by Hazel Parker
“It’s all right. Just promise to be there in spirit?” he said, trying to lighten the mood, even though he was quite bummed out about it.
“I promise.” She smiled, before getting up and kissing him gently. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her into his lap. She giggled and they started to kiss, enjoying each other’s company as they fell onto the couch.
*****
The days flew by seamlessly. Max was nervous as he woke up and looked at the date on his phone. Today was the big day. He turned over and looked at the empty space on the bed with a frown. Tammi was already at work. Sighing, he got up to find a note on the countertop, wishing him the best of luck at his match tonight. He looked at it and smiled before folding it up and putting it in his wallet.
Soon he was driving to the ring. He was nervous and excited all at the same time. This was it. This was where he would prove himself. Getting dressed in the locker room, his trainer approached him.
“How do you feel?” he asked, looking at Max.
“A little nervous, but I am ready for this,” he said smiling, as he straightened himself out. He was wearing nothing but his fighting shorts and stood a couple inches taller than the trainer. His various tattoos, sprawling up his right arm and chest, were on full display. His dark eyes looked excited and butterflies fluttered behind his chiseled abs. “I’m ready,” he finally said. His trainer nodded and together they walked out to the ring.
The arena was filled with eager viewers, ready to see the title match. It was only natural, as a lot of them had bets on the match. A lot of signs, supporting Max’s opponent were waving in the air, shaking his nerve a bit, but he wasn’t about to back out now. Putting on his most confident face, he made his way into the ring and into his corner, where his trainer started to prep him for the match.
Soon he was in the middle of the ring, facing off against a brute of a man. His opponent was from Mexico and had held the belt for six consecutive months. He was a hard man to take down, but tonight he had to be defeated, one way or another.
They shook hands and the sound of a bell ringing indicated the start of the first round. Everything went well at first as Max kept light on his feet, moving around his opponent with ease. His opponent lashed out with a few punches, which he was able to avoid at first, but once he was hit with an uppercut, it all went downhill.
Max lost his focus, taking a beating from his opponent during the first round. By the start of the second round, he was already pretty bloody and his opponent looked confident as he went on the offensive. Things were not looking good for Max.
He stayed away as much as he could, making for a boring match. The audience booed in frustration at the lack of action. They started shouting out insults, making Max reconsider the match, but it was too late to back out now.
By the start of the third round, it didn’t look like there was much fight left in Max. At the same time, Tammi walked into the arena, seeing the crowd of people. She made her way to the aisle, toward the front row reserved for the friends and family of the contestants. She sat down, looking at the ring.
As she did, Max looked out into the audience by chance, locking eyes on his girlfriend. He stopped in surprise, seeing her there. Wasn’t she supposed to be working? Had she managed to get out of work just to see him fight? He smiled to himself, getting distracted. His opponent took this chance to sock Max in the head.
He went down hard, to Tammi’s horror. She held her breath as the referee leaned down looking at him. To everyone’s amazement, Max got up quickly. All of a sudden, he was revitalized with a new, furious fight, taking his opponent by surprise.
Max quickly pummeled his opponent with this new energy, so much so that with one swift kick to the head, Max was able to knock the man out. The former champion hit the ring hard, completely unconscious.
Everyone stared in surprise as the referee made the call, standing up, grabbing Max’s hand and raising it in the air. “The new Light Heavyweight Champion!”
Chapter 7
Max was in a state of shock for a moment as the referee held his hand above his head. He smiled happily, however, when they handed him his new belt. He grabbed it and held it up high, showing it off proudly. Max was handed a mic for the speech.
“Thank you, everyone, for this amazing opportunity. Thanks to those of you who believed in me, but most of all, I have to give thanks for my amazing girlfriend. Tammi, get up here!” he yelled, pointing the mic at her. She blushed slightly, but people began to pressure her to go and soon enough she was in the ring with the new champion.
He wrapped his arm around her tightly, kissing the top of her head with glee. “Like I said, folks, Tammi here is the one to thank. She is the reason I’m here in the first place. So… that being said… I have something very important I want to ask of you.” Max looked over at his trainer who smiled, walking over to him and handing him something discretely. The crowd tried to look on, curious to know what was going on.
Tammi looked at him but was unable to figure out what he had been handed. With a grin he opened his palm, revealing a small, black box. He opened it and a beautiful diamond ring came into view, making Tammi gasp in surprise. She looked at him with disbelief in her eyes as he got down on one knee before her.
“Tammi Diarmada, will you marry me?” Tammi’s hands went to her mouth in surprise, but she managed to nod as tears came to her eyes. Smiling big, she lunged forward, hugging him tightly. They kissed, making the crowd awe loudly in response.
Max smiled before standing up, holding his girlfriend with one arm and slinging his new belt over his other shoulder. A happy man, he walked out of the ring, proud of himself and everything he had managed to accomplish.
