Fight of Life (Perception Book 3)

by Shandi Boyes

  “Can I get you a beer or something first?” I offer, feeling guilty that he had come all the way to Erkinsvale to check on me.

  “Nah I’m all good pretty lady. I just wanted to make sure you were okay” Hank replies kindly, before he hops off the barstool and starts putting on his coat.

  “Will I see you tomorrow?” he questions as he buttons up the last three buttons on his jacket.

  “I wouldn’t miss it” I reply smiling.

  Once Hank leaves the bar I sneakily slip my phone out of my pocket and send Jacob a quick message.

  Hank’s gym tomorrow?

  Are you going to wear those little pink gym shorts?

  Maybe……

  I’ll be there.

  Seeya tomorrow.

  I look forward to it.

  For the rest of my shifts at Pete’s, I can’t stop smiling like a Cheshire cat. When I hopped into bed later that night, I was prepared for another night of tossing and turning like I have for the past three months. But, to my surprise, I instantly fall asleep and had a peaceful sleep, until my phone starts screaming, awakening me from my blissful slumber.

  “Hello” I answer angrily and half asleep.

  “Do I need to come and personally wake you up” chuckles Jacob seductively down the line.

  My gaze quickly seeks my alarm clock and I nearly fall over backwards when I realize it is a little after noon.

  “Fuck” I murmur under my breath when I notice that I have slept for nearly twelve hours straight.

  “Well I was going to suggest that for later, but if you want me to come there now I certainly can” Jacob advises laughing.

  “Shut up Jacob” I reply, causing him to chuckle loudly “I’ll be there in around thirty minutes” I inform, before I disconnect the call. I jump out of bed and quickly rummage through my drawers trying to seek the pair of pink gym shorts Jacob had requested last night.

  “Bingo” I chant when I finally stumble upon them in the very last drawer I chose to search, bloody typical.

  I quickly got changed and threw on my gym shoes and was just about to run out of the door when I caught my own reflection in the mirror near the entrance of my apartment. I instantly froze and walked over to stand in front of the mirror. I nearly left the house without an ounce of make up on. What the hell is Jacob doing to me? I bolt for the bathroom and apply some foundation, mascara, eyeliner and lip-gloss in a record amount of time before I finally start running down my stairs, already thirty minutes late for my normal training session with Hank

  When I walk into Hank’s gym, my eyes dart around the space trying to work out if I am in the right building. The normal desolated gym is busting at the seams with several young boys and teenagers using the outdated equipment. It is only when I spot Hank decked out in full pads in the middle of the boxing ring, do I realize that I am in the right place.

  “I am glad you finally made it” Jacob chuckles beside me. When I turn to face him, I watch as he ties the laces on a pair of gloves for a boy who would be no more than six years old.

  “There you go Matty. Now you go and join Rick and I will be there in a minute” Jacob advises the little boy, who smiles up at him, before he charges over to another boy standing ringside.

  Jacob moves over towards me and wraps his arm around my shoulders, before he places a kiss on the top of my head.

  “I thought some of the guys from the home would appreciate learning a new skill and at the same time, unknowing to them, they will learn the discipline it takes to be a fighter” Jacob informs as his eyes watch over all the boys and a small handful of girls currently doing a range of different boxing routines.

  “Are all of these kids from the home?” I question Jacob sadly. When my eyes follow Jacob’s, I would guess a handful of the older boys would be mid to late teens, but the little boy that Jacob was just helping is only a baby and it tugs at my heart strings that he doesn’t have a home to live in.

  “Yeah. Matty is the youngest, he is five and it goes up to Drake who is seventeen” Jacob advises as he points to a blonde haired boy who is currently in the middle of the ring with Hank.

  “Excuse me” states a little voice from below. When I look down, I see a little girl with gorgeous curly blonde hair peering up at me.

  “I need to go to the bathroom” she informs as she crosses her legs and her face grimaces like she is about to burst. My gaze quickly flicks towards Jacob, seeking his assistance, but all he does is smile at me before he briskly starts walking towards the ring.

  “Jacob” I yell panicked, my eyes begging for him to come back.

  “I’m really busting” she states urgently as she starts squirming on the spot. Bloody Jacob, I don’t do kids, let alone kids that are about to pee all over the floor.

  “Quick” I whisper as I gently grasp her little hand within mine and walk her towards the toilets located in the locker room, silently praying that she is fully toilet trained.

  Chapter 54

  Jacob

  Lola thinks she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body, but seeing her interact with the kids from Hopeton House proves that she does. She may have shot daggers at me after she took Chloe to the bathroom, but I have caught her smiling at me a few times since then. Lola quickly gained the attention of the teenage boys and even though she thinks they are eagerly listening to her boxing tips; they are really just staring at her thighs in her teeny pink shorts. I probably should have warned her that the gym was going to be filled with a whole heap of minors, but I wasn’t aware of that when I requested her to wear her pink shorts last night. I had only come up with the idea last night after talking to my dad. Nevertheless, I am sure the teenage boys will be more than eager to return to the gym, if they think Lola is going to be here to give them visual stimulation. I just hope she is still going to be here, once I tell her what happened last night…...

