by Claire Adams
My nerves were raw as I continued taking pictures of the scene laid out before me. I couldn't tell how the fight was going, or who would reign supreme at the end of it. I found the experience very stressful, and wished for it to end quickly. People all around started chanting Jet's name in a frenzied sort of way that got my heart pumping.
“Jet! Jet! Jet!”
I looked around the arena, still amazed by how many people had come out to the fights that night. I glanced back at Jet, just in time to see him feint a low kick, only to come spinning around to smash Dillon with a spinning back fist. The movement had been incredible, and I couldn't believe that I had caught it on camera. I almost screamed out with joy. The impact of the hit took Dillon off his feet, and he went flying backwards. He never got back up, and the crowd went insane. Jet returned to his corner while the medics checked up on Dillon. The judges were ready to call the fight, and the two fighters met in the middle of the cage. They announced Jet the winner by TKO, and the crowd cheered madly around me. Jet put his hands high in the air, as if he was proudly accepting his victory. The look on his face was priceless, and it was the last photo of him I caught that night. I was grateful that I had taken so many pictures of him at the beginning of the fight, as I hadn't anticipated him ending the fight during the first round. I watched as he went out of the octagon, and his corner people were all over him with congratulations. I noticed one of the octagon girls heading his way, and when she approached him, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him a little too tightly as she congratulated him on his win.
I turned to Brenda, who watched the whole scene go down as well. “Let's get out of here and grab something to eat. We can compare pictures.”
She smiled sadly at me, but didn't say a thing. She nodded, and we got up and left the fights behind us.
Chapter Eight
Jet
I awoke the next morning in a fog; a happy fog, but a fog nonetheless. I had been out all night, and had only gotten a few hours of sleep. I was still on a high, however, from the fight last night, and I wasn't sure I would be getting off of cloud nine anytime soon. We had all gone out after the fights and got pretty hammered. That was probably an understatement; we had all been drinking like lushes at the bar. It was that fog that made me still sleepy after waking up―the drunken fog. Maybe I was still drunk; it was hard to say. It had been a great night. Robbie made sure to get some drinks into my system after the attack I took on my ribs during the fight. Dillon had given me a run for my money, and even moving briefly in bed, I felt a sharp pain. I would be sore for at least a week, but I would survive. I would have to take extra care of my ribs for the next little while, so they could heal properly in time for my next fight. I needed to ease up on training in order to let the healing process happen properly.
I rose up from my pillow as slowly as possible, making sure to take care of my rib cage. Wrapping it later would probably be a great idea. Man, was I ever sore. A fight will do that to you, however, in one manner or another. I'm sure Dillon was feeling his own brand of soreness the same morning. I grinned at the thought of him taking that hit, eating my back fist like it was his morning breakfast. He would think twice about coming in close in a fight next time, there was no doubt about that. I was glad that I finished the fight in the first round. He was a strong fighter, and you never knew what could happen in the next round. I sat up and felt the full extent of a headache coming on. I got up quickly to find some painkillers. I went into my bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, riffling through it until I found some Motrin. I popped a couple of pills and headed back to bed. I lay back down until the pills kicked in.
Natalie came to mind just then. I had been shocked to see her there, and sadly, her presence―just knowing that she was there, had thrown me off my game initially. I took a couple of pretty good hits at first, ‘cause she had arrived in my head and I couldn't get her out. Trying to understand why she was there clouded my thoughts. Was she there for me? That was all I could think about initially. Had she heard about my fight, and wanted to come and support me without me even having to ask her? The thought sent my mind in circles, until I got punched enough times to wake me up. It had been stupid; I should have just ignored it and focused on the fight, but I couldn't. Thankfully, I regained my focus and got my head back in the game, or I would have been done for.
I tried to look for her after the fight, and couldn't find her. She had left without congratulating me, and that confused me even more than her presence at the fight. I was starting to wonder if I had imagined the whole thing. Maybe she hadn't been there at all, and I was just losing my marbles. It could be true; I had certainly been obsessed with the girl for quite a while now.
There had been so many girls out last night. Swarms of them, all over the fighters when we went to the bar. I wondered if I would see Natalie and Julie at the bar, but they never showed up. Maybe she had given up drinking altogether. There had been this very pretty octagon girl who had gone out with us last night, and seemed to never leave my side. I was relieved to find I had not taken her home with me; my bed was empty. Craig had lost his fight last night, so he had been swarmed with extra attention from the ladies trying to cheer him up.
I climbed out of bed and headed out of my room in search of food. Kyle was up making breakfast, which seemed like perfect timing to me.
“Hey, man, why don't you cook me some of whatever you have going on there, too?”
Kyle laughed. “Sure, no problem. I guess bacon and eggs are okay now that your fight is done.”
“Right on; sounds awesome.”
