Chapter Thirty-One
Talen
I woke up feeling glad to be back in Quebec. The time I had spent in Las Vegas had been special because my family had surrounded me, but there were quiet moments when I had missed the calm of Quebec and Brittany’s company. Now that I was back, I could sense her all around; the faint whiff of her perfume still lingered in my apartment.
She had left late last night, insisting that she needed to give me some time to rest. I had conceded only because I knew that if she had stayed, I might not have been able to keep my hands to myself. And, I wasn’t sure sex was the best thing for me right now.
So I had kissed her good night, and she had left with a smile and a concerned expression on her face. I knew she was worried about the swelling in my brain, but had seemed to understand when I told her I couldn’t just stop fighting.
I rolled out of bed, stretched lazily, and headed to the bathroom for my shower. When I was clean, I headed to the kitchen, sat at my table, and logged into my bank through my phone. I almost dropped the phone when I saw my bank account balance. For a moment, I thought I’d accidentally got into someone else’s account.
I stared at the screen for a long time before I realized that my winnings from the Las Vegas fight had come in. It was almost a half a million dollars. I had never seen that number before in my life, and it felt surreal.
“Fuck,” I breathed.
I sat at the table, staring stupidly at my phone, trying to fathom what I could do with a half a million dollars. It was more money than I had expected to have in my life. My head was spinning, and I felt like I needed to be somewhere. The roar of my stomach told me I needed breakfast, so I grabbed a fresh hoodie and headed to the diner. It was very early, but I didn’t care.
When I got there, the sign on the front still said closed, but I could see Danny standing behind the breakfast counter. I knocked on the door and he came to open it.
“Hey, man,” he said. “You’re a little early today.”
“Yeah… Do you mind if I come in?”
“No, course not,” he said. “The girls aren’t here yet.”
“I figured,” I said, sitting at the breakfast counter and looking around at the diner. “How long have you had this place for?”
He gave the interior a critical look. “Almost six years. It was a complete wreck when I first bought it, but it was all I could afford. I managed to fix it up as best I could, but it’s always looked like it’s been around for decades.”
I smiled. “Brittany’s really fond of this diner.”
“She should be,” Danny nodded. “This is the longest place she’s worked. She could probably do better elsewhere, but I know she stays out of loyalty to me. They both do.”
I nodded, looking around thoughtfully, as a thought popped into my head. “Danny?” he said. “I’d like to talk to you later today when you’re free?”
“Oh?” he asked, with raised eyebrows. “In private?”
“Preferably.”
“Okay,” he nodded. “What about?”
“About the diner,” I said vaguely.
Danny looked confused, but before he could ask more questions, the door opened and Brittany walked in. She hesitated slightly when she saw me, but then her face broke out into a jubilant smile.
“Hey, you,” she greeted, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “You’re here early.”
“I was hungry,” I said.
“I’ll get your breakfast ready,” she said immediately, walking behind the counter and into the kitchen for a moment.
Danny turned to me. “We don’t serve dinner at the diner,” he said. “It’s too much work and I don’t have the money to keep it running for another shift, so maybe we could meet here around six in the evening?”
“Perfect,” I said.
He nodded and headed into the kitchen just as Brittany was emerging with a stack of plates. She had already started my coffee and poured it into a large, generous mug.
“Are you ever going to eat a real breakfast here?” she asked.
“I’m a creature of habit,” I replied. “Brittany, I was thinking…”
“Yes?” she asked when I trailed off, looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes.
“How about dinner tonight?” I asked.
Her face lit up immediately. “That sounds lovely.”
“Great,” I nodded. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”
That evening, I dressed for my date with Brittany, but left early for my meeting with Danny. I checked to make sure the girls had already left before I walked in. He was leaning against the breakfast counter, eating a slice of his own pecan pie.
“Want some?” he asked with his mouth full.
I smiled. “No thanks.”
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” he asked curiously.
“This diner actually,” I said.
