Lucky 13

by Cat Gardiner

  “Is this still payback from the tree lighting? My God! Let me make myself clear here, Mr. Darcy.” Ticking off on her fingers Elizabeth started to list her points. “One – From the first moment of our acquaintance you have demonstrated sexist, insulting, and mocking behavior of not only me but toward anyone who doesn’t measure up to your exacting standards.”

  “That’s not who …”

  “Don’t give me your ridiculous lines! I don’t wanna’ hear it. Two - Why are you doing everything in your power to ruin my dating endeavors? Did you deliberately try to mess up my night because you enjoy playing games with women you think are unsuitable and beneath you? Women you don’t think men would or should be interested in? Who do you think you are?”

  “I’m the man who kept …”

  “I don’t want to hear your flimsy explanations. Three - I’ll tell you who you are! You are no gentleman. You are a tease and a flirt who thinks he is God’s gift to women. But I think you were jealous of Preston because he had something you will never have – a date with a woman other men can appreciate, a woman of substance and real depth.”

  Darcy smiled, damn if he wasn’t totally besotted with her as she tore him a new one. She was one hundred percent correct in her assessment – he was jealous of Preston and any other man who would attempt to stake a claim to such a phenomenal woman.

  Each pointed barb Elizabeth threw, she punctuated against his chest with a finger as she ticked them off. Liz’s emerald facets sparkled, the beauty mark on her forehead crinkled under the furrowing of her brow, and the fierce set of her mouth all totally beguiled him. She was bloody fabulous.

  “What are you smiling at? Four - You have no right to smile after what you did to Preston and what you did to me. I was dumped in the middle of a bowling alley, Darcy. Do you even know what that feels like? You have humiliated me for the second time, the first of which was your little Elvis show. No, of course, you don’t know what rejection feels like. You’re Mr. Frickin’ December who every woman fawns over. And the most important one – Five - You’re nothing but a selfish jerk and I’ll …”

  The words died on her lips when Darcy grabbed her, swiftly pulling her into him, silencing her mouth with his.

  Although her body was rigid, arms stiff at her sides with lips held taut and unyielding below his, it made no difference to him. Wrapping his arms around her slender waist, feeling her pressed against his hard chest, and tasting her strawberry-flavored lip-gloss was more than sufficient. He would win her and the next kiss would not only be welcomed but also reciprocated. It was in that moment Darcy knew Elizabeth’s lips would be the only lips he would hunger to kiss for the rest of his life.

  Elizabeth shoved him backward and slapped his cheek harder than she intended. He barely registered the sting of either her words or her palm. All he felt was the delicious, wonderful tingle to his lips.

  She said nothing, just stormed back for her coat and promptly left the bowling alley in tears.

  Liz’s Blog Post Here

  Chapter Fourteen – Saturday, December 14

  11 Days Until Christmas

  Four thousand dollars a year for a luxury gym membership was just a drop in the bucket for Darcy, hardly making a dent in either his monthly income or his expenses. The way he looked at it was, though he had lifetime membership to the New York Athletic Club a block from his penthouse and unlimited guest access to Rick’s Upper East Side gym, joining Elizabeth’s Reebok Sports Club was an investment in his future.

  Walking through the front entrance of the impressive, ultra modern facility, Darcy could not help to chuckle, anticipating the surprised – or angry - look upon Elizabeth’s face when she saw him here on this fine Saturday morning. Notwithstanding, the miserable sleet atop the bone-chilling cold outside, but it was still a glorious day. He felt damn good, especially after that kiss. Amazingly, the fog of depression that had usually been at its worse during this week every year was dissipating with each encounter with Elizabeth.

  The colorfully lit Christmas tree now stood decorated with red paper cutout ornaments for the club’s annual Adopt a Child program. Already, toys accumulated below the tree for Santa to deliver on Christmas Eve. Near the reception desk sat a large box for the citywide Toys for Tots drive that the U.S. Marine Corps managed every year. He made a mental note to shop tomorrow for gifts for the children at Presbyterian’s Burn Unit, which he would deliver as Santa on or before Christmas.