I headed to the fridge and opened it to grab something to drink. Milk looked like a good option, but I worried it would curdle in my stomach from all the drinking. I went for a bottle of water instead, and brought it to the kitchen table to drink. I downed half of it, not realizing just how dehydrated I really was. I finished the bottle and went back to get another one.
“A little thirsty there, Jet?” Kyle laughed at the sight of me.
“Yeah, I got hammered last night, man. How do you feel?”
“Not bad, just tired mostly. It was a great fight last night; I'm glad I ended up going.”
“Yeah, it was good seeing you out doing something other than playing video games.”
“Ha ha, real funny.”
“Seriously, man, maybe you need a girlfriend.”
“Yeah, right; don't be blasphemous.”
“Would it be the worst thing in the world? All you do is play video games, man.”
“No thanks. I prefer to have my women at night, and then be gone by morning.”
I snorted. Kyle finished up with the bacon, and put it in a dish with a lid to keep it warm. He put butter in a separate pan and melted it for the eggs. He went to grab the carton of eggs from the fridge, and set them by the stove. Opening the carton, he took a few eggs out and cracked them against the side of the pan. I was still thinking about what he said about girls when the eggs started sizzling.
“Hey, man, did you happen to see Natalie at the fights? I saw her just before I got in the cage, but then I couldn't find her after the fight. She just disappeared.”
Kyle was silent as he continued to cook the eggs, flipping them when they needed to be. He hadn't responded to my question, and I was beginning to get annoyed.
“Kyle? Did you see her?”
“Yeah, I saw her, man. She was there with her whole art class or something. I think they were there to take the pictures of the event.”
That made sense―more sense than her coming to see me, that was for sure. I wondered what kind of shots she got with her camera.
“Did you see her leave?”
“Jet, what's with you and this girl? I don't get it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why the hell do you care if she was there? She's this nothing little art student who you banged a hundred years ago. Move on, already.”
“Are you serious? Did you seriously just say that shi
t to me?”
“Whoa, relax, Jet. I just don't get what your fixation with her is.”
“I don't have a fixation.”
“Like hell you don't.”
“Explain yourself, Kyle, and please do it quickly.”
Kyle took a minute before responding, probably to allow me to calm down before I lost my temper with him. He placed a bunch of eggs on a plate, tossed a few strips of bacon on it, and handed the plate to me. I didn't touch it. Instead, I waited for him to speak.
“I saw her talking to Brian; they were all buddy-buddy at the drink stand. He was all over her, of course. She's nothing. I don't get where the interest is with her. Why does she have all these guys in heat?”
“I'm not in heat. She's a nice girl; she's different from the rest.”
“A nice girl? Wow, that's new. Since when do you look for girls that are 'nice’?”
“Kyle, what is your problem? Why do you care who I spend time with?”
“I care because she's just going to bring you down. Where are you going with this?”
“I don't know. But I assure you that Brian doesn't stand a chance; he’s hardly a threat to me. I don't know if anything will come of Natalie and me, but I would like to determine that for myself.”
“She must have beer-flavored nipples, man, ‘cause there are hotter girls out there than she is.”
“I don't know about that. Natalie is stunning.”
Kyle stared at me in disbelief. “She's not bad-looking, but do you remember that octagon girl from last night?”
I nodded; I remembered all too well.
“She was smoking hot. She was practically humping you in the locker room before your fight, and then followed you around all night long. If I were you, I would have bent her over somewhere and had my way with her. That's the kind of ass you should be chasing. She would have been a good one to keep around for a few nights.”
“I wasn't interested.”
“You're crazy. Did you see her face when you told her she wasn't coming home with you last night? You broke the girl’s heart, to be sure.”
“She will recover, I'm sure. She was probably on the next fighter after me. I'm a dime a dozen in her world.”
Kyle laughed. “Man, you are a real piece of work.”
“I could snap my fingers, and a hundred girls like that would be by my side. It gets old, man. Don't you find that boring now?”
“No shot; I love it. I have no intention of settling down. I will take an octagon girl home any day.”
I chuckled. “Well, you should have taken her home, then.”
“Yeah, I wish. She only had eyes for you, my main man.”
I started to dig into my breakfast feverishly. I was starving, and I was about done with the conversation with Kyle. He had no clue what he was talking about, and he was the reason girls like Natalie didn't trust guys like me. I was no different; I had spent many years behaving like an idiot, too, and because of that, Natalie may never spend any time with me. I hoped, however, to eventually change her mind.
Chapter Nine
Natalie
“Julie, you just have to leave, and that's that.”
“Come on, Natalie, be reasonable. You can't expect me to leave after saying something like that.”
I laughed gleefully. “I didn't mean to get your blood pressure raised, but I had to tell you in order to get you out of here.”
“Please, let me stay. I will just peek around the corner.”
“Be serious. If you want to see Jet without his clothes on, you just needed to be at the fight the other night.”
“You are so cruel.”
“I'm sorry, but I can't have him here to draw with you drooling in the corner.”