After the big fight and the proposal, the couple celebrated. In the end, Max’s injuries had been minor and with a few sprays of antiseptic and some bandages, he was a new man. After changing out of his shorts, he drove them to their favorite restaurant, where they had a romantic dinner together, enjoying the food and laughing the whole time.
But eventually, Tammi had to step in and say something. “Max.” He stopped midsentence, looking at her, surprised by her tone of voice.
“What is it, Tammi?”
Slowly, she reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. Flipping it over, she placed it on the table between them. Max looked at it curiously, he glanced at her. She nodded. Slowly, he picked it up, seeing a swirling image of grays.
“What is this?” he asked, looking at it curiously.
“An ultrasound.”
“A… but why?” he asked, looking pale. Tammi, bit her lip, the fear of rejection bubbling to the surface.
“An ultrasound…” she repeated herself, whispering.
“You do mean that thing that shows you your baby, right?” Tammi nodded gingerly. Suddenly it all clicked for Max and he rushed over to the other side of the table, hugging her tightly before placing his hands on her stomach. “I’m going to be a dad?!”
Tammi chuckled at his excitement. Now Max really couldn’t stop talking. But soon enough, he was driving them home, holding Tammi’s hand over the console. When they got home, he got out of the car and opened the door for her, making her giggle.
He continued to overplay the gentleman part as he opened the door and then picked her up bridal style, carrying her over the threshold. She giggled again as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning up and kissing his lips softly.
He kissed back, making his way to the bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he got on top of her slowly, kissing her neck, nibbling it gently, teasing her. She moaned softly, her fingers pulling at the hem of his shirt, ready to get the night started. With a naughty grin on her face, she suddenly flipped them over.
“As an added bonus to your belt, let me personally congratulate you on you big victory, Mr. Champion,” Tammi whispered sexily as she straddled him, a fire burning in her eyes as her tongue slowly ran across her teeth.
“Wait… can we do this
with the baby?”
Tammi nodded. “Of course!” She grinned, kissing his neck again, once again getting in the mood.
Max shivered slightly in anticipation, knowing this would be one hell of a night. Before he could react, Tammi had already ripped off his shirt and was working on pulling off his pants. He allowed her full control for a moment until he was almost naked before rolling them over and pinning her down, keeping his body off hers, making sure to keep the baby safe.
“But you know, babe, I can’t let you do all of the work.” He quickly ripped off her clothes leaving her in nothing but panties. Lustfully, he reached down, tearing away her flimsy thong. He grinned and started to kiss her breasts roughly.
His lips were everywhere and soon he gave her nipples little love bites, making her arch her back while she made her way into his boxers. She found his already hardening dick and started to tease it with her small soft hand. He groaned softly into her ear, enjoying it, but he wanted more.
He pulled down his boxers and with one, well-aimed thrust, he was deep inside of her. They both paused for a moment, feeling each other. Max moaned out, feeling her tightness all around him, squeezing his dick like never before. Tammi could feel him throbbing inside of her and the sensation drove her mad.
Soon she was biting his neck and grinding her hips into him, making herself feel good. He grinned, getting the message, and started to thrust into her, faster. Before long, the only sound that could be heard in the room were their moans, laced with the sound of their bodies rubbing together.
Tammi had never felt like this before, and she didn’t want it to stop as she kissed his lips, her tongue making its way into his mouth. Soon, she felt a burning heat between her legs and she knew her first orgasm was mere moments away. Max could feel her quivering around him and grinned in satisfaction as he continued to pound her.
Her breasts bounced. He kissed her hard, letting her lips melt into his own, as his fingers dug into the delicate flesh of her ass. With the intent to make her feel even better, he quickened his pace, breathing hard.
It was enough to send her over the edge, making her scream out his name until the neighbors could certainly hear her. But that wouldn’t be the last time of the night she would climax. No, they would continue well into the early hours until they would both collapse, breathing hard, but pleasantly exhausted.
Chapter 8
“Max Celino, making history once again as he defends his title against the undefeated challenger from Brazil!” Tammi flicked through the channels, stopping at the sports network and smiling as she saw a recording of her now husband, holding his belt over his head. He defended that thing until the very end and she was proud of him for it.
“Mommy!” A little girl rushed into the room and slammed into her legs, hugging her tightly. Tammi smiled down at her daughter, seeing her pigtails shake as she nuzzled into her legs.
“What is it, pumpkin?” she asked softly.
“Daddy has a booboo again,” she said, pointing to her father as he entered the room, a small cut on his finger.
“Again?” Tammi asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hey, in my defense, it is very hard to cut vegetables like those fancy chefs on the TV.” Tammi rolled her eyes, before getting up and grabbing the first aid kit. Bringing her family into the kitchen, she placed the kit on her new marble countertops and smiled. Looking through the kit, she grabbed a bright-pink Band-Aid reserved for their daughter, Emma.