  First, he had to survive his plan for this morning and live through tonight’s midnight tour. The holiday season always ramped up the number of runs from the firehouse each night. In fact, it didn’t matter the shift, they were all the same. Christmas light malfunctions, electric heater fires, decorative candle usage, and un-watered Christmas trees blazes were all prevalent this time of year. Now with the sleeting rain, who knew what the night would bring? Freezing weather and ice posed severe handicaps on the job. Cracked hoses, frozen hydrants, and weighed down roofs already compromised by the burning structure were all hazards for concern. He wasn’t looking forward to tonight’s tour of duty, plus the moon was almost full – that never bode well for a shift. The crazies came out, and the paramedics, New York’s Best, had the stories to attest. The words ‘lunacy’ and ‘lunatic’ did, after all, come from the moon’s fullness and very well could have been coined in New York City.

  Passing the reception desk, Darcy noted the fully lit Menorah, still present even though Hanukkah had ended nine days ago, but he liked the idea that it remained. The holiday season was a month long joyful vibe that permeated everyone – religious or not. Having emerged from the depression, he was able to appreciate that.

  He walked beside the west divider and heard grunts coming from the climbers on the forty-foot scaling wall. Turning the corner, he looked up at the two people clearly competing against each other to reach the top first. Elizabeth was one of them. Wearing her Black Widow kickboxing shorts and bra, she was tethered around her hips to a rope hanging from the ceiling. She clung to the wall about midway up with legs stretched apart, one reaching upward higher than the other. Her hands held tightly to the colorful grips protruding from the roughly surfaced, four-storied, polyurethane wall. When her competitor switched his position, Darcy could see it was Rick.

  Between grunts of exertion, she yelled across the horizontal distance separating them, “This is … payback for last … night.”

  Darcy hung back, enjoying the view of her perfect backside encased in black Lycra, his eyes riveted on the slight indentation that her thong made.

  “I swear … I had nothing to do with his being … there,” Rick panted.

  Elizabeth climbed a good two feet above Rick. He was too busy concentrating at keeping his hold upon the wall to notice anything below him, let alone above.

  “Hmm, you don’t sound very convincing, Counselor.”

  “Okay, I made the suggestion … but … he had no idea you would be there.”

  “Likely … story.”

  She looked down over her shoulder. “Do you know what happened between him and my date?”

  “You better ask Charlotte.”

  “Oh, I intend to … as soon as she takes my call.”

  Darcy checked his Rolex, realizing that his private training session was scheduled to begin in five minutes. As much as he would have liked to stay, watch, and listen to the two of them discuss him, he had to get ready for what lie ahead. Giving one last glance of appreciation to her swinging ponytail, slender waist, and curvy hips, he headed to the boxing studio.

  Alex stood beside the motionless black Everlast heavy bag hanging from the ceiling. Only a few members in the studio currently worked out on the various apparatus, honing their skills.

  The rapid flapping of the speed bag snapped Darcy from his daydream about Elizabeth and those long legs of hers. He dropped his still wet jacket and duffle bag on the wood bench. “Are you Alex?”

  The trainer looked at his sports watch. “Right on time. You must be Wi
ll. Welcome to Reebok.”

  “Thanks, nice to meet you.” The men shook hands. “I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time in the ring. Hopefully learning a little more than kickboxing, perhaps some MMA?”

  “Yeah? Cool. I get many students who just want the basics, but never show any interest in Mixed Martial Arts. How liberal do you want your lessons?”

  “I want it all. I already have a fair knowledge of boxing from my college days with the Boxing Club at New York Athletic Club.”

  “Well damn, you’re coming in with excellent training already. So, we’ll take it up a notch then. Anything else you want to add to the classes?”

  Darcy looked around the room and steeling his determination, decided to be frank. “Yes, I’d like to go head-to-head with The Black Widow. In fact, I have one hour with you in the ring today before her arrival, and I’d like to give her an opportunity to kick my ass.”

