LAUREN

 

The gym was the last time Derek touched me for a week, telling me he needed to reserve his energy for the fight. We spent every night together, but we didn’t even kiss as he said his resolve would waver and he needed all the help he could get.

Entering Derek’s apartment for the first time unsettled me. There was artwork on the walls and vases filled with fake flowers which I knew he hadn’t chosen. Even the colour scheme, bold and bright, reminded me another woman had been here.

It was the night of the fight and I was waiting on Derek as he anxiously fluffed his hair. “I don’t even know why I’m worried, it’s just going to get all sweaty and flat under the headgear anyway,” he said.

I leaned against the white tiles in the bathroom. “You’ll be great.” I smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

He turned to face me, giving up on fixing whatever he thought was wrong with his hair. He was dressed in a matching tracksuit, his dinner suit hanging in a bag over the bathroom door. “Did I tell you Hofstadter pulled out?”

“He did?”

Derek grabbed the suit and walked out the door. “Yep. Couldn’t handle the thought of losing to me. Whimp.”

“So who are you fighting now?”

Derek shrugged. “Does it matter?” He bounced on his feet a few times and threw quick, short jabs into the air. “Whoever it is, is going to suffer.”

“You’ve remembered it’s for charity, haven’t you?”

“You know that even charity fights are real, don’t you?” He swung me around and pulled me close. “I can’t wait until after the fight either,” he said, kissing me firmly before pulling away. “Oh yeah. You and me after the fight.” He let out a whoop and pumped the air.

I looked in the hallway mirror, ignoring the ornate gold-plated frame that Derek would have never chosen, and studied my reflection. I had bought a tight, silver dress for the occasion that hugged all the right curves and hid all the wrong ones. Derek had insisted on paying for me to get my hair and makeup done and my hair fell in thick loose curls around my face. Even I thought I looked pretty. 

I had tried to get Peta and Shrek tickets but they were all sold out, so I was resigned to sitting with a group of Derek’s workmates. My old workmates. I imagined the entire night smiling stiffly while they all internally commented on the state of my relationship. I would have refused to go if Derek hadn’t been so desperate to have me there.

We pulled up in the taxi and Derek kissed me before heading off to where the fighters waited to be called to the ring. I scanned the crowded room, looking for Derek’s workmates who waved me over. Doing my best to make small talk, I chatted politely. I had worked with these people but I barely knew them. I mainly stayed trapped inside Derek’s office and chose not to attend many of the numerous work functions and dinners they had. In hindsight, maybe I should have.

“Do you think it’s real?” Preston, the second best real estate agent in the company, leaned over and asked. Derek, of course, was the best. He managed to walk that fine line between pushy and charming and non-threatening. I looked where he nodded and saw Simon Hofstadter sitting at a table, his leg awkwardly poking out at a straight angle and wrapped in a cast.

“I don’t see why he would be faking,” I replied, not willing to be dragged into the rivalry between the two companies.

“Derek’s got to face some little—”

I didn’t listen to the rest of what he had to say as I spotted Mark sitting across the table from Simon. It wasn’t until then it occurred to me that they had the same last name. “Excuse me for a moment,” I said, patting Preston’s arm absently and walking over to Mark.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the wife of your would-be opponent,” Mark said to his brother as he stood to embrace me. “Do you know Simon?”

“We’ve met once or twice.” I held out my hand and smiled. Derek was right, Simon was a big man and looked nothing like his brother. Only fat wouldn’t have been the word I would have used to describe him. Bulky would have suited better. If I was Derek, I would be pleased he had pulled out.

“Lovely to meet you again, my dear,” Simon said and kissed the hand I held out.

I laughed at his display. “I never knew you two were brothers.” Simon looked a little confused. “I work with Mark,” I said, nodding to Mark.

“You don’t work with your husband anymore?”

I shook my head. “He was my fiancé. Sorry,” I corrected, “is my fiancé.” I stalled, knowing that wasn’t right either. “We haven’t worked together for a few months now.”

“Well if you’re ever looking to move on, I know of someone who would be only too grateful to nab a personal assistant with skills such as your own.” He winked and said, “Me.”

“That’s very kind of you but I’m quite happy where I am for the moment.”

Simon smiled and pulled out the chair beside him, indicating I should sit. “Well, I owe enough to your workplace as it is for getting me out of this pickle.”

“I’m sorry?” I turned to Mark for an explanation but he wouldn’t meet my eye.

“Oh, Mark here organised for one of your workmates to take my place in the fight. Some young whippersnapper that’s sure to knock the stuffing out of your fiancé there. No offence,” he said, patting my knee.

I felt the colour drain from my face. “Mark?”

Mark shrugged his shoulders and took a swig at the bottle of beer in front of him. “Gabe was only too happy to oblige. He literally jumped at the chance, in fact. It was just handy that he was already approved to step in, having a membership to the training gym and all.” He raised his eyebrows. “Is there a problem, Lauren?”

I thought back to Gabe, fists flying into the boxing bag time and time again. There was no way Derek could face him. He would kill Derek.

