“Ha! You’re cocky now because you won your last fight. You know what happens to those who get too arrogant, don’t you? You’ll be too busy walking around with your head held high that you won’t see someone coming in and knocking you down.”
I laughed. “Ah, spoken like a true loser.”
He grinned. “How can you talk to your best friend like that? Especially a best friend with only one good eye!”
“Don’t play the guilt card with me. Anyway, I have to. You’ve spent years ribbing me, so I’m only getting you back. The amount of fights you won before me is way too many. I’m still trying to play catch-up.”
“You’re getting there, though. And now that I’m not competing, you’ll beat my wins in no time. You’re almost there, actually. Flip, Ryan, you’ve won so many fights lately. I’m putting it down to the fact that you’re training with one of the best.”
“I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right. You’re a good training partner. I just hope that I’m just not on some weird winning streak that is all going to come crumbling down around me someday. I’m enjoying all the wins.” I wasn’t looking forward to losing a fight again, which I knew would eventually happen. There was nothing quite like the feeling of winning.
Nick sighed. “That’s the thing with this game. You win some, and you lose some, and you’ve got to take the bad with the good. But if you continue the way you’re going, you’re going to be winning more than you’re losing.”
“That would be good! Anyway, I’m going to head home. I’ll catch you soon. Thanks for sparring.”
“You too man, and next time you have stories about celebrities becoming part of your family, I think you should tell me.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to happen again. But I’ll definitely keep you in the loop!”
I didn’t often talk to people about my brother. Brady was a solemn guy who liked to keep to himself. The two of us were close, but I knew he wouldn’t have been happy if I had gone around telling the world that he was in love with a famous celebrity. I still couldn’t quite believe it myself, really.
The moment I got home, I stepped into the shower, but the good feeling of the warm water washing over me was short-lived as my head started throbbing all over again. The Advil had worn off, and the pressure from the training had probably kicked in. Oh well; I’d just have to live with it. It was simply part and parcel of the fighting game.
Chapter Two
Blaire
My month in Wyoming had gone quickly, and I couldn’t believe that we were heading into the last couple of days. The filming had gone well, and I’d enjoyed being away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. I’d talked to Sloan that morning, the main actress, and she’d looked melancholic about heading back to New York. But we’d all seen her spending a lot of time with Brady, one of the ranch workers, and I had a strong suspicion that there was something more serious going on than any of us realized. I liked Sloan, but she kept to herself a lot and didn’t show much of her personality. I had a feeling that lurking under her cool New York exterior was a whole different person. She looked far too comfortable in her role as a cowgirl to not be actually enjoying it.
I couldn’t blame her. There was something about this place that was hard to ignore. Although I’d heard some of the other actors complaining, so maybe it wasn’t for everyone. I liked it here, though. I liked how slow everything was. How nothing was rushed. I liked how friendly the people were. But, despite all this, I still missed home. I was lying in my hotel room now, waiting to get called for the final shoot, when my phone rang.
“Katie!” I said when I saw the number.
Katie was my best friend and the one person that I always wanted to talk to no matter what I was experiencing in my life. She had been friends with me before I’d become an actress, she had been friends with me while I tried to make it in this very difficult career, and she was still friends with me now that I was finally getting acting jobs. I knew that she would be friends with me even if I became famous. When I was with Katie, everything went back to normal. She was my escape away from the madness.
“Hey, Blaire. Come on, you’ve been gone too long now. When are you coming back?”
“Tomorrow, hopefully. We’re doing a final shoot today, but we’re pretty much done. I think the producer just wants us all together for one final shoot before wrapping up. Although I must say, the month went by fast.”
“Maybe for you. It went slowly for me. You’ve been gone too long. But how was it? Did you enjoy it? Did you get a chance to relax a bit too?”
I lay down and smiled. “I did. It was the perfect place to shoot, to be honest. It was great for the film, but it was also a nice place to just hang out when we weren’t filming. And I’m not the main actress, so I had a lot of downtime. I made the most of it.”
