by Laura Day
Chapter Six
Jax
Jax veered left, then right, and then left again. He ducked at the last second, avoiding his opponent’s punch but grabbing ahold of his hand so that he could flip him over onto his back. With one loud thud, Will was exactly where Jax wanted him, sprawled on the floor, looking up at him with that look of defeated annoyance stretched across his face.
Jax winked at him. “You almost had me,” he said lightly.
Will rolled his pale brown eyes, as he accepted the hand that Jax held out to him. “You and I both know that you had me before we even started this fight.”
Jax suppressed his laugh. “Hey buddy, you’ll get there some day.”
Will threw him a dirty look. “Don’t patronize me.”
“Or what?” Jax asked innocently. “You’ll challenge me to a…fight?”
“Asshole,” Will said as he stalked off.
Jax stood there chuckling, as he wiped himself off with a face towel.
“Making friends as usual Jax?” Evan’s voice was amused as he came up behind Jax.
“I’ve always had a talent for it.”
“Take it easy on the kids will you,” Evan chided gently. “If you discourage them this early, they’ll never come back.”
Jax rolled his eyes. “They will all come back. The MMA is not something you just walk away from…especially once you’ve experienced that adrenaline rush.”
Evan looked him over carefully, as though he were performing some kind of appraisal.
“What?” Jax asked.
“I’m just… concerned about you,” Evan said.
“Concerned?” Jax said indignantly. “Why?”
“You’ve been training hard lately.”
“I always train hard,” Jax pointed out, moving towards the weights.
“More so than usual.”
“If I’m going to get myself out of the illegal MMA and into the legitimate one…then I’m going to have to push myself,” Jax said.
“There’s such a thing as pushing yourself too hard.”
“Those aren’t fighting words, coach,” Jax said, getting annoyed with Evan’s constant concern.
Evan sighed. “One day Jax…you’re going to have to learn that not everything is a fight.”
“Then I’m in the wrong profession, Evan,” Jax pointed out. “And so are you for that matter.”
“How’s Maple?” Evan asked abruptly, changing the subject.
Jax scanned the room for some sign of her, but he hadn’t seen her since yesterday. “Where is she today?”
“In the back,” Evan replied. “Taking the trash out.”
“For fuck’s sake, Evan,” Jax hissed.
“What?” Evan said, looking taken aback.
“You’re having her take out the fucking trash?” Jax demanded.
“Would you care to do it twice a day?” Evan asked calmly with one raised eyebrow. “It’s her job, Jax.”
“She’s too good for a job like that,” Jax said immediately.
“She didn’t seem to think so,” Evan replied. “It’s one of the reasons I hired her. It’s one of the reasons I like her. She’s willing to do work, any kind of work, as long as it’s legitimate.”
“I hope you’re at least paying her well,” Jax said gruffly.
Evan looked at him pointedly.
“What?” Jax asked aggressively.
“Don’t fuck her,” Evan said, enunciating each word.
Jax rolled his eyes. “What makes you think I want to?”
“Because I’ve seen you around women. You’re charming and polite and cocky, but you’re rarely ever concerned, interested, or protective of them. There’s something about this girl that has captured your attention. But she’s a good worker, and I don’t want to lose her. And if you stick your dick inside her, then I definitely will.”
“I’m not going to sleep with her,” Jax insisted.
Evan looked at him with narrowed eyes. “How can I be sure of that?”
Jax smiled. “You know my rules where women are concerned. I never sleep with the same woman twice.”
Evan’s eyes went wide, and then he looked at Jax with the words, “I should have known,” written all over his face. “Of course you did. I should have known you wouldn’t have taken her out for a meal for no good reason.”
“Again you overestimate me,” Jax said, feigning disappointment. “I never wine and dine my girls. I fuck them. End of story.”
“You’re telling me you didn’t sleep with her when you took her out yesterday?”
“That’s what I said,” Jax replied.
“Then—?”
“The night of the last fight,” Jax answered, interrupting Evan’s question. “I needed to celebrate after my victory.”
“You can be such a prick sometimes,” Evan said.
“She was more than willing,” Jax informed.
“Fine,” Evan snapped. “Don’t fuck her again.”
Jax smiled. “Have you forgotten my—”
“Oh shut the fuck up,” Evan said, as he walked away.
Jax threw himself into his weights, but every few seconds he was shooting glances around the gym, trying to catch a glimpse of Maple. His conversation with Evan had been a farce on his part. He was nowhere near as unconcerned as he appeared to be. He had spent the whole previous day thinking about Maple and her unfortunate life. He kept wondering how such a little person could carry so much pain.
