Playing the Game

by Liliana Rhodes

  Smiling, I watched Jake leave the office then picked up the plastic wrapper that held the brace. Each time a fighter came to me and I was able to help him, it was like a pat on the back. I loved this job more than I ever thought I would.

  I put the wrapper into the trash as Mack entered my office and closed the door. His watery eyes danced as a small smile spread across his face.

  “I just passed Jake,” he said. “Whatever you did worked. He’s going to win that fight.”

  Mack pulled the chair back at an angle in front of my desk and sat down. Leaning back, he put his feet up on the chair in front of him.

  Shrugging, I sat in my seat and leaned forward to rest my elbows on the desk.

  “I really didn't do anything,” I said. “Just gave him a compression wrap and told him how to take care of his knee until he gets it checked out.”

  “Bah, I know you. You said something to him. I’m sure you gave him a brace, but you and I both know that’s not what helped him.”

  “What can I say? I took a page out of your book and told him to man up.”

  Mack threw his head back and laughed. “I wish I had been here for that. That’s what I like about you, Cassie, you’re not afraid to push these guys around when you need to. I’m glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure I needed a physical therapist on my team, but I can’t imagine doing this without you now.”

  “Aww, Mack. Are you getting soft on me?” I teased.

  “You ever tell anyone and I’ll deny it to my deathbed,” he grunted.

  “Hey, you know I've been wanting to ask you something. I saw there’s a fight in a couple of months in Vegas, should I plan to go to that?”

  “You don't have to. As you know, normally we have our fights here in the coliseum. Every so often Gabriel schedules one elsewhere, but he never goes. I’d love to have you there of course, and I know the fighters would too. It hasn’t been long, but you’ve become one of the family. But I suspect Gabriel will want you around here.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Ha! I may be old, Cassie, but I’m not blind,” Mack said with a laugh. “I’ve seen how he looks at you and how you meet before he leaves.”

  “Oh, well, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered as I looked down at my desk and fumbled with a pencil.

  Mack swiped the pencil out of my hand and leaned back in his chair. He bounced the eraser tip on the desk as he shook his head at me.

  “I’m also not stupid,” he said, grinning.

  “Okay, I know you said to stay away from the suit but...” I said as I shrugged.

  Mack chuckled and set the pencil down. He slid his fingers into his silver hair and rubbed the side of his head.

  “I don’t say this often, but sometimes I’m wrong,” he said. “I know deep down he’s a good man, even if he is a suit. I meant it when I said to stay away from him, but now I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Mack pursed his lips and breathed out slowly. He tilted his head as he looked at me and stroked the white stubble on his chin. I was ready to jump across the desk and throttle him for torturing me.

  Dammit, tell me already! I thought.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s different, maybe he’s not,” he said with a shrug. “By now he’d be on to someone else.”

  “There’s been a lot of girls before?”

  I really didn’t want to know the answer, but I had to ask. I braced myself as Mack squinted his eyes and rubbed his chin.

  “Not so much recently, but a tiger can’t change his stripes. Remember that,” he grumbled. “I’m telling you now I don’t want you blubbering to me about him. I warned ya about him. Just because I haven’t seen it in a while doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Just be careful, I guess is all I’m sayin’.”

  “I know, I know. And you said you thought there was someone.”

  “That’s right,” he said, standing. “He might be smitten with you right now, but I can tell when a man has it bad for someone and I’m sure Gabriel does. I have no place in telling you what to do, but be careful with that one. He could be playing games with you.”

  In the short time that I had been there, Mack had become something of a father figure to me. I smiled as I watched him walk out the office, knowing he had my best interest at heart. It didn’t matter how much he warned me about Gabriel though, I couldn’t get him out of my mind.

  * * *

  It was just my luck the clouds opened up and it started to rain as I reached the bus stop. I tried to squeeze in under the crowded canopy, but there wasn’t enough room. Leaning towards the street, I looked around, hoping the bus would be early.

  The wind was beginning to kick up and the rain poured sideways. As I brushed my hair out of my face, a black limo pulled up in front of the bus stop. The waiting crowd ignored the limo, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I kept thinking about Gabriel and hoping it was him.

  The window lowered and Gabriel leaned forward into view, his hair falling forward onto his forehead. He was wearing a dark suit now instead of the casual clothing I normally saw him in. His blue eyes moved up and down my body as a smile spread across his lips.

  “Get in,” he said, opening the door with a smile.

  I stepped forward, ready to do anything he said, but then stopped myself. What was I thinking? I had to stop thinking of Gabriel as this sexy man I wanted to see naked and remember he was my boss.

  “No, thank you” I said, stepping back towards the bus stop. “I don’t mind waiting.”

  “It wasn’t a question, Cassie. I said get in.”

  He pushed the door further open and without a second thought, I slipped into the back of the limo. I pushed back my wet hair from my face and tried to look like I had been in a limo a million times before.

  I wiped the rain from my eyes, very aware of him staring at me. Of all the times for him to see me, it had to be now that I looked like a drowned rat. Gabriel leaned down, reached into a gym bag that was near his feet, and pulled out a white gym towel and handed it to me.

