Chapter Twenty-Six
Brittany
“So you have no qualifications?” she looked up at me through her round glasses.
“I… Umm… No,” I finished lamely.
“And, your work experience is limited to waitressing?”
“Yes…”
“Do you have any experience with Power Point, Excel, Microsoft, E-Design?”
“Uh…no, but I’m a fast learner,” I said, trying to sound confident. “Exceptionally fast… I was top of my class in all my subjects in high school.”
“You don’t have a high school diploma,” she pointed out, running her hand through her silky brown hair.
“No…. I… Uh…dropped out before my graduation.”
“Shame,” she said, with a disinterested sigh. “It would have made a difference.”
I felt my heart plummet and knew what she was going to say before she said it. I gritted my teeth and waited for the axe to fall. And, she certainly didn’t disappoint.
“I’m very sorry,” she said. “But I just don’t think you have the right skill set for this company. We need an experienced secretary, and I’m afraid you just don’t meet our requirements.”
It was the third no I’d received that day, and I realized that I had reached my limit for rejection. I swallowed down my disappointment and nodded. “Thank you for your time,” I said woodenly.
We shook hands stiffly, and then I left her immaculate little office. I walked outside onto the street and headed home in a fog of dejection. It had been a hard day, and all I wanted was to get back home, put my feet up, and stare at the ceiling till the disappointment lifted.
It was a forty-minute walk back home, but I didn’t mind. I had come to enjoy walking, jogging, and running, and the idea of the winter marathon had genuinely started to excite me.
Even Lacey was a little more enthusiastic with the idea than she had been at the beginning. I focused on that for a moment and told myself that I had something to look forward to, at least. On the heels of that thought came an image of Talen, and I felt a little shiver run down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.
He had become something of a fixture in my life of late and I was starting to realize how important he was becoming to me. I hadn’t seen him at all today and actually missed him. He had been so sweet and supportive of me yesterday, too. He had helped me get through the emotional beating I had taken from my father. Even talking to him felt easy and natural, as though we had known each other for years.
I turned the corner to my building and headed down the drive. I paused suddenly, realizing that a small blue car had taken the place of my crappy third-hand one. I stared at it with wide eyes, trying to figure out what had happened. If a parking spot was empty, it was common for other people to use it – but my car had been parked right there this morning. Had it been towed?
I walked around to the front of the car and noticed a little envelope wedged in underneath one of the windshield wipers. To my surprise, it had my name on it. I grabbed it, realizing that it was slightly heavy. As I ripped open the top and looked into the envelope, I saw that there was a key wedged in between the folds of a letter. I left the keys and unfolded the letter inside.
“I know you’ve been going through a tough time lately, and I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing, especially since I am in a position to help. I hope I haven’t overstepped my bounds, but I replaced your old car with this one. It’s not new, but I checked it out thoroughly and it’s still in great condition. And, it will get you where you need to go.
“The car has been bought and paid for, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. The keys are in the envelope, so you should be able to start using it immediately. I wish I could have stayed to explain all this to you in person, but I just got word that I need to be in Las Vegas tomorrow. I’ll be away for a week, but I should be back on Sunday. So I hope to see you then. Talen.”
I stared at the letter for a moment before finally looking up at the car in front of me. He had actually bought me a car. I was in shock; no one had ever bought me anything so outrageously expensive before. I was aware that it was second hand, but even a second hand car these days cost a significant amount.
I shook my head at the car as though it could offer me an explanation. Then I drew out the keys inside the envelope. “This is crazy,” I murmured to myself.
I stood there for a moment longer and then I got into the driver’s seat, taking my time and looking around at the car’s interior. It was still in impeccable condition, and as I checked out its features, I realized that everything was working beautifully. I started the engine and eased out of my spot in front of the building. Then I made a left the curb and headed for Lacey’s apartment, excited to share the news with her.
I parked right outside her window and then I walked up to her floor and knocked hard. She answered in gray sweats and a tight pink tank top that clashed glaringly with her short red hair.
“Hi you,” she greeted. “I didn’t expect you to drop by today. You look happy…”
“I am happy,” I smiled.
Lacey raised her eyebrows. “Did you get a job?” she asked, clapping her hands together.
“Ha, no!” I said, walking into her place without an invitation.
“Umm…you’re happy that you didn’t get a job?” she asked in obvious confusion.
“It was a horrific day,” I said. “I had three separate interviews and they all turned me down.”
“Uh-huh… I think I’m missing something,” Lacey said.
I laughed. “I had a present waiting for me when I got back home from my awful day of rejection.”
“Oh?” she asked with interest.
“Where is it?”
“Come over here,” I told her, gesturing over to the window.
She came to stand next to me and then I pointed down at the blue car parked on the curb. “Check that out,” I said.
“It’s a car,” she said, looking at me as though I had lost it.
“I know that,” I nodded. “What do you think of it?”
“Umm…it’s pretty ordinary,” she said. “Hell of a lot better than yours, though.”
“That is my car,” I said.
“What?” Lacey asked, turning back to the car in amazement. “No, it’s not.”
I laughed. “Well, no, obviously it’s not the car I had. But it is mine now… That’s the gift I was talking about.”
Her eyes went wide. “Who would gift you with a car? Wait… Don’t tell me your father actually-”
“No,” I cut her off before she could even finish the sentence. “It wasn’t him.”
“Then who?” she asked with a puzzled expression on her face.
I smiled. “Believe it or not, it was Talen.”
“Talen? No way.”
I nodded.
“He bought you a car?”
“He bought me a car,” I nodded.
“Fuck.”
“Yeah…”
“That’s a huge gesture,” she said, looking down at the car with awe.
“I know,” I nodded. “But in all honesty, I can’t afford to turn him down.”