He frowned. “What about it?”
“I think it has real potential,” I said. “I’ve been coming in here for months and I’ve seen the number of diners that come through here, regulars and otherwise.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Danny asked, putting his fork down.
“I’m saying I want to invest in this place,” I said. “I want to expand it, make the diner larger, give it a complete renovation, expand the menu and the staff, and possibly even open it up for the dinner shift, too.”
“You want to do all that?” Danny asked, in amazement.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Like I said, this place has potential,” I said. “But sometimes you just need a break in order to truly realize that potential. I’m here to give you that break.”
He nodded slowly, and I could see he was sorely tempted by the offer. “It would cost a lot,” he cautioned. “I’m talking upwards of a hundred thousand dollars.”
“I understand,” I nodded.
Danny raised his eyebrows. “What’s in it for you?”
I smiled. “Ah, well… That part is simple.”
Danny and I had a long, drawn out conversation, and once we had come to an amicable agreement, I left the diner to pick up Brittany. She answered the door in a pretty white dress with sexy cut outs at the waist and hips and tall black heels. Her ebony hair fell around her shoulders in careless waves, she looked effortlessly beautiful, and I told her so. She blushed self-consciously and accepted my compliment with a smile.
We headed over to Embers. It was one of the fancier restaurants in town, and I was sure Brittany had never been before. They had an eclectic fusion menu, and I was hoping it would be a new experience for her. It certainly was for me. She was definitely intrigued as she looked around the beautiful interior of the restaurant.
“I’ve never been any place this fancy before,” she whispered to me as we were shown to our table.
“Do you like it?” I asked nervously.
“I do,” she nodded. “It’s fun to try out some place totally different.”
Our table was a private one, recessed into a corner and facing a large window that gave us a view of the streets. There were candles at our table and a rose placed on Brittany’s plate, as well as hand towels and a bottle of champagne.
“Wow,” she said in amazement. “Did you do all this?”
“Just the champagne,” I said. “The rest is part of Embers’ ambiance, I suppose.”
“Wow…”
Brittany had a hard time figuring out what to eat. There were so many new and exciting dishes to try that she was spoilt for choice. “Oh my God, they have caviar on salmon, escargot – always wanted to try that – and sushi! Oh man, you’ll have to order for me, Talen.”
I smiled, turned to the waiter and told him that we’d take a dish of everything that Brittany had mentioned she was curious about or that she wanted to try. She stared at me with wide eyes when the waiter left.
“Talen!”
“What?” I asked, with a shrug.
“That’s way too much.”
“This way you can try everything.”
“But the cost…”
“You let me worry about the cost. I’m an MMA Champion now, remember? I have money burning a hole in my pocket and I want to spend some of it.”
She smiled and shook her head. “We won’t be able to finish it all,” she pointed out.
“That’s what doggy bags are for,” I said calmly.
She shook her head at me. “I don’t think places like this let you have doggy bags.”
“We’ll see about that,” I said confidently.
Brittany laughed and relaxed into our seats. Then she looked at me coyly out of the corner of her eyes. “So?”
“Yes?”
“You never told me you were arrested.”
“Ah… you watched the press conference.”
“Of course,” she nodded. “Is it true that you’re brother was the arresting officer?”
I smiled. “It is true.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That must have been…complicated?”
“I was running with a bad crowd,” I explained. “They were dealing in drugs and firearms and a number of other things besides. I wasn’t exactly dealing myself, but I was this close to being recruited.
“My brother Peter, he had been following this particular gang for some time, trying to pin them down with some violation or the other. That was how he realized I was slowly become part of the group.
“He was following me one day when I was on my way to meet them. He cornered me, and we had words. I punched him, and he arrested me and brought me into the station.
“It was only later that I realized he had goaded me into punching him. He was looking for a reason to arrest me. He knew that once I had that black mark on my record, Maddow and the gang wouldn’t come near me with a ten-foot pole. They already knew how suspicious the cops were of them; they wouldn’t risk their operation by associating with me any further.”
