Andrew adds, “We’ll all go out for beers tonight. How about that? Go back and shower, relax a little, then go celebrate... and Julie, I’d focus on a massage tomorrow morning for him, maybe tonight even. Let his body cool down for a few hours first. I want it taken care of before we leave, though. Nothing rough. Just enough to ease the muscles. Don’t want anything seizing up in ways that will make it harder to train.”
It’s hard to even consider how much Ryder is going to be fighting. Amateurs beating on each other in the underground scene doesn’t quite destroy another’s body like when someone akin to Ryder throws a right hook at someone’s head. Even Young was disoriented as they led him out of the stadium.
“Sure thing,” I reply, pushing away the anxiety.
We will have to deal with the injuries as they come, not stress about them beforehand.
Andrew states, “Alright, then. Let’s meet at Marlin’s Pub at six. It’s only two blocks from the hotel. You can all figure out how to get there. I’m probably just going to walk.”
Ryder puts his sweats back on, and I have to look away so Andrew doesn’t notice. There’s something to watching him put on his clothes that toys with a part of my imagination that lives in the gutter. I catch him smirking, which makes me blush as I try to pretend like nothing’s going on inside of my head.
Because no matter how this goes, he’s the only man I’ve ever felt this way for.
That terrifiesandexcites me.
J U L I E
* * *
Just like anyconvention or major event, the crowd at the bar swells with people celebrating Warlord. Replays of the fights fill every TV screen. Ryder has to sit in the very back in order to avoid being bombarded at once.
I particularly enjoy how jovial Andrew is, treating me like a real team player and fueling my growing confidence about being the actual owner of the gym. It makes me wonder if I have any real leverage in regard to this annoying contract.
If Ryder and I don’t stop... we’ll have to tell Andrew eventually. And then figure out the media.
Don’t worry about that now.
We are all standing outside of the bar after a round of drinks. Andrew is making us go to someone’s house named McDaniels, who hosts parties only for the winners.
“Alright,” Andrew says to Ryder and me. “You both can leave the party whenever you want, but just try to make an appearance. Julie, this is good for you to get a vibe for this stuff. It’s our lives for the next six months. I will be there shortly, so I might run into you there.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I reassure.
Ryder nods. “It’s cool, man. Used to haunt these a ton back in the day.”
“Catch you all tomorrow for the flight, at the very least, if I don’t see you.”
We grab separate Ubers, as Andrew wants to chat with a few more sponsors first. It’s hard to pretend like his opinion doesn’t matter when he’s working so hard for the gym. Disappointing him is something I’m not looking forward to.
I cross my arms from the cold as we wait.
The mood doesn’t lighten like it usually does as Ryder tucks his hands into his pockets, something clearly bothering him. “You should know that there’s a chance that Heather is going to be there. Legends won his fight. And I mean it when I say I don’t want to keep things in the dark with you, so I’m telling you now.”
I breathe in the cool air of night, wishing I possessed an ability to pause time as my mind draws blank after blank. “We’ll deal with it, then,” I reassure.
I can feel an energy stirring next to me when he doesn’t respond, one that reminds me of Luke, where the guy doesn’t know what to say, but is definitely thinking a mile a minute and wants to bridge whatever gap is between us. Ryder’s eyes shine in the dark as cars pass us by.
The Uber arrives before he can speak and we silently get in. It’s depressingly quiet in the car, and disappointment sinks heavily in my stomach.
I don’t know what to say. I’m not even sure I understand the tension between us. It’s not like I’m fuming or anything. I simply… I suppose I didn’t appreciate the magnitude of what being with him would be like. Not until Heather. Not until I saw him in that ring.
I could ruin this for him.
I could ruin the gym name.
And Ireallywant to see him win.
We pull down a residential street, our destination clear once I spot it—cars and people surround a mansion, the faint sound of music emanating from the home.