“Why should you turn him down?” she demanded. “You didn’t ask him for anything, did you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then don’t feel bad,” Lacey said. “He did this because he wanted to – you shouldn’t feel guilty about accepting.”
I smiled. “I can’t believe it. I actually have a working car.”
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You don’t have to find another job,” she said.
I laughed. “True,” I nodded. “I can focus on the one I already have.”
I saw her smile falter a little. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly, trying to cover it up.
“No, tell me.”
She sighed. “It’s just that… Sometimes I wonder if our lives are going to amount to anything more, you know? Like, am I really going to be a waitress for the rest of my life?”
I sighed. “I think about that, too, you know,” I said. “And sometimes…it honestly keeps me up at night. I was seriously considering going back and finishing my high school diploma.”
“What will that do?”
“It’ll be a stepping stone. I can enrol in a few community college courses and maybe eventually, I can actually get myself a degree.”
“We tried doing a few online courses, remember?” Lacey reminded me. “We didn’t have enough cash to pay our bills and our course fees.”
“I remember,” I nodded. “But this time, we’ll be better prepared. We might have to work longer hours and be a little thriftier, but we can save enough to pay for the course before we even start it. That way we don’t have to stop halfway through.”
“I suppose that’s one option,” she sighed. “Seems like a lot of work, though.”
“I don’t think anything in life is going to come easily,” I said. “Well, except maybe my new car.”
Lacey laughed. “Why are we talking about depressing stuff when you just got a freaking car?” she demanded. “We should be celebrating… We should be celebrating with Talen. Where is he?”
“He’s flying out tonight,” I said. “He has his fight in Las Vegas, remember?”
“Oh shit, yeah,” she nodded. “When’s he going to be back?”
“In a week’s time, I think,” I replied. “I’ll have to thank him properly then.”
“Let’s throw him a party!” Lacey said excitedly. “We can throw him a party at the diner.”
“Umm… I don’t think he’s the party type.”
“Too bad,” she said, without concern. “He’ll learn to love it. And, you’ll have to be prepared, too.”
“Me?” I asked. “For what?”
“To screw his brains out,” she laughed, giving me a suggestive wink. “It’s really the least you can do. And let’s face it, it’s the best way to say thank you.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Is that really the best way to say thank you to a guy?”
“Of course,” Lacey nodded. “Especially to a guy. You better start stretching…”
“Geez,” I said, shaking my head at her. “How about you let me worry about how I’m going to thank him.”
“If I left it up to you, he’d be bored.”
“Bite your tongue.”
She laughed. “Maybe I should make a few subtle hints in Ryan’s direction… See if I can get myself a new car, too.”
I laughed. “I don’t know if Ryan is well versed in the art of subtlety,” I said. “You might have to come right out and ask.”
Lacey sighed. “You’re probably right. Geez…some girls have all the luck.”
“Are you referring to me?”
“Umm, who out of the two of us was just gifted a fully-functioning car?”
I smiled. “Fair point,” I nodded. “Feels kind of surreal, though… I’ve never received a gift like this before in my entire life.”
“Can you imagine what kind of gifts you’ll get if Talen actually makes it as a big time professional MMA fighter? You’re going to be rolling in cash.”
I shook my head at her. “Talen’s going to be rolling in cash. That has nothing to do with me. We’re not even…exclusive.”
“Exclusive?” Lacey repeated, raising an eyebrow at me. “He gave you a fucking car. You can’t get more exclusive than that, darling.”
I wanted to argue, but I wasn’t sure I had any valid arguments to throw at her. So, I just kept my mouth shut and smiled. I decided that for the moment, I wasn’t going to over think things. I’d just enjoy my new car and look forward to seeing Talen in a week’s time.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Talen
Training in the Las Vegas practice rings was an altogether different experience than training back in Quebec. There was urgency in the air, as though every fighter knew what was at stake if he didn’t give it his all. Steven and Ryan had flown down with me, and Steven had cranked up his training technique a notch. He pushed me harder, he yelled louder, and he asked more of me than he had ever asked before.
I understood why he was doing it, and I appreciated the reason. He didn’t want me to fail. Neither did Ryan. I could see it in their eyes every time they looked at me. I barely had time for anything other than eating, sleeping, and training. I had received a few texts from Brittany over the past week, thanking me effusively for the car, and all I had managed to send her in return was a weak reply that was only a few sentences long.
I knew she would understand, however; this fight was going to take all my strength and all my concentration. I couldn’t afford to let anything distract me – especially a beautiful dark-haired waitress with an hourglass figure.
I was obligated to sit at a press conference the night before the fight and answer questions from a number of reporters from different sports magazines and online publications. Much like the photo shoot, it was out of my comfort zone, but I had resigned myself to the task already. Steven had helped me choose the appropriate attire – black pants, a white shirt, and a navy blue tie. I had just adjusted the tie around my neck, when the door opened and Steven poked his head in.
“They’re ready for you,” he told me.
He was dressed similarly to me, except that his tie was a sober burgundy. I took a deep breath and followed him outside. The fight would be held in a proper arena tomorrow, but the press conference was taking place at the hotel I was staying at. I had been informed that Kendrick Conner was hosting a press conference of his own tonight at his own hotel.
“Now remember…be polite, be honest, and make an impression,” Steven said as we walked down the corridors of the hotel.
“Make an impression?” I repeated. “How the hell do I do that?”
“Keep them engaged,” he replied. “Wendell was right – you have garnered a significant amount of interest. People are keen to hear about the newbie from the underground. Answer their questions and keep a poker face on.”
“Why would a poker face be necessary?”
“Because you don’t know what questions they’re going to throw at you,” I said. “Remember that they’re reporters. They’re looking for a good story.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I nodded.
We arrived at the designated room and Steven gave me a nod before he opened the door and gestured me through. It was a medium-sized room with a table at the front that had been set up with three mics for Steven, Wendell, and me. Wendell was already seated and waiting for us.
