“You sure, even after last night?” Bev asked.

 

“Um, what last—”

 

“Come on, Yvette, someone had to have called you.” Bev laughed. “I mean, it was probably hysterical to some people.”

 

Yvette smiled a sheepish grin. “Well, I did see the YouTube video.”

 

“What!” Bev laughed. “No fucking way!”

 

“It’s on there, let me bring it up!” Yvette laughed, and it was the first time since the death of Crash that Bev had seen her laugh and smile like she once did.

 

Sure enough, someone had her at both fights. Rolling that big guy — “Big Marty” he was called — over her shoulders and then tossing him onto the table seemed to be the most popular. But she really liked the step-in sidekick that she did against the man known as “Train.” Her form was perfect, the extension of her hips was right on the money, and the power going through her boot into Train was very pleasing to see.

 

“I guess what happens at the club doesn’t stay at the club,” Bev smiled.

 

“Well … most of it does, ‘cause it’s not anyone else’s business,” Yvette assured her.

 

“Let’s look up Preston, Preston Pope,” Bev suggested.

 

“Well, you know, he’s married,” Yvette told her.

 

“Yeah, I know. Found out the first day I met him. Really a pisser,” Bev said.

 

“Yeah,” Yvette agreed with a longing sigh.

 

After a while Yvette said, “Hey, I found some stuff. Some of these look like they happened in the club.”

 

“Cool, let’s check them out,” Bev said.

 

The first one was Preston asking two large men to leave the building. He was very polite the way he normally was, and he was not hyped up at all. The two guys, and they really were big — thick, just fucking thick — told him to fuck off, and then the one on Preston’s left took a swing.

 

It was kind of like the camera couldn’t keep up with Preston’s speed. Like maybe the frame rate was too slow. Preston didn’t bother to block the punch. He attacked the man on the right, moving out of range of the punch. Preston dealt this man two savage blows to the gut, and then one to the side of his head. Then he spun, coming up into the air, and sidekicked the first man in his neck. And it was over. Just like that.

 

The last shot had Preston walking away, saying, “Get those wimps out of here.”

 

“Wow,” Bev said.

 

“Yeah. That was serious,” Yvette agreed.

 

They made popcorn in the microwave and sat down and watched Preston flicks. There were several one-on-ones and a few less two-on-ones. There were only a couple of three-on-ones, and then there was a four-on-one where they saw Preston get serious.

 

This last video they played over and over, watching Preston moving from one man to the next, and around them, passing between them, and then, like a storm hits them, all four of them fell down. They just collapsed, like someone had cut their strings. Preston stood there for a minute, looked around the club, and said, “Next?”

 

“I can’t figure out what he does to make them all fall down like that,” Bev said as she stuffed more popcorn into her mouth.

 

“It doesn’t look like he does anything to them. They just pass out,” Yvette suggested.

 

“Yeah, but look. Preston knows it’s about to happen. See how he comes out of his fighting stance and just stands up straight, just before they all collapse? It’s really weird.”

 

“Weren’t you going to get some work done?” Yvette asked.

 

“What are you, my mother?”

 

“I just don’t want this to not work out, because I really want you here.”

 

“Shit, baby, I’m not going anywhere. So, let’s set up my WiFi router with your connection and we can both play on the computer at the same time.”

 

“Sweet,” Yvette agreed.

 

Half an hour later, they were settling back to their computers when Bev said, “I’m supposed to call him and ask him to go to the range with me today.”

 

“Who?” Yvette asked without looking from her computer screen.

 

“Him. You know, HIM.”

 

She turned to look at Bev. “HIM him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“He’s married, you know.”

 

“Yes, you mentioned that already. But Leo told me it would be a good idea after last night. So, I’m going to call him. Would you like to come with us to the range?”

 

She thought about that. “Could I ride behind him?”

 

“He’s married, you know,” Bev laughed.

 

She sighed. “Men like him shouldn’t be allowed to be married. They should be national treasures, and open like national parks. It’s really a shame I like Kim so much. She’s such a great person.”

 

“So, is that a yes? Or a very whiny no?” Bev asked.

 

“It’s a whiny yes, and I really don’t like to shoot guns. They scare me too much. But it would be nice to get out. Maybe we could get some lunch after?”

 

Bev picked up her phone and dialed the number Leo had given her last night. “Sounds good. We can stop off at Maison’s Hall as well and check it out.”

 

“Hello?”

 

“Um, Preston? It’s Bev. Leo gave me this number and suggested that I call you. I hope this isn’t too forward.”

 

“Not at all, Bev. What can I do for you?”

 

Oh god, you could do whatever you wanted with me, that’s what you could do.

 

Bev pulled herself together. “I asked Leo for a gun, and he gave me one on the condition I hit the range and get familiar with it. Then he said that you knew where one was close by, and that you could perhaps give me some pointers.”

 

God, I sound like a robot!

 

Preston was quiet, and she pictured him snickering with his phone muted. “Yes, I’ll do that for you if you in turn do something for me?”

 

“For you? Um, sure. What?” she asked, surprised.

 

“Spar with me three times. Maybe more if we enjoy it,” he told her.

 

Her mouth went dry, and her eyes rolled, and her brain was absolutely blank for at least five seconds. “Yes?” she managed.

 

“Perfect! Where are you?”

 

“Yvette’s. She would like to come, just to get out of the house, if you don’t mind?”

 

“Not at all. It would be good for her. I can be there at three?”

 

“That sounds good,” Bev said automatically.

 

“Great. See you then, and thanks for calling.”

 

Then he broke the connection.

 

“What did he say? You went white. I don’t mean that like an expression. I mean, you went white!” Yvette said with true concern.

 

“He said yes, he’ll be here at three, so we’ll go get lunch before he arrives,” she told her in a breathless voice.

 

“That’s not all he said,” Yvette pressed, coming to sit with her on the couch.

 

“He said that he wants me to spar with him three times, and more if we like it.”

 

“Spar? You mean, like, fight him?”

 

“Yes, but not to hurt each other, just to improve our skills.”

 

“He wants you to help him improve his skill,” Yvette said slowly. “Won’t that mean a lot of body contact?”

 

Bev felt her eyes go wide, and she stuttered quickly, “Um, well, but not like that, you know, nothing sexual or familiar or anything like that. He’s married, you know.”

 

“He’s just going to throw you to the mat and pounce on you a few times, is that it?” Yvette asked.

 

Bev grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at her. “You’re horrible! Why do I like you?”

 

Yvette batted the pillow away and danced out into the room, laughing. “You don’t, you love me, and that’s a whole different thing.”

 

“Got that right, brat!”

 

“Slut.”

 

“Oohh, come here!”