Brittany’s eyes were wide. “What happened after that?”
“Peter kept me in jail for a week,” I replied. “Then he dropped the charges and let me go. I was furious with him. I didn’t speak to him for over a year. That was around the time I got into illegal MMA. I had no money, no options, and I felt as though I had no one to turn to. I didn’t realize at the time what a big favor Peter had done for me.”
Brittany smiled. “How are things between you and Peter now?”
“Civil,” I replied. “Friendly, even…but I’ve never been very sentimental, neither has Peter. So we haven’t really spoken in depth about the past. It’s just sort of…there between us.”
“Don’t you think talking it out would help your relationship?”“Maybe,” I said. “It’s a complicated one, though… Peter has always been something of a father figure in my life. It’s hard for me to differentiate between that guy and the brother in him.”
“Don’t you think it’s worth the effort?” Brittany asked.
I smiled. “We made steps this past week when I was chained to my hospital bed; that’s a start.”
“Good,” she nodded. “Family’s important, Talen People never truly appreciate what they have when they have it.”
I reached out and took her hand. It was the first time that the intimate gesture had ever felt comfortable to me. I knew Brittany was thinking about her own father, and I knew she would have given anything to have a family like mine.
We stayed like that, with linked hands, until our food arrived. Then we settled down to one of the best meals I’d ever had in my life. Even Brittany was in awe of the flavors and textures.
After dinner, I took her hand again. “Come home with me,” I said.
Brittany smiled. “Gladly,” she nodded.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Brittany
As we walked into his apartment, I felt Talen’s hand on the small of my back. I shut the door behind us and turned into his arms. He held me close for a moment and then leaned in to kiss me.
I had never been kissed so gently before in my life. It was the softest of touches, a caress of our lips, and I could feel myself tremble against him. Never had the term “he made me weak at the knees” been so appropriate than at this moment.
I pulled back for a moment, and he stared down at me unblinkingly, as though the intimacy of that kind of eye contact was no longer uncomfortable for him. I realized that it wasn’t uncomfortable for me, either. It was natural and easy. I took his hand and led him to my bedroom. I didn’t bother with the lights; I just walked him to the bed and gestured for him to sit down.
He sat down, and I stepped in between his legs. I could feel his hands on my hips. They travelled slowly downwards to my legs until he was tracing the hemline of my dress. The cut outs of my dress revealed a certain amount of skin, and he pressed his lips to there as his hands nipped up and underneath my skirt.
His hands were soft and gentle, traversing my body with all the attention of an explorer. I liked how large and warm they were. I liked how despite their heat, he could still make me shiver. His hands cupped my ass, stroking and squeezing gently so that it was more like a caress than anything else. Then slowly, he hooked his fingers around the strings of my thong and pulled it down around my ankles.
I stepped out of the thong slowly, allowing him to throw it to the side of the room. Then he turned me around and unzipped the back of my dress. I shuddered as his hands stroked my back as he did so. I wasn’t wearing a bra, so once he had slipped off the dress, I was standing naked in front of him.
I turned to face him once more, but this time, there wasn’t a stitch of clothing on me. He reached out with his fingers and traced the outline of my tattoos.
I stroked his face, loving how his eyes travelled over my body. His hands reached out and cupped my breasts, stroking them gently and squeezing the nipples between two of his fingers.
“Mmm…” I murmured, feeling an electric shock shoot through my body and hit me directly between the legs. I felt myself moisten instantly.
It was then that I reached down and pulled his shirt off to reveal the collection of tattoos and hard muscle underneath. But this time, there was more than just that, I could see the bruises and scars that were camouflaged behind the tattoos. They created an element of color to his mosaic that hadn’t been there before. There were blues and purples in several different hues, blackened reds that looked raw and violent, even subtle yellows that looked fresh and painful.