  “Here, take this. Don’t worry, it’s clean,” he said.

  I took the towel and patted my face, trying to make myself look like not as much of a mess. I felt Gabriel’s eyes on me and fidgeted in my seat.

  Why was he staring? Was my hair sticking straight up? I reached up and tried smoothing my hair down. Maybe there was something on my face. I turned towards the window and tried to catch my reflection when Gabriel’s hand pulled mine from my face. I turned towards him and my eyes immediately locked on his.

  "Relax," he said. "The rain made you even more beautiful."

  "Thank you," I whispered, unsure what else to say.

  A flush crept up my neck and I looked down then back out the window, hoping he didn’t see the effect he had on me. With his looks, I couldn’t help but think he had this effect on most women and he knew exactly what he was doing.

  “Where’s your car?” he asked.

  “I don’t have one,” I said.

  I wanted to tell him why, but I bit my tongue to stop myself. As I looked at his angled jaw and intense eyes, I wanted to tell him everything. It wasn’t like me at all.

  “As my employee, you’re going to need a car in order to get around. I can arrange something for you."

  “No. If I need a car, I’ll get one myself," I said. "I just need a little time."

  He nodded as his eyes narrowed. I could see his brain working and wondered what he was thinking.

  "Where are you headed?”

  "Home," I said, then realized what he meant. "But you don’t need to take me. I can wait for the bus.”

  “No. I won’t have you waiting for the bus, especially not in this rain,” he said. He rolled down the divider between us and the driver. "Tell Stan where to take you.”

  I looked towards the front of the limo and noticed the driver looking back at me in his rearview mirror. He had kind brown eyes and curly grey hair. I racked my b
rain, trying to think about where I could tell him to take me. I didn’t want them to see where I lived.

  If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared. I was proud of having my own place, even if it was just a room. I loved the old, run-down neighborhood, but someone as rich as Gabriel would never understand. I looked at the driver, then back at Gabriel, then down at the floor. Shit! I was drawing blanks. I didn’t have a choice.

  “356 Highland Boulevard,” I said.

  “South End?” Stan asked.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  The divider rose between the driver and Gabriel and I, leaving us alone again. Gabriel took the towel from my hands and slowly started to towel dry my hair.

  “You’ll catch your death out there,” he said. “I’m glad I drove past. I would have been here sooner but I had to take care of some things first.”

  I didn’t know what to say. He finished drying my hair then folded the towel and placed it neatly back into his gym bag. I forced myself to look out the window to stop staring at him.

  As I looked outside, I watched as the green grass disappeared and the tall buildings were replaced with old battered houses and buildings. Even the street went from smooth pavement to bumpy, pothole-ridden roads. The neighborhood looked worse than it did this morning and I knew it was because I was seeing it through Gabriel’s eyes.

  I would have happily taken the bus just to avoid Gabriel seeing all of this, but none of it seemed to faze him. He leaned towards me and I felt his breath hot against my ear.

  "I spent a lot of time in that old building on the corner with the mural," he said.

  Darting my eyes to the building, I saw a mural of a fighter hitting a speed bag. I never noticed it before. As the limo drove past, I saw the word ‘Gym’ etched into the stone above the door. I wanted to ask him why he had slummed it down here, but even though my eyes were focused outside, I knew Gabriel’s eyes were focused on me.

  He leaned in closer and swept my hair back from my neck. I thought time stood still as I waited for his lips to brush against my skin. When they did, it sent a shiver through my body and it wiped everything from my mind.

  Stan turned at the corner of Highland Boulevard, drove past the bus stop, and slowed down. The divider lowered between us and in the rearview mirror, I saw his brown eyes looking back at me again as he waited for instructions.

  “It’s up a little further on the right,” I said. “But you can leave me here, I can walk.”

  “You’re not walking,” Gabriel said. “I want to make sure you get home okay. This is a rough neighborhood.”

  “No, you don’t need to do that. I walk around here all the time. I’m sure you wouldn’t walk Mack up to his front door.”

  “I also wouldn’t give Mack a ride home. But you’re not Mack,” he said. "You’re much prettier."

  The limo pulled up in front of the painted brick building Becca and I lived in. Strips of dark red paint hung from the brick, revealing its age and neglect. I opened the car door as the driver stepped out, and as I got out of the car, Gabriel stepped out behind me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, spinning around to face him.

  “I’m making sure you get home okay, remember?”

  “No, just stop," I said. "This is way too much.”

  It was bad enough he was there in front of my building. I didn’t want him to see the inside of the apartment. It wasn’t even really my apartment, it was Becca’s apartment. I rented a room.

  "You don’t have a choice," he said. "Open the door."

  His eyes told me he meant every word. We walked to the door and I pulled my keys out of my bag. I hesitated before unlocking it and saw his eyebrow rise. He pushed open the heavy front door and we entered the stark hall with two apartment doors. Gabriel cocked his brow at me.

  “Which way?” he asked.

  I moved to our apartment door and slowly started unlocking the locks. I kept hoping he’d get tired and leave, but I wasn’t that lucky. Once the door was open, he put his hand on the small of my back and entered the apartment with me.

