by Vivian Wood
Sam had simply smiled and shook her head while tactfully changing the subject. However, they both kept mentioning the ex over and over. Why do you care? Be professional, and don’t fall into any of these traps laying around.
“So, what is this, some kind of warehouse party thing where everyone’s high on E?” she shouted to him as he handed her an angry red cocktail.
“In part,” he said.
“What’s the other part?” she yelled at him.
“I’ll show you.” He took her hand, held it tight against his back, and started to lead her away from the massive dance area. In the back, behind steel doors which required yet another flurry of secret codes, there was no music. There was no dancing. There was just a cage topped with razor wire.
“What the hell is this?” she asked, and stopped abruptly. “Connor, if this is some kind of sick dog fighting thing—”
“Dog fighting?” he asked, incredulous. “Don’t be ridiculous. You think I’d be into that?”
“Then what is it?”
“Underground MMA.”
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but was still on edge. She’d heard about these kinds of things, but didn’t think they really existed. Or that she’d know someone who was into it. “So, are you betting?” she asked.
“Liam!” Connor yelled, and motioned to a short, muscular guy in a worn-out Everlast t-shirt.
Liam grinned when he saw Connor, gave him a nod, and continued to the abandoned DJ booth. “Alright you sick fucks, it’s on in twenty. See Bernard to place your wagers.”
“It’s your new besties,” Connor told her before she could say anything, and nodded to the door. Chase and Jay made their way inside. “Guys, watch out for Sam, alright? And you stick close to them,” he told her.
“What are you—”
But Connor was already gone, disappeared into the darkness. “So, you come here often?” Jay teased her.
“All the time,” she said, distracted. “What’s he doing?”
“He’ll be back in a minute,” Chase said.
“So, is this where you pick up girls?” she asked. Sam tried to make light of the situation, but she was nervous and felt out of place.
“Let’s get a drink,” Jay said, and ushered the three of them to the quiet bar in the back. She looked down at her hand and realized she’d already downed the one Connor had given her.
“I know it seems weird, but a lot of military guys come here to blow off steam,” Chase said. “They dance with some hot girl. They fight. You know.”
She didn’t know, but she also didn’t want to act put off.
“You know the rules of MMA?”
She shook her head, and Chase gave her a quick rundown. “That sounds insane,” she said.
He laughed. “That’s the point.”
“Here we go,” Jay said. She turned, and the ring was lit up with blinding spotlights.
Liam was back in the booth. “Wagers are officially closed. Connor and Zohaib in the cage. Guys, we went over the rules backstage. Let’s keep it clean. Or, hell, you know what I mean.”
Sam’s mouth dropped open. She would have recognized Connor anywhere, but he’d shed his suit in favor of boxing shorts cinched at the waist and nothing but wraps on his hands and feet.
She couldn’t help but drink him all in. The chiseled stomach and pecs, the flawless muscles bunched up his arms and shoulders. That delicious V-shape that flew wildly down his torso. There was something animalistic in all of this that turned her on instantly.
Sam looked at the other guy, who seemed to be well matched in size and muscle to Connor. She worried her bottom lip, unsure of what to think. “Don’t worry,” Jay said into her ear. “Connor will be fine.”
A bell rang from somewhere that seemed far away, and Connor and his opponent were instantly at each other. She put her drink down and covered her eyes when Connor took a hit squarely to the jaw, but quickly peeked between her fingers. Connor had the guy against the cage, which rattled rapidly. Connor punched him viciously in the stomach.
Blood was splattered across both their faces and chests. Connor’s white shorts were flecked in bright red. Relatively, it was fast—ten minutes at most. But it was way too long for Sam.
They were suddenly surrounded by people who pushed and cheered. The entirety of the dance floor must have been crammed into the back room. Every time a blow was landed, especially on Connor, she cringed.
He pinned down his opponent and went at him with unreal swiftness. Finally, the opponent tapped the cage floor. “It’s over,” Chase told her. She let out a long breath, unaware that she’d been holding it.
Liam was holding up Connor’s fist, which was covered in blood. Chase and Jay went nuts beside her, whooping Connor’s name, but she couldn’t find the strength to do more than lower her hands away from her face. Connor and his opponent hugged briefly and patted each other’s back as they exited.
Connor bounded out of the cage and jogged over to them. She noticed every girl he passed followed him lustfully with her eyes.
“Good work, man,” Chase said, and pounded Connor’s back.
“Wasn’t nothing,” Connor said, his breath already returned to normal.
Sam looked at him, inches away. Covered in a sheen of sweat and patches of already-dried blood, she saw another side of him. A rawer side, the one few people knew. As they made eye contact, she licked her lips, thirsty.
Connor’s gaze moved to her lips. The kiss was inevitable. But when she tasted him, the salty, coppery blend, it turned her on even more. When his tongue flicked against hers, she felt wetness start to spread between her legs and let out a moan into his mouth.
She felt his hand on her waist as he pulled her close. His other hand was in her hair, and he pulled tight.
Jay cleared his throat and laughed awkwardly. “You guys want to get a room?” he asked.
