Eye on the Prize

by Dmytro Holmes

  Joe had made himself readily available day or night to allow for Mikai to get in his daily exercises so the boy would not become lax in his routine. The trainer would sometimes stay up until the wee hours of the morning sparring with Mikai before opening the gym at dawn for his other customers. It did not matter what time Mikai appeared, Joe was ready for him without complaint or showing any sign of the tiredness he must have felt keeping the same weird hours as his protégé. The first week Mikai had started at Entrance Systems, he had stormed into SkyTrain Boxing, seething with anger. Joe had immediately ushered him into his office and closed the door. Mikai’s temper was infamous to anyone who knew him well but his trainer knew exactly how to put out the fire, having dealt with every variation of the boxer’s ire. There were three simple questions Joe invariably asked Mikai.

  “Is someone dead?” Joe asked. Mikai glared furiously at him and shook his head, fully aware of what Joe was doing.

  “Do you have a place to live?” Mikai shifted his eyes and felt his anger subside somewhat as he nodded.

  “For now,” Mikai muttered but he already felt himself relaxing.

  “Then is it really that bad?” Mikai took a deep breath and counted to ten, just the way Joe had instructed him years earlier. Mikai admitted that Joe’s mild mannerisms sometimes drove the boxer up the wall but he had to hand it to Joe; the man never lost his cool. Mikai had grudgingly learned to appreciate Joe’s calm demeanor even though it was so unlike his own reactive style.

  As he finished counting and exhaled the breath he was holding, Mikai turned back to the short but muscular Italian.

  “Miles lied to me,” Mikai said flatly.

  “About what now?” Joe demanded, his face growing angry. Mikai noticed Joe’s fists clench at his side and he wondered if Miles and Joe had ever physically fought. Mikai’s money would have been on his trainer even though Miles had almost a foot and fifty pounds on Joe.

  “About how much money I’m making!” Mikai snapped. “What else?” Joe exhaled slowly, his fists uncurling.

  “He didn’t lie to you,” Joe answered reluctantly. “He just didn’t tell you the entire truth. Miles has always been good at that.”

  “I can’t do this shitty job, Joey! I wasn’t cut out to be a mall cop. There’s gotta be a better way!”

  Joe placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and sighed again.

  “This is just temporary, Mickey. Think about it. Every great boxer has a great story. Make this experience part of that.”

  “But – “

  “But nothing. Stop acting like the boy I met twelve years ago. You’re a man now and sometimes men have to bite the bullet and do things they don’t want to do to get ahead in life. Do you want the title or do you want to whine and complain?”

  “Joey, I’m not – “

  “You are. You’re snivelling like a brat. Suck it up, Lefty. All of us have made choices at one time or another that left a bad taste in our mouths but we do what we have to do.”

  Reluctantly, Mikai had been forced to accept his reality and returned to the boring job at the company in New York’s bustling financial district, barely scraping by. This is just temporary, he reminded himself over and over but that didn’t seem to speed up time, no matter how many times he recited the words in his head.

  He glanced up at the wall clock over the front entranceway and grimaced. It hadn’t moved since his last look. He sighed and decided it was time to do a walk through of the offices. For the first time since his teens, he was itching for a cigarette but he did not dare. He could only imagine how big a chunk Joe would tear out of him should he guess Mikai ever smoked a day in his life. Mikai was becoming antsy sitting and he still had a few hours before the end of the work day. He was not about to spend it reliving childhood trauma in his head. Rising to his feet, he started toward the back of the floor, pausing to look in office windows discretely. It was his duty to check on the employees, ensure their safety, but more importantly, see if they were engaging in inappropriate activities such as drinking or using drugs. He was also to report any instances of sexual harassment, gambling or viewing of pornographic material. In the month since he had been working for Entrance, he had seen more than his fair share of debauchery but he had yet to report one incident. Mikai didn’t take the job seriously enough to call out his coworkers on their infractions and he also knew when to keep information in his back pocket. It might serve him well later, possibly if his own job was at risk. A little blackmail can go a long way, he thought ruefully.

  As he strolled down the corridors, he saw the same dull faces, the overworked corporate types glued to their computer screens, paying him no mind as he sauntered through the vast floor. At no time did anyone bother to glance up at the white shirted guard, as if he was a ghost unseen. It did not faze Mikai. He had no interest in getting to know the people employed at Entrance. He was not a social creature by nature and this place was merely a means to an end for him. He wouldn’t recognize any of these men or women if he ran into them on the street below at the coffee truck. Smirking to himself, he continued toward the bathrooms and did a quick check of the men’s room. He found himself alone. Pausing, he looked at himself in the mirror. You don’t look much like Bucky four eyes now, do you? He thought wryly. The standard starched shirt was a large size but did nothing to take away from his barrel chest and rippling biceps beneath. The top button could not be fastened as the muscles in his neck would not allow for it.