She leaned down, giving it Emma. “Why don’t you be Daddy’s nurse this time?” Emma smiled brightly and nodded as her face scrunched up in focus, delicately peeling off the paper, before slowly placing it on her father’s cut.
He smiled warmly and kissed the top of her head before she ran off into her room. Tammi watched her go before turning to Max. “You know, now that you are world-renowned and rich, you could hire a fancy chef… or maybe a professional nurse,” she teased.
He laughed and pulled her closer. “You kidding? The fame is good, and the money is better. But I would never give up my beautiful nurse for the world.” He chuckled, kissing the top of her head.
*****
THE END
Gift from the Grave
The old bed and breakfast sat on a quiet street in the tiny New England town. It was one of those places that when you spied the name on the map, you imagined a picturesque town with church steeples peaking over neat rooftops. In the case of Canvers, you would be correct.
In fairness, it wasn’t much of a town. It had once been big when shipping had run along the river. Then that had died, and only the long-time families had remained. Now they relied heavily on tourism. The town’s quiet atmosphere, combined with their quaint coffee shops and cute cafes, was highly appealing to those looking to have a true New England experience.
Elizabeth Werner was relying upon that appeal. The bed and breakfast she now owned had been her grandmother’s. When she’d died, her grandmother had left the house specifically to Elizabeth. The lawyer stated that Thelma Werner had always hoped that the house would once again host guests. She had supposedly thought that her youngest granddaughter would be the best choice for innkeeper. Somedays, Elizabeth wondered just what Grandma had been thinking.
The house was a large two-story that had fallen into disrepair over the last few years. Grandma had been living across town in a senior high rise. The house had been managed by the caretaker.
Today she did her first walk through of the house. The front door opened to the stairs. To the right spilled a front parlor and a sitting room. On the opposite side of the stairs were the dining room and kitchen, with a hallway stretching beside them all the way back.
It wasn’t as bad as she thought. The lawyer had made it sound like it was much worse. It was dirty, but that wouldn’t take much to fix. The downstairs wallpaper was peeling in a few places. The plaster on the ceilings didn’t look bad, but that was just at first glance.
The upstairs had four bedrooms with the attic divided into another. The carpet didn’t look good anywhere, but there were supposedly hardwood floors beneath. That was remediable.
Elizabeth had always heard that old houses were money pits. She was hopeful that was not true. She’d been saving up a good bit over the last year, but now she wouldn’t be working full time until the house was ready to open. It was going to be tight for a few months.
“Hello!” a man’s voice called into the house. “Anyone here?”
“Coming!” Elizabeth slipped through the dining room into the front hallway. A man with shining, dark curls stood in the doorway. To her, he looked a bit like a young Patrick Duffy. His eyes were bright blue and friendly looking. Elizabeth was momentarily shamed by her own appearance.
She was forty, and in good shape. In fact, everyone said that she didn’t look her age. But right then she was wearing dirty jeans and sneakers that needed to make their way to the trash. Her Villanova sweatshirt was a faded out gray, and her blonde hair was covered by a green bandana. She knew that in anyone eyes she would look a mess.
“Hi.” The man offered her a hand. “You must be Elizabeth. I’m Rick. I’m Philip’s son.”
“Oh right.” Elizabeth suddenly remembered the caretaker’s name. “It’s good to meet you. I haven’t seen your father today.”
“No, he had to make a run for some supplies at Home Depot,” Rick explained. “So are you going to be working here with us?”
“I’m planning on it,” Elizabeth answered him. “I figure that I can at least strip wallpaper while you all tackle the heavy stuff.”
Rick grinned at her. He was very tan; she figured he did some sort of outdoor work, or maybe spent all of his free time in the sun.
“So we’re probably a little quieter than Hartford.” His eyes were studying her. “That is where you’re from, right?”
“Right.” Elizabeth smiled brightly. “Are you…from here?”
“All my life. Dad got my brother and I working for him out of high school. We’ve b
een here ever since.” At the look on her face, he waved a hand. “Oh it’s fine. It’s good work. I’ve learned a lot in the years I’ve been working for him. Anyway, I think you’ll like it in town.”
“I hope so.” Elizabeth hadn’t been so sure about that. It was a small town with few younger people. She wasn’t sure just how many people she could meet. After her divorce, she’d had trouble reaching into the social realms. She was really hoping that Canver would be a fresh start for her.
Now Elizabeth found herself sharing a smile with him. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. She hadn’t come here to meet a man. But on the other hand, she wouldn’t exactly have minded it.
“Good. Well, I’ve got to get back. Dad will need help unloading soon. So we’ll be here bright and early tomorrow, ok?”
“Sounds great.” Elizabeth held the heavy door as he stepped out. “Nice meeting you.”
“You too.” He winked at her as he headed down the porch steps. Elizabeth felt a flutter of excitement. She’d been suspicious about taking such a big leap by herself, but today made things better.