Sam broke away from the embrace, flushed and her breath heavy. She knew she should be embarrassed, apologize to Jay, but she just couldn’t stop herself. Connor looked so intense up there, and during the fight, in her deepest thoughts, all she’d wanted was to be the focus of that intensity. Is that normal?
Someone called Connor’s name in the distance and he looked away from her. The spell was broken. What in God’s name are you thinking?
It wasn’t that big of a deal to kiss him in front of his friends. Besides, they’d kissed before, at that club. But that was different. And it didn’t feel like this.
Still, it was to be expected that they kiss in public. Otherwise, how were they going to sell this whole thing? Stop making excuses and rationalizing it to yourself. You know you didn’t kiss him as part of your job.
A blonde who barely fit into her dress sidled up next to Connor. “Oh my God, you were amazing! Amazing!” she said.
He laughed. “Thanks, Tiffany,” he said, and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
Sam stiffened and picked up her drink. Right. You have good reason to steer clear of him. Not only did his friends spend two hours talking smack about his ex to you, but you swore you’d stay professional—to him and yourself.
The blonde gushed all over him, and she had to admit Connor gave some effort to ward off her affections. But he didn’t introduce her to Sam. Instead, he tried to hand her off to Jay. “Have you met my buddy, Jay?” he asked Tiffany. “Ex-SEAL, too. I’m sure you’ll see him in there next.”
Tiffany glanced at Jay and considered. She was easy to read. But Tiffany had eyes only for Connor, that was evident.
Sam slipped away while Jay ogled Tiffany and Chase went back to the bar for another drink. Connor didn’t even see her go. She looked back once, and saw the blonde feel up Connor’s muscles.
She was already halfway home in an Uber when he texted her. Where are you?
Sam considered not replying, but knew that was childish. Omw home. Tired, had to go, she replied. She wanted, so badly, to say something snarky about him letting the blonde flirt with him, but stopped herself.
&nb
sp; Ok. You mad? I just kissed you because of the fight, u know. Adrenaline gets me going, can’t help it.
It’s okay, she replied. Probably good for the show, she added.
I would’ve kissed anyone, he replied. You just happened to be there.
She slammed the phone onto the seat. You’re such a fucking fool, she thought.
“You alright back there?” the Uber driver asked, a young girl probably in college.
“Yeah. Just so you know, men suck. And they continue to suck way after college.”
“That’s why I’m gay,” the driver said.
“Oh.”
“I’m just kidding. I mean, about the reason why I’m gay. But trust me, women are just as batshit crazy.”
“So there’s no hope then,” Sam said as the car pulled into her driveway.
13
Connor
“James, it’s been thirty minutes. You’re telling me you can’t find my father?” he asked him.
James shifted nervously in front of Connor’s desk. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ve been trying—”
“Nobody’s paying you to try, James,” Connor said. “Screw this, I’ll just go find him myself.”
“But, sir, you need to prep for the afternoon meeting. And I have some documents that need signing—”
“Who’s in charge here? You, or me?” Connor asked. He looked down at James’ hand on his arm.
James gulped and slowly removed his hand. “You, sir. As you wish.”
Connor was frustrated. The one time he actually needed to get hold of his father for a pressing business matter, and the bastard was nowhere to be found. He walked swiftly around the floor to his father’s wing and burst into the reception area.
“Oh! Connor, your father is indisposed—” His father’s receptionist stood up and waved at him.
“Is he, now?” Connor asked, and rushed to his father’s closed office door.
Connor flung the door open, only to find Sandra spread-eagle on his father’s desk with her skirt hitched up to her navel. Her tits hung out of her blouse while his father pounded into her, his trousers at his ankles.
“Connor!” she gasped, and rushed to cover her breasts.
His father turned slowly, as his fat and saggy ass jiggled below his button-up shirt. “I thought your mother taught you to knock,” he said.
“What,” Connor began coldly, “the fuck is going on here?”
“I—I came looking for you,” Sandra said as she pushed herself away from his father and pulled her skirt down. “This isn’t what it looks like, I swear.”
“It’s not what it looks like?” Connor said quietly. “It’s not what it looks like?” He could hear his voice start to raise, but he couldn’t stop it. His father’s receptionist shut the door behind him.
“It’s not! I swear,” she said. “I—I came here with a proposal for you.” She started to cry, but her bullshit didn’t work on him anymore. “I’m sorry! I want you back. I came to ask for you back. And then—”
“I figured you were too busy with your magazine shoots or whatever,” his father said. He pulled up his trousers and lit a cigar. “So I took her up on the offer. One of us may as well benefit.”
“You piece of shit,” Connor said. His fists were clenched, knuckles white.
“You know what I don’t get, though?” his father asked with raised brows. “This girl here, she says her name is Sandy. Seems you have a thing for girls with similar names. Is that just a coincidence, I can assume?”
Connor’s mind reeled. Sandra pulled at his arm, mascara streamed down her face. Be careful, be careful what you say.
“I used to want to be like you,” he told his father. “Or, at least, be as rich as you. But you’re disgusting, you know that? You filthy fuck.”
