make the sight that much better.
Brooks reached for my hand, and I interlaced my fingers with his. “I want to find a house far away from the intensity of the city life.” I glanced over. “Wouldn’t that be amazing? Complete solitude. No one would see every fucking thing you’re doing in your day.”
“Privacy would be nice.”
I turned in my seat. “Do you plan to keep that house you own forever? Or sell someday?”
“Why, do you have plans fo
r us already?”
“What?” I immediately felt uncomfortable. Almost as if I’d overstepped my bounds. “No, I was just curious.”
“Charlie?” He reached up and brushed his hand down the side of my face. “I was teasing. It’s okay.”
Sometimes when I say things, I realize too late how they sound. Instead of saying any more that could embarrass me further, I brought his hand to my lips and lightly kissed each knuckle.
Brooks thought he knew all the dark places in my heart. That wasn’t true, though. I only let him into the places I felt were safe for him. If I shared too much, I worried for his safety. My father could easily crush Brooks with one phone call or public smear. I needed to protect him from my family’s hate.
“You with me?” he said, waving a hand up and down in front of my face.
“What?” I shook my head. “Did I miss something you said?”
“Just three little words.”
“What?” I sat up so fast my seat belt locked and threw me back. “I thought we talked about this.”
“Wait, what do you think I said?” Then it must have registered. “Oh, no, I…definitely didn’t say that.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, I do but I don’t. Ya know?”
“Not especially but that’s okay, baby.” I slid my hand over his thigh and down in between his legs. “Should we drop that subject for now?” I moved my fingers back and forth, trying to drop that topic quickly.
“Evil woman.”
I pulled my hand away. “Who, me?”
A little while later I woke up. I’m not sure what time it was but I must’ve dozed off at some point. I lifted my hands to stretch at the same moment the sound of a car door closing caused me to jump. Leaning up, I glanced around. My head was still in a fog. I removed my sunglasses for a split second, but quickly put them back on top of my nose. A woman passing by my side of the car gasped and increased her speed toward the little building with a sign on the front that read, pay here.
“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Brooks said, sitting down behind the steering wheel.
“I think that woman that just entered the convenient store thinks you beat me.”
“Why would you think that?”
“I removed my sunglasses.”
“Should we buy some extra special cover up?”
“That is water proof.”
He leaned over the center console. “And even if I did beat you, it would make you just beg for more.” I laughed at his words as he kissed me. “I would need a stop word because you are so needy.”
“Brooks?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“Less talking and more driving. I need a bed or any flat surface.”
“Message received.” He buckled his seat belt and started the car.
I watched the woman step out of the store and stop on the sidewalk. Her face showed concern. I only blew her a kiss for caring. Normally after a fight, I went into hiding until my bruises were healed. For some reason, I didn’t feel like hiding after this fight. Probably because I was in the U.K. Who wants to hide in a hotel room when you are in such a gorgeous country?
About two miles down the road, I noticed a man walking with a big duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He had his arm out with his thumb up. As we passed by, I glanced at the man. He seemed older, disheveled with clothes two sizes too big. He nodded at me as if he knew who I was, causing my insides to squirm. I quickly turned away and rested my head back against the seat.
Did Dad have people watching my every move all over the U.K.?
Was it really possible?
“Oh, look.” I pointed at a little pub that had a sign that read, Best fish and chips. “Let’s check it out.”
Brooks parked the car in a parking space around the corner from the entrance. As we walked up to the door hand in hand, I fell in love with the place. There was a large window in the front of the building, so you could see the whole cafe from the sidewalk. Several people filled the tables, laughing and chowing down. When we walked in, I noticed a small bar set in the back and a couple older gentlemen sitting with their beers, carrying on an animated conversation.
“Welcome,” an older woman with graying hair said and reached for two menus. “Just two?”
“Yes,” I said, still soaking up the surroundings.
“You don’t sound like you’re from around here,” she said and placed two menus on a two-top table next to a window.
“No, we’re from the U.S. Just enjoying a little R and R for a few weeks.”
“Good for you.” She patted my shoulder. “Sherri will be right with you.”
“Thank you.” I lifted the menu and realized how annoying it was to read with my sunglasses on. “You pick for me.” I set it back down and rested my arms on the table.
“Oh, okay.” Brooks seemed a little thrown off by that decision.
“Welcome,” our waitress, Sherri, said. “What can I get you both to drink?” She started to pull her pad and pen out of the pocket of her apron. “Wait.” Taking a few glances in my direction, she made me feel uncomfortable. “You were just on TV.”
I knew I scowled at that statement. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re a fighter, right?”
I glanced over at Brooks, feeling a little confused. “Um, yeah.” My face must have looked just as shocked as his did. Which was hilarious.
“Bobby,” the woman yelled across the whole cafe. “Come here.”
Now I wanted to shrink away to nothing.
“What? I’m trying to finish orders.”
“It’s your favorite fighter.” She pointed her pen in my direction. “That’s her, right?”
He stared at me the whole time he walked toward our table. “Hard to know with those sunglasses on.” I hesitated for a beat and then removed them. Several people around me gasped. He stopped suddenly. “Well I’ll be. It is Charlie Hill.”
“You know who I am?” I knew I sounded confused.
“Of course we know you,” this Bobby guy said and reached for a pad and pen. “Can I have your autograph?”
Here’s the thing: I was several miles away from Liverpool in a small town, so having someone recognize me here was a bit strange.
I reached for the pad and pen he held out for me and flipped to an empty page. “Bobby, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Placing the pen on the paper, I started to leave a simple but kind autograph. I could remember when it happened to Lily the first time. She didn’t know what to do. We both were women who didn’t start this career for the fame. We did it because of the fight. I loved the feeling of being in an octagon, and the sounds of the crowd only amplified that. It was a rush.
“Here you go.” I handed the pad back to him
“Thank you so much.” He reached for it and ripped off the page I wrote on. “I need to go hang this up. Thank you again.” Then he disappeared as quickly as he came.
“Sorry for his manners,” Sherri said. “He doesn’t really like talking to people.”
“Unless it’s one of his favorite fighters.” Brooks winked.
“Exactly.” She touched his arm. “Okay, you didn’t come in here for all that. What can we get you to eat? Oh, and your drinks.”
“I’ll have a sparkling water,” I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable without my sunglasses on. I slid them back in place and noticed my body calm.
“I’ll have the same,” Brooks said.
Sherri made us both jump when she yelled once again across the room. “Deb, grab me two sparkling waters.” She placed her pen to the pad. “Okay, and food?”
“We would love the fish and chips.”
“Oh, you won’t be disappointed.” She scribbled down our order and quickly walked away.
“Um, what just happened?” I whispered to Brooks.
“You just gave your first autograph in a pub in another country.” He reached over and grabbed my hand. “Holy shit that was awesome.”
Wow. That’s the only word that was flashin
g across my mind at the moment.
Twelve
I plopped down in the passenger seat. “Okay, that was all completely unexpected.” Sherri, our waitress, insisted our meal was on the house.
“Yeah, I still feel weird we didn’t pay.” He put the key in the ignition and started the car.
“Talk about feeling out of your element.” I removed my sunglasses since it was getting dark. There was a hat in my bag on the back seat if I needed to hide my eyes. As the GPS started up I got a little excited. “Oh good, we’re almost there.” I was ready to be out of the tiny car. There was something about small spaces that didn’t sit well with me.
“Then I have plans for you,” Brooks said, backing out of the parking spot.
“Then don’t drive like an old man. Put that pedal to metal, baby.” His face was priceless because we had an ongoing discussion about how slow he drove.
“I follow the rules. There’s a difference between slow and obeying the laws.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I teased.
We were crammed in the car for another two hours. As we pulled up to the hotel, I was wishing it was daylight because the place looked adorable. Rudds of Lulworth was on the main road in the small little town. Brooks parked and I reached for my baseball cap. The place seemed too quiet, but we called earlier and let them know we would be arriving soon. The moment we stepped into the main entrance, I knew we’d made the right choice on where to stay.
An elderly man stepped behind the counter. “Good evening. You must be Brooks Moore?”
“Yes, sir,” Brooks said, stepping closer. “Sorry if we’re a little late.”
“Oh no, son, you’re right on time.” He pulled out a large book. “Martha is making some dinner now for everyone. How long will you both be staying?”
I grabbed a hold of Brooks’s arm. “We were thinking two weeks? If that is too long, we understand.”
He lifted his head and smiled. “You’re more than welcome to stay with us for that long. We would love to have you here. Where are you both from?”
“Las Vegas, Nevada in the U.S.” Brooks pulled out his I.D. for the guy.