“Are you guys going to do the nasty after you're done?”
I giggled at the thought. “Not likely.”
“Okay, so how long am I expected to be gone this time?”
“I don't know. Can I just text you? Are you going to be at the library?”
“Yeah, probably. I have an essay to write that I was hoping to do in the comfort of my own home. But I guess I will do it at the library.”
“Thank you; you're the best.”
“No problem.”
“Okay, well I'm going to call him and make sure he’s going to be here on time.”
“Sure, you go ahead.” She had a small smile on her face. She was really enjoying herself. I guess I couldn't blame her; she really did find my situation amusing.
I picked up my phone and dialed Jet. He picked up right away.
“Hey, Natalie, what's up?”
“Hi Jet, I just wanted to make sure that you were still good to go for tonight?”
“Yes, of course. What time do you need me there? I can come at any time.”
“You are more than welcome to start heading over.”
“Sure; do you think we could have some of that wine this time?”
I laughed. “Sure we can. Actually, you're probably going to need it.”
He laughed with me. “Great; now you're making me nervous.”
“No need to be. I will see you soon.”
I disconnected the call and set my phone down. “He's on his way over, so get going.”
“I am so unimpressed with you. You're gonna get him naked eventually, aren't you? That's the end result, right? The last drawing?”
I smiled. “Yes, it is.”
“Well tell me this then, Natalie; do you plan on drawing Jet when he's hard or soft?”
I slapped her shoulder. “You're ridiculous! Stop talking like that.”
“If I were you, I would get a little wood from him while you can.”
“Get out!” I said, laughing.
I went into the kitchen while she puttered around, collecting everything she needed to take to the library with her. She headed to the door and called over her shoulder, “Have fun!”
Reaching into the cupboard over my head, I pulled out a bottle of wine. I grabbed a bottle opener and proceeded to open the bottle. I was willing to allow this particular session to be a little more laid-back, now that I had slept with Jet. We were a little more comfortable together than the last time I drew him. Plus, I was asking him to take off his clothes, so he would probably need to relax.
It wasn't long before I heard a knock at my door. I headed over to it and swung it open, finding Jet on the other side of it.
“Hi there.”
“Hey, beautiful.” He came inside, and I closed the door behind him.
He headed to the kitchen, where he found the wine bottle. “Do you mind?”
I shook my head and admired his form as he poured two glasses of wine. I walked to the couch and sat down, waiting for him to follow suit. He came to the couch and sat down beside me, handing me a glass of wine.
“This is great stuff,” he said, admiring the wine he drank.
“Yes, my roommate buys it. She knows her wine; I do not.”
“I heard that you were at the fights, Natalie.”
I stared at him, confused. “You saw me, Jet. You knew I was at the fights yourself.”
“Yes, you're right. That's what I meant. Why were you there?”
“I had no idea your fight was that night. Had I known, I probably would never have gone, but I had a photography class that night. We were essentially hired to take the fight shots for the evening.”
“Yeah, Kyle mentioned something to that effect. Can I see the photos? I would love to see what you caught.”
“They aren't ready yet. They have been downloaded to my computer, but I haven't had a chance to work on them yet. So if you're asking to see them, you can't.”
He stared at me. “Did you catch it, Natalie?”
I wasn't quite sure I understood what he was talking about at first. Then it clicked, and I smiled. “Yes, Jet, I got it.”
“Oh my God, girl, you have to let me see that back fist.”
I grinned. “Yes, I'm sure you want to see it. It looks incredible, if
that helps. I'll make sure to get you a copy.”
“That's really cool, Natalie. You are really cool.”
I believed him when he said it. “Thank you, Jet. Would you like another glass of wine?”
“Sure. Now why is it that you think I need to loosen up for this session?”
I smiled. “You'll see.” I got up and poured us both some wine. I handed him his glass and started to set up my easel. He took the hint and picked up his glass of wine, heading to the wall.
“Okay, so what's it going to be this time? Should I bend over and hold my butt in the air?”
“Funny. No, that's not what I want.”
“So what is it this time?”
I looked down at my pad of paper and picked up a pencil. “I want you to take your shirt off, Jet. That's the change I need for this session. Everything else stays the same.”
He stared at me for a few minutes. “Are you serious?”
“Very.”
He continued to stare, until a look of realization came over his face. “Am I going to be taking off more every time we do this?”
I laughed nervously. “Yes, you will be. Is that okay?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I'm surprised that you are okay with that.”
“I will deal with it. I am determined to have a really good project.”
“At all costs.”
I giggled. “Yes, that's right.”
Jet slowly pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed it to the side of the room. His chest was firm and strong. He had a six-pack that most people would kill for. I had a hard time drawing my eyes away from his body, but I did have work to do.
“Promise me one thing, Natalie, please.”
I looked up at him when he spoke. “What's that?”
“Promise me that I won't have to be fully naked for any of these drawings.”
