by Ford, Mia
“Girl, all men are immature. You know this.”
“I don’t think they all are,” I said. “Jay and Tucker come to mind. Both of them are very mature.”
“Well, they are the only ones and you nabbed them both. Good job. You are so greedy. Share the wealth with the rest of us for a change.”
“Well, I am actually. I’ve reached a decision.”
Heidi gasped and stopped what she was doing. A dirty rag fell out of her hand as she stepped closer to lean in to me so that she would not miss a word I was about to say. The rag almost touched my shoe, making me cringe. A vet’s job was often gross, but I was very glad I did not have Heidi’s job anymore. I’d been a tech while I was in college and that was long enough.
“You’ve actually decided between the two of them? You aren’t just messing with me?” Heidi asked.
“I’m not messing with you.”
Heidi started dancing back and forth like a little girl who really had to go to the bathroom. A loud, shrieking giggle escaped her.
“I’m going to pick Jay,” I said.
It sounded good and it felt very good to actually say that out loud. It was right. I could feel it as the words slipped between my lips. I don’t know why I had such a hard time for so long admitting it to myself. The more I did, the less the fear that had kept me crippled with anxiety about it affected me. I was starting to see the beginning of light in front of me, of freedom. I just hoped Jay would still have me. I hadn’t talked to him much lately. He seemed distracted and a bit aloof, as if he had something very important on his mind. The job he was going for was probably giving him a bit of stress. I knew he could do anything he set his mind too. After all, he’d finally won my heart.
I just had to give him the news. I wasn’t sure how he would take it.
“Wow!” Heidi jumped up and down and suddenly threw her arms around my nice, clean lab coat. She had been cleaning up dog feces for the last thirty minutes. And now she’d just hugged me… why? Just… why?
I stood back and held my hands out from my body as if I was suddenly contaminated by the vilest germ to ever exist.
“Sorry!” Heidi squealed. “I’m just so excited. I can’t believe that you finally listened to me.”
“What? I listen to you all the time,” I defended myself. “This was not so simple.”
“If you’d just listened to me then you wouldn’t have had to worry about anything. You would have saved yourself months of misery. I just hope you realize it and give credit where credit is due.”
I laughed. “You are delusional, but I love you anyway.”
“So, what did Jay say? Was he happy? I imagine he had to be thrilled.”
“I… I haven’t talked to him yet…”
Heidi looked like she was about to barf for a brief moment. Then her face got more serious than I’d probably ever seen it.
She spoke very slowly. “You haven’t… told … him yet…?”
“No,” I said. “He’s been out of town and he is very busy.”
“Doing what? Nothing is more important than this. He should be here with you for this wonderful moment. He probably went off for the weekend with some woman. You’ve missed your shot. And I tried to warn you, but you never listen to me. Even Brie—your own sister—tried to tell you that it was going to be too late, but you are just so stubborn.”
“Relax,” I said. “Breathe…he told me he was going out of town this weekend for work. He is trying to get a promotion.”
“Oh,” Heidi said. “Why did you get me so worked up for?”
It was at least thirty seconds before I stopped laughing. With friends like Heidi, my life would be anything but boring. I could always count on that.
I went through the rest of the day with business as usual. I saw some patients and then had lunch in the lounge with Heidi, who would not stop pestering me about when I was going to talk to Jay.
“I’m going to go over to his place tonight,” I said. “I figure that will be the best way to really have that open conversation.”
“You aren’t going to text him and warn him first?” Heidi asked shoveling a tuna sandwich in to her mouth.
“Warn him? I don’t think that applies here,” I said.
“You never know,” Heidi replied. “He might be thrown completely for a loop if you just show up at his place and say ‘we need to talk’. That’s creepy for guys. Don’t you ever read Men’s Health magazine?”
“No, I don’t read that,” I said. “I don’t need to know the best foods and workouts to fuel testosterone.”
“It is great insight into the male brain,” Heidi said. “Despite what women think, it is actually very vast and complex.”
“I seriously hope you and this dermatologist keep seeing each other. Someone needs to distract you,” I said.
Heidi nodded. “Yeah, I agree. Too much time alone just isn’t good for me.”
We finished lunch and then went back to work. The end of the day came around before I knew it. In fact the entire day had flown by and I found myself driving at a quarter past five over towards Jay’s place wondering what was about to take place.
I had rarely been this nervous. I think the only thing that rivaled it was when I was on my way to the hospital in labor pains with Jodie. That, I got nervous for.
But this was a close second.
And when I pulled up in front of Jay’s house, it took me a few seconds to get out of the car. My legs felt like they were encased in some clamped boots. But somehow I had to find the strength to move my body up that driveway and onto those porch steps to knock on that door.
