When she walked into the gym, she looked at me. I had my headphones blaring. I simply nodded my hello and continued to do my sit-ups. That’s what she wants right? Alex looked over at me with disappointment in his eyes. I rolled my eyes at him and kept counting in my head. Alex gave me the same look when I left with that brunette on Saturday. What I didn’t tell him is that I left the brunette wanting in her bed because I couldn’t follow through with it. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t, so I kept what happened to myself.
Lou, however, was the only happy camper. He was glad I was back to being focused, and that I was staying away from the distraction that is Allura Maxine Shaw. What he didn’t know is I was even more distracted by her. I didn’t stay completely away from her. I still wanted her to touch me, so I went to her to stretch me. For some reason, whatever she does makes me feel better after every workout and fight, even though Stephen has been doing this for much longer.
Our conversation was light. I asked her how her weekend was. She told me it was nothing special. She had just caught up on studying. She asked me the same question. Without going into detail about Saturday, I told her that I hooked up with Alex and hung out with him for a while. Then I had just worked on Sunday.
****
By Wednesday, I was seething with frustration and anger. I was suffering from blue balls, number one. I hadn’t had sex in days, and not for lack of invitations. The woman I wanted was staying away from me, and it was driving me crazy. Yes, I could go to her and kidnap her from work or her apartment. But this is what she asked for. So I’ve been waiting on her, and she hasn’t made a move at all. I’m about to lose it.
The only good news I received was when the fighting assignments came in, and I got the fight I was waiting for. Travis and I will finally have that conversation I’ve been dying to have. I also got a treat. I have a rematch request from the Butcher. He claims the ref didn’t give him enough time to get out of the hold I had him in and incorrectly identified his submission as something else. I didn’t care one way or another. I would have two fights in one night. It was about damn time that I finally had a challenge.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Alex asked me after Lou told us the news.
“Was there any time since you’ve known me that I didn’t know what I was doing?”
We stared at each other for a beat, and then Alex walked closer to me. He pointed at my chest.
“No, there hasn’t been. But I can see the way you look at her. Tell me you aren’t doing this just to prove a point.”
I turned away from him and continued punching the bag in front of me.
As I threw a series of punches and kicks I said, “The cocky son of a bitch needs his ass kicked. He’s just like Lawrence.”
“So what? You think you’re the guy to do it?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, bullshit. You want to fight him because of her.”
“Mason?”
We both turned around and found Max standing there. I looked at her briefly, then turned around and continued to finish my workout. I noticed that Alex disappeared from my side and was replaced by Max.
“Are you going to look at me or continue ignoring me?”
I thought about ignoring her, but I knew she wouldn’t let me. So I stopped what I was doing and looked at her.
She asked, “Is it true you have two fights on Saturday, one being with Trip?”
I looked at her up and down and licked my lips involuntarily. I couldn’t help it. She wore these tight spandex type pants that showed her curves and a form-fitting t-shirt that showed me those perfect breasts. Man, what I wouldn’t give to put them in my mouth.
“Concentrate, Mace,” she smirked.
I smiled for the first time in a week.
“Yes. It’s about time he and I have a conversation.”
She folded her arms.
“Oh yeah? About what exactly? I’ve seen the exchanges between the two of you. Are you doing this because of me?”
And that was the million dollar question. He irritated the fuck out of me, but he and I needed to have it out for multiple reasons; one being her.
She took my silence to mean that she and Alex were right, and she said, “Look, I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I can do it all on my own.”
“I’m sure you can,” I told her, finally speaking.
“So you don’t have to do this. You can decline the fight with Trip.”
I shook my head.
“Oh no, I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Uh no, I can’t. I’m not a pussy, Allura.”
Her eyebrows raised in shock.
“I know you aren’t a pussy, Mason,” she said softly.