  “We will have to order you a bigger size,” his boss told him, eyeing him critically. “We take professionalism very seriously around here.” Mikai smirked at the memory. That had been his first day. He was still waiting on the proper uniform. I guess they don’t take professionalism too seriously after all.

  His skin was smooth, bronzed from the summer sun and blemish free, showing off a sculpted jaw line and high cheekbones. His eyes, having undergone corrective laser surgery, were unhindered by glasses now and a vivid blue like the depth of the Pacific in a rainstorm. His irises had a mind of their own, often mimicking his emotions, changing from navy to green and sometimes grey. His black hair was shaved off, revealing a perfectly shaped skull, gleaming and flawless under the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom. He wondered if Derrek Jameson would recognize him if he saw him again. Probably not. I still have to track that little shit down one day. He was surprised the kid had popped into his mind again. Why are you thinking about Derrek Jameson? That was a lifetime ago! Shaking his head at himself, Mikai exited the bathroom, trying to shove the bitter thoughts out of his head.

  “Oh! Excuse me!” The collision was unexpected and Mikai glanced up in surprise as someone walked into his firm chest. Stepping back, he reached out to steady the woman before him as she almost lost her footing.

  “Sorry,” he muttered gruffly, righting her onto her stiletto heels. Time seemed to cease for a moment as the two locked eyes. He was staring into the soul of the loveliest creature he had ever seen. Her short blonde hair looked like flaxen gold, hints of silver and red in their midst. The strands curled sweetly around her pixie like ears, falling gently to the base of her slender neck. Her eyes were cat-like, wide, aquamarine and mischievous, as if they were in a perpetual state of surprise. She had the maturity of full womanhood even though she carried herself in a slightly younger fashion but Mikai guessed her to be in her early thirties. Her rosebud mouth was slowly losing the “O” shape and falling into a puddle of sultry pink deliciousness. Mikai was almost unable to resist the urge to lean forward and taste it as her mouth turned upward into a smile, those light green orbs slowly drinking him in simultaneously.

  “I wasn’t paying attention,” she breathed, breaking the pregnant silence between them. “Are you all right?”

  Mikai grinned at her, showing off a chipped eye tooth but revealing the dimple in his left cheek.

  “I think I’ll survive,” he joked. Awkwardly, he folded his arms against his chest, suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands.

&
nbsp; “I’m Caitlyn McCormick,” she offered, holding a pale, slender hand for him to take. Eagerly, he reached out acceptingly.

  “Mikai Duquette,” he replied, pumping her palm with too much enthusiasm. She arched an eyebrow with interest.

  “Mikai. That is a name you don’t hear very often,” she commented. He was covertly watching the way the silk of her red blouse teased the contours of her full breasts and accented a tiny waist.

  “I named myself,” he told her seriously. She laughed and the sound resonated into the depth of Mikai’s toes.

  “Actually, my dad wanted to name me Michael after himself and my mom wanted to name me Caleb so they compromised. I guess it was trendy at the time. I liked it and hated it because no one had the name as a kid but then again, no one has the name as an adult,” Mikai heard himself continue. Wow, you’re babbling. Stop talking.

  “Well I think it suits you perfectly. It’s brooding and deep. You’re new here, right? You’re the one who replaced Ray?” Do I look brooding and deep to her? He wondered, watching her lips move. He suddenly realized she was waiting for an answer. Mikai nodded quickly and shrugged.

  “I’m new but I don’t know who I replaced.” Caitlyn smiled coyly and cocked her head to the side.

  “You replaced Ray,” she assured him. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard about him yet.”

  Mikai shrugged indifferently. He didn’t care about Ray. He didn’t care about anything at that moment but the incredibly beautiful woman standing before him but Caitlyn seemed to want to share so Mikai listened.

  “Ray wasn’t a very good team player. Claimed to be a religious man and had a wife and four kids. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that your job is to spy on everyone around here. I’m guessing you don’t really do that or I would have heard about it by now. But Ray, well, he ratted everyone out around here all the time for every little infraction. He once got Thom in accounting in trouble for being in the bathroom too long one day when the poor guy had the stomach flu. Well, it turns out Ray liked to hire male escorts when he was working overnights. Now, somehow, corporate found out about it complete with proof, phone numbers of the men and security camera images. Needless to say, Ray was out on his ass. Ray should have never messed with IT.” Caitlyn grinned deviously and Mikai’s jaw dropped, more at her flippant tone and callousness than the fact that Ray was a closet homosexual. Caitlyn winked alluringly at him, trying to alleviate the borderline look of distress on his face.

  “You don’t look anything like Ray,” she offered, winking. “I wouldn’t peg you for a religious man.”

  “I like my escorts female,” Mikai stammered without thinking. She burst into a round of laughter, causing a co-worker to shoot her a reproving look as he walked past but both Mikai and Caitlyn ignored him and continued to relish each other’s presence. There was an almost palpable connection between them, something which Mikai had never before experienced.