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way, boy, you understand?” His father made a move for him, surprisingly fast, like one of those bulls in Central America that gets a hot pepper stuck up its ass during a rodeo.
Connor lunged away from his father instinctively, putting the massive oak desk between them.
“Stop it!” Sandra screamed from the corner of the room. Connor glanced at her and saw one of her breasts still hung out of her shirt.
“You shut the fuck up, you useless bitch,” his father told her. From the opposite end of the desk, he eyed Connor. “That the best pussy you could pull? It was subpar at best,” he said. “Maybe that new one of yours is better. In fact, I’m sure she is. I’ll have to sample it for myself.”
“Fucking asshole,” Connor said, and he raced around the desk at his father—who didn’t move or even flinch.
“What are you going to do?” his father asked. A mean smile unfurled from below that waxed mustache. “Hit me? Try it. See what happens. See if I don’t cut you off in a second.”
Connor breathed heavily, but some practical part of him must have been listening. “What about Mom…”
“Your mother? Your mother knows all about it!” his father said. “Boy, you really are thicker than I thought. But if you want to make her more miserable, give her all the gory details, be my guest.”
Connor growled, shocked at the raw noise that erupted from his throat.
“You listen to me. And listen good. If you step out of line, in any way, you’re done. You hear me?”
“Go fuck yourself,” Connor said. He turned on his heel and started toward the door. Sandra, still sobbing, started to hobble after him.
“Think about all you have to lose,” his father said, his voice almost lyrical. Connor stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Your trust fund. Your job. Your inheritance. Sean might be a drunk, but I’ll leave it all to him in a minute if you cross me.”
“You wouldn’t,” Connor said softly.
His father laughed. “You want to bet on that? And if you’re thinking you can make it on your own, I won’t stop there. I can make sure you can’t get a job higher than mall security if you screw with me. Not here, not anywhere. Hell, I can even stop you from reenlisting if I’m so inclined.”
Connor’s breath was shallow.
“Of course, I might not do that,” his father said. “No. I might just let you run right back into the Navy. And you can die in that hellhole overseas for all I care.”
Connor didn’t respond, but opened the door calmly. He could feel the wary gaze of the receptionist as she watched him, worried that he was about to do something rash.
“Connor,” Sandra said as she followed him down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her button up her shirt and do her best to walk in just one shoe. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“You make a scene in front of the office, and I’ll slit your goddamned throat,” he hissed at her. She snapped her mouth shut, but continued to follow him. He didn’t dare tell her to leave, lest it cause a scene.
James was open-mouthed as he watched Sandra trail Connor into his office. “Should I bring some tea—” he began, but Connor held up his hand to him.
Sandra shut the door behind her. “I’m sorry—”
“You’ve said that already. Quite a bit,” he said. “What the fuck are you doing here, Sandra? And what the fuck were you doing with my father?” He balled up his fists again and paced back and forth in front of his desk.
“It was all so confusing,” she said with a sniffle. “He told me—he told me you were engaged. Already. I didn’t believe him, so he showed me some pictures… who is she?”
“You have no right to ask me that,” he said, and looked at her sharply.
“You’re right. Sorry. But he… he told me that you’d already moved on. And so, I figured I’d lost you for good. I was… I was going to leave, then he propositioned me with—”
“With what? Are you a whore now? A real, bona fide prostitute?”
“No!” she said. Fresh tears appeared at her eyes. “But he just… I mean, it was a lot of money.”
“How much?”
“What?”
“I’d like to kno
w how much my ex-fiancée is going for on today’s market.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
She bore her toe into the plush white carpet. “Three thousand.”
“Three thousand dollars. You fucked my father for three thousand dollars.”
“Well, not really—”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you kind of walked in on us before he gave me the money. So, really, you owe me—”
“Fuck off, Sandra,” he said, and shook his head in disbelief.
“You’re such an asshole!” she yelled.
James popped his head inside. “Everything okay, sir? Do I need to call someone?”
“Call someone?” Sandra screamed, and turned on James. “Yes! You can call the goddamned HR department to cut me a check—”
“Call security if you don’t see her walk out of here within ninety seconds,” Connor told him.
“Yes, sir,” James said, and clicked the door shut.
She turned to Connor, utter confusion clouded across her face. “How could you?” she asked. “I’m your fiancée. We were supposed to get married in a few weeks. You act like you never loved me at all.”
“No, that’s you,” Connor said. “Leave, Sandra. And don’t ever contact me again. Trust me, it’s in your best interest.”
“I won’t—”
“Would you rather security carry you out?”
She looked him up and down, and tried to decide if he was serious. “Fine,” she said.
Sandra turned, as poised as she could manage with one shoe, sex hair and a mascara-stained face, and marched out.
Connor sighed. Why did you do that? You hate this goddamned job anyway, you should have just walked out of here for good.
“That was a crazy one,” James said. He carried a pot of chamomile tea on a silver tray.
“You’re telling me,” he said. “Thanks.”
It was a miserable job, mostly, but there were certainly benefits. Just play it cool, just a little while longer. Don’t let him get to you!
“James. Did you know? Did you know what my father was doing?” he asked, and looked at James’ back.