“Excuse me,” I said, glaring at Mark. “I need to go and try to convince Derek to pull out of the fight.”

I ran out the doors in search of Derek and found him skipping in the hallway, his trainer beside him.

“May I speak to Derek alone for a moment?” I asked, and Evan walked away, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“What’s wrong?” Derek bounced on the spot, looking at me, concerned.

I held my hand out. “Can you stop that for a minute?” He stopped skipping and I took a step closer. “I don’t want you to fight.”

Derek laughed and started skipping again. “It’s a little late for that now, Lauren. It’s sweet you’re worried about me though.” He smacked his lips together in a kiss.

“I heard the guy you’re fighting is young and probably a lot fitter than you. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Derek stopped skipping again and pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll be fine. And you know what young means, don’t you?”

“Fast?” I offered.

Derek shook his head. “Inexperienced.”

“But not always,” I insisted, thinking once again of Gabe’s fists and the way his feet quickly danced across the floor.

“I’ll be fine. Now off you go.” He turned me away and slapped my backside.

Rounding the corner, I ran straight into Gabe. He had barely talked to me since that night at the café, and had called in sick a lot. It had almost got to the point where Peta was considering giving him a formal warning. That was saying a lot for Peta. As strict as she sometimes appeared, she hated confrontation.

“Lauren?” He seemed as surprised to see me as I was him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed at him.

He smirked and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms, those beautiful arms, across his chest. “I’m just helping out at a charity gig.”

“Helping out? You knew you would be fighting Derek.”

“That was just an added bonus,” he replied. “Really, I’m just doing it out of the goodness of my heart.”

“You’ll hurt him.” I stepped closer and put my hand on his arm.

He stared down at my fingers splayed across his skin and then back up at me. “That’s the point. And aren’t you afraid that I’ll get hurt?” He looked at me so intently my pulse rose with each moment that passed. “Break up with him and I’ll pull out of the fight,” he said suddenly.

“You would stoop to that?” I replied, jerking my hand back.

“I would,” he said. “And much, much more.” His voice was dark and filled with gravel. “You’re all I can think about.”

“Even while kissing Haleigh?” I shot back at him and then scolded myself for getting pulled into his game.

“Especially while kissing Haleigh.”

My god, he was sexy, even with another woman’s name on his lips. What was wrong with me? My heart hammered in my throat and he smirked, knowing the effect he had on me. I wanted to walk away but my legs wouldn’t move. In the end, he was the one that left.

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he called behind him.

I couldn’t eat the meal when it was set before me. I couldn’t hold even the smallest of conversations. Derek’s workmates teased me about being nervous for him. They called me sweet. If only they knew the truth.

I almost left. My insides felt like they were being torn in two. And then ‘Killing in the Name’ blared across the sound system and Gabe walked down the line of carpet to the boxing ring. The crowd cheered and whooped as he removed his shirt and strutted around the ring, lifting his arms and egging the crowd on. He met my eyes and lifted an eyebrow in an unasked question. I looked away.

Derek’s entrance paled in comparison and my heart sank for him. Even though no one else would be able to tell from his demeanour, I knew he was freaking out. He blew me a kiss across room and I felt like crying.

“Am I too late?” a voice drawled behind me. The lying-man-stealing-bitch sat down on the chair beside mine. The entire table fell quiet.

“What?” she said and placed her handbag under her seat. “I paid for my ticket just like the rest of you.”

“Tracey,” Preston said. “We thought you weren’t coming.”

“Really?” She turned and smiled at me. “I told Derek last night I was.”

Without a word, I rose from the table and walked over to Mark who pulled out the seat beside him. “Is that who I think it is?” he asked.

I nodded and breathed deeply, trying to calm the seething anger bubbling beneath the surface. Suddenly, I didn’t care so much if Derek got hurt.

He patted my hand. “Sometimes this town is entirely too small.”

The bell sounded and Derek threw the first punch but Gabe ducked away easily and grinned at the crowd. He was toying with Derek.

Mark reached across and filled my glass to the brim. Leaning over, I slurped enough so I could lift it, and then held it in salute to Mark. He picked his glass up, knocked it against mine and then we both downed the whole lot.

I tried to avoid looking at what was going on in the boxing ring, but there were large screens projecting the action everywhere. Derek threw a few more punches which Gabe avoided easily. And when Gabe decided to hit back, it connected with Derek’s jaw, knocking him sideways. The room went silent as he swayed on his feet and the crowd erupted into applause as he shook his head and stood firm. The hit had unsettled him though and his training went out the window. He lunged at Gabe, throwing his punches wide and leaving himself open for Gabe to work quick, short jabs into his side.

Even Simon winced as he watched. “Keep your defence up, you idiot!” he yelled out to Derek.

Derek stumbled on his feet and blood dripped from his nose but he refused to stop. Gabe, on the other hand, was bouncing on his toes, shifting his weight from foot to foot and taunting Derek to punch him. Derek’s next swing was so wide Mark covered his eyes, knowing what was about to happen. Gabe’s glove-covered fist hit Derek squarely on the jaw again and his face flew to the side, spit and blood flying into the air. He hit the floor and lay there, still. The referee started the countdown as Derek stumbled to his knees. He made it to one foot before the referee called it and the crowd broke into thunderous applause as Gabe lifted his arms, triumphant.