He had shown himself to be nonchalant where Maple was concerned, but that could not have been further away from the truth. There was something about her that had affected him; something about her had wriggled its way under his skin. He desired her; he thought about her body, just like with every other woman he had ever been with, but with her, he thought about everything else, too.
He wanted to know her opinions, her feelings, and her thoughts. He wanted to know about her past, and he wanted to know what she wanted for her future. He had never had that curiosity with any of the other women he had been with. They were simply beautiful bodies with interchangeable faces, just like he was to them. None of them had ever been interested in his profession or his tattoos or his past.
Jax saw her from the corner of his eye and put down the weights he was carrying immediately. He walked towards her, without stopping to consider what he wanted from her or what she might want from him. All he really knew was that he wanted to talk to her again.
“Hi,” he said as he approached.
She was wearing a large t-shirt over old blue denims with holes in the knees. Rather than looking like a fashion statement, it just looked worn and old. She had tied her hair back into a high ponytail at the back of her head. The effect made her look even younger. She turned her big, beautiful eyes on Jax as he approached.
“Hi,” she replied with a small smile. Somehow her scar became less prominent when she smiled, as though the strength of it took the focus off the scar.
Jax hesitated. “How…are you?” he asked awkwardly, surprised at how clumsy he was being. He was usually smoother than this.
Her smile grew wider. “I’m good. Just busy.”
“Right, of course,” Jax said, taking it as a dismissal. “I’ll leave you to your work. But…”
“But?” Maple asked, as he trailed off, shocking himself at how inept he was being.
Jax steadied himself. “Why don’t you go with me for a drink after I’m done with training and you’re done with work?”
She seemed surprised by the offer, but pleasantly so. “Sure,” she said. “I…don’t really have anything nice to wear though,” she told him honestly.
“Anything you wear will be perfect,” Jax told her. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Alright,” Maple said with a nod. “I’ll meet you outside at nine.”
Jax moved back towards the weight corner of the gym, but his concentration was split. His eyes kept falling back onto Maple. She was changing the mats on the floor and replacing them wit
h clean ones. She kept her eyes down when she worked, which meant Jax could stare to his heart’s content without worrying about being caught.
When he was done with the weights, Jax began to do pull-ups, making sure he was still facing Maple. She had moved on to mopping, but every so often she would come across a stain that required extra attention, so she would get down on her hands and knees with a small scrub brush and work on it diligently. Jax watched her with growing respect. She was hard working and determined; there was no pretense about her.
Jax was exhausted by the time his training session had come to an end, but it was the good kind of exhaustion, the kind that made him feel strong and productive and useful. He was also looking forward to talking to Maple, and that gave him renewed strength. He showered quickly and put on the dark denims and sleeveless t-shirt that he had stored in his locker. He applied some aftershave and then walked outside to meet Maple.
He stood there for fifteen minutes watching people pass by. The club was open, but people were only just starting to come in. He stood towards the corner, leaning against the wall, hoping that she hadn’t changed her mind and decided not to come at all. Just when Jax was starting to lose hope, Maple turned up. She was slightly breathless and extremely apologetic.
“I’m so sorry,” she said immediately. “I just…I genuinely didn’t have anything to wear, and I had to borrow something decent from a friend.”
Jax smiled in relief, as he looked over her appreciatively. She was wearing a simple black dress with thin spaghetti straps that had been tied into bows at the apex of her shoulders. Her hair fell in loose waves, framing her face and brightening her eyes. She wore black wedges on her feet, and a thin, silver anklet circled her right ankle. As Jax studied her, he realized that she wasn’t wearing much makeup at all, a little lipstick and a small amount of blush, but that was all.
“You look beautiful,” Jax said sincerely.
Maple looked down, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. Jax felt a spasm of endearment course through him.
“Thank you,” Maple replied. “And again, I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jax said, waving away her apology. “Let’s head out.”
She fell into step beside him, as they made their way through the bustling night streets. “Where are we going?” Maple asked after they had been walking for a few minutes.
“There’s this bar not far from here that I frequent,” Jax told her. “It’s actually where I met Evan.”
“Is that right?” Maple asked interestedly.
Jax nodded. “It’s become sort of the unofficial hang out for illegal MMA fighters.”
“Did you know that when you first walked in?” Maple asked.
“I’d heard things,” Jax replied. “But obviously people like to keep low profiles where their illegal MMA status is concerned. Mostly, I just wanted a beer. So I walked in one day and just hung around the bar drinking.”
