by Nikki Wild
“It’s weird that someone like you would ask for him, honey,” she said, and they both laughed.
“Oh,” I said, defeated. “He just… helped me out with something and I wanted to thank him.” My confidence had totally faded.
“Yeah, you’re not the type that usually comes in,” she said. “You’re a little too… corporate.” They both cackled.
“We’ll be sure to tell him you dropped by,” said the other one. “Maybe Luke will call you when he needs someone to do his taxes.”
I could feel my whole face go beet red. They were right. What was I thinking, coming down here in a business suit and heels? I was so stu-
“Hey, Bria, is that you?” called a familiar voice from inside. I craned my neck to see around the two skanks blocking my path. “Come over here!”
The girls stood, mouths agape, as I shoved by them to go to Luke. I badly wanted to give them a ‘fuck you’ look but decided it was beneath me.
“Uh, hi,” I said, nervously. “So you do remember me?”
I forced a smile as he chuckled and shared a look with the stocky young guy standing next to him.
“You’re asking if I remember you? You’re asking if I remember the beautiful young house plant fanatic who I saved from certain death less than twenty-four hours ago? Yeah, you could say I remember. You’re the highlight of my whole week.”
“Oh, yeah of course, well…” I didn’t really know what to say and it felt more awkward than it should have been with the other guy standing there.
Luke shifted his position on the wall he was leaning against, and if sensing my discomfort, nodded for the other guy to leave.
The guy jumped to attention. He brushed by me as he passed. “Excuse me, ma’am, but my rude friend failed to introduce us.” He offered his hand. “I’m- “
“You’re leaving,” interrupted Luke. “Not this one, Nick,” he said. “Get lost.”
Nick gave me a defeated smile and headed toward the girls at the front door.
“So what’s up?” asked Luke.
“Oh, I wanted to come by and say thank you again for helping me out last night.”
“You mean for saving your life?” he asked.
His eyes were unrelenting and I think he enjoyed watching me squirm.
“Well, yeah, you know what I mean. I was thinking about it today and I really owe you one,” I said.
“You couldn’t afford me sweetheart,” he replied, smiling wickedly.
“Do you have to be so damn arrogant?” I asked, my cheeks flushing red.
“We both know you didn’t just come here to thank me. Why don’t we just cut to the chase? What do you want from me, beautiful?”
I knew exactly what I wanted, but I wasn’t about to tell him that…
“How about I buy us dinner?” I said, meekly. The words jumped out of my mouth before I had time to consider them.
“Really?” he said. “You’re going to take me out to dinner?” He seemed genuinely intrigued. “That’s a first.”
“I don’t know, I just thought I could make it up to you. Dinner seems fair to me,” I said.
“Deal!” he blurted it just loud enough that the girls at the front door turned and scowled. “You have a place in mind?” he asked.
I was so surprised that he agreed, the question caught me off guard. I still wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t making fun of me.
“You probably have some kind of strict diet,” I asked, tentatively. “Like you probably only eat whole foods or something right? I mean how else do you keep yourself in such good shape?”
I was starting to ramble and somehow I let my eyes wander down to his stomach. The memory of him pulling his shirt off when we first walked into the gym last night flashed through my head.
“You can’t build a body like this on salads. I’m good for a steak. Let’s go to that place that just opened down town.”
I had no idea where he was talking about so I just nodded in agreement.
“That’s a date,” he said. “But in the meantime, let me show you around my gym. You didn’t get the full tour last night.”
I shyly nodded. He winked and motioned for me to follow him.
“Over here are the weights. Most of the guys like to get a good lift in before they do anything else.”
I looked at the stacks of weights loaded onto long metal bars. It was more than I could ever imagine lifting myself.
“That side of the gym is for mat work and grappling,” he continued. “It’s where most of the fighters spend their time. It’s all about improving skill and learning new techniques.”
“And over there is the cage, but you saw that last night, didn’t you?”
I managed to squeak out a quick “yeah.” This place was so foreign to me. It was like another world. I had always been more of a book girl. The sports thing was all new to me so I felt a bit like a babe in the woods.
“That cage is… interesting,” I said. “Can you tell me about it?” I asked.
“Glad you want to know,” he said. “It’s where I make my money.”
“Does it lock?” I asked.
“C’mon, I’ll show you,” he said, taking my hand and leading me toward it.
“No, no, that’s okay,” I said, feeling suddenly afraid. “I get kind of claustrophobic. I don’t think I would like it in there too much.”
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “I want you to see what it’s like from the inside looking out. I’ll be with you.”
We walked up a short ramp and he threw the door open. It was chain-linked metal spray painted black. The walls stood at least eight feet high and the canvassed floor was covered in the varying graphics of the gym’s sponsors.
Luke closed the door behind us.
“It seems smaller once your inside,” I said.
“You’re right. There’s nowhere to run once you’re in here,” Luke said. He slyly raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t get away from me if you tried.”
“Good thing there’s other people here,” I said, playing along with his game. “You can’t take advantage of me until they’re gone.”
Luke stopped and smirked at me as if to say ‘oh yeah?’
He turned and hoisted himself up to the top of the cage, effortlessly swinging his legs over the side. I couldn’t help but notice his flexed ab muscles when his shirt pulled up.
“Listen up!” Luke yelled, cupping both hands around his mouth. “The gym’s closed, everybody go on home for the night and get some rest.” His voice boomed through the cavernous building.
One by one the guys and girls started to collect their things and file out through the front doors. No one seemed to question him.
“Now what?” he asked. I’d never seen anyone so proud of themselves.
“I get it, you’re the man,” I said, trying to blow off just how impressed I really was. “You say ‘jump’ and everybody else yells ‘how high?’”
We stared each other down from opposite sides of the cage. He was right at home.
“The floor is kind of bouncy,” I said, trying to change the subject. “It feels like I’m walking on a hard trampoline.”
“You are, in a way,” he reluctantly let the conversation drift away from the flirtatious overtones. “It’s plywood with about an inch and a half of mat covering the top. Keeps the fighters safer when they grapple...”
“Oh… neat,” I said.
Did I really just say neat?
“Yeah, it’s really neat-o,” said Luke with a mocking grin. “Alright, that’s enough of this stuff, let’s go get that steak.”
“Oh. Tonight?” He had completely caught me off guard.
“Yes, tonight. Did you think I wanted to go next week? I’m a busy man, Bria.”
“I don’t know. I have to work tomorrow and it’s getting late.” I don’t why I was trying to sink this; it was like my brain was doing it automatically.
“Late?” he said, incredulously. “It’s hardly six-thirty. What, are you afraid
you’re gonna miss Wheel of Fortune, grandma?”
“No! I’m just…”
“Afraid of what you might do?” he said, finishing my sentence.
“No, I’m not,” I protested.
“Good, then let’s go.”
Eleven
Luke
I’m not surprised she came back, but damn did she look good in that skirt. This girl was still a bit of a mystery. I could already tell she was gonna be a handful, though.
When I opened the passenger door of my car she slid in front of me, lingering long enough for me to smell her hair. I got so hard the zipper nearly blew off my jeans. She had an effect on me like I hadn’t experienced in years. Maybe it was the endorphins coursing through me when I met her… Maybe it was just the way her eyes melted my insides… I was hooked.
I wanted her.
“If I knew you were coming out dressed like that I might have skipped dinner,” I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“You know, you can throttle back a little bit on the act,” she said, poking me in the ribs.
This was driving me wild.
“You think it’s an act?” I asked. “I think maybe you’re the one who’s acting.”
She looked me up and down then settled back into the seat without answering.
“You didn’t ask me to dinner to thank me for what happened back in that alley, and you damn sure didn’t wear that skirt without knowing what it would do to me…”
After a long pause, she turned on her hip to face me. “Maybe I didn’t...”
“Glad we’re on the same page,” I replied, pointing to the dark building on the corner. “We’re here…”
Bria waited for me to put it in park then carefully opened the door.
“You’re not gonna break it,” I told her, laughing.
I walked around the front and extended my arm to her. She took it and followed me inside like a lost puppy dog. The Maître D’ scrambled to his podium as soon as I walked through the door.
“Mr. Greer, I didn’t know you would be joining us tonight. It’s so nice to have you. And who is the lovely young lady with you this evening?”
“This is my wife, Bria,” I said, sharply. She looked up at me with a hilarious amount of concern on her face.
“I’m so sorry sir,” said the Maître D’. “I didn’t know you had married. I’ll have a table set up right away.” With that, he hastily retreated to the dining room.
“What are you doing?!?” she asked with exasperation in her voice.
“Play along,” I whispered. “I bet that skinny little bastard will say something to the tabloids and it’ll be all over the news tomorrow. ‘Luke Greer’s secret wedding!’ You’ll be the mystery woman everyone wants to know about.”
“What if somebody at my job sees that?”
“What’s the big deal,” I asked. “Are people at your job not allowed to get married?”
She kind of stuttered and I could see she was a bit flustered.
“Okay, okay,” I relented. “I get it. You’re a private girl. Tell you what, if anyone else asks we’re just friends. And if anybody tries to get a picture of us together I’ll break their camera or their neck.”
That got a chuckle out of her and she started to loosen back up.
“That’s a plan. I need a drink.” She proclaimed.
“Off to the bar we go then. Follow me.” I waited for her to step to the side so I could lead.
Patrons were looking from all directions. I guess I was used to it by now, so it didn’t bother me. Bria, on the other hand, looked like she might have a panic attack.
A bus boy had stopped clearing the table he was working on to watch us. I motioned for him to come over.
“Yessir?” he said, enthusiastically.
“Hey, bud. Go tell that nervous little guy to make sure he puts us in a spot with a little privacy, okay?”
“Oh no problem, Mr. Greer. I’m a big fan.” He was a bit stars struck and still standing there.