“Well,” Mark said, lifting his refilled glass.

“Well,” I repeated. Gabe looked over and met my eyes before offering his hand to Derek to help him back to his feet. Derek shook his head and struggled up without help. Gabe’s song echoed across the room again and Derek stood and waited as they announced Gabe’s win by technical knockout and lifted his hand high.

Derek’s eye and nose were swollen when he appeared in front of me minutes later. He reached across and grabbed a bottle of beer, downing it in one go before slamming it back down. “What are you doing at this table?” he asked me, glaring at Simon.

“I didn’t feel like sitting at yours.” I nodded across to where Tracey was talking to Preston, leaning into him and playing with his hair. She glanced over at Derek and smiled.

“What the fuck?” Derek said. “I told her not to come.”

“So you did talk to her?”

Derek looked around the table. “Let’s not do this now.” He walked to the bar, leaving me behind as the crowd roared for the next fighters to battle it out in the ring.

Across the room, I spotted Gabe being congratulated by his friends seated on the rows of chairs that surrounded the tables. They slapped him on the back and he laughed, downing a beer in one gulp, much like Derek had just done, only for different reasons. He looked across the room and raised his second bottle to me. Dressed in a purple shirt, tie, and a dark grey suit, I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked. What was wrong with me?

When Derek finally came back to the table, his eyes were glazed and his words slurred. Goodness knew how many vodkas he had consumed at the bar.

“Fucking upstart,” he said, nodding over to where Gabe stood. He swayed and held onto the back of my chair.

“Just how much did you drink over there?”

“Not enough,” he said, still glaring at Gabe, his brows furrowing in confusion. “I know him,” he growled.

Simon snorted. “Of course you know him, he’s Hamish Thornton’s kid.”

We all knew who Hamish Thornton was. His name was well known within the real estate world, owning most of the upmarket properties and buildings in this town as well as many others, but most of his properties were in the city. I was surprised that it hadn’t occurred to me that Gabe was his son. Clearly Gabe hadn’t inherited any trust funds.

Derek swung around to face Simon. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“Nope. Hamish is here somewhere.” He rose awkwardly, his broken leg still resting on the chair in front of him, and looked around the room, shrugging his shoulders and sitting back down when he couldn’t find him.

“That little twerp is Hamish’s son?”

“I swear.” Simon held up his hands.

Even though Gabe was across the room, Derek lunged in his direction before stumbling and grabbing onto a chair.

I got up to steady him. “Maybe we should get going?” I suggested.

“Keen to get home, are we?” Derek smirked and tried to caress my cheek but ended up just mashing his hand against me.

“You’re drunk.”

“Not as drunk as I want to be.”

I hooked my arm under his shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you home.” I dragged him across the floor but unfortunately, exiting meant passing by Gabe and his group of friends. When Tracey appeared in front of us, I was almost thankful. At least she would distract Derek from Gabe.

“Hey, it’s Tracey,” Derek said, raising his beer and drinking. He leaned forward and whispered loudly. “You shouldn’t be here, my wife doesn’t like it.” He took another gulp of his beer and then turned to me. “Sorry, not wife, fiancée.” He shook his head. “Nope, not even that. Girlfriend?”

I had never seen Derek so drunk. I wasn’t even sure how he accomplished it in the time that had passed since he left the boxing ring. He leaned heavily on me and I was tempted to move away, let him fall in front of Tracey, let her clean up the mess.

“Lauren.” Tracey nodded and sipped on a straw in her wine glass.

At that moment Gabe draped his arm over Tracey and poked his head into the triangle. “Well, well, what a nice reunion we have here.”

“Not now, Gabe,” I said, trying to drag Derek towards the door.

“You know him?” Derek slurred rather loudly in my ear. His breath reeked.

“Of course she knows him.” Tracey wrapped one arm around Gabe’s waist, her eyes sliding over him.

I had visions of punching her in the face. Was it not enough that she stole my fiancé? Now she wanted Gabe, too? I took a deep breath.

“She works with him,” Tracey said.

Derek smiled, a light bulb going off in his head. “You’re the fucker that burnt my tongue.”

“The one and only,” Gabe said, bowing low.

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t tell me you knew him before the fight.”

“I didn’t think it was important.” I tugged at his arm but he dug his feet in and stood firm, seeming a little less drunk than he was before.

Gabe clutched at his heart. “Ouch. That hurt, Lauren.”

“Please Gabe,” I pleaded. “Just leave me alone.”

“You heard the woman,” Derek slurred. “Leave her alone.”

Gabe tutted under his breath, shook his head and leaned in close to Derek. “That’s not what she said the other night.” He grinned and turned his eyes to me knowingly.

My heart dropped to my feet.

“You little fucker!” Derek shouted and lunged towards Gabe, swinging madly. But Gabe was ready for him and his punