Page 21 of Undefeated

“You alright?” I asked, laughing lightly and shaking my head.

She nodded excitedly.

“What happened?” I asked.

She pointed at me.

“What?” I asked.

She clenched her fists and acted as if she was throwing punches slowly at the center of the table.

“Boxing? Me?” I asked.

She nodded.

I remembered what she said about getting nervous, and the fact that it made it embarrassing for her to speak. I felt bad about making her nervous. Some people simply aren’t cut out for the violence associated with the sport.

“I’m sorry if I made you nervous, I didn’t mean to. It’s all I know. It’s my profession, not a hobby,” I said apologetically.

She shook her head and once again began to throw fake punches slowly at the center of the table.

Somewhat confused, I looked at her and thought about what she had written down earlier.

When I get nervous or really excited the words don’t come out in order. It’s embarrassing. I’m sorry.

“Excited?” I asked.

She nodded her head repeatedly and shook her fists.

Here’s my opportunity to seal the deal.

“Well, I can’t wait to beat Buster’s ass, make you mine, and take you to a fight. You’ll love it, I’m undefeated. Never been beat,” I bragged as I pulled my hoodie over my shoulders.

I stood in the booth and tossed my hoodie in seat beside me. Standing there in my ribbed tank top, I flexed my pectoral muscles and slowly sat down.

“It’s hot in here. Do you think it’s hot in here?” I asked.

Her mouth open wide, she nodded her head sharply as she stood. She inched her way out of the booth, and turned to face me. In somewhat of a daze, she stared at my chest and biceps for a split second, and took off in a dead run for the bathroom.

I turned and looked out the window at the office where Kace worked.

I suspect she was considering what was in her best interest. Most women in her position merely needed a little shoulder to lean on through the course of change. After the fact, they almost immediately realized that it was something they needed to do long ago. Making the initial move was difficult to do without assistance and encouragement. I intended to provide both.

Now I had to figure a way to get rid of Buster and convince Kace that it was what was best for her.

I felt as if someone was behind me, and I turned to face the aisle. As I did, Kace picked up my hoodie and tossed it over the table to her seat. She slid along the seat of the booth until she was against my arm. She turned and looked up at me and smiled, resting her head on my bicep.

As she leaned against me, I realized she was about a foot shorter than I was.

I love short women.

And the thought of beating Buster’s ass.

KACE. Talking to Shane made me feel like a woman again. He was nice to me. He was nice to me because he was a nice person - and he thought I was pretty. He told me I was beautiful. We had been communicating through my gmail account on my phone, because Buster couldn’t trace it.

I really liked calling Josh Buster in my head. I was afraid I would accidentally do it sometime to his face. Shane had told me to find a way to leave Josh even if it didn’t include thoughts of Shane and I being together. He said I needed to find a way to leave him for myself, and not for the reward of being with someone else or the thought of being with him.

He said I needed to do it for me. It seemed easy, and as much as I had grown to hate Josh, it was almost incomprehensible for me to think of leaving him. When I thought of it my head spun in circles. I could think of one reason to leave him and about a hundred reasons to stay.