Chapter Five
Ian
I woke up the morning after spending the day with Alexa, feeling great. That was good, because today was also my big championship fight. I’d been working towards this day for a long time. I had trained hard for it and pushed my body to its limits over and over again. I’m hoping and praying that tonight all of that would pay off. I took a shower and then I called Alexa. I didn’t think about how early it was until I heard the sleepy sound of her voice when she said “Hello.”
“Good morning. Did I wake you up?”
“Um…yeah, I guess so. What time is it?”
“A little after seven,” I said. “I’m sorry. Did you have a late night talking to your dad?”
“Not really. I just didn’t sleep very well,” she said. She sounded like something was off.
“Did the talk go okay? Is he really upset that I told you?”
“He’s fine, Ian. It went fine. I’m sorry. It’s just so early…”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have woken you up. I just woke up all psyched up about the fight tonight. I wanted to make sure you were going to be there.”
She hesitated. It was only for a second…but it was there. “Yeah, of course I’ll be there.”
“Hey babe…you would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
She sounded like she was trying too hard then as she said, “Yes, I would tell you. Everything’s fine. Like I said, I just didn’t sleep well. I wouldn’t miss your fight though. I will be there with bells on.”
“Okay,” I said, not convinced that all was “fine.” “Call me later if you want to talk.”
“Ian, I’m fine, really. You concentrate on your fight and we’ll talk afterwards while we’re celebrating.”
“Okay. Have a good day, I can’t wait to see you tonight.”
“Me too,” she said before hanging up. I sat there for a while just looking at the phone. I thought about calling her back and demanding that she tell me what was wrong. Wasn’t that what she would do? I had been hoping to see her today before the fight. Now I was just going to obsess all day about what was wrong. Damn! I really wish we could figure this shit out.
I did my best to let it go and I went to the gym. Dean walked me through a really light work-out and then we went back to his place and he forced me to eat pasta for lunch. It was good though, and his son, my friend Ronnie was home from school so we spent the rest of the afternoon just catching up and shooting the shit.
“So how is school going?” I asked him. He had finished his bachelor’s program over the summer term and was just starting his Master’s. He was a smart guy. He would probably be back here running Dean’s business and taking it national before long.
“It’s good, a lot of work. No time to get laid. My balls are blue and they ache.”
I laughed. “I thought college was supposed to be all about the party and getting laid.”
“So did I. What about you? You still doing the off and on with Kristy?”
“Nah. I finally put a stop to that. That girl has issues.”
He laughed then and said, “She always has. You couldn’t look past her store bought boobs to see them before. What changed?”
Dean was walking through the living room when Ronnie asked me that. “He’s in love,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s taking it a little far, Dean.”
“In love, huh?” Ronnie said.
“Did you just hear me tell your father he was taking it too far? I’m seeing someone. She’s pretty special and I like her a lot. It’s not love…yet.”
“Whoa, that sounds serious. Where’d you meet this girl?”
For some reason I didn’t want to tell him. I think that I was afraid his first thought would be that she was only with me or I was only with her because of Emma, I guess. I couldn’t think of a good lie though, and I’d promised Alexa I was going to stop doing that anyways.
“She was Emma’s best friend.”
“Alexa? Hot red-head with the….”
“Don’t say it!”
He laughed, “Man, Dad wasn’t exaggerating. You are in love, aren’t you?”
I stood up. “Well it was nice catching up with you man but I have to get going.”
“Avoidance. He doesn’t want his friend to talk about his girl’s shapely ta-ta’s. He says he’s not in love… “Yet.” All the classic signs.
“Fuck you, Ronnie.”
“Man, it’s been so long I’d almost take you up on that.” I couldn’t keep a straight face on that one. I smiled and said, “You should be so lucky, man. I have to go. This conversation has gotten way out of hand.”
“Alright man. I’ll see you tonight. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I left there with Dean and Ronnie’s words ringing in my head. “Love?” It was way too soon for that, wasn’t it?