Masahiro took a deep breath in, held it, and then released it slowly as he watched Jake. “I want proof, actual proof that you are straightening your life up. Not empty words. Not promises. Show me that you are straightening your life up and that you are dedicated to it, and I will give you this second chance. If you do not, then you are out. There is no alternative after this. You will succeed and stay, or you will fail and be gone. Is that clear?”
Jake felt as if he couldn’t even breathe. He nodded. “Yes, sir. It’s crystal clear.”
“Go to the dojo immediately.” Masahiro told him, and just as he turned to leave, he looked back at Jake once more. “I want proof that you are dedicating yourself to your word. As soon as possible.”
He left then, and walked out of the police station, and Jake stared after him, hardly able to move, he was so overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. He took a cab back to the dojo, going over and over every possibility in his mind; searching for a way that he could prove himself to Masahiro. He knew that no one knew Masahiro better than Koichi and Lisa.
When he reached the dojo, he went straight to Lisa’s office. As soon as he walked in, he knew that she was well aware of what had happened that morning. The look on her face told him exactly what she was thinking, and the sharp tone in her voice confirmed it.
“Jake Allen! What in the hell do you think you’re doing getting into a fight like that right outside of the dojo and then getting arrested for it! Are you hell bent on throwing away everything that you’ve worked for? Are you just completely determined to destroy the bright future you say you’re so anxious to reach for? What in the hell is going on?” She stood up and walked over to him, arms crossed over her chest.
He held his hands up and spoke gently to her. “Lisa, listen… it was Patrick. He jumped me outside the gate, and he had a crow bar, and god knows what else tucked away. I was defending myself, and it just… it just went all wrong. Can you understand that? I didn’t go looking for a fight. I wasn’t out there trying to street fight or screw up or take him down or anything even close to that. I just… I was just defending myself and someone called the cops and I got arrested. It’s public property on the street. I wasn’t thinking about that… okay? I wasn’t thinking about anything but staying alive.”
She heaved a sigh and frowned darkly at him. “How did you even get out of jail?”
Jake heard her tone soften just slightly, and it encouraged him. “Masahiro came and bailed me out.”
Shock registered on her face, and he knew then just how lucky he was that it had happened at all. “Listen… he came and bailed me out and gave me an ultimatum. He said he’s going to give me one more chance to prove to him that I’m dedicated to this… you know, keep training, win the fight against Corbin in two weeks. He thinks I can do it. I know I can do it. I’m ready now, but he gave me a condition….”
Lisa’s mouth twitched as if she knew full well what a condition from Masahiro meant. “What was it?” she asked tentatively.
“He said I have to prove to him that I’m straightening my life out. You know… on the right path and dedicated to this place, and my future and the future of the dojo. All of that. I have to prove it to him.” Jake told her, his breath beginning to grow short.
“Well!” she breathed out in a half laugh, “I have no idea how you’re going to do that. You can come to training every day and work your butt off, you can win the competition, and none of that will be enough. I can promise you that right now. He is looking for something else. Something like a guarantee. I know Masahiro better than you can imagine, and I have no idea what you could do to convince him of your intentions.”
Jake swallowed the knot in his throat. He took a step forward and locked his clear blue eyes on Lisa’s black ones. “I do.”
She lowered a brow and turned her head slightly in suspicion. “What?” she asked, eyeing him carefully.
He took a deep breath. “I want you to say you’ll marry me.” He didn’t know how he managed to get the words out, but he had. He had gone over every possibility and option in his mind so many times that nothing seemed like it would work except that. He just had to find the courage to ask her.
Lisa’s mouth fell full open. “What?” she asked in amazement, staring at him.
He held his hands up again defensively. “Not… not a real marriage… not even more than just an engagement. I just… I need to find a way to show him that I’m committed to this place, at least long enough for him to trust me and believe in me. Right? So… I thought that if we tell him we are engaged, he’s going to have the proof he wants to see that shows him just how serious I am taking this. I mean, no one is going to kick my ass more than you, right? Not even Koichi.
He’s going to know I’m straightening my life out and that I’m genuinely committed to this dojo and to all of you and myself if he thinks we’re engaged. Think about it. How much closer could I get here? I’m not saying we have to go through with it. We could break it off later. I just… I have to find a way to prove it to him fast, and this is the best way.”
“Lying to my… to him, is not the best way!” she snapped at him sharply, narrowing her eyes. “That’s a terrible idea!”
“No! It’s the only option I have! You said yourself that you didn’t know what I could do. That’s because there is nothing else that I can do. Think about it! We tell him that we are engaged, and maybe we even move in together… I guess in your place. I can’t see you living in my place… at least until he trusts me and he sees everything I do here to train hard and win the competitions. Then we just tell him that we are better as friends and we’re breaking off the engagement. Right?
"I’ll tell you what. We’ll be roommates. I’ll chip in money for half of everything, so you’ll have some benefit to this too, right? It’ll work.” He moved closer to her, his eyes desperate with hope. “It has to work… Lisa, this is the only shot I have left. I’m not going to lose this… I’m not. Please… be my friend. Help me. You said you chose me because you saw potential, and you were right. God you were so right about all of it.