  The place was so tiny that he crossed the living room and kitchen with three long strides. He didn’t seem to notice the shabby, wheat-colored couch or the folding chairs around the card table Becca and I ate at. When his hand touched the stair rail, my heart leapt into my throat.

  "No," I said. "Don’t go up there."

  "Why not? Are you hiding something?" he said with a grin before he started climbing the steps.

  "No, but stop! What are you doing? You shouldn’t even be here," I said as I rushed behind him. "Fuck! Why won’t you listen?"

  I grabbed his arm to stop him as he reached the top of the steps. As we stood on the small landing, he looked at the three doors then moved to open Becca’s door.

  "Gabriel, no!"

  He turned back towards me, and his eyes studied my face as his face softened.

  "Which one is yours?" he asked.

  Tilting my head towards the accordion door, I hoped he wouldn’t slide the door open, but by now I knew better. Gabriel was going to do whatever he wanted. He took a small step so he was standing in front of my bedroom door and put his hand on the thick piece of plastic that controlled the door.

  His face went blank and then his head lowered, but he didn’t open the door. Slowly, he turned towards me.

  "You have to move," he said quietly. "You deserve better than this."

  "Yeah, I’ll get right on that," I said, laughing. "I know, I can move to a fancy neighborhood. Maybe you’ll like that better."

  "This isn’t about me. Look at this place, Cassie. This isn’t a bedroom. You have no privacy. I could knock this piece of shit door down if I tapped it hard enough."

  "Well, what am I supposed to do? This was all I could afford," I said, crossing my arms in front of me as my temper rose. "Do you want to know why I don’t have a car? Because I had to sell it to pay for this place. Life isn’t that easy for us normal people. Not everyone can be a billionaire, you know."

  I couldn’t look at him anymore. If I had to stand there for another minute, knowing he felt sorry for me, I might punch him. I didn’t care if he went into my bedroom. I didn’t care that he probably couldn’t fit between the furniture to enter the room. I just wanted him gone.

  As I went downstairs, I heard the vinyl door slide open. The floor creaked underneath him. I can’t believe him! I fought every urge of mine to storm back upstairs and give him more hell when I heard the furniture in my room sliding along the floor. What is he doing?

  I raced back upstairs and found Gabriel had pushed my dresser so that there was more space. His eyes looked dark and his jaw was set.

  "You can stay here one more night if you need to, but you have to move," he said. "I have an apartment near the gym you can move into. It’s close enough that you can walk to work."

  "What are you saying? I’m not moving in with you."

  He laughed and walked past me out of the room.

  "It’s the weekend. I’ll have Stan arrange for movers in the morning," he said as he started to go down the stairs.

  "I’m not moving," I said, trying to catch up to him as he reached the first floor.

  "I’ll repeat what I said earlier – you don’t have a choice. Let me put it this way. If you want to continue working for me, you’re going to live where I say."

  I didn’t know what to say. As I stood there, dumbfounded, unsure what had just happened. Gabriel stopped by the door and turned around. His face softened and a smile threatened on his lips before he strode out of our apartment and stepped outside the main door where his limo was still waiting. He slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

  Standing in the doorway, I watched his limo pull away. I couldn’t see him behind the dark windows, but I knew he was looking at me. I still wanted to fight him. I wanted to say I was my own person and I would pay my own way, but everything happened so fast I couldn’t get the words out. I’d have to deal with it tomorrow. I didn’
t care what he said, I was not moving into his apartment.

  Chapter Five

  Gabriel

  Seeing where Cassie lived brought back too many memories, and none of them were good. I thought I was past that, that I never had to deal with going to the South End again, but there I was and it all came rushing back.

  Ten Years Ago

  As I walked up the block, the streetlight came on, lighting up the fighter mural on the side of the gym. That image meant the world to me. I had been fighting all my life, it only made sense that I would become a fighter, too.

  Over the past couple of years, the gym’s popularity had grown. It went from just being a home for boxers to offering training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and more. MMA was growing so a few friends of mine pooled their money together, bought the old neighborhood gym, and offered MMA training.

  I wasn’t interested in all that responsibility though. Fighting was it for me. It gave me an outlet to release all my anger. Knocking a guy out, or better yet, feeling him tap out during a submission was what kept me going. Well, that and pussy.

  As I entered the gym, one of the guys pointed to my mouth. I nodded and pulled out a towel from my bag and wiped the lipstick from my mouth. Penny liked to leave her mark on me. I was lucky it was just lipstick. She left another mark somewhere else, but none of the fighters would be seeing that.

  While I made my way to the lockers, my trainer Vince caught up with me. He was a small man with a shaved head and was built like a tank.

  “You’re late, Kohl,” Vince said. “And not only that, but how many times have I told you, no personal calls.”

  “Who was it this time?” I asked as I put my bag into a locker.

  “I don’t know, she could barely speak. She was slurring really bad.”

  “Dakota,” I said, pulling my bag back out of the locker. “Did she say where she is?”

  “Yeah, Highland Boulevard. 972 I think. Wait, you’re not leaving, are you?”

  “She needs me,” I said as I left the gym.