There were a bunch of chairs facing the table, all of which were occupied by a group of men and women in suits, armed with recorders and notepads. There were a couple of people with cameras standing around the room, and they all snapped pictures as I entered. The camera crew was front and center, ready to tape the whole press conference.
“Ah, here he is!” Wendell smiled hugely, rising from his chair and motioning me over.
I felt like an animal at the zoo, but I gave the reporters a nod and sat down in the chair between Wendell and Steven. I tried to crack a smile, but it just wouldn’t make an appearance on my face.
“Shall we begin?” Wendell asked. “Jerica, darling, shall we start with you?”
Jerica was a professionally-dressed woman in her early thirties. She nodded, sent a smile my way, and asked her obviously rehearsed question. “Mr. Burbank, we know virtually nothing about you. You had a good night in Las Vegas not long ago, but that was only one fight. How did you get to Las Vegas’ biggest arena in the ring against MMA Champion Kendrick Conner?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Whoa…started me off with an easy one, huh?”
There was a little bubble of laughter that ran through the room. I hadn’t meant to be funny or amusing, but if that was what I had achieved, I wasn’t going to complain.
“I suppose I could say that I’ve worked hard to get here. I’ve worked my way up from the bottom, and I’ve fought hard to earn my place in that ring tomorrow. But the truth is, every MMA fighter I’ve ever come across has worked hard and fought hard to have the right to be in that ring. So, I suppose my answer to your question is… I don’t know how I got here. It honestly baffles the shit out of me sometimes.”
Another appreciative murmur went through the small throng of reporters. I noticed Steven nod approvingly at my answer out of the corner of my eye.
“Joseph?” Wendell called. “You next.”
“Given who you’re competing against, Mr. Burbank, why should we root for you?”
“And the softball questions just keep on coming,” I said.
More laughter, this time even Steven chuckled under his breath. I cleared my throat and the room went silent.
“You don’t have to root for me,” I heard myself say. I could almost hear Steven and Wendell’s simultaneous intake of breath. “Because at this moment, there’s no reason for any of you to root for me. There’s nothing I can say now that will do that.
“But there’s something I can do. I will give my all in that ring tomorrow night and whether I lose or win, no one will be able to say I didn’t give Kendrick Conner a good fight. I can make the crowd root for me, but it will be with my actions in the ring, not with words behind a desk.”
I felt Steven and Wendell relax on either side of me and had to suppress a smile. After that, the questions kept coming, and I answered them as best I could. We were almost at the home stretch when one last reedy reporter stood up to ask the final question.
“Mr. Burbank?” he said, raising his hand like a schoolboy.
“Yes, Antony,” Wendell responded, on my behalf. “Go ahead.”
“Do you have any comment on your past arrest record?”
I froze in place for a moment, completely taken back by the question. I could almost feel every lens in the room zoom in on my face and the calm that had settled over me in the past few minutes dissipated immediately.
“According to my research, you were arrested a couple of years ago,” the reedy reporter persisted. “On the charge of aggravated assault. And the name of the arresting officer was cited as Peter Burbank… Any relation to you?”
Steven nudged me in the ribs. “No comment,” he whispered to me, under his breath.
I shook myself out of the shock. “I have no comment on that particular incident,” I said, trying to sound as though I were in control.
Wendell stood up quickly. “I think that’ll be our last question of the night,” he said, with a huge fake smile. “Let’s go, Talen.”
I got up and headed out of the room with the flash of a dozen different cameras in my face. I hightailed it down the hall back to my room. Ryan was waiting in there for me and stood the moment I entered, with Steven and Wendell on my tail.
“Fuck, man,” Ryan said. “You were arrested?”
“By my brother,” I nodded.
“It’s true?” Ryan said, in shock.
“How bad is this?” Steven asked, turning to Wendell.
To my amazement, Wendell was grinning from ear to ear. “What the hell are you so excited about?” I demanded.
“Oh, come on,” he said. “This is great publicity. Now everyone’s going to be even keener to see you fight tomorrow. The ex-con who is looking to redeem himself? The storyline practically writes itself.”
“My past is not fodder for the tabloids,” I said, through gritted teeth.
“That fodder is going to make you a star,” Wendell countered, narrowing his eyes at me.
“That’s not how I want to become a champion!” I yelled.
Ryan put an arm on my shoulder, but I shook it off and started pacing. “That question shouldn’t have been asked.”
“It was,” Wendell said, with a shrug. “There’s no point in dwelling on it.”
“He’s right, Talen,” Steven said steadily. “You have a match to fight tomorrow. The rest is just white noise, okay?”
I took a deep breath. “Okay,” I sighed.
“Good,” Steven nodded. “Now, it’s time to get your head in the game.”
Despite the turmoil of the press conference and the nagging in the back of my head, I actually managed to get a decent night’s sleep. I had a little light training the next morning and by the time evening came around, I was prepping for the fight. By seven o’clock, a car had arrived to transport me to the arena where the fight would take place. I rode with Ryan and Steven. It was a silent car ride, but silence was preferable to forced conversation.
The crowd was huge; I managed to catch a glimpse of it as I walked to the back rooms to change into my fighting clothes.
“How do you feel?” Ryan asked, pausing a little to hear the roar of the crowd.
“Fine,” I replied shortly.
Steven entered moments later. “Conner just got here, too.” On the heels of his words came a massive roar. It felt like the ground was vibrating underneath us.
“Fuck…is that for Conner?” Ryan asked.
“Obviously,” I said, answering before Steven could. “Would you two mind giving me a moment, please?”
Steven and Ryan exchanged a glance and left together. I paced the length of the room, realizing that my determination was fast overtaking my nerves.
I had something to prove here tonight. I was the underdog and I had to show the crowd that I was worthy of being in the same ring as Kendrick Conner.