You’ve seen how hard I’ve worked for what we all want. Now, don’t throw that all away over some… some stupid thing that happened today. Just... please, help me. Agree to tell him that we are engaged, just for a little while, and help me reach my goals… our goals!” Jake reached out and took her hands, holding them in his, his eyes locked on hers.
Lisa knew deep in her that he was probably right. She certainly couldn’t think of anything that might prove to Masahiro that Jake was serious about changing. An engagement to her would speak volumes to Masahiro, much more than Jake was aware of, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. She ran it over in her mind, and everything that he had said to her made sense; she just had to make herself believe that it would work.
She realized that if it didn’t work, he would be out anyway, because he wouldn’t have proven to Masahiro that he was dedicated, but that would be on Jake, not on her. She couldn’t really see a way that it might end poorly for her. Sighing with resignation, she looked down and nodded.
“Alright.” She answered him quietly, looking up at him. “I’ll agree to it, but you better stay in the guest room and behave yourself, and you better work your ass off here; more than you ever have. You have a lot to prove to him and to me.”
He yanked her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. “Thank you… thank you so much. Thank you.” He kissed her hair on the side of her head and she smiled a little and hugged him back. “You’re not going to regret this. I promise you.”
Jake finally let her go with a wide grin on his face. He headed toward the door and just as he was opening it, she called to him and he looked over his shoulder at her.
“I am also going to need a ring.” She held up her bare left hand and wiggled her fingers at him. “He’s not going to believe it until he sees that.” she laughed a little, and Jake nodded and smiled nervously.
“A ring… well,
if it’s going to be unofficially official, I guess we better do it right. I’ll get you a ring tonight and we can tell them tomorrow. I’m going to get to Koichi now; I’m sure he’s waiting to kick my ass, too.” He gave her one last smile. “Thanks again, Lisa. It means everything to me. You’re a good friend.”
He left and she sat slowly in her chair, shaking her head. “Yeah… I’m a good friend alright.” She sighed and picked up her cell phone to call Bonnie and tell her what was going on. She had no idea how she was ever going to explain it, but she’d have to do it somehow.
After explaining it all to Bonnie, Bonnie told her that she was sure that it was a sign that they should be together. Lisa argued with her until they agreed to disagree, but she could hear the note of excitement in Bonnie’s voice. She promised her best friend that it was just business, and just friends, and that was all that it was going to be for endless reasons.
She wasn’t at all sure that she had made the best decision, but she knew that Jake was right and that without her, he didn’t stand a chance. She had made so many sacrifices for him already that it seemed she would be shorting herself if she didn’t help him. She would be at a loss, and so would the dojo. Knowing that she was doing it for the greater good did nothing for the powerful nausea that washed over her and turned her stomach in knots. She had promised him, though, and she was a woman of her word. She just prayed that she hadn’t made a huge mistake.
The next morning when Lisa arrived at her office in the dojo, she found Jake sitting beside the door waiting for her. He looked more nervous than she had ever seen him. As she walked toward him, he rose up from the seat he had been sitting on, and smiled at her. He followed her into her office and she set her purse down and turned to face him.
“You’re here early,” she said with a small smile for him. Her stomach was still clenched and threatening to erupt.
He gave a half shrug. “Well… I uh, we have some… business to take care of. You and me.” He said as he blushed slightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, handing it over to her.
She couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face, and he felt relief and happiness as he watched her open the box and gasp at the pretty diamond ring he’d bought for her the night before. It was in the shape of a flower. He reached for her hand, taking it in his as he looked into her eyes.
“I hope you like it. I mean, I know this isn’t real, but… I wanted it to at least mean something to you. You’re going to keep it even after we break up. That’s the least I can give you, so I wanted it to be like you… delicate and beautiful, and one of a kind. That’s a titanium band, though. You might be delicate, but you’re definitely the strongest woman I know. I don’t know how you do that…” he trailed off and grinned sheepishly at her as she slid the ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Lisa looked at it glowing brightly against her dark skin and she loved it. Looking up at him, she held his hands in hers and spoke gently. “Thank you, this is much more than I expected. It’s beautiful, and I love it. Even if it’s just for show.”
He nodded and hugged her closely before letting her go and looking at her with a new concern in his eyes. “Well… shall we go tell Masahiro?” he asked with trepidation. Her eyes grew wide with a little anxiety and she nodded.
“Yeah. I’m glad that we’re doing that together,” she replied.
They walked out of her office hand in hand and went to the tea room where Masahiro was making his morning tea. He took the news with no small amount of surprise, but Lisa assured him that they were in love and did indeed want to spend the rest of their lives together. Jake wasn’t prepared for just how much their announcement would affect the old man. He had known that Lisa and Masahiro were close, but he had not expected to see the old man react as though she was family.
Masahiro wasn’t certain of approving it at first, but Lisa convinced him, and he finally relented and gave them his blessing, promising Jake that taking excellent care of Lisa was in his best interest. Jake understood and agreed, promising Masahiro in return that he would take very good care of her.