“Alright man, thanks.” I said. “Now go ahead and get that done for me would ya? And next week be sure to come by my gym. I’ll get you set up with a couple of months of free training.”
He beamed with excitement and hurried away to make sure I would get what I wanted.
Bria settled into a stool at the end of the bar. I took the seat next to her. The place wasn’t half bad, actually. There looked to be a good selection of craft beers on tap and the top shelf stuff was front and center.
The bartender was a man in his late fifties with a tightly quaffed salt and peppered beard. He looked like the kind who might be mixing drinks for the city elites. It was not often you got an old guy for a bartender, and it made me believe he knew his stuff. Most places went with a girl with huge tits whether she could mix a drink or not.
“Good evening, folks,” he said. “What will you both be having?”
It seemed like he didn’t recognize me and I think I sensed a bit of relief from Bria.
“She’ll have a vodka martini,” I said. “And I’ll go with an old fashioned.”
“Excellent choice. We do a very good blackberry martini; would you like to try?”
Bria looked at me and I raised my eyebrows.
“That’ll be great,” she said.
The bartender hurried away to make our drinks.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think. Isn’t it weird when people you’ve never met before know your name?”
“At first it was, but like anything else you get used to it. Sometimes I wish people would mind their own business. I’m not gonna lie to you, most of the time I love it.”
She cracked a smile and I knew I had her.
Our drinks came shortly after. We fell into an easy conversation.
Bria wrapped a strand of her pretty brown hair around two fingers. The way she twirled it made me dig my fingertips into the top of the bar. She was such a sexy little thing and she had no idea.
Her martini was empty in the blink of an eye. The bartender was all over it like a good soldier, swooping in with a fresh glass.
Somewhere into that second drink, I noticed the Maître D’ hanging around the far end of the bar. After we made eye contact, he hurried over.
“Your table is ready. I’m sorry it took so long but we wanted for you to have the perfect location.”
I sighed, annoyed for no other reason than we would have to put the flirting on hold to go to the table.
“You know what…” Bria piped up from behind me. “We’ve decided to drink our dinner tonight. We won’t be needing that table after all.”
I was more than surprised at her assertiveness. “Really?” I asked. “What about my steak?”
“I don’t think you’ll be missing it. No need to worry.” She hid her smile behind the back of her hand.
The Maître D’ looked mildly disappointed. “Well, maybe next time,” he said as he shuffled away.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure what to say. Bria took another long, slow drink from her glass. She wiggled her butt back and forth on the seat and puckered her mouth when the alcohol stung her taste buds.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
Twelve
Bria
I don’t think Luke even considered the speed limit as we drove back to his place. The car shifted gears beautifully and he looked like he was made to drive it.
We made our way up a long winding road that I had never had reason to travel myself. It was the road out of Atlas that led to the upper scale neighborhood where the elite lived. It was full of surgeons and architects, and, apparently, one world-class MMA fighter. I think my boss’s house was even up here somewhere.
We passed million-dollar home after million-dollar home, each more extravagant than the last. Finally, we reached the apex, where Luke turned off and started up his driveway. I swear the back wheels of his car broke traction with the pavement when he turned.
&nb
sp; “This is it,” he said proudly. “It’s my baby.”
The house was beautiful. It sat tall atop the hill and backed up to miles of wilderness. The pool wrapped around the side. It had an amazing rock waterfall like I’d never seen before.
“It’s awesome,” I said. I couldn’t find the right word but that one fit the best.
“Let me show you,” he said, speeding around the circular driveway, stopping right in front.
He jumped out of the car excitedly. I followed suit.
We held hands, stopping to admire it.
“Show me the bedroom first,” I demanded. Normally, I wasn’t so forward but he brought it out of me.
“No problem,” he said, scooping me into his strong arms and bounding up the stairs two at a time. He shoved the front door open, barely slowing long enough to disarm his alarm system.
I felt like a mouse. He was so big and strong. I shifted my weight so that I was hanging over his shoulder. I watched the expanse of his house fade behind me as he hurried to the room.
When the door flung open I felt like I was in a hotel suite. The bed was custom and over-sized. It sat up on risers and was surrounded by high wooden posts. There was a fireplace and a glass-enclosed shower that looked out over the woods behind the house.
“Wow!” I must have sounded like a little kid to him. “It’s so big!”
He tossed me on the bed and whipped his shirt off. “How do you know how big it is? You haven’t even seen it.”
When I rolled my eyes at his corny joke he leapt at me like a tiger. I threw my arms up to brace myself. The way he landed on the bed bounced me high enough for him to deftly slide underneath. He cradled me and pushed his nose lightly against my neck.
“Luke, how many girls do bring up here?” I asked. He let me hold him back.
“What happened babe? Suddenly feeling not so sure of yourself? Last I checked you’re the one who wanted to skip dinner,” he said, flashing a devilish grin.
“No… I just don’t want to be another notch on the bedpost...”
“I guess you aren’t as good of a judge of character as you think you are then.” He said it with a bit of anger, not the bemused flippant way I was used to from him.