  Alex laughed. “You’re kidding, right? She’s a green belt you know. Why the fixation? Are you a masochist or something?”

  NYAC’s collegiate Boxing Club champion raised an eyebrow. It was like ‘guy speak’.

  Alex nodded slowly. “Ah, I see … This is a love match you want to win.”

  “In a manner of speaking. I don’t want or need to win, but I want her to have the opportunity to release some anger she has toward me.”

  “Liz is fierce, Will. You may not be able to beat her, but she hasn’t been in the ring since Tuesday and might be a little off her game today.”

  “Like I said, if I find myself flat on my back on the mat, I’m okay with that. I just want her to feel vindicated in beating me. It might clear the air between us.”

  “She’ll know if you let her win,” Alex pointed out, knowing how Elizabeth felt about competing against men.

  “I have no doubt. Elizabeth is bright and accomplished. Rest assured, I don’t intend on letting her win, and I intend to put up the best fight I can. That’s why I want to build on what I already know. Frankly, I think she’ll kick my ass. I’ve seen her fight. Look, she wouldn’t be satisfied beating me without the challenge of a good fight from a strong opponent.”

  “So … you actually want her to pummel your face with her snap kick?”

  “If it makes her happy, then … yeah.”

  Alex nodded. He thought he understood perfectly what this guy was saying. He was seeking common ground, learning these skills for a woman who he wanted to woo, gain respect from, and open up real communication with. The guy was astute to figure out and do what it took to get The Black Widow into a position of superiority and submission. That’s the name of the game in MMA – submission.

  “Can you help me, Alex? I’m willing to make this financially lucrative for anything above your normal teaching syllabus. Name your price.”

  In some ways, it just killed Alex to agree to this but damn, he really needed the money, and truth be told, he was never going to actually pursue her anyway. She was out of his league.

  “It’s part of your membership. Glad I can help. If you want private lessons outside Reebok, then my fee is two hundred an hour. I like Liz and from what I’ve seen around here, there aren’t too many guys who would go through the trouble to win over a woman like her. She’s classy, professional and comes off as pretty tough, so everyone thinks she’s untouchable.”

  The men shook hands again. “Yes, she does appear that way, but I feel that’s all a façade. Thanks for understanding. Hopefully, she’ll agree to go to dinner with me after today.”

  “You want her to submit to you,” Alex stated thinking he understood everything.

  “No, not at all. I want Elizabeth to have the opportunity to submit to herself, to her feelings, to her heart. I want her to tear up her lists and criteria all on her own. This is to help free her.”

  “You’re so sure you can win her? I admire your confidence, man.”

  “I may be overconfident, which she has openly declared as my biggest fault, but I’m certainly gonna try. I think she’s worth it – worth some degree of emasculation and a heavy dose of humility by having her win. The first time I saw her, she was kicking your ass while qualifying for her green belt. I had a feeling then that she was the one. It took a few encounters with her to admit, but the minute she slapped my face last night – I knew it for sure.”

  “Be happy a slap is all she felt the need to deliver. Well, let’s hope that today she can get her foot out of your gut long enough to realize your interest. I guess you’ll find out if she feels the same way.”

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “One last question. Why the rush? We could take our time and do it right, approach your training in an orderly fashion. To face her in the ring today … are you that desperate to take her out?”

  “No, that’s not it. She’s has a timeline for something and I’d like to help her achieve it.”

  “Good enough, then let’s begin.” Alex patted the heavy bag. “Show me what you’re made of.”

  After Darcy stripped his navy sweats down to shorts and a tank, Alex put him through fifteen minutes of an intense warm up. With each fist, knee and kick strike to the heavy bag, the trainer was impressed and knew Darcy had potential. He certainly had the power and strength. In the long run, he might even beat Elizabeth through execution and skill, but that was going to take time. For today, he would teach his new student a couple of moves he was sure The Black Widow didn’t know, and those moves would take her by surprise, maybe even challenge her.”

  “Suit up and let’s hit the ring. Gloves are there and headgear is in the cubicles below. Do you have a mouthpiece?”

  Darcy nodded.