I heard the booming voice of the commentator over the microphone start to work the crowd. Another massive cheer went up through the arena, and I knew the time had almost come. I cracked my neck from side to side and removed the robe around my shoulders. I stood there in my shorts, feeling a surge of power and determination course through me.
This was it. This was where I proved myself.
A second later, Steven appeared at the door. “It’s time, Talen,” he said soberly.
I nodded and walked through the door and down the aisle towards the massive octagon. The clamor of the crowd was intense, but I managed to shield out the sound. I was aware of the commentator scream my name, and I was vaguely impressed by the cheers I received. But I also knew it would be nothing compared with the cheers that would welcome Conner.
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t concerned about screams or cheers or popularity. This was a fight – just like my whole life had been a fight. In some ways, I had been working towards this moment since I was a kid. I entered the ring and waited. The crowd went wild when the commentator made the second introduction. I stood there and watched as Kendrick Conner made his appearance.
He was a huge man – larger than I was, taller than I was, and so physically imposing that he looked like a creature from another planet. The man was sheer power, scarier in person than he was on screen...but it didn’t faze me. I stared at him and told myself that it wouldn’t be a true victory unless I was really challenged.
Conner entered the ring and threw off his robe in dramatic fashion. His muscles rippled into infinity, but I realized how little he intimidated me. At the end of the day, he was just a man. And, what it came down to in the end was skill, observation, and calculation.
Conner had fought enough matches for me to know his moves, his weaknesses and his strengths. But he had no idea what kind of fighter I was. He was about to learn soon enough that I was an unpredictable one.
I felt the lights change in the massive arena and instantly the atmosphere shifted, too. The first bell rang, and I heard Steven call my name from behind the ring. I turned to him.
“You can do this,” he said.
I nodded. I knew I could do this. I had to. This was my one opportunity to show the world I was worth something. I wasn’t just another tattooed thug off the streets.
The second bell went off and Conner approached me with a smile on his face. I could see it in his eyes. He believed he had already won this match. But I was about to prove him wrong.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brittany
“Danny?” I yelled. “Where are you?”
“Just getting some popcorn,” he yelled back from the kitchen. “It hasn’t started yet, has it?”
“No, but the press conference is about to,” I replied. “They’re playing it right before the fight.”
Danny emerged from the kitchen with a huge bowl of popcorn in his hands. Lacey grabbed three beers from the fridge and popped it on the booth. Then she slid into the seat beside me.
“Man, I’m actually nervous.”
“Nervous?” I repeated. “I’m dying here! What if he gets hurt?”
“It’s possible,” Danny said unhelpfully as he sat down opposite Lacey and I. “The MMA is no joke. Fighters sustain terrible injuries all the time.”
“Thanks, Daniel,” Lacey said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Shut up now.”
“Oops,” he said, glancing at me. “Sorry… It’s just…it’s better that you’re prepared.”
I sighed and then I noticed the TV screen. “Okay, okay,” I said quickly. “The press conference is starting. Everyone be quiet.”
We saw a small introduction and then the door opened and Talen walked in, followed by his trainer. He looked incredibly handsome in his white shirt and navy blue tie. His blue eyes were incredibly prominent, even through the screen.
“He cleans up nice,” Lacey said appreciatively.
I could see Talen was obviously not in his comfort zone. He rarely made eye contact with the cameras and didn’t smile at all. He answered the first question in his typical abrupt and honest manner. It seemed to endear him to the group of reporters, however, and as the press conference continued, I started to relax.
“He’s doing well, isn’t he?” I asked, checking with Lacey and Danny to make sure I wasn’t just biased.
“He’s doing well,” Danny nodded. “He comes off as authentic. He doesn’t look like he’s putting on a show for anyone’s benefit. I think that will help him.”
“That and those baby blues,” Lacey said, giving me a little wink. “I’m sure his looks will help him a lot, too.”
I smirked at her. “He’s not a piece of meat, Lace.”
She laughed and shrugged. “He could have fooled me.”
I ignored her and turned back to the screen just as the last question was called upon. The reporter was a small made man with a ratty face and an oddly patterned tie.
“Do you have any comment on your past arrest record?” he asked.
I froze and then I turned to Lacey and Danny in shock. “He was arrested?”
“I knew it,” Danny nodded smugly.
When he didn’t get an immediate answer, the reporter continued with his line of questioning. “According to my research, you were arrested a couple of years ago,” the reedy reporter persisted. “On the charge of aggravated assault. And the name of the arresting officer was cited as Peter Burbank… Any relation to you?”
“Fuck,” Lacey said, turning to me. “He has a brother named Peter, doesn’t he?”
I nodded. “And, he is a policeman.”
“Fuck,” she said again, looking wide-eyed.
We watched as Talen refused to comment and then was ushered away by his coach and his promoter. Then the fight was teased for a minute before the screen cut to more advertisements.
“Geez,” Lacey breathed. “He didn’t answer.”
“I knew he was kind of a bad boy…but-”
“He never mentioned the arrest?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“What was the charge?” Danny asked. “Aggravated assault?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “And apparently, his brother was the one who brought him in.”
“Complicated family history,” Lacey said, raising her eyebrows at me.
“Seems like it,” I nodded. “Looks like I’m not the only one with a messed up past.”
“So, serious question,” Lacey said with a straight face. “Does this make him more or less attractive to you?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “You are something else.”
“What?” she demanded. “It’s a legitimate question. Personally, he just got much, much hotter in my eyes.”
“Back off,” I said jokingly. “You have Ryan.”
She laughed. “I guess that answers my question.”
“Hey, the fight’s about to start,” Danny said, alerting our attention to the television once again.