  I ended up spending a couple of hours with Emily and Noah before Rachel hesitantly walked into the room. Emily’s eyes darted around the room, seeking anything but Rachel’s gaze. Noah just smiled at her, not even the slightest bit ashamed on what she may have witnessed.

  “Are you ready Jacob?” Rachel questions, causing Emily’s eye to dart straight towards hers.

  “Yep. Did you guys want me to bring you back anything?” I question as Emily’s confused gaze continued to flick between Rachel and I.

  “Food Emily, do you want us to bring you back some food?” I ask laughing, while I move over and stand next to Rachel. Emily quickly shakes her head as she continues watching us.

  Hmm, that’s a first. In the past three months Emily has never given up the opportunity of being supplied with real food. Maybe her and Noah have already organized something.

  “Where are you going?” Emily questions just as Rachel and I start to walk towards the door.

  “A little Italian restaurant around the corner” Rachel informs. Emily’s eyes nearly pop out of her head in excitement, making me chuckle.

  “I’ll bring you something back” I inform an excited Emily.

  Rachel and I decide to walk to Petretti’s since it is only one block over. She tells me the story of when she walked in on Emily and Noah in a compromising position when she had left them alone in the physio room yesterday.

  “I only left them alone for ten minutes, I swear” she laughs as we enter the Italian restaurant. My stomach instantly starts growling when the strong aroma of garlic fills my nostrils.

  “You will soon learn that you can never leave Noah unattended with Emily” I chuckle as we follow the waiter to our table in the corner of the restaurant.

  Petretti’s is your typical Italian looking restaurant. Most of the walls inside are done in exposed brick, the tables have red and white checkered table clothes covering them and there is an Italian flag proudly on display in the middle of the restaurant. The waitress promptly takes our order and Rachel requests a bottle of red wine to be brought to the table for sampling.

  Just as the waitress went
to collect the bottle, my phone dinged indicating I had received a text from Lola. When she asked if I wanted to go to Hank’s gym tomorrow, I cringed. I knew Hank was going to hammer me the instant I stepped foot back into his gym. When she replied saying she may wear her little hot pink short she normally works out in, I would have accepted any grueling workout session Hank had planned. Seeing Lola jumping around the ring in her teeny tiny shorts would be worth any punishment he could possibly dish out.

  “Did your mother not teach you any manners Jacob?” Rachel questions annoyed, as her eyes glare down at the phone in my hand. I swallow harshly, while I quickly hit the send button on my final message to Lola.

  “Sorry” I apologize. Rachel’s eyes only return to normal once I place my phone back into my pocket.

  “Have I not told you that my mom passed away?” I question. It is surprising with all of the things we have talked about the past four weeks that my mom’s death was never mentioned.

  “No, I am so sorry” she apologizes quickly as her eyes open wide in shock.

  “Oh, its fine Rachel. There is no need to apologize it was a long time ago” I respond, trying to relieve her guilt.

  The waitress promptly arrives to present the bottle of wine she has selected for Rachel’s approval. I watch as Rachel tests the wine like a real connoisseur. She sniffs it, before swirling the contents of her glass around and then she takes a small sip of the wine to swish around her mouth. She takes a few moments to consider if she likes the taste, before she eventually nods her head at the waitress, accepting her selection.

  “It would probably be less hassle if you just drank beer” I joked, as I graciously accepted my open bottle of beer from the waitress, who was trying to hide her smirk at my comment.

  Rachel screws up her face in disgust, before she starts delicately sipping on her glass of wine. This is the first time I have realized that Rachel is more a girlie type of girl that I had originally perceived.

  The rest of the evening, we spent talking back and forth as we enjoyed some deliciously salivating Italian food. After the bill has been paid, the waiter handed me a large plastic bag full of food I had ordered for Emily and Noah. I didn’t know if there were certain foods on the menu that Emily couldn’t eat since she was pregnant and I didn’t want to upset Rachel by asking if she knew what foods Emily should avoid. So, I ended up ordering nearly half of the menu, in a hope that Emily would be able to eat at least something I had purchased.

  “You do know the saying ‘eating for two’ isn’t actually true” Rachel questions as we walk back towards the hospital. I look down at the overflowing bag of food and shrug my shoulders, making Rachel giggle softly.

  “This is me” Rachel advises as she moves towards a mini convertible coupe.

  “I guess it is safe to say I won’t be driving anywhere with you in the near future” I tease when I look at how compact her car is. Rachel giggles softly, before her eyebrows slightly pull together.

  “Thanks for dinner Rachel, it was great” I inform as I move towards her to give her a quick hug goodbye. I didn’t want to just eat and run, but I wanted to get the food I was carrying to Emily and Noah while it is still hot.