I touched my hand to the purple bruise on his chest. He didn’t even wince, but I knew how painful that kind of bruise would be.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” Talen nodded. “Not now.”
I raised my hands and linked mine with his. Understanding what I was trying to do, he rose to his feet so that I could unbuckle his pants. I pushed down his jeans and boxers together, freeing his massive hard on. Then I pushed him gently backwards onto my bed until he was lying face up, with his eyes on me.
“You’ll have to be gentle with me this time,” Talen said.
“I can be gentle,” I smiled as I mounted him, straddling him between the hips. His hands came up around my hips, and my hand came down around his erect penis. It I admired it for a moment, admiring how large and strong it looked in my fingers. The sight of it made me wetter than I already was. I longed to guide him inside me, but I also wanted to drag out the anticipation a little longer.
So I put my hands on either side of his face and bent down to him, the tops of my breasts brushing gently against his chest. I kissed his neck, his lips, and his ears. I explored him with my tongue, licking his bruises with infinite care. All the while, he had one hand on my ass, rubbing slowly in concentric circles, and the other hand on my left breast, massaging it in a titillating manner.
I could feel his penis hard against my thigh, and when I could stand it no longer, I lifted my hips and gently eased him inside me. That moment of fusing together was always the best. It felt like elation and release all at the same time. I sat down upon him, feeling the length of his cock go deep inside me, and I held his gaze for a moment.
His expression was soft and calm, but there was the undercurrent of lust and desire. He wanted to fuck me roughly, I could tell, but he knew that was not what this moment was about. We had to take it easy – and a part of me suspected that it would be even better because of that.
Slowly, I lifted and lowered my hips. He shuddered underneath me with one hand still massaging my breast. I kept going, careful never to move too fast or too suddenly. I kept the rhythm even and mild so that I didn’t send his body into shock. I kept looking at his bruises, his scars, his tattoos, and I kept thinking, there has never been a man like this before.
I kept riding him until my legs were sore, but I didn’t stop. I linked my hands with his, and we fucked in slow movement that built with intensity as the minutes ticked by.
It was halfway through that I realized we weren’t fucking at all. This was what it meant to make love. This was what it meant to have sex when your feelings were as strong as your carnal desires. I had never experienced that sensation before.
The men I’d slept with were faceless strangers who I’d had no connection with. The boyfriends I’d had were blips in my past. If I thought about them at all, it was with no particular emotion. This was different. I knew things about Talen that were intimate and private. He knew things about me that were equally personal. I didn’t just want his body; I wanted his mind, his thoughts, his opinions, and his feelings. I wanted all of him. I was greedy for him.
The thought of him with another woman sent me into a tizzy of jealousy, and I realized that my feelings for him were much more serious than I’d initially thought. I remembered what Lacey had asked me in the diner the night Talen had returned to Quebec. She had asked me if I was in love with him. I had avoided answering the question, I had even avoided thinking about the question, but I wasn’t sure I could do that for much longer.
Talen moaned underneath me, and I bent down to kiss his lips. As our tongues entwined, I adjusted myself on top of him until I could feel his cock, hard and persistent inside me. Our kiss broke apart because of the intensity of what was happening down blow. We kept our faces together as Talen and I orgasmed together in the same breath, with our eyes trained on one another.
Our moans mixed in together, and I felt my heart soar upwards before settling into a steady calm again. I wanted to fall onto his chest and stay like that forever, but I was still aware of how gentle and careful I needed to be around him. I lifted myself off him and felt his cock slip out of me. Instantly, I felt emptiness engulf me and to cover over the feeling, I settled in next to him, under the crook of his arm.
“How are you?” I asked. “Anything hurt?”
“Not a thing,” Talen replied. “You were extremely gentle.”
“As promised,” I smiled.
He kissed the top of my head. “I’ve never fucked like that before,” he said, as though he had just read my mind.
I laughed softly. “Neither have I,” I admitted. “Maybe it’s because…we didn’t fuck?”
“Meaning?”