I started to feel my nerves ratchet up again as we fell silent. Talen’s name was announced and he appeared from the tunnel shirtless, wearing nothing but blue shorts. His body was on point, a testament to how hard he worked out. His body was pure muscle, and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
“Damn, he looks hot in those little shorts,” Lacey said, giving me a little wink.
I smiled without taking my eyes off Talen. I watched him enter the ring. His face was somber, serious and focused. I knew he was ready for this fight, I could see it in his ocean blue eyes.
And then the commentator was introducing Talen’s opponent. I waited with baited breath to see whom Talen would be fighting tonight. I gasped audibly when Kendrick Conner emerged from his tunnel.
“That’s who he’s fighting?”
“You’ve seen him before,” Danny reminded me.
“He looked smaller somehow,” I said.
The man was gigantic. He looked like a The Mountain from Game of Thrones. He threw off his robe as he stepped into the ring, and I felt my confidence dip downwards. If I had thought Talen was pure muscle, I didn’t have the words to describe this guy.
“Fuck,” Lacey said beside me. “The guy’s a monster.”
I lifted my hand up to my mouth and started biting my nails. It was a habit I had given up years ago, but at that moment, it was the only thing I could think of to do.
The bell went off and the fight started. Both men circled each other carefully, approaching one another in the center of the ring. I noticed that Conner had a smile on his face and knew he was feeling cocky. Talen, on the other hand, had no smile on his face. He looked hyper focused and extremely determined.
“Should we make bets?” Danny asked.
“Shut up,” I almost screamed. “Nobody say a word.”
I kept my eyes glued to the screen as it began. As I had expected, Conner made the first move. He swung to the right with his massive fist. I almost screamed, but Talen ducked at the last minute and avoided the blow. I realized how fast Talen was. His smaller size gave him that advantage, at least. He was quicker on his feet – so much so that his movements looked almost graceful as he worked the ring, throwing Conner into frenzy.
As the fight progressed, I realized something. There was a strange kind of beauty to the fight. It wasn’t just violence and punches. It was a game of strategy and skill. One wrong move and things could turn deadly, but if the players were evenly matched, it made for an intense watch.
Conner was a beast and was obviously experienced, but as the fight continued, I realized Talen was holding his own.
He might not have been as strong or as experienced as Conner, but he was smart, he was cunning in his movements, and he had obviously studied Conner well. There were moments when he even seemed to predict Conner’s next move before he had made them.
As the first round drew to a close, I realized Conner was getting more and more aggressive with his assaults. At one point, he managed to grab Talen bodily and throw him down onto the floor. The sound his body made when it hit the ground made me cringe with pain. But Talen was up within seconds. I could see the bruise blossom on his back, but Talen didn’t even seem to notice.
“He’s not going to make this round,” Danny said softly.
“Don’t say that,” I begged. “He’s made it this far.”
“He seems to be getting tired,” Lacey observed.
I tasted copper, and when I glanced down, I realized that the nail I was biting was bleeding. Uncaringly, I turned back to the screen just in time to see Conner send a punch in Talen’s direction. Talen saw it coming and ducked, but it was too late. Conner’s fist made contact with the side of his jaw, and Talen went flying into the ropes. His knees buckled and he collapsed. The bell went off – Conner had taken the first round.
“Fuck,” Danny breathed. “He tried, though…you’ve got to give him that.”
“There are two more rounds,” I said desperately.
“If Conner takes the next round, there won’t be a third, Brit,” Danny explained gently. It was almost as though he and Lacey had already written Talen off.
“Talen’s going to take the second round,” I said fiercely.
Lacey and Danny exchanged a glance, but neither one said another word. A few minutes later, the second round was announced. I noticed Talen looked a little more revitalized as he stepped back into the ring. Conner seemed almost complacent, as though he understood already that he had won.
I realized later that it was probably that attitude that cost him the second round. He was so overly confident that he let his guard down. Talen took the second round in record time to the sound of the crowd going wild with shock.
Conner looked like he was in shock, too. His face was sour, and the smile had completely disappeared from his face. The second round hadn’t been a clean victory for Talen, however. He was bleeding from the chest, and there were a few more bruises blossoming on his body. But he had won the crowd. They were chanting his name with invigorated fervor, and Lacey and Danny joined in.
I laughed at the two of them, feeling my spirits lift a little. Talen really did have a shot, and I wasn’t going to give up hope just yet.
When the third round started, I wrung my hands together and uttered a silent, desperate prayer. If he won this round, he would take the victory and would become a champion in his own right.
I studied Conner’s face, and what I saw there scared me a little. This time, he wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. He had abandoned his cocksure attitude, which meant he would be on the alert. He wasn’t going to make a win easy for Talen.
The fight started, but it was more like a dance. It was a brutal dance to be sure, but there was something oddly mesmerizing about it. My heart was in my mouth the whole time, but I couldn’t look away.
Ten minutes in, Conner charged at Talen. He was so huge that Talen had no way to escape. Even his quick feet couldn’t help him. Cornered by the ring, Talen could only shield his face as Conner sent punch after punch at him. It was a fully-fledged assault, and at one point, I had no choice but to lower my gaze. I felt moisture prick at my eyes, but I blinked back tears and gritted my teeth. It wasn’t over yet, and I wouldn’t let myself be disappointed until I knew the result.
“Fuck,” I heard Danny utter.
When I looked up at the screen, it was to see Conner punch Talen’s torso. He was already bruised and bloodied, and the force of the hit sent him reeling. Despite it all, he managed to stay on his feet. For a moment, I thought he would fall, but to my amazement, he swerved, zigzagged out of Conner’s grasp, and hit him hard in the back. Without pausing, Talen sent a kick to the back of Conner’s knees and the mammoth man fell.
I held my breath as Talen circled around to face Conner. He pinned him down with one hand while he kept punching with the second.
“Oh God,” I heard Lacey cry.
