Chapter Fifteen
978 Words
Exhaustion had kicked in some time ago. With my body forced endure an intense pre-workout, I was not sure how Jess assumed I had the energy or drive to step into the combat ring.
"How about you get in there?" I asked, fanning myself with a small company flyer I had found lying around.
She stood beside me, her eyes peering into the ring where a facility trainer and another guest engaged in a simple hand to hand exercise.
"Fine." Her hands resting on her waist, she approached the ring once they were finished with their session. "Hello?"
The male spun around to find Jess staring up from beneath him.
"Yeah?" He tightened his boxing glove.
"Um my friend and I didn't know that we had to sign up earlier to step into the ring." I rolled my eyes, sucking my teeth when I heard how gentle her voice had become. "Is there any way we can, you know, get a few lessons in?"
The guy seemed to look sorry for a pouting, helpless Jess. I could tell he had never met the real woman behind those pleading eyes and damsel behavior.
"Sure."
The male began to clear out the ring as Jess made her way back to me.
"Come on."
"No." I sipped the cooling water from my bottle. "I'm tired."
"Fine.” She plopped her leg up on the chair before she tightened the laces of her sneakers. "I will get a few punches in."
Jess rolled her eyes as she walked away. She crawled into the ring before she stood to her feet. Bouncing up and down, one foot to the next, she prepared herself for a little training.
"So you know what you are doing?" The boy, who we found out, was named Rico by one of the passing trainers, could not take his eyes off of Jess's fancy foot work.
"We will see." Jess slipped her hands into the gloves. Her gloves tight, she bald her fist before she punched them together.
"We will." Rico stuffed his hands into punching pads before she signaled to Jess that he was ready to begin.
Left punch. Right punch. Right uppercut. Jess revealed to him her moves. Beginning with simple punches, right punch and left punch, she then began to switch to more intense moves.
Left. Right. Left. Left. She introduced combinations. Swift movements that not only left Rico looking surprised but impressed as well.
"s**t girl." Rico complimented her swift and well taught moves.
Soon, Rico introduced his own movements. Following Jess's blows, Rico followed up with a few moves. Moves that Jess should expect from an opponent.
She ducked and dodged, avoiding all the throws, making sure she followed up with her swift hand combinations.
"Good?" Jess asked as she waited for some sort of confirmation from Rico.
"Great!" Rico pulled the punching mitts before he shook Jess's hand. "Do you do anything with those moves?"
"What do you mean?" She asked. She slipped the remaining glove from her hand.
"I mean an activity or sport?"
“No , ” Jess confirmed. "Just self-defense."
"Really? You can do some crazy damage with those moves." Rico confirmed. "We have these fighting competitions. Females and males welcome. It's where people can put their moves to work."
"Hmmm." Jess seemed interested. Too interested almost.
"Yeah and at the end of the competition, when we are left with two winners-"
"Rico?" Heads spun. Entering the combat room was nothing other than the owner. Carl. "I'm sorry to interrupt but there is some business that needs to be handled in the main office."
Rico did not argue. With his task given, he put away his things before he stepped away.
Jess exited the ring. With a shining smile on her exhausted face, she approached me.
"How the hell was that?" I handed her my bottle.
"I have to say, anyone who come across your hands would be crazy." I added, laughing alongside Jess before we were interrupted once again.
"I didn't think that was in you." Carl approached us. His tall physique stood over us. "You're good."
"Just good?" Jess teased him again, determined to put him back in the sweat box all over again.
"Good." He assured her. "Are you just hand to hand or do you use all aspects of your body?"
"Well I'm more of the hand fighter." Jess glanced at me. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me up front. "Now this wild stallion can punch, kick, head butt her way out of a room."
"Really?" He seemed surprised. It was almost as if doubt crossed his mind as well.
"Do you doubt that?" I had to add to the pressure.
"No, no not at all." He chuckled. "I just never took you for the fighter."
"Then what did you take me for?"
"The damsel in distress?" Jess followed up. He looked at her before a smile began to appear.
"Her words not mine." He shrugged. Even if those exact words did not spew from his mouth, I know that was how he felt.
How did he describe me? How did he look at me? Weak? Useless?
I know. I know I shouldn't care how he saw me. I know I shouldn't care how anyone saw me, however there was this little part in me. There was this small, little, microscopic speck inside of me that, even though it was small, carried a loud voice. A voice loud enough to scream to me to kick his ass.
"Shall we?" I gestured toward the empty arena.
"You want to fight? Me?" He asked, confusion taking over his facial features.
"Why not?" I asked, my focus on him, even with the hyped up woman to the rear of me.
"I mean…" His hand rushed through his hair, brushing it away from his perspiring face. "I just didn't think you were really into fighting."
"Well…" I gestured toward the unoccupied boxing ring. "Shall we?"
By the look on Carl's face, I could tell he was not sure how to handle the situation. Should he walk away? Should he take me up on the offer?
"I'll get the gloves." Carl smirked before he stepped away....
- Writer
