“He asked you on a date? A real date?” Lyric asks, laughing hysterically even though her producer is yelling at her for ruining a take.

“Tonight! He’s picking me up at my apartment and everything. Hazel is spending the night with her friends. He promised to show me a night out on the town because I haven’t had a lot of time to explore since I got here,” I say as the L pulls into the station. Before I can head home and get ready for our date, I promised Lou I would meet him at the old gym to officially lock everything down there before we go over the paperwork he got to sign an exclusive endorsement deal with the new gym. I don’t really have time for any of it, but Lou was adamant about getting it done today.

“Make sure you send me a picture when you’re all dressed up! I want to see what outfit you choose,” Lyric says over the shouting producer. “Shit, I need to go before Spyder flips a lid. I’ll text you after and let you know how it went! And you better do the same!”

She doesn’t give me time to answer before she hangs up, which is standard, but I chuckle as I walk into the gym and look for Lou. The place is emptier than usual, and that means I can tell right off the bat that Lou isn’t there. Just to be sure, though, I call out for him.

“Lou? Are you in here somewhere?”

He doesn’t answer, but someone else does, and my skin prickles at the sound of his voice.

“Looking for me, sweetheart?” Ryan Miller says as he pokes his head out of the locker room. I roll my eyes.

“Is your name Lou? No? Then I’m not looking for you. Excuse me,” I answer as I turn on my heel and head for the door. But because his stride is so long, it only takes a few steps for Ryan to cut me off at the door and block my exit.

“Why are you in such a rush, cutie? Why don’t you stay here and see what it’s like to manage a real man?”

This close to him, I feel like I am seeing him for the first time. He’s massive, and built more like a professional wrestler than a boxer. His neck is practically bigger than his head, and his beady black eyes are lifeless as they look me up and down. The shadow he is casting over me is sending shivers of fear down to my core. I just want to get away from him and the smell of sweat and day-old booze that is emanating from his skin, but he’s like a mountain. I have no hope of making my around. So, I just take several measured steps backward.

“I really need to get back to the office, Ryan. If you could let me pass, I’d appreciate it,” I say, trying to hide the shake in my voice. He just shakes his head with a leonine smile.

“No way. How can you work on a beautiful afternoon like this?” I glance down and see that his huge, meaty hand is on the door handle, so even if I somehow got under his arm, I am no match for his strength.

“Because I have no choice, Miller. An agent’s work is never done. Now, could you please get out of my way?” The power of my words is completely betrayed by the panic in my voice. Ryan smirks at me, then shrugs and steps aside, waving at the door as he gives me permission to leave. I can feel in my bones that it is a trap, but I have no choice. I have to try. As fast as my legs can carry me, I dart for the door. But as soon as I am next to him, he grabs my shoulder and spins me around, pressing me up against the door as he sloppily tries to kiss me.

Every nerve in my body is alight with fear and panic as I try to stop myself from throwing up, while simultaneously trying to weigh my options. In the end, I go with my last, best option.

In a swift, practiced motion, I raise my knee and nail him directly between the legs. Ryan pulls away and groans, his eyes briefly crossing as he takes a step away from me. It’s not much, but it’s enough for me to open the door and get outside into the alley. As the door slams behind me, I take in a deep breath of the cold Chicago air, my shoulders relaxing in the comfort of my escape.

I never should have stopped. I should have kept running.

The momentum of my bag being pulled backward slams me into the alley wall, and my head makes vicious contact with the bricks in a sickening thud. For a second I see stars, and next I see Ryan’s face, twisted in anger. Then the last thing I see is his fist hurtling toward my face. I don’t even have time to feel the impact before everything goes dark, and I crumple to the dirty alley ground.