I watched in amazement as the third bell went off and the crowd went wild. “Oh my God,” I breathed. “Does this mean… Is this…”
“I think… I think he just took the match,” Danny whispered in awe.
“No…”
“I think he just beat Kendrick Conner,” Danny yelled.
I was about to scream with joy when my eyes fell onto Talen’s bruised body. They were declaring him champion, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. It seemed all his focus was going towards just remaining upright.
“Oh God,” I said, realizing what was happening. “I think something’s wrong.”
The moment the words were out of my mouth, Talen collapsed. I felt the gasp lodge itself in my throat. I stared until they took him away on a stretcher. I stared at the screen until it had faded to black and there was nothing more to hold on to.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Talen
My head hurt, and that was normal. But today, I realized my face hurt, too. Surely that wasn’t normal? Why the fuck did my face hurt so badly? I tried to open my eyes and realized my left eye was fused shut. I managed to get my right eye open, and the image I saw was a foggy room that looked suspiciously like a hospital.
“Well, well,” said a familiar voice. “Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up.”
“Sam?” I asked, in confusion.
“Well, of course, numbskull,” I asked. “It’s me, your favorite brother.”
Sam stepped into my line of vision, and his face became clear all of a sudden. He looked down at me cheerfully, without offering any explanation as to where I was or what I was doing there.
“I think congratulations are in order,” he said brightly.
“Where the hell am I?” I demanded impatiently.
He chuckled. “I like your fighting attitude. I can see how you won the match.”
“I won?”
“You did,” Sam nodded. “Hence the congratulations.”
It started to come back to me in drips and drags, and then suddenly, the whole night came flooding back. I tried to sit up, but my body didn’t seem to be willing to cooperate.
“You’ll need to take it easy for awhile,” Sam said, cautioning me. “You won, but you still had a pretty rough night. Conner gave as good as he got.”
“I collapsed, didn’t I?” I asked, cringing at the thought.
“Only a little,” Sam said in amusement. “You waited till they declared you champion, though. You had that moment, at least.”
“I don’t remember much after I knocked him out.”
“You wouldn’t,” he nodded. “You were dead on your feet. I’m amazed you had it in you to knock him out in the first place.”
“I told myself that if I brought him to his knees, that was enough.”
“It was more than enough,” he smiled. “You are now officially the underdog that took the championship from Kendrick Conner.”
I smiled. “When did you get here?”
“This morning,” Sam replied. “We all got flights over here the moment we saw you collapse in that ring.”
“All?”
“Peter and Madison, Alan and Jessica, John, Mom, and Mia,” Sam recited. “Kami wanted to come, but she’s too pregnant now to travel.”
“Mia came?” I asked. “What about Renni?”
“Vanessa’s babysitting,” he replied. “We had a time leaving her behind. She kept insisting she wanted to come and see Uncle Talen with us, but she has school and we didn’t know what condition you’d be in.”
“I can’t believe everyone came down here,” I said somberly.
“Why are you surprised? It’s what families do.”
I wanted to say something appreciative, but the words were lodged in my throat. I just wasn’t the kind of guy who could say that kind of thing easily. I tried to formulate a thank you in my head first, but I knew I’d never be able to say them.
“Where is everyone?” I asked instead.
“They’re in the cafeteria,” Sam replied. “Getting some food. We’ve been waiting quite a few hours for you to wake up. They should be on their way up now, though. Everyone’s going to be so relieved that you’re awake and lucid.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t be?”
“Well, you didn’t look so good when we first saw you,” he said. “Not that you look much better now, but it’s different now that you’re awake.”
Sam and I both heard voices at the same time and I recognized some of them immediately. Sam headed for the door and stuck his head out. “Guess who’s awake?” I heard him ask.
A moment later, he held the door open wide and my brothers walked in with their wives in tow and our mother at the head of the pack. She walked straight towards me and took my hand.
“Thank God you’re all right,” she sighed, her eyes wide with love.
It made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t shy away from her touch like I would have on a normal day. I held her hand and allowed the moment to continue.
They crowded around my bed, talking, teasing, and congratulating me on my fight the night before. The only people missing were John’s partner and Sam’s stepdaughter. Apart from that, the whole family had dropped their lives and flown down just to make sure I was okay. None of them had thought to send just one representative. The fact that everyone had come meant more to me than I could say.
That thought led me to think of Brittany. I recalled her brutal meeting with her father and the hurt she had endured because of him. I knew she would kill for this kind of family unit, something I had taken for granted in recent years. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; it was just that I felt out of place sometimes among them, so I avoided rather than confronted. I kept to myself rather than engaging to closely with any of them.
My eyes met Peter’s, and he gave me a smile. “I must say, I was impressed with you last night,” he said. “You were…something else.”
“You think so?”
“There was a moment there that I didn’t think you’d make it,” Peter said. “But you proved me wrong.”
I smiled. “I never thought I’d hear those words.”
“Don’t get used to them,” he smirked at me.
I laughed, but that hurt my ribcage so I stopped abruptly. Everyone settled into the tiny space, making room where there was none. About a half hour later, the door opened and the doctor walked in. He looked around in obvious shock at how many people were crowded around the small hospital room.
“Having a party, Mr. Burbank?” he asked in obvious amusement.
“We’ll clear the room, Doctor,” John said, rising instantly. “And, let you have some privacy.”
Everyone cleared out except for Sam. It was almost like an unspoken agreement between us that he should be the one to stay. I noticed that Mom hesitated at the door, her eyes lingering on me uncertainly for a moment.
“Mom?” I called.
“Yes?” she turned to me hopefully.
“Will you stay?”
She smiled and nodded. “Of course,” she said as she came to stand beside Sam.
The doctor was a short, balding man with large round glasses and a well-kept beard. I wasn’t sure of his name, but at that point, I didn’t really care. He seemed to know Sam, however, and I figured that they’d exchanged a few words while I had been unconscious.