  “There is nothing wrong with a man having a healthy appetite,” she assured him, gently placing a small, soft hand on his shapely arm. Her eyes seemed to light up at the touch and her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of his shirt. Mikai’s gaze followed her touch and it was at that second that he noticed the shining diamond on her ring finger. The ostentatious jewel seemed to be mocking him. His spine stiffened and he instinctively stepped out of reach, a wave of different emotions hitting his stomach simultaneously. She glanced up, surprised at his abrupt movement.

  “It was nice meeting you, Caitlyn,” he told her, turning to leave, his jaw clenching furiously. Taken aback by the sudden end to their conversation, her beautiful face lost the smile and her lips twisted into an expression of confusion.

  “You too,” she called back weakly but he was almost out of earshot. He was almost running back toward the security desk. By the time he reached the front, he was still breathing heavily with anger. He was furious with that woman. How dare she flirt with me when she is engaged? She doesn’t have any shame at all! He raged internally. The nerve of some women! I wonder if her fiancé knows she’s such a flirt! He’s probably some pushover with lots of money, just thrilled he has a beautiful woman to sleep beside. Poor bastard. But as Mikai sat down in the high back chair in the reception area, he realized that he was not angry that Caitlyn had been flirting with him. He did not feel sorry for her husband to be. He was inexplicably livid and sickeningly disappointed that she was already taken by another man.

  3

  Chapter Three

  “Is work going that badly?”

  Mikai stopped smashing on the punching bag long enough to shoot Joe a questioning look, panting. He shrugged without answering and continued his reps, each blow more intense than the next.

  “Well? Are you gearing up to quit or what?” Joe pressed.

  “Why are you asking?” he finally replied. It was puzzling that his trainer would think that just as Mikai had suddenly found himself enjoying his job at Entrance. Joe was usually more in tune with Mikai’s emotions but this time he was completely off. Joe laughed, leaning against the boxing ring in the center of the gym.

  “I haven’t seen you punch something that hard since you knocked out Sam Gillies last month. Are you raring up for round two with him this weekend or are you just unleashing your anger at the job?”

  Again, Mikai pushed his shoulders skyward but lost some of the furious gusto he was feeling. In truth, he had been unable to get Caitlyn out of his head since their chance encounter the previous week. He had found himself suddenly doing rounds of the office much more frequently than necessary, up to three times more often than he was required, simply hoping to catch a glimpse of the sultry blonde. He had learned that she was a web designer for the company so she was often out of the office on location at the many nationwide stores, constantly updating the site. That didn’t stop Mikai from wandering by her office several times daily, even when he knew she was not there. Sometimes he would linger in her doorway, hoping to catch a whiff of her scent. He knew he had no right to blatantly chase after an engaged woman but there was something about her that would not allow him to rest, a quality he didn’t even attempt to explain.

  Since maturing splendidly from his awkward childhood, Mikai had never had a shortage of female attention. From the day he had gotten his braces off, his solid frame and handsome face were irresistible to the opposite sex and while Mikai dated occasionally, he was much more focussed upon his training than he was interested in romance. In his twenty-six years, he had only been in two serious relationships and both had failed when his budding career monopolized his time. In all fairness, he had been grateful each time the women had finally left. Mikai was a loner by nature and while the idea of romance was romantic, the reality usually left him soured and determined to remain single. Both of his previous girlfriends had caused endless drama in his life during and after their time together and Mikai had given up on the idea of finding a partner, despite his desire to become a father one day. That was until he had laid eyes upon Caitlyn McCormick. It was more than her mature beauty which had captivated him. She seemed so confident and she was clearly successful, two traits which the other women Mikai knew lacked substantially. His experience had always been that of needy, clinging and jealous women, demanding his constant attention, something Mikai did not have time to entertain. His head was always on boxing and his childhood had taught him to appreciate his privacy and solitude, but his previous relationships had not allowed him space or understanding on that front. The women he had dated in the past had been too young emotionally and didn’t understand his motivation, often mistaking his dedication to the gym for a lack of loyalty. Mikai felt like Caitlyn wouldn’t be threatened by any of this and no matter how he tried, Mikai could not get her out of his head. You need to stop this. It is becoming an obsession which will not end well for you.

  “Yeah, I am looking forward to beating his ass again,” Mikai confirmed, keeping his thoughts about the woman in the office to himself. He knew his trainer would
tell him to stay far away from her before she distracted him from what was important: becoming the North American Boxing Federation champion. Mikai was always intuitively conscious of how Joe would react to his behavior. The trainer truly had become a father figure to Mikai and the last thing the younger man ever wanted to do was disappoint the man in any fashion.

  Joe beamed at Mikai’s response.

  “No need to train too heavily for this one, Mickey. You already know your signature left hook will catch him off guard. It’s the advantage of being a southpaw. No one ever sees you coming. I recommend that you watch your guard better though. I noticed you were getting a little relaxed toward the end there.”