They left and found Koichi, sharing their news with him as well. Koichi was a little less surprised than Masahiro, and he was happy for them, but he too warned Jake to be very good to Lisa. Jake expected to hear it from Koichi. Lisa went back to her office, and Jake followed Koichi to a studio to train.
Two days later, Jake had moved most everything he owned into the guest bedroom at Lisa’s house, and they had begun to settle into their new lives as best they could. They agreed to carpool to the dojo together, and try to give one another some space at the house, as they were going to be around each other so much more often.
She showed him the studio that she had behind her house in the garden and he was amazed. He hadn’t ever thought of her as a student of martial arts, but she told him that she was raised with it, and he realized then just how much all of it meant to her. It wasn’t just a job to her, it was her life, and the profound gift of opportunity that she had given him, and everything that she had given up to give it to him was suddenly and deeply impressed upon him.
They got along the first few days at the house, and it was on the third night that he walked into the kitchen after his shower to see if he could help with dinner. He was fully dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, after having promised her that he wouldn’t walk around in nothing but a towel again.
She was cutting vegetables for a stir fry, and when he offered his help, she put him to work. He felt happy, cooking and creating a meal with her. It was like nothing that he had ever experienced before, and he found himself enjoying it completely.
Lisa was uncertain about having him in her home at first, but he had seemed to settle in well, and though they were taking it a day at a time, she had begun to feel as though they were going to do alright while he was there.
Jake chopped the vegetables and then began to put different liquids into the wok as he cooked the chicken bits and pushed them around. She was busy working on the rest of their dinner and hadn’t gotten into too much detail about how to cook anything. He walked over to her with a spoon in his hand and asked her to taste the sauce and chicken he had made.
With a shy smile, she took the bite from the spoon that he held out to her, and as she chewed, she pursed her lips and tried to smile politely at him.
“What? How is it?” he asked, looking hopeful and worried simultaneously.
She shrugged and tried to turn away, but he quickly set the spoon down on the counter and took her arms in his hands, turning her back toward him as she tried to swallow her bite. “Oh no you don’t… come on. Tell me. How is it?”
She forced herself to swallow it, and vowed not to throw up. “It’s…” she hesitated and raised her eyes to meet his. She couldn’t lie to him. If she lied to him, he’d expect to put his disastrous dinner on the table and eat it with her. “It’s really bad.” She said hesitantly. “Jake… it’s… god it’s horrible.” She tried to be kind, but she just couldn’t hold it back. His look of utter shock made her smile and it wasn’t a moment later that her smile became a giggle.
He stared at her. “It’s that bad?” he raised his brows in disbelief.
“It’s the worst!” she was laughing out loud by that point.
“The worst?” he repeated in mock offense. “I just worked my butt off to make that, and I thought it was pretty good! You think it’s that bad?” he asked, trying not to laugh back at her.
She nodded and laughed again. “You’re going to have to face it. You’re a terrible cook. That’s the worst thing that’s ever crossed my lips.”
Jake scoffed, still in mock offense. “Is that so?” he asked, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “Well let me see if I can do anything about giving you the best thing that’s ever crossed your lips.” He leaned forward then, wrapped up in the moment that they were sharing, and he kissed her; lightly at first, but as his mouth moved over hers, she felt the heat in her answer to
him. She began to kiss him back, and in moments the fire that they had tried so hard to avoid was burning hot and deep in them both.
Their hands, held tight around each other, began to move over one another, as their breath quickened and their need for one another burned at them. Urgency and desire held them together like gravity, and in between hungry kisses, their hands began to touch each other in places where a touch ignited even more need.
“Lisa…” he gasped, taking her face in his hands and looking at her with heavily lidded eyes. “I said we wouldn’t… but god… oh god I want you. I need you… if you don’t want to do this, we’ll stop.” He barely breathed.
She wanted him to stop. She wanted herself to stop, but there was such a powerful need in her for him that she couldn’t stop. “No… Jake… I know we said no more, but…” she looked up at him plaintively.
“…but you need this.” He finished for her. She nodded.
“I do. I need this with you so much. I can’t say no. I don’t want to stop it. I want you. Now. More than anything.” She pulled him toward her, and not another word was spoken as he picked her up and carried her to her room, peeling her clothes off of her quickly.
They made love three times before the sun rose, losing each other and finding themselves in each other’s arms. Both of them promised that it wouldn’t happen again, and early the next morning, Lisa forced herself to leave the warm tenderness of his arms, and get into the shower. The water washed over her and she told herself that it was all going to work out. She promised herself that it was just hormones, and that it was only because he was around her so much more often than he had been, but before her shower was done, she realized the truth, and she had to admit it to herself.
Lisa had much more than fallen for Jake. It wasn’t only desire that she felt for him. It was love, and there was no going back from it. It was lodged in her so deep that it was a part of her. When she realized it, a feeling of helplessness came over her and she shed some tears in the shower, looking at the ring on her hand and knowing that it was only a façade.
Brooklyn's Baddest: A Bad Boy Fighter Romance Page 14