“How’s he doing, Doc?” Sam asked in his usual friendly manner.
The doctor pursed up his lips, and I knew instantly that I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “I have some…not so good news,” he started.
I took a deep breath. “Tell me.”
“You’re sustained some heavy injuries,” the doctor said. “Most of which will heal with time and rehabilitation. But there’s a more pressing concern…”
“Which is?” Mom asked.
“Your CAT scans detected some swelling in your brain,” the doctor said. “It’s caused by trauma to the head.”
“Okay…” I nodded. “What does that mean exactly?”
“If you sustain any more damage like this, it could lead to permanent brain damage.”
Mom sucked in her breath, and I saw Sam’s face turn pale.
“What are you saying, Doctor?” I asked directly.
“You might have to consider an early retirement Talen,” the doctor said sympathetically. “Continuing to fight means seriously risking your health. If the swelling in your brain increases… There’s little medicine can do once the damage is done.”
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I refused to accept that this was the end of my MMA career. I had only just begun. I had finally made a name for myself and now I was expected to just give it up? That didn’t make any sense to me. I couldn’t do it.
“Maybe we should give you a moment?” Sam asked.
I looked up and nodded. Slowly, they cleared the room. Mom squeezed my hand before she left, and Sam gave me a sympathetic smile before the door shut on them. I stared at the ceiling for a moment, but I didn’t want to think about the swelling in my brain. I realized with a start, that what I really wanted to do was see Brittany.
Acting on the whim, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. There were seven missed calls from Brittany. I returned her call, and she picked up almost immediately.
“Talen?” she cried, the moment she heard my voice. “Oh God… I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” I said, my voice was a little croaky.
“I watched the fight,” she said. “You were amazing… But when you fell, I thought I was going to lose it.” She was talking fast, and I realized she’d been waiting to hear from me. “I’m working on getting a passport so that I can fly over and see you. It should only take three or four months…”
I laughed. “I’m coming back in a few days, Brittany,” I told her. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Really?” she gasped. “You promise?”
“I promise,” I told her.
Chapter Thirty
Brittany
“Do you think streamers are too juvenile?” I asked nervously, glancing around at the diner.
There were already a bunch of balloons everywhere and I was worried the diner looked a little too much like a kid’s birthday party. I had taken the liberty of contacting Ryan, who had taken it upon himself to call a few of the people from the training facility that Talen knew. Talen’s trainer and his promoter were both there, including a couple of other guys that Talen had apparently trained with. He had never actually mentioned them to me, but I decided to trust Ryan on this one.
“Urgh, this is awful isn’t it?” I said, looking around. “He’s not five years old.”
“Brit, you need to calm down,” Lacey said, putting her hands on both my shoulders and giving me a little shake. “Seriously…”
“No, I mean, look at the place,” I said, gesturing around wildly.
“I’ve seen it,” she nodded calmly. “These are the streamers you chose and those are the balloons you chose.”
“What was I thinking?” I groaned in embarrassment. “He’s going to hate it!”
“I don’t think he’ll care,” she said, rolling her eyes at me.
“Well, I care,” I snapped.
Lacey eyed me suspiciously. “Do you love this guy or something?”
I blanched at her, taken back by the question. “I…ugh… I just want things to look nice, okay?” I said, defensively.
But her question had forced me to actually think about it. Was I in love with Talen? I had never been in love before so I had no frame of reference. The flashing and ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. It was Talen.
“Hi, you,” I said, answering quickly.
“I landed a few hours ago,” he replied. “Just settled back into my apartment. I’m headed over to the diner now.”
“Great,” I said happily. “I’ll see you soon.”
I felt a fever of anticipation in my belly as I hung up. As I put down my phone, I noticed Lacey eyeing me. “Talen’s on his way?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re blushing.”
“It’s the heat… I mean, the cold.”
She laughed and nodded. “Sure, sure,” she said.
Ryan came up behind Lacey and grabbed her from the back. “Damn, girl,” he growled. “You look good enough to eat.”
She turned in his arms and gave him a little wink. “There’s a back room; you can try eating me in there.”
“Eww,” I yelled. “I would tell you guys to get a room, but then…you probably will.”
Lacey and Ryan laughed together. I walked a little closer and glanced at some of the other guys Ryan had brought with him. “Ryan?” I asked. “Who are these guys?”
“They train at the same facility,” he replied.
“And, Talen’s friends with all of them?”
“Umm… I never said that.”
“Ryan!”
“Talen’s a recluse, okay?” he said. “He doesn’t really make friends easily. He didn’t even really want to talk to me and I was his training partner. But I’m persistent and annoying, so he had little choice there.”
I laughed.
“Plus, what kind of party would it be if there was all of five people present?”
“Probably the kind of party that Talen would enjoy,” I said.
“Hmm…you’re probably right,” Ryan nodded. “Oh well, it’s too late now.”
He pulled Lacey towards him and kissed her full on the mouth. She pushed him away and punched him lightly in the chest. “Behave yourself,” she said.
“You know I never do,” he told her. “That’s why you like me.”
“What makes you think I like you?” she demanded.
I rolled my eyes at their banter and walked away, giving them a moment’s privacy. I walked around behind the breakfast counter to make sure all the food was ready. After Talen’s generous gift, I had a little breathing room, which meant I could put aside some money for the party. It was really the least I could do to show him how much I appreciated what he had done for me. It was also a way to show him I was glad he was okay.
About twenty minutes later, I saw his car pull up and I ran outside to greet him. “Talen!” I said, with elation. “You’re here.”
“I said I would be,” he said, in amusement. “You look nice.”
I was wearing jeans and a black sweater. “Thanks,” I said, noticing the condition of his face as he walked closer. “I wish I could say the same about you.”