“Good,” she said. “You work so hard. It’s good to take a bit of time to yourself sometimes too. I can’t wait to see the movie. How was Sloan? Did she have a hard time fitting in?”
“Sloan really likes it here. In fact, between you and me, I think she’s fallen for the ranch worker. He’s been helping her with the horseback riding and showing her how to become more of a cowgirl for the movie.”
“What? Are you serious? Sloan Hill with a ranch hand? That’s the last person I would’ve expected her to be with.”
“Yeah, I think there’s more to Sloan than she lets on. I thought I’d spend more time with her, but she’s been spending all her time with him. It’s nice, though—she looks happy.”
“Well, that’s always good. And how about you? What are the guys like in Wyoming?”
“They’re okay. I mean, I haven’t really hung out with them. I’ve spent most of the time with the film crew or just chilling by myself. But you won’t believe who I met here.”
“Who?”
“Do you know Ryan Maxwell?”
“Uh, the name rings a bell, but I’m not sure.”
“He’s that MMA fighter. He won a whole bunch of fights recently. His face has been everywhere.”
“Hmm, I don’t know. It’s not exactly a sport that I follow. Why did you meet him? Is he a part of the movie too? That doesn’t seem to match the theme all that much, though.”
I chuckled. “Oh no, he’s not a part of the movie. But he’s Brady’s brother.”
“Whose brother?”
“Oh, Brady is the ranch worker. He’s the one that Sloan is into. Ryan Maxwell came for a few days to visit him. I couldn’t believe it. I recognized him immediately.”
“Seriously? I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing.”
“Oh, I love it. I’ve actually watched one of his fights. Not in person, but on TV. And I watched it just before coming to the shoot. The last place I would’ve expected to meet him was here in Wyoming. Brady looks a bit like him and the whole time I was wondering why he looked so familiar. Then I saw Ryan, and I knew why.”
“So, what is he like? Is he scary looking?”
I thought back to when I’d met Ryan for the first time. It had been hard not to notice how handsome he was beyond the tough exterior. “Scary looking? Why would he be scary?”
“I thought you said he was a fighter.”
I laughed. “Oh! Well, I don’t find that scary. I like that look. He looks like someone that has been in a lot of fights, but it suits him.”
“Sounds like you have a bit of a crush,” Katie teased.
“Nah, not a crush. But he is very good looking. He’s tall and muscular, with a defined jaw. And he’s covered in tattoos.”
“You know, for someone as clean-cut looking as you, you sure like the bad boys.”
“I like them to look like bad boys. I don’t like them to actually be bad boys.”
“So, are you going to see him again then?”
“Well, we exchanged numbers. I haven’t heard from him yet so I’ll probably call him when I get back to Los Angeles. I don’t know, do you think I should? I’m not s
ure why he hasn’t called yet, although I suppose it hasn’t been that long. And he knows that I’m still here, so maybe he’s waiting for me to get back,” I said. Then I groaned. “What’s wrong with me? I sound like I’ve never talked to a guy in my life. I sound like a teenager.”
“Wow, did you really like him?”
“Oh, I don’t know. We didn’t get to know each other all that much, so it’s hard to say. But he was nice.”
“I wouldn’t stress, Blaire. If he likes you, then he’ll call you. If he doesn’t, then he won’t. Either way, you’ll at least know where you stand. Don’t call him, though. Let him call you.”
“Yeah, you’re right. You see, this is why I need to come home. I need my best friend to make sure I stay sensible at all times.”
She laughed. “Yes, hurry back!”
We talked for a little while longer, and when I put the phone down, I realized I was ready to go home. I always loved chatting with Katie. She had such a kind soul. An ‘old soul,’ someone had once said, and I had to agree. There was something about her that was always so comforting to have around. Just then, there was a knock on my door. It was the producer, Roger, telling me that they were about to do the last shoot.
