Tough Girl

Chapter 7

A man with a suit walked up to Ryder and me. He gestured with his head something to Ryder which Ryder acknowledged with a nod of his head. "My manager wants to have a word with me." He said to me. "I have to get going anyway." I turned and started making my way over to my gym locker making sure to pay extra attention to my surroundings where I got my things and almost missed a call.

"Hey, Amy. I was just on my way home. What should I get to eat?" I asked. "Uh, that's why I'm calling actually. Juan is taking me out tonight."

"And you said yes?" I asked out of surprise. "Yes." She replied and I can just imagine her rolling her eyes at me. "So, you decided to un-ignore him?"

"You are making that word up." She argued. "And I figured why not give him a chance." She confessed. "Just make sure you enjoy it," I told her. "You okay with this?" She asked. "I'm not your mom. You don't need to ask me for permission to go out with a guy."

"I don't mean it like that. Will you be alright being home alone?" Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "You want to imply that I'm a sorry-ass-loner?" I joked. "No, of course not!" She started freaking out. "Relax, I am just teasing you. I'm fine. Go and enjoy yourself. You deserve this." I hung up before she could argue.

I shut my locker, locked it up, and started to leave the gym when I found Ryder also on his way out. "Everything, alright?" I asked. "Yeah, on your way home?" He asked. "Actually on my way out, got to get some food because my roommate is going out on a date," I replied.

"I know of a place that makes really good burgers and has superb company." He suggested. "If you are not one of the salad eating kind of girl who is watching her figure." He teased. "What about you Mr. Fighter who is on a strict fighter's diet?" He chuckled and pulled up his shirt and gave his shredded eight pack a tap. "I believe I'm good. I'm sure one burger and a beer won't ruin my good shape." I rolled my eyes at him even when I checked him out secretly. Beautiful, hard muscles not only for show but worked hard for.

"Where is this place you are talking about?" I asked trying to divert my attention.

"How do you feel about walking it's not very far?" He pointed towards the beachside.

"Just know if this is a way of killing people, I can and will kick your butt," I warned him playfully. "Come on." He said with the motion of his head. I followed Ryder alongside the shore towards the place he was talking about. "Why did you stop training with your father?" I asked out of curiosity. "Are you some undercover media reporter that is trying to act friendly just so you can get behind my past?" His voice sounds teasingly.

"My answer might surprise you but no, I'm not. I'm actually an owner of a Patisserie." I answered. "A chef who bakes cakes and every nice looking like she could give my ass a good beating." He replied making me smile. "Correction. I already did." I noted. Ryder laughed. His laughter was deep, rumbling, and a sweet melody to my ears.

We walked up to a place located close to the shore. "A pub?" I asked smirking. "Pub/Bar." He answered pushing the door open once we took the stairs up to the entrance. I entered the pub with him following. I immediately noticed that a few of the staff recognized him but they acted cool and didn't attack him with questions or asking for an autograph.

"Hey, Richie!" Ryder greeted shaking a man's hand who was standing behind the bar. "Ryder, my man. What's up?" The guy named Richie greeted back while shaking Ryder's hand in return. "I'm good. How're things going around here?" Ryder asked. "I won't say as I want but we are still, aren't we?" Ryder chuckled.

"I would go hungry if you guys close up on me." Richie laughed at Ryder's joke. "So who is your friend?" Richie asked looking at me. "Alex." I introduced shaking his hand. "What can I get you guys?" Richie asked. "Two burgers with a side of sweet potato wedges. A beer for me and..." He then looked at me.

"Also a beer, please." Richie nodded and then placed our beers in front of us while he gave our order to the kitchen. I sat down next to Ryder at the bar and took in my surroundings. "You come here often?" I asked looking back at Ryder who I found looking at me. "A place where I can be comfortable, not get attacked by the media and the company is superb."

"And here I was expecting a crowd of people asking for autographs or selfies with you." Ryder's mouth curved into a smile. "Maybe because I'm actually wearing a shirt." I snickered as I brought the beer bottle up to my lips before taking a sip. "You kind of do look like a human being and not some cage fighter ready to rip someone's face off." 

"I always come here when I return from my fights and have to train for my next fight." I nodded. "My dad couldn't give up the gym, young and new fighters needed him. He always pushed me to climb higher walls to find the best." He started to tell me. "My dad helps fighters with the jump start of their career." I nodded because I used to be one of his fighters.

"But Tony never mentioned once that you are his kid." Ryder smiled. "My pops believe that it is my time to shine, it's not his place to take that away from me or steal the shine." I nodded as I get it. "Ever since my parent's divorce, my father tried harder to be there for me. If he could, he would've given me the world and that's why I share my success with him. Whenever I have a break to return home, I help him out at the gym either fixing stuff or help out with training."

"You draw people to your father's gym?" Ryder nodded. "You are a saint Ryder Cane." He looked pleased with my comment. "I try to be, what about you?"

"What about me?" I asked feeling confused. "I know so little about you, only that you love working out at my dad's gym and I feeling you are hiding something. And that you are a chef."

"I'm no saint. My mother and I don't get along at all. She wants a life for me that I have no interest in. I have five siblings. My dad is my favorite parent because he has always been there for me with every decision I've made in my life even it was the wrong one. My mom likes throwing it in my face and makes me feel like I'm a disappointment to her."

"Don't worry, my mother only visits me when she wants something and leaves me when she got what she wanted. She likes flaunting my success around as if she helped me get there. But she left after the divorce and never tried to connect with me."

"You are good at hiding your past. Normally when you research celebrities you learn everything you need to know about their past." Ryder chuckled. "The world doesn't need to know about my past. They just need to know who I am now and what my plans are for the further."

"And that's to keep the title for as long as possible," I noted. He nodded. "Well then let's cheers to that and to you being a saint." We finished up our food once it was brought over and our beers before saying our goodbyes and making our way back over to the gym.

Ryder quirked an eyebrow when I slipped off my shoes and decided to dip my feet into the water of the ocean. I kept walking along the shore loving the feeling of water washing over my feet and the sand between my toes.

"You are certainly one of a kind." He observed. "Why fit in when I'm meant to stand out?" He chuckled. We continued making our way until we reached the gym. He looked at me with a surprised look when I walked up to my bike. "Yours?" He questioned.

"Yup, Ducati Panigale V4," I answered. "Got it a few years ago," I replied. "You are definitely one of a kind." He muttered while analyzing my bike. "Thanks for dinner and superb company." I thanked him after getting my helmet out. "It's not always fun to return to a big, cold, and lonely house." He confessed.

"Drive safe. I'll see you in a couple of days." His reply made me frown. "You have a fight I don't know about?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Some TV host is interested in having me on their show. According to my manager, it will be good for my status." He replied sounding not so thrilled with the idea of being on a talk show.

"You don't like the spotlight." He shook his head. "Not always. Talk to me about my profession, not my personal life. It's got nothing to do with them." He replied. "It's like tv hostess wants to pull you apart limb by limb just to see what makes your heart tick because no one believes that you can be a good guy."

"So the saying is true then, smile and wave." I teased. "Kind of yeah." He breathed out.

"At least you have people who know that you are a saint without asking for anything." He nodded. "It's kind of true. The whole world might be against you but if you just have that one person who believes in you, it makes you believe in yourself and ignore the rest of the world."

"Well then, I think you have your answer. Go and kick ass. Well, not literally." Ryder looked relieved. "Thanks." I nodded. "You are talking to your biggest fan over here. And I know what it feels like to have the world against you and that one face in the crowd can change everything."

"It's like inhaling a fresh breath of air."