He smiled. “You should have seen me a few days ago,” he replied. “It was pretty gruesome.”
As he walked up to me, I reached up and touched the bruised side of his face. “Does it hurt?”
“It did,” he nodded. “Now it’s just a little sore. Nothing I can’t handle, though.”
I smiled. “I knew you would win.”
“Did you now?” Talen asked, with one raised eyebrow. “Even after I lost the first round?”
I smiled. “I’m not saying I didn’t have my doubts. I just… Somehow I knew you’d come through and give them all a show. I saw the determination in your eyes when you stepped into that ring last week. After that, I just… I believed you could do it.”
“Thank you,” he said softly. He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips.
“Does that hurt?” I asked, pulling away a little.
He smiled. “It’s worth the pain.”
I laughed and stroked his face gently again. “You wanna go inside?”
“I can see you have a welcome party waiting for me inside,” he said, glancing at the windows of the diner.
“Ryan didn’t think five people was enough for a party,” I said. “So he invited a bunch of guys from the training facility.”
“Typical,” Talen said, rolling his eyes. Then he smiled, and I knew he didn’t mind so much. We headed into the diner together and immediately were welcomed with a chorus of cheers.
A couple of guys shouted “champion,” Ryan was screaming nonsensically, and everyone else was clapping loudly. I realized that despite the fact that the guys Ryan had invited didn’t really know Talen that well, they were still impressed with his accomplishment and were eager to celebrate his victory. It was pure loyalty; Talen was part of their group at the training facility, and if he could make it big, it was a reminder that they could, too, one day.
Talen smiled at the cheers and bowed his head in response. “Thanks, guys,” he said quietly.
Steven came forward and shook his hand. “I have to say, Talen,” he said. “You proved me wrong. I honestly didn’t think you had a chance in hell of winning against Conner. I should have had more faith in you, especially as your coach.”
“Hey,” Talen said, shaking his head. “No hard feelings.”
One by one, everyone started coming up to Talen as though he were a celebrity. And I realized suddenly that in MMA circles, he probably was. I watched proudly as everyone congratulated him and patted him on the back with looks of awe.
We spent a couple of hours mingling with everyone at the diner, and I realized that Talen actually seemed at ease with the crowd that had gathered to celebrate his return home and his victory. The stiffness that had usually surrounded him had lifted a little, and he was actually smiling more freely and talking more openly. Ryan was in his element, and if there were any silent moments, he filled them up with his raucous manner. Finally, after a few hours had passed, Talen slipped behind the counter and put an arm around me.
“Thank you for doing this for me,” he whispered. “It was sweet of you.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”
“To be honest, me neither,” he replied. “But I actually had a pretty good time tonight. The other guys…they’re decent guys.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you’re having a nice time.”
“But as nice a time as I’m having, I would like to leave now and spend some alone time with you.”
They were words I’d been longing to hear all night and it was easy to agree to that request. We made our excuses, said goodnight, and headed over to Talen’s apartment. The moment he closed the door behind him, he took my hand and led me to the sofa. We sat down together, facing one another.
“I wanted to wait till we were alone to say this to you,” I said before he spoke. “Thank you so much for the car, Talen. You have no idea how much it meant to me to come home and find it in my parking spot. And when I read your note-”
“You don’t have to thank me, Brittany,” he said quickly, cutting me off.
“No, not a chance,” I said. “If you’re going to gift me with a car, then you’re going to have to let me thank you properly.”
He smiled self-consciously. “You deserve a better car.”
“I love that car,” I said emphatically. “I couldn’t have picked a better one out myself.”
He laughed.
“Seriously, Talen,” I said, grabbing both his hands. “I’ve never had anyone in my life who has helped me the way you have. Even my own father…even he turned his back on me when I needed him the most. Some would argue that you’re a complete stranger to me and yet…”
“I’ve been in the same situation you are in, Brittany,” Talen said softly. “It sucks not to have people to rely on. I suppose the biggest difference between us is that you genuinely don’t have anyone to turn to. I have lots of people I could have gone to. I was just too proud.”
“Are you talking about your family?”
Talen nodded slowly. “I woke up in my hospital room and… Sam was there. All of them were, actually. They had dropped their lives to come and make sure I was okay.”
I smiled. “You’re lucky.”
“I realized that this past week,” he nodded. “It took me awhile, but it finally hit me. I have a pretty great family – if only I’d let them in.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I suppose I’m scared of losing them,” Talen sighed.
“Losing them?” I asked, frowning at him.
He smiled. “I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I’ll try and explain it as best I can. The thing is…my mother left when I was five and my father died when I was ten. I think a part of me internalized those losses to such an extent that I couldn’t take any more. I suppose I distanced myself from the family so that it wouldn’t hurt so much if I did happen to lose anyone.”
I reached out and held his hand. “Maybe now that you’re aware of that, you can work to change it?”
Talen nodded. “I’m trying.”
I smiled at him, but his eyes had turned weary. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I have something I need to tell you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What is it?” I asked, bracing myself.
“My injuries are a little more than meets the eye.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a little…swelling in my brain.”
I gasped, but Talen held fast to my hand. “The doctor said it would go down, that it hasn’t caused permanent damage. He said that I wouldn’t have any major deficiencies.”
“Is it because of the fighting?”
Talen paused, and I had my answer immediately. “It is.”
“And, what did he recommend?” I asked.
“He recommended I stop fighting,” Talen said. “But… I can’t do that, Brittany. I’ve come too far to turn back now. I can’t just turn my back on the MMA. I have to keep going…”
“Even if it means risking your health?” I asked quietly.
He was quiet for a moment. “This is the life I chose. I have to see it through.”
I was dying to say something. I was ready to plead with him to reconsider – for my sake if not his. But I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I wanted Talen to be safe. But more importantly, I wanted him to be happy. So I held onto his hand and kept silent.