  “Good, you’re gonna need it.” Alex looked at his watch again. “She’ll be here in thirty minutes, so we’re gonna hit this hard and fast with Muay Thai and some Judo moves. Have you ever wrestled before?”

  “Just one semester at Trinity on the Upper West Side.”

  “Yeah, well this isn’t prep school, so you’re gonna need to learn some severe submission takedowns and fast.”

  Using target punch pads, Alex taught Darcy some integral kicks that Elizabeth would not expect, each move developing coordination and defensive reactions to attack for offense. Right and left kicking and shielding, diagonal and several takedown moves could, if correctly executed, force submission.

  Protected by thickly padded headgear, Darcy stood with his back to the studio door when she entered the glass enclosed boxing studio, early.

  Alex greeted her from the center of the ring. “Liz! You’re early!”

  Darcy’s back stiffened ever so slightly, but he remained facing the opposite direction.

  “Hi, Alex. I think you’re gonna be p.o.’d at me, hot chocolate and a favorite cannoli were my undoing this week, and I haven’t done a thing to work them off beyond my four mile run through the Park,” she greeted.

  “You look great as always. It’s the holidays, and you’re entitled to splurge now and again. Tell you what, I’m wrapping up with a new student here, so why don’t you hit the speed bag for a few minutes and start working off the calories. When we’re ready, I have something special on tap today.”

  “But, my list … there are some moves I wanted to learn.” She dug into her small equipment bag for the used envelope that had a haphazardly written notation upon it.

  Alex chuckled. “No list today. One day, I’m gonna tear up all those ever-present lists of yours.”

  Elizabeth smirked to hide her brief disappointment then glanced at the new student noting a familiarity in his physique. As she put on her boxing gloves, her green eyes bore into the ‘v’ of a firm back down to the shape of a squeezable backside in baggy nylon shorts, but she dismissed her thoughts as soon as she approached the speed bag. As much as she desired to watch the new student, the rapid hand-eye coordination required for the bag kept her focused. Although, she could still hear the new guy connect each powerful strike to Alex’s hand-held training pads.

  Alex grinn
ed knowingly whenever Darcy stopped, eyes inevitably veering in her direction across the studio. Obviously spellbound by her physical prowess, it took his shove to his new student’s chest to get his head back on the mat. “Focus now and take me down like I showed you.”

  He threw the training pads to the corner of the ring, and they began a series of moves, which ended in a takedown onto the mat with Darcy holding Alex in an unmovable arm bar hold. He had successfully executed the ultimate submission move, a move initially perfected, interestingly, by a female practitioner deemed a “goddess” of MMA.

  Alex rose from the mats, calling out above the pounding club music, which beat in time to the triple rhythm of Elizabeth’s speed bag. “Time’s up, Liz. Why don’t you join us up here in the ring?”

  Darcy removed the mouthpiece and helmet, causing his hair to stick up in all sorts of places. He turned to greet her with a dazzling smile. As his mother used to say it was “a shit-eating grin.”

  Tangible frustration caused her to blurt out, “You again? What the heck did I do to deserve this – deserve you?”

  Alex smiled mischievously. “You know him?”

  “I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

  Darcy deliberately provoked her, hoping to get under her skin for the fight of her life. “Don’t listen to her. She has intimately touched my naked abs, oiling me with precision. Didn’t you see it on the news?”

  “I didn’t oil him willingly. It was my job and highly … highly meaningless,” she stated as though trying to convince herself that Darcy had no affect on her whatsoever.

  “Well, now that we’ve set the tone for our match…” Alex began to say before Elizabeth cut him off.

  “Match? Oh, no! Absolutely not!” She protested, making for the ropes to vacate the ring.

  “You’re on my dime now. Get back here, Miss Green Belt. As part of your contract with me, I set the matches and you face the opponent. End of story. Will, here, is your next opponent.”

  She looked to Darcy. “Would you get that smug look off your face? You put Alex up to this, didn’t you? Found another way to get under my skin and attempt to embarrass me? Last night wasn’t enough for you?”