And I just had to hope for the best.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jay
I was just sitting down for the first time all day when the knock at the door came. I almost didn’t answer it. It had been a long day that started with a two hour morning workout, a long day at work, and another workout after work, a late dinner which was already prepared (grilled chicken, rice, and broccoli-all plain) and now I was ready to relax for an hour or so before I had to hit the sack.
It had all happened so fast. I felt like I was still dreaming, but it was real. I was going to fight Barnes. Apparently after all these years he still wanted a piece of me. And I definitely wanted another piece of him, or at least the paycheck that went along with it.
The day after I’d heard the radio announcement I called up Barnes’ agency and told them who I was and that I wanted to challenge him for that fight. I needed to speak to his agent. They took my info and a short while later his agent George Rhodes called me up and said that Barnes had agreed to fight me and I should get ready. It was on.
I couldn’t believe it had been so simple. Life was so crazy. It just took one small spark to set something in motion that could turn everything around. Barnes’ agent brought in his doctor to do a quick evaluation of me and it looked like I was cleared to fight. Now all I had to do was step in the ring and do my best. Win or lose I was going to get the money for my parents. But being the competitive guy that I am, I wanted to win. Barnes was a cocky jerk and I was proud to say that I was one of the guys back in the day that shut him up.
I got off the couch and answered the door. I was surprised to see a tall, slender guy standing there in a three piece suit. I recognized him almost immediately as the guy I’d seen Naomi with that day. What in the hell was he doing here?
“Hi,” He said. “Jay, isn’t it?”
“Who wants to know?” I asked coldly. The nerve of this guy…
“My name is Tucker Worthington,” he said. “I believe we have a mutual… friend. Naomi Riggs.”
“Yeah, what about her.”
“Would you mind if I came in for a moment so we could chat. I have an offer for you that I think you will find very interesting.”
“I doubt that, but sure. Come in.”
I stepped back and Tucker stepped into my house. I don’t think he had any clue of how much he did not want to piss me off.
“You should see it when the maid isn’t on vacation. It’s exquisite. Now what about Naomi?”
“Well, she and I have become rather close recently. In fact, everything is going along really well, but there is one little obstacle standing in the way—you.”
“I don’t see how that is my problem,” I said.
“Well, I’m willing to give you twenty-five thousand dollars to walk away.”
“What?” Was he really offering me money to stay away from Naomi.
“Yeah, just pack up your stuff and head out of town,” Tucker said. “I’m sure you can ask to be transferred in your job. That usually isn’t an issue. You see your daughter when you can. And Naomi gets to be with a guy who deserves her. We all win; everybody is happy.”
“Get the hell out of my house,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I think the money I’m offering will be pretty handy in paying off your father’s debt, don’t you think?”
I stared at him. What was keeping me from tearing his arms from their sockets?
“Yes, I know all about it,” Tucker said. “It doesn’t matter how. I know you need the money and I’m offering you an easy solution. Just stay away from Naomi and your parents’ debt is paid. Do we have a deal?”
“I’ll say it once more. Get the hell out of my house.”
Tucker smirked.
“Very well,” he said. As he reached the door he turned back to me. “You don’t stand a chance with her anyway. I don’t know why I’m even bothering.”
I slammed the door behind him and did my best not to scream. How dare that pig try to buy me off? Even if I didn’t have this fight coming, I wouldn’t have taken his money. I wouldn’t have taken all the money in the world. Did that idiot actually think I’d give up my daughter and Naomi for a lousy paycheck? Really? God, I hoped Naomi knew what a pig he really was.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Naomi
Why was I such a coward?
I sat outside of Jay’s house for at least ten minutes the other day trying to go in and tell him how I felt. And then yesterday I’d tried again. Now I was going to try a third time. What was wrong with me? I felt frozen, as if I was stuck inside some sort of time loop. Why was this so hard? I’d talked to Jay a hundred times and never really had any issues speaking with him. And now I wanted to tell him how I really felt and I was scared to do it.
And of course Heidi was hounding me constantly about it. I knew she meant well, but she was really starting to get on my last nerve with it. My mother was curious as well, but she’d been more subtle and content to let me do my own thing in my good time. But I had to get this done and over with. The longer I put it off the worse my anxiety over the situation would get.
It was silly. It was Jay. I knew how he felt about me. He had been in love with me since shortly after we were together. Looking back on that I believe this was one of the things that frightened me the most, how quickly those feelings had escalated, but not just within Jay—within myself also.
I pulled up to his house and without even thinking about it I stepped out of my car and forced my legs to walk up his driveway, his porch steps, and ring his front door. This was when the reality of the situation hit me because I was standing there waiting for him to open the door. What was I doing? Was I sure this was what I wanted? Had I thought everything through? I wasn’t going to back out of this later and break his heart was I?
Breathe…breathe. Calm down. This is the right thing. You know it.