  “It was a lot of fun” Rachel replies as she moves in towards me. Just as I was about to pull away from our embrace, I am shocked to feel the warmth of Rachel’s lips against my mouth and then I freeze in surprise when she licks the seam of my mouth requesting for me to accept her kiss. I quickly pull back away from Rachel, whose closed eyes suddenly pop open when she notices my hasty retreat.

  “I have a girlfriend” I inform gently into Rachel’s rejected eyes.

  She looks at me confused, before she mumbles a quick apology and jumps into her car. I stand in the middle of the footpath, looking at her completely dumbfounded, while she yanks harshly on her seatbelt trying to click it into place. Once her seatbelt is fastened, she quickly pulls her car out onto the road, narrowly missing another motorist, who honks their horn angrily at her.

  I was so surprised by what had happened, that I had completely forgotten to drop the food I had promised Emily into the hospital. I only remembered about it when I arrived home and noticed it sitting on the passenger seat of my car. I didn’t have Rachel’s contact details, so I wasn’t able to call or text her to try and work out what the hell had just happened. Don’t get me wrong, I like Rachel, but I love Lola. I have since the day she was standing behind the bus timetables, cursing like a sailor. Other people may never quite understand the relationship I have with Lola, but I know what she means to me and that is all that matters. Everyone else can take their opinions and shove it where the sun don’t shine as far as I am concerned.

  “They are a good bunch of kids Jacob” Hank states, interrupting me from my thoughts as he walks over to the edge of the ring.

  “Yeah they are” I reply, while pulling apart the ropes to assist Hank out of the ring.

  When I had first walked in to do my community service at Hopeton House, I was pissed that they were forcing me to break my promise I had made to Noah. That anger was soon replaced with remorse when I realized how much some of these kids themselves have been through. A lot have a similar story to Noah, except he was lucky enough to be offered a lift home by my dad one rainy afternoon. These kids didn’t have anyone in their life and it was left up to the volunteers at Hopeton House to make them feel like they had someone in their corner. My community service officially ended on Friday, but I can’t just turn my back on these kids, like so many before me have already done.

  Lola, Hank and I spend the next hour showing them the basics of boxing and UFC fighting, before our training session was interrupted by the director of Hopeton House arriving to collect them. I then spent the next hour cleaning up the mess the kids had left around Hank’s gym, before walking towards Lola and Hank, who were both in his office looking at a heap of paperwork.

  “What are you guys doing?” I question as I walk into the office. The instant they spot me strolling towards them, they start stacking the papers into a pile.

  “Just trying to work out the books” Hank replies as Lola moves over towards me.

  “Did you want me to have a look at them for you?” I offer. Hanks confused gaze flicks up at me before he starts laughing. I roll my eyes at his dismissal of my offer. Not many people know that I did graduate as a business major. They just take one look at me and assume I am all brute and no brains.

  “Well my offer stands if you ever change your mind” I inform before grabbing my gym bag and turning my gaze to look at Lola.

  “Your place or mine?” I question. She stares deep into my eyes as she bites down on her bottom lip, causing my dick to start twitching.

  “Mine” she whispers seductively. “I don’t want to give Tom a heart attack” she continues as she starts walking towards the entrance of Hank’s gym, causing me to chuckle.

  The whole drive back to Lola’s apartment, I try to think about how I can explain to her what had happened last night. Technically, I didn’t do anything wrong as I didn’t kiss Rachel back. But after talking to my dad last night, he strongly suggested that I should still tell Lola what happened. He was also the one that suggested I should look at taking the kids from Hopeton House to the gym. It not only benefits them, but it will also assist Hank, so it’s a win win situation for both of them.

  When I pull into Lola’s apartment complex, I notice she is waiting for me on the front steps. I follow closely behind her as we take the stairs to her third floor apartment. The instant she opens her front door, she jumps into my arms and starts ravishing my mouth. She must notice that I am slightly hesitant, as she pulls back from my mouth and her concerned eyes flick between mine.

  “What’s wrong Jacob?” she questions. I can hear the worry in her voice.

  “I need to tell you something” I respond as I scratch my eyebrow “and I don’t think you are going to like hearing it” I continue, causing Lola’s eyes to narrow as she takes on her angry stance.

/>   Chapter 55

  Lola

  3 1/2 months later….

  Noah and Emily’s Wedding.

  If only they didn’t make us hand in our cell phones as we entered. I would have been able to make a fortune selling the photo of Noah’s furious face when Jacob interrupted the wedding ceremony. When Jacob declared to Emily that he was still available, I think Noah nearly had a coronary. Everyone that was gathered to watch Emily and Noah become husband and wife chuckled loudly at Jacob’s stirrings. We have all become accustomed to the fact that he loves nothing more than getting a rise out of Noah.

  Jacob and Noah have done a spectacular job of organizing this wedding, but I am still a little bit peeved that I wasn’t invited to be a part of the wedding party. I know when Emily first told me she was engaged two years ago I didn’t take the news so well, but I have been nothing but supportive the past six months and how do I get rewarded for my loyalty… Nothing! Zilch! A big fat zero!