“And then you met Evan?”
“And then I met Evan,” Jax said and nodded.
“Did you already know you wanted to fight?” Maple asked. “Or did meeting Evan convince you?”
“Oh, I always wanted to fight,” Jax said. “But with my record, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it in legitimate circles easily. So I convinced Evan to train me, to give me the tools I needed so that I could work towards that goal.”
“Was he easily convinced?”
Jax chuckled. “He looked me over from head to toe and told me that full body tattoos didn’t make me tough and they wouldn’t achieve shit in a fight.”
Maple smiled. “He’s a fan of tough love?”
“Apparently,” Jax laughed. “He turned me down the first time I asked him to train me.”
“How come?” Maple asked, as they turned the corner.
“He wanted to test me,” Jax explained. “He wanted to see if I was really committed, or if I was just some kid who wanted a little glory without wanting to work hard for it.”
“Well, you proved him wrong,” Maple said.
Jax felt a spark of pride and elation at the admiration he recognized in Maple’s voice. Somehow it was more significant because it was coming from her. She had this way of looking up at him that made him feel larger than life and capable of anything.
As they approached, Jax saw the familiar signage atop the bar. It was emblazoned in shiny red letters and read, “The Red Pecker” over the bar’s entrance.
“The Red Pecker?” Maple said suppressing a smile.
Jax smiled at her expression. “At least you’ll always remember it.”
“That is true,” Maple agreed.
Jax led Maple inside where warmth engulfed them. The bar was already crawling with people. Steve was busy behind the counter bartending. The only reason Jax was even able to spot him was because of the shocking green color he had dyed his hair. There was a particularly large group of young men in one corner close to the bar that Jax hoped to avoid. Instinctively, he reached out and took Maple’s hand, as he tried to find a little corner for the two of them to sit down and talk.
He spied a spot adjacent to the bar and pulled Maple in that direction. He was very aware of the group of guys laughing loudly and talking boisterously, all clutching drinks in their hands. As Jax and Maple passed, one guy caught sight of Maple’s face and did a double take. Jax could tell that he was already a little tipsy.
There was a tiny circular table with two bar stools that Jax and Maple occupied, trying to avoid the thrum of the crowd. Jax was on alert, aware that they had caught the attention of the guys by the bar. He tried to focus his attention on Maple, but he couldn’t tune out their loud conversation.
“Fuck man,” one of the taller, burly guys said loudly to his friend. “Look at the monster on her face. It’s fucking hideous.”
Jax saw Maple cringe as though she had been struck. She kept her expression clear, but he could see the hurt in her eyes and the sudden self-consciousness that seeped into her body. She almost hunched over as though she wanted to make herself disappear.
“Fuck,” his blond-haired friend laughed. “That thing is gigantic. She looks like this whore I used to know.”
“Maybe she is that whore you used to know,” said a guy with a crew cut and a nose ring.
“Nah, she looks more like a druggie to me.”
“Her dealer probably knifed her.”
Jax burst off his bar stool and raged towards the men. He heard Maple’s voice soft with urgency try to stop him, but he was past hearing or listening to what she said. He stood in front of them with his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed in fury.
“You guys want to repeat those last few comments,” he said in a voice that was dangerously low but still loud enough to be heard above the music.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steve jerk his head up sensing trouble. He came a little closer, trying to keep track of the situation. Jax turned his attention on the guys in front of him, staring them down threateningly.
The tall, burly one who had first noticed Maple smiled in amusement. “We were just talking, pal,” he said with a smirk. “That scar is off the charts, can you blame us?”
“I can do better than blame you,” Jax said with a dangerous smile of his own. “I can put your head through a wall.”
He was one against five, but Jax was skilled and confident. Apparently, everyone could sense that, too, because the smile slid off the burly guy’s face, and he took an infinitesimal step back. Steve moved closer behind the corner.
“I wouldn’t test him, guys,” Steve said pleasantly. “He’s the current reigning MMA fighter, and trust me, that title is well deserved.”
“I thought I recognized you from somewhere,” the burly guy said, his tone changing.
“That’s good,” Jax nodded. “So then you’re aware that I can take all five of you motherfuckers with one hand tied behind my back and my eyes closed.”
Jax raised his eyebrows at them pointedly.
“I didn’t mean anything by those comments ok?” the burly guy said quickly. “We were just…messing around.”
Jax gave them all one final threatening stare. “Don’t make me have to come back here,” he hissed before walking back to Maple.
Chapter Seven