“Maybe that was what they call ‘making love.’”
Talen’s eyes turned thoughtful for a moment. “Oh,” he said, after a moment. “So that’s what all the fuss is about. I always wondered. It just never seemed very…fun to me.”
“And now?”
“Now I get it,” he replied. “It’s more intense isn’t it? But in a different way.”
“A very different way,” I agreed. “It was like… I could almost feel what you were feeling.”
Talen nodded as his hand stroked the length of my body. “We should do that again sometime.”
“Even after you’ve recovered?”
“Definitely,” he nodded. “After I’m fully recovered, we can do it a hundred different ways until we’ve exhausted all the possibilities.”
“We could compile our own little Kama Sutra,” I laughed.
“Trust me, it’s not going to be little.”
I laughed as Talen kissed me again until we were making out like teenagers. And even that was a revelation. I had never experienced kissing to be so strong and powerful and arousing. For me, it was always a prelude to something better. But this was something in its own right. It was something that could stand on its own.
We kissed until my lips were raw and my tongue was actually tired. I felt myself turn wet again, but I didn’t want to over exert Talen’s body. I thought about compiling our own personal Kama Sutra and the thought filled me with anticipation and made me smile. Mostly, it told me that he was making plans with me, that he saw a future for us.
As we lay together, our naked bodies pressed up against each other for comfort and body warmth, I savored that illusive feeling of intimacy that could only be experienced with the right person. And then it struck me again, that meant that Talen was the right person. That meant he was the right person for me. Which also meant that I couldn’t avoid answering the question anymore. I could no longer hide behind doubt and uncertainty.
It was staring me in the face now and there was nothing to do but accept it. Had I really fallen in love with Talen Burbank? And the only answer I could find was… Yes, I had.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Talen
I woke up with Brittany’s head lying on my chest. Her hair was flung about in a hundred different directions and she looked like Snow White on her wedding morning. I kissed her gently, making sure not to jostle her, and then I just stared down at her face.
She was a beautiful woman. Her face was made up of straight lines and soft curves. She had the kind of classical beauty that never went out of style. I wondered how on earth a guy like me had ended up with this jewel.
It struck me suddenly that the thoughts I was having were…unusual. I wasn’t the kind of guy to get this sentimental. I wasn’t the kind of guy to wax rhapsodic about anyone, let alone a woman. Was it possible that my feelings had matured to such an extent that I had actually fallen in love with Brittany without even realizing it?
I hesitated for a moment, staring down at her, and I felt my heart beat a little faster. This was it then, I thought as realization dawned. This was what love actually felt like.
It was beautiful and clawing and even frightening. And suddenly I understood. I understood what my brothers had gone through when they’d met their significant others. I had always wondered what could be so powerful that it would turn hard shelled loners and hardcore playboys into straight-laced family men?
And suddenly, my own future opened up. I didn’t know how it happened. One moment, I was thinking about my brothers, and the next, I was seeing myself in a home of some sort. Brittany and I were cooking, weaving around one another in a scene of comforting domesticity. And out of the corner of my eye, I could make out a small playpen…the kind a child would need.
Was this really happening? Was I really thinking about marriage and children? I had never once entertained the thought. Marriage seemed almost…unnatural. I had always believed that and my parents’ marriage had been Exhibit A. But then my brothers had coupled off one by one, and I had been given examples of healthier, happier relationships. So I knew that it could work, but I had still never assumed it would ever work for me.
I was trying to remove the image from my brain when I realized that Brittany was staring straight at me. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide-awake and there was an amused smile playing on her lips.
“You been staring at me for a while?” she asked, against my chest.
I smiled. “Only for the last hour,” I said, only half joking.
“Such a creeper,” she teased, lifting her head up from my chest. Then she leaned in and kissed me hard on the lips. “How’s the body?”
“Doing great,” I said.
“No pain?”
“Spasms of pain here and there,” I admitted. “But sleeping next to you helps.”
