He had fucked up, and what sucked even more was the knowledge that if she hadn't come to his house, and been the bigger person, she wouldn't be sitting in front of him right now because he was too much of a stubborn asshole. He would have blocked her out, gone on with his life, and always wished he had done it differently. He only had a short time left, because he knew after his mid-terms she would want nothing to do with him, and that realization hurt like a bitch.
Chapter Twelve
"I don't know about this, Darcy." Mary held her gym bag tighter as she walked down the shady looking alley that apparently was how to get to this incredible, but secret gym owned by a former MMA fighter. Darcy looked over her shoulder and smiled.
"Of course. Mica told me how to get here." Mary swallowed and looked around. It was still daylight, but that didn't mean safety was guaranteed, especially when downtown.
Apparently Darcy and the pierced guy, Mica, she had been dancing with at Tainted had hit it off. They had been talking for the last week, sometimes several times a day. It was sickening to watch, but Mary also saw how happy Darcy was. Yeah, it may have only been a week, but Darcy went through men as fast as she did underwear. That didn't mean she looked down at her friend, because even if she might have been the equivalent of Alex when it came to being experienced in sex, she didn't have an arrogant air around her like he did. The sidewalk beneath their feet was cracked and even missing in some parts. A few dumpsters were lined up to their left, and a door slammed open right as they walked by it. A heavy set man wearing a greasy apron shuffled out with a large black trash bag slung over his shoulder. His gut protruded under the dirty material. He eyed them suggestively for a moment before he walked over to one of the dumpsters and tossed the bags into it.
This whole situation gave Mary the chills. She should have stayed home, or at least just gone to the gym she normally did by campus, but of course Darcy had talked her into coming to this great gym that only the serious trainers went to. Mary wasn't a serious trainer, though.
"I can see the place." Darcy pointed to a building a short distance away. Mary looked over her shoulder, saw their car growing more distant, and shook her head.
"Why couldn't we just drive to the front entrance?"
"Because Mica said it's a bitch getting back on the main road since it's a one-way street and they're doing construction. He said going through here is a straight shot to the facility. Besides," Darcy looked over her shoulder and grinned again, "This alley is just used for the restaurant, and a few boutiques. He told me to call him when we got here, but I don't want him thinking I need him for everything." Mary rolled her eyes.
"I don't know why you didn't since you guys talk on the phone ten times a day."
"You're being dramatic. Come on."
Ugh, she was so missing the point.
"Only girls asking for trouble go down back alleys because some guy told them it was okay."
Darcy snorted but didn't turn around. "If you pick up the pace we will get there sooner." They broke through the alley and stood right across the street from the front doors of what didn't look like a training facility.
"You sure this is the gym?"
Darcy looked both ways, then reached back and took her hand again, and all but dragged her across the street. "Yeah, I told you, unless you know about this place you would never know it was here."
"And why did you feel the need to come here because a guy you met last week said it was the place to go?" Mary also didn't point out that Darcy didn't even like exercising, and compared it to getting kicked in the crotch.
"Because I need to get rid of my muffin top, and besides." She stopped and looked Mary right in the eye, which had her stopping also. "I really like him. He isn't like the other guys." Before Mary could respond on that Darcy continued talking. "I know I've said that about others, but Mica makes me feel things that I have never felt. He makes me laugh, holds my hand instead of trying to get in my pants, and won't even have sex with me until we know each other better." That had Mary's eyebrows lifting. "I know, crazy, huh?" Darcy smiled broadly. "I really like him, Mary." They stared at each other for a moment, and Mary smiled in return. "Besides, you're always complaining about that gym you go to, how it's always crowded and the guys there are inflated to the max."
Yeah, Darcy was right. Mary didn't bother reminding Darcy, again, that she had only known Mica for a week, because her friend was elated, and who in the hell was Mary to pop her happy balloon? She looked at the building again. It looked rough. A look to her right showed construction going on, and to her left showed the busy main street. Okay, so Mica had been right about it probably being a bitch to drive right to the door, but still, that didn't make her feel any better about walking down that creepy ass alleyway, or into a building that looked shady.
Darcy was right about the gym Mary went to. It was overcrowded, filled with guys that looked like their muscles were about to explode out of their skins, and attitudes that matched a fresh pile of dog shit. She tilted her head back and stared at the tall, red brick building. It was similar to other older buildings in Columbus, with its aged look and standard box-like structure.
"All right, then, come on." Darcy pulled her forward and into the building. The air conditioning hit Mary in the face right away, but it was the sounds of men grunting, curses ringing out, and low, steady thumping of music playing overhead that drew her attention. She leaned in close and whispered into Darcy's ear.
"Are you sure women even come here?" She couldn't see the main workout room since there was a wall separating the small, front office, but the pictures hanging behind the front desk showed a lot of men posing as if they were in some kind of UFC match. A beefy man wearing a tank top glanced up from his computer screen and eyed them both. Darcy stepped forward and leaned against the counter.
"Mica recommended this place." From Mary's standpoint she could see the skeptical look on the guy's face. He was tanned, but naturally, not the fake and bake look. His dark hair was in spikes around his head, and he had what seemed to be the standard tribal-like tattoos around both of his muscular biceps.
"Mica told you to come here?"
Darcy nodded and stepped away from the counter.
"Hold up." He picked up a phone and waited before he started speaking in it. "Yo, I got two birds here saying Mica told them about Frost."
Birds? Did he seriously just call them that? After listening to whatever the person on the other end said he hung up and motioned them forward with a crook of his finger.
"Boss says you're good to go, but you need to fill out the waivers."
They each took a form, handed him their IDs to make copies, and sat down on the fold-out chairs off to the side. The waiver was similar to the one she was required to fill out at the gym she normally went to, and pretty much said if she got hurt at Frost they weren't liable for any injuries. After they finished filling the forms out he took them around back to a small door. Inside were a line of blue lockers on either side of them where they could put their things. He left them after explaining that going out the door straight ahead would lead them to the main work-out room.
"God, what was with that guy?" Mary said, which had Darcy laughing.
"I don't know, but did you hear him call us birds?" That had Mary laughing, too, and her irritation leaving. "I mean what a pig." They grabbed their towels, tightened their ponytails, and headed out. As soon as Mary stepped out into the main floor she stopped, which caused Darcy to run right into her back. She stumbled forward and looked around. This certainly wasn't like any gym she had ever been to. In the center of the room was a boxing ring. Off to the right were several punching bags that hung from the ceiling, and to the left was a line of the standard workout equipment: treadmills, weights, ellipticals, and blue mats that covered the ground. But those things weren't what had Mary realizing she was totally out of her element. She saw only one woman working out, but she was ripped beyond belief, and could easily hold her own up against the muscle that filled the room. The men were mostly shirtless, with sweat dripping down their hard bodies, and looks of steely determination on their faces. This wasn't a gym where beefed up guys came to work-out and pick up women. No, this place was for the serious fighters, the ones that were all about the art of the sport and weren't about to be screwing around with anything else.