Jay answered the door. A look of surprise displayed on his face quickly. He was not expecting me at all, which I felt would make it easier on me. It gave me a bit of control back. I could decide when I was going to have this go down, which allowed me to back out of it a few times already. Maybe I should have just texted or called him? It might have helped my own accountability.
“Naomi,” Jay said. “Is everything OK? Where is Jodie?”
“Oh, she’s fine. She’s with my parents. She’s great.”
He relaxed a little.
“What’s going on?”
I began to fidget with my hands and twiddle my thumbs which I always did when I was really nervous.
“Um… can we talk?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Come in, please.”
I walked into his home and he shut the door behind me.
“Something to drink?” He asked.
“Um, no. I’m fine.”
He sat down in his favorite chair and I sat down in the couch across from him. It had been a while since I was in his house. It was still cozy and comfortable, especially for a bachelor. I had always liked it. Somehow it made me feel secure.
“So, what’s on your mind?” Jay asked. He seemed a bit distracted and impatient, but then again I had just barged in on him out of nowhere.
“Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And I’ve reached some decisions. I realize that you probably think I’m crazy and I feel almost as if I have no business talking to you about this.”
“It’s ok,” He said. “And I would never think you’re crazy. In fact, you are one of the most level-headed people I know.”
“I feel sorry for you if that is really true,” I said with a chuckle. “But I’ve been doing some soul searching…”
I noticed that there was a suitcase and several items of clothing on the small sofa. And Jay himself looked like he was about to go somewhere.
“Um… did I catch you at a bad time?”
I was actually hopeful for a moment that I didn’t have to say what was on my mind and I might get some more time. But that would have been torture. I really wanted to get this out.
“Um…” Jay paused. “I’ve got a job I’m going to.”
“Something to do with the Sergeant Major position?” I asked.
“No, actually this is something far different.”
It was then that I noticed the trunks protruding from behind the small stack of clothes. I walked over to it to inspect farther. There was a pair of boxing gloves with the fingers cut out, a large roll of tape, and some cloth hand wraps. What was going on here?
“What is this?” I asked no longer even interested in why I’d originally come there.
Jay didn’t answer at first. He stood up and rather annoyed began to pack the stuff into a large duffel bag.
“Jay…”
“It’s part of the job I’m doing,” he said.
“Wait… are you telling me that you are fighting again? I thought you retired? You told me about the concussions. Jay, you could get seriously injured if you take the wrong hit—brain damaged even.”
“I know,” he said. “But the doctor cleared me.”
“Did he clear you because he is a good doctor and there is no risk for you? Or did he clear you because he is paid a lot of money to do so?” I demanded.
“Either way, I’m fighting.”
“Why? I don’t get it. Why are you doing this?”
“Because I have to. I don’t want to.”
There was something in his eyes I had never seen before. It was sadness…real, true sadness. Something was wrong. A cold chill rolled over my body and I felt the room temperature drop about ten degrees.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“My father is in trouble—serious trouble. He needs money. This is an opportunity for me to get it for him.”
“And he wants you to do this? Is it worth risking your health?” I asked.
“It is. There really is no other way.”
“When are you fighting? Where?” I asked.
“The fight is Friday Night,” he said. “I weigh in tomorrow and I’m going to a training facility to help dehydrate to make the weight. I’m ten pounds too heavy as is.”
“So, you are going to fight dehydrated. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”
“Every fighter does it to make weight. The weight classes are insanely rigid. I’ll rehydrate by the time the figh
t actually comes around. It’s in Louisville. You should come and watch. It’s sold out, but I can probably get you some tickets.”
“No,” I said shaking my head. “I won’t watch this. I can’t sit there and watch in case you get hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt,” he said. “I’m going to win. I’ve beaten this guy twice before.”
“How long ago was that?” I asked.
“Eight years,” he replied.
“And this other guy has been just hanging out since then? Or he has been fighting professionally?”
Jay raised his eyebrows at me and his look gave me the answer. This was insane. If he took a hard enough hit to the head or received another concussion it could really damage his brain. He might never be the same again.
I wanted to stop him from going and tell him that I loved him. I had to tell him I needed him, but I didn’t. I knew it wouldn’t change things with his father. He still needed that money, and I knew that Jay wouldn’t let his family down. He couldn’t let people down; it wasn’t in his genetic makeup.
Besides, if I’d told him how I felt it would probably just distract him. And the last thing he needed right now was a big distraction.
“There is no way I can change your mind?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I’ve got to do this. If you’d seen my dad… how desperate and scared he was… I’ve never seen him like that before. It…it tore me up inside. His life is in danger. Trust me; I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice,” I said.
“Right. I have a choice, but choices have consequences. And I’ve weighed them all out. This is the only way.”
There was no stopping him. All I could do was offer my support and let him know I’d be there.
“Hey, I need you to promise me something,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“You have to promise that you will win. And that you will come back to Jodie exactly the same.”
“Isn’t that two promises?” He asked with a smile.