Brittany laughed and got out of bed. I just leaned back to appreciate the sight. Her body was flawless – her breasts were full and high on her chest, her belly was flat, and her legs were slim and long. She reached out for the sheets to wrap around her, but I stopped her.
“You don’t need to do that,” I said.
She smiled and dropped them immediately. “If you say so.” She looked around my room and picked her dress up from the floor.
“Something the matter?”
“I have work this morning,” she said, biting her lip. “And, I don’t think this dress is exactly appropriate.”
I smiled. “We can stop by your apartment before we head to the diner?” I suggested.
“That would be great,” she nodded appreciatively.
She packed her dress into a bag I had lying around the apartment and got dressed in one of my shirts. It was so huge on her that it looked like a dress. She wore it happily to her apartment, and we went in together. I watched as she darted around, trying to find something clean to wear. Then I watched as she changed into jeans and a tight sweater before we headed back out to the car.
On the drive to the diner, she turned to me. “So…there’s this marathon that’s happening this Saturday.”
“Okay?”
“I’m going to be taking part.”
I glanced over at her. “You are?”
“Yup,” Brittany smiled. “I committed to it a few months ago with Danny and Lacey. We’re all going to be running in it. It’s this annual winter marathon they have…”
“What made you decide to participate?” I asked curiously.
“I think I wanted something to look forward to,” she replied. “And as it turns out, I happen to actually enjoy running. In any case, I was wondering if you’d like to come out and…watch? I understand if you’re busy and it might not be the most interesting-”
“Brittany, stop,” I said, reaching out and placing one hand on hers. “Of course, I’ll come. I’m happy to be there to support you.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” I assured her. “I think it’s great that you’re taking part in the first place.”
She beamed at me and nodded. “Me, too.”
When we arrived at the diner, Lacey was already there setting up. She gave us both a little wink as we walked in. “Well, hello there, you two,” she greeted. “Hitched a ride with Talen, did you, Brit?”
“Yup.”
“Is it possible that you spent the night together?” Lacey persisted.
Brittany rolled her eyes. “What’s the special for today?”
“What did you two do last night?” Lacey continued, obviously enjoying herself. “Play board games? Watch TV? Something boring, no doubt.”
“You know us well, Lacey,” I said. “That’s exactly what we did. Scrabble and Jenga…that’s what we played.”
“Is that so?” Lacey asked coyly. “And who won?”
“We both did,” Brittany said shortly.
Lacey laughed. “Oh, I bet,” she nodded.
A few minutes later, Brittany pushed a plate of toast in my direction with a cup of hot coffee. Then she leaned towards me across the counter. “I really wish you’d have a real breakfast one of these days. Danny’s actually a really good chef, you know.”
“Creature-”
“Of habit,” Brittany completed for me. “Yes, I know. But you can always adopt some new habits?”
I hesitated a moment. “You have a point,” I nodded. “Maybe I’ll try a piece of pie after the toast.”
“Excellent,” she said. “We have apple and rhubarb today.”
“Apple, please,” I said.
“Good choice,” she said, clapping her hands together as she proceeded to cut me a slice.
Just as she had placed the slice in front of me, the door to the diner opened and a bunch of people walked through. She gave me a little smile and went off to wait on them. I looked back at her, admiring the way her jeans accentuated the round perfection of her ass.
“It’s not polite to stare,” Lacey said. Clearly she had been watching me – and the direction of my gaze. “Or in your case…leer.”
I smiled. “I was just appreciating.”
“Uh-huh,” Lacey nodded, with a smirk. “Things are going good between you two, huh?”
“They are.”
“Good,” she nodded. “I suppose then it’s incumbent upon me to ask…what are your intentions with Brittany?”
I raised my eyebrows.
“I’m serious,” she said with a straight face.
“I believe you,” I nodded. “My intentions?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “You’re in Quebec only temporarily, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Which means once your training finishes, you’ll be going back home,” Lacey pointed out. “What does that mean for you and Brittany?”
