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“Chase?” I ask. I remember that name. “And what do you mean by easy?”
Sarah nods. “Yeah, Reaper. I’m just trying to guess which guy is going to get to you.”
Jill giggles, “Yeah, he got me.”
“Got you?”
Color creeps up Lauren’s cheeks. “Reaper had a thing for blondes.”
Oh. I don’t know how to feel about that especially because I’m blonde. Jill and Lauren share a look, and they’re both blonde, so Chase must have got them both too. I think I vaguely remember a Chase back when I went to the gym with Brett. I wonder if they’re the same guy.
“Now it’s really anyone’s game,” Nicole says. “Though Brett has been getting around.”
Fuck, and just like that my stomach drops. I so don’t want to hear any of the girls say he “got them”.
“But Niklaus has stepped up his game,” Sarah says thoughtfully as she looks at me.
“I think Max also has a thing for blondes,” Jill pipes up.
“I’m betting Greg,” Lauren says.
Greg… That’s the name of the guy who left me his number at Thursday’s, telling me to call him when I stopped clapping. For the life of me I can’t remember which one of the meatheads he was though. And then it dawns on me. These girls are literally betting on me sleeping with one of those guys I served.
“I’m betting Brett,” Nicole says, narrowing her eyes as she looks at me. Can she tell just by looking at me?
Sarah adds, “Put me down for Niklaus.”
“Max,” Jill sighs dreamily. “Because I would so do him.”
Lauren snickers. “You’re kind of betting against yourself there, girl. But I get it. He looks like he could be even bigger than Reaper.”
“Five minutes, ladies,” a deep voice calls out.
“Shit,” Sarah curses.
Lauren frowns. “We’ll trade digits later. We wasted so much time talking about the guys we forgot to get you up to speed.”
“Yeah,” Sarah apologizes and rolls her chair closer to mine. “Sorry. Tonight is Night of Fights, so we have eight matches. But you’re new, so you’ll only have to walk once. And because you’re new, you’ll walk the second match. Jill will go first, so you can see what to do….”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brett
Ah, the Night of Fights. This is where the new guys and those who haven’t quite earned their stripes yet in the fights begin the climb up the long ladder to championship matches, like mine coming up in a month. This happens every other month, with the larger fight cards on the opposite month. Not every single card has a championship bout, but it’s often enough to keep the crowds happy.
I’ve come close to the belt only once before now, and I took my first loss as professional fighter. It was to the guy who currently holds the belt, Charlie the Blade Lawson. He beat me out and knocked me down a couple rungs on the ladder. He then competed against the then Champion and won the fight after going to the judges. It was a tough loss for the champ, especially since he pulled up his stakes and went across the ocean to compete in the Asian market.
Charlie’s a cocky asshole too, I can’t stand the fucker. He has let his mouth run a bit too much for my taste. I don’t mind trash talking with my opponent, but he just doesn’t stop. I want to put a stop to his mouth, and I want to kick his fucking head off his shoulders.
Tonight should prove a good distraction for me. I haven’t been completely myself since seeing Mandy. I’ve been wanting to go back to the restaurant, but haven’t found the right time to do it. I was kind of an asshole with her, and fuck I really didn’t want to be a prick to her but it’s been a long time and a lot of pain since then.
I really want to see her again though, and that just fucks with me.
Spending a lot of time at the gym and dojo this last week as I build up towards the fight has really kept me from going insane. Like I told Bear, losing my Mandy and then my parents really did set me on my course for tonight. It’s time to do what I have fought long and hard for all these years to obtain. I am ready for it.
* * *
Pre-ritual for when Max and I go to the fights usually has us blasting music at one of our houses and getting our swagger set up. Chase use to go with us to these before he met Avery and got all serious. We, of course, sent him a text inviting him and his girl but he declined, saying he was a bit busy.
