All she had to type in to the search engine was Jasper Duboix – Fighter, and suddenly she was presented with a wealth of results. The text blurred together in her drunken vision, but she managed to read enough details to begin to piece together a picture of who Jasper Duboix truly was.
He wasn’t a cage fighter as she had presumed. He was actually a mixed martial arts fighter and a champion in his field. He had represented Great Britain at international events numerous times and had won various accolades. Kait’s eyes widened as she became increasingly impressed by his achievements. In his field, Jasper was a superstar.
Kait found him on Twitter where he had over ten thousand followers. As she scrolled through his time line, she scrutinized each Tweet for something revealing but they gave nothing away. Jasper’s Tweets were solely focused on his sport and sometimes his diet. He photographed the protein shake he had in the morning and the weights he was currently working in the gym. There were a few shots of him before a match but nothing about who Jasper was outside of the ring. Also, nothing about the night he had spent with Kait.
Her eyes misted as she found posts for the date they had met. There were three in total.
Up fresh and early, ready to hit the day hard - @J_Duboix
Time to carb load before my next big match - @J_Duboix
Feeling pumped after my work out #workhardplayhard - @J_Duboix
Kait slumped back against her pillows. There was nothing about saving a stranger who had made his heart race. Had their encounter truly meant nothing to him? Fighting back tears, Kait slammed the laptop shut and curled up on to her side. She needed to forget all about Jasper Duboix. She needed to move on with her life, as clearly she had meant nothing to him.
Chapter 8
Bright rays of sunlight burned against Kait’s eyes causing her to moan and roll over. With a deep groan she sat up and pushed her palms against her temple. Her body ached from sleeping awkwardly, and looking down she realized that she was still wearing her clothes from the night before.
“Urgh,” Kait coughed. Her mouth felt as though she’d spent the night consuming sand. Reaching for her nearby cell phone, she saw that she had a new message. It was from Anna.
My head is banging like you wouldn’t believe this morning. Great night though! We MUST do it again soon! Love ya xoxo
Kait dropped the phone back down and pushed her fingers through her golden hair. A few seconds passed as she gathered her senses and then her body froze with panic. She was surely late for work. Outside the sun was already shining which meant she wasextremelylate for work. She made a panicked dash towards the bathroom but stopped abruptly in the hallway when her brain finally caught up and she remembered that it was Saturday. She didn’t need to be at work. With her shoulders sagging with relief, Kait continued towards the bathroom, figuring that she needed a shower to sharpen her senses and wash away the fog of fatigue.
Chapter 9
With her skin glowing from the heat of the shower, Kait made herself breakfast and flicked on the television. A news report was on which she glimpsed at with mild interest. For some reason, she was struggling to focus on the presenter despite their serious expression and grave tone.
Holding a fresh mug of coffee, Kait wandered back into her bedroom and grabbed her phone. Then she flopped down on to the sofa with no intention to move for the rest of the day. Her head ached with the promise of a blinding headache, and her bones throbbed. She needed a day of rest and relaxation, but as she sipped her coffee, she found her spare hand calling up Jasper’s twitter page, unable to suppress her own curiosity. He’d already tweeted twice that morning;
I’m up and hungry for more! Last night was just the appetizer, the main course is coming at 8pm! - @J_Duboix
Tonight! Ample Garden Theatre @8pm! Tickets $25 at the door! #bringthepain - @J_Duboix
He had a fight that night. Kait ceased looking at the television, completely entranced by the message on her phone. Jasper was fighting again tonight despite the brutal beating he’d endured in the cage. Yes, he’d won, but at what cost?
Guilt swelled through Kait as she thought of his wounded chest. A wound which could have been avoided, a wound which he refused to seek medical attention for. How could a professional athlete be so careless with their own well-being? His recklessness infuriated her.
Two fights in as many nights seemed crazy. Admittedly she didn’t know the industry, but it felt excessive by any standards. Surely Jasper needed more than a day to recover from a bout in the ring. Why was he pushing himself so much?
Looking back at his Twitter, Kait noticed that some of his followers echoed her thoughts in their replies to his message;