The truth was that I honestly hadn’t thought about it. I had been so wrapped up in the moment that I forgot to think about the immediate future. I hesitated a moment, aware that Lacey was watching me closely. “Honestly?” I said. “I haven’t thought about it.”
“Well, start thinking,” she told me. “Brit’s a great girl, and she hasn’t had very much luck or love in her life. Now that it looks like she’s found it, I worry that losing it too early might affect her. Not that she’s needy or anything. I just-”
“It’s okay, Lacey,” I said, cutting her off. “I get it.”
Lacey nodded. “It’s just, she’s been through a rough patch…”
“I’m aware.”
“And she deserves something good.”
“I agree.”
“Okay… Well, I just wanted to be on the same page.”
I smiled. “Consider us on the same page.”
Lacey smiled. “You’re a decent guy, Talen.”
“Did you ever doubt it?”
“Slightly,” she admitted. “In the beginning. I thought you’d turn out to be a murderer.”
I frowned. “Gee, thanks for the honesty.”
Lacey laughed. “Don’t take it too personally,” she said. “I tend to jump to worst case scenario with men. I thought Ryan might be a rapist the first time I met him.”
I laughed. “I don’t blame you there – he has that look.”
“What are you two laughing about?” Brittany asked as she joined Lacey behind the breakfast counter.
“Oh nothing much,” Lacey said, giving me a little wink before disappearing into the kitchen.
Brittany turned to me. “Warming up to her, are we?”
I smiled. “She’s very protective of you.”
“Oh God,” Brittany said, her eyes going wide. “What has she been saying?”
“Don’t worry,” I laughed. “Nothing bad.”
Brittany nodded, and her expression calmed down somewhat. “So, you’re not starting training any time soon are you?” she asked. “I mean, you’ll need to heal first, right?”
“I will,” I nodded. “The doctor cleared me to start training in a month’s time. I have to go through a few check-ups with a doctor here first, but it should be okay.”
“One month?” she said, biting her lip.
“I know it’s a long time.”
She frowned at me. “Actually, I was thinking it wasn’t quite long enough.”
I smiled and took her hand. “You don’t have to worry about me, Brittany, I’m hardcore.”
“Didn’t stop you from collapsing in the ring that night,” she reminded me.
“Ouch.”
“The truth hurts,” she said gently. “I just… I don’t want to see that happen again.”
“I know,” I said, squeezing her hand.
“Excuse me, waitress?” someone from the far right table called to Brittany.
She headed off in their direction and again, I watched her walk away. Lacey was right. Brittany was an amazing person and deserved so much more than the life she’d been handed. She had done the best she could, but sometimes life just didn’t give you any handouts. I wanted to do something for her, and an idea was forming in my head. But I knew that I couldn’t accomplish it on my own.
When Brittany next approached, I started rooting around in my hoodie, as though I were looking for something.
“What’s wrong?”
“Urgh… I think I forgot my phone,” I said.
“Oh, at your apartment?”
“No, at yours,” I said. “I had it with me while you were changing and I think I left it there.”
“Oh,” she said. “No worries. I can give you my spare key and you can head over there now and get it.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” she smiled.
She retrieved her bag from under the breakfast counter and hitched out her spare set of keys. They were hanging off of Cinderella’s glass slipper.
“Nice key chain,” I smiled.
“Hey, I like fairytales,” Brittany replied. “It’s not like they ever happen in real life.”
“You never know.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “You know you don’t believe in real life fairytales, either, Talen.”
I laughed. “I’ll get these back to you as soon as possible,” I said, dangling the keys in front of her.
“Don’t worry about it,” she smiled.
I leaned in over the counter and gave her a long kiss on the lips. As I was walking out of the diner, I heard the lady named Monica make a loud comment.
“Fucking hell, you landed the hot MMA fighter,” she said. “Atta girl.”
I smiled and headed for my car.