“The driver will take you to the ranch in about half an hour, if that’s okay?”
“That’s perfect.”
I quickly got dressed and made my way downstairs. There wasn’t much left for me to do and I didn’t think that I even had a scene to do that day. But I think Roger wanted me in the background, so I still had to at least look the part. I stood on the side and watched as the main characters finished up.
It was the early afternoon when I heard Roger shout, “That’s it, guys! It’s a wrap. Congratulations, team!” and everyone burst into applause. We were done.
We all walked around, congratulating one another. Roger looked incredibly pleased with himself, and I had a feeling this movie was going to be something big. I walked over to him so say thank you.
“This was great, Roger. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it.”
“Blaire! You were wonderful. We couldn’t have done this without you.”
I was sure that he said that to all the actors in the movie, but I smiled, anyway. It was always nice to get compliments, especially from the producer. He looked happy, so maybe he really did mean what he said to me. “Thank you, Roger. It was so much fun. And you obviously chose the right venue. This ranch is absolutely perfect for the script. I have no idea how you managed to find something like this. I think it’s going to reflect in the movie.”
“Thank you. I think so, too. It’s great here. So, are you looking forward to going back? It was nice here, but I’m craving a bit of home.”
“Tell me about it. I can’t wait to go back. I really enjoyed myself, but there’s nothing quite like home. Going away for so long always makes you appreciate it even more. In fact, I better go and pack.”
“I’ll see you at the airport.”
“See you, Roger.”
I said goodbye to Harold, the owner of the ranch, who looked quite melancholic as he watched us all pack up. It must’ve been weird for him to have so many people on his farm, and I thought he’d be happy to see us go. It was going to be quiet on the farm without us. He was a good man, and he gave me a great big hug as I left.
“You’re a great actress, Blaire. It was fun watching you work.”
“Thanks for letting us use your ranch. I’m glad we got a taste of Wyoming life for a while. It was relaxing.”
“Good. It’s a wonderful place. Have a safe trip, and come visit anytime you want.”
“Thanks, Harold. I’ll do that.”
The driver took me back to my hotel room, and I started packing. I didn’t have all that much to pack. I’d brought a lot of clothes with that I’d never worn at all. They were my casual clothes in Los Angeles, but out here in the middle of a farming community, they were still too outlandish. I’d even gone shopping once with some of the crew members just to have some clothes to wear when I wasn’t working. As I packed them into my suitcase, I wondered if I would ever wear them again. Once I was all packed, I decided to make my way downstairs and enjoy a cup of coffee before the driver came. But before I headed out, my phone rang, and I rushed to answer it. I frowned when I recognized the number. The same number had called me a few times already, but the person on the other side never said anything. I was sure they had the wrong number.
“Hello. Blaire speaking,” I said.
Nothing.
“Hello? Who is this? Why do you keep calling?”
Nothing. Although I swore I could hear breathing on the other end. Someone was there. They just weren’t saying anything.
“Who is this? Are you sure you don’t have the wrong number? What’s the point of calling if you don’t say anything? Hello?”
I sighed and cut the call. If someone was playing a game with me, it wasn’t very funny. If they continued to call, I’d have to get a new number when I got back to Los Angeles.
Chapter Three
Ryan
“You need to work on your striking,” Nick said. “But your grappling is pure perfection. I’ve got to say, Ryan, I’m impressed. When I first met you, I thought you were good, but you’ve gone above and beyond all my expectations to date. You were meant for this.”
I grinned. “Thanks, man. I never thought I’d be fighting at this level so quickly.”
“You’re one of the hardest working guys around. That’s probably why. Everyone else says they want to do well, but they don’t actually put in the effort to get it. You’ve got the right mindset for this kind of thing.”
“I think I’m ready to set up another fight. I was talking to Mark yesterday, and there’s one coming up in two weeks. I think I’m going to go for it. What do you think? It’s with Everett Tyrone. I’ve never fought him, but I’ve always wanted the chance. Man, I’d love to beat him. Can you just imagine what that would do for my reputation?”
I had a list of guys that I wanted to fight, and I was slowly making my way through them. It was a list I had compiled when I’d first started fighting, and I never truly thought I’d get the chance to compete at their level. But in the last year, I had scratched more names on that list than I thought possible. Everett Tyrone was still there, and I was eager to cross off his name. The list was on my fridge and served as a constant reminder of where I wanted to be in my fighting career. Soon, I’d have to make a new list, and I couldn’t wait for that day.
“In two weeks? Are you crazy?” Nick said.
The two of us were sitting on the bench recovering from our training. I looked at him in confusion. I thought he’d be excited to hear about the opportunity. Nick had seen my list. He knew how important it was for me to make my way through the names.
“Why not? I won the last fight. I’m ready. I’ve been training every day. Come on; I have to at least try. Why? Don’t you think I can beat him?”
“I do actually think you can beat him, but not if you fight again in two weeks. Ryan, you have to be smart about this. That last fight was intense. You have to give yourself time to recover between fights. You can’t just jump from one to the next without giving your body time to recover.”
“I’m still training, though. Why is fighting any different?”
He laughed. “Oh come on, you know as much as I do that fighting and training are two different things. Competing is way tougher on the body. Even still, you probably shouldn’t train as much as you do. You should take a few days off; your body will thank you for it.”
I groaned. “I really want to fight that guy, though. What if I don’t get the opportunity again?”
“Of course you will. Look, it’s up to you Ryan. But I don’t think it’s a very smart move to make. Far from it, in fact.”
“So, when you do think I should aim to do another fight then?” I asked even though I wasn’t sure I really wanted to hear the answer.
“Shoot for at least two month
s.”
“Two months? That’s forever!”
“It’s not really, Ryan. It will go quickly. Do your training, get some rest, and then compete again. You’ll do so much better. The last thing that you want to do is to compete when your body is exhausted. You want to win, don’t you?”
I sighed. “Yes, of course I want to win.”
“Then listen to your good friend and wait a bit longer.”
“I hate you sometimes, you know?” I said.
He chuckled. “I know. But when you win that fight against Everett Tyrone, you’ll thank me and tell me you love me.”
“Fine. But until then, I’m going with hating you.”
I hated that he was right. But I knew from what had happened to countless guys before me, that overworking yourself to exhaustion was one of the worst things you could do for your body. We talked a bit more and watched some of the other guys training. It was always fun watching someone else train. Sometimes I itched to jump in and train with them, but after a two-hour stint, I knew that I shouldn’t. After a while, I got up and headed to the shower.
I was halfway through my shower when my head started to hurt again. I had noticed that my head was always the worst after a training session. I got out the shower, changed and looked around for my Advil. But I’d left the bottle at home. That was unlike me; I usually carried one around with me everywhere I went.
“Any chance you have some Advil on you?”
“Hang on, let me check,” Nick said. He rummaged through his bag and found a bottle. He popped it open, emptied it, and threw the pill at me. “You’re in luck. It’s my last one.”
I wanted to tell him that one wouldn’t cut it, but I decided not to. One would at least dull the pain until I got home to chase it with another one. I washed it down with some water and thanked him.
“Getting headaches again?” he asked, an edge of concern in his voice. “You get them pretty frequently, don’t you?”
“Ah, it’s no big deal. This will help a lot,” I said. I knew that Nick would get worried if I told him just how many headaches I really got and just how many pills I took a day. He would convince me not to fight for a while, and probably even tell me to hold off on the training. It was definitely better if he wasn’t aware of it at all. And anyway, it wasn’t really a big deal. I’d always been a headache sufferer. Some days were just worse than others. It wasn’t anything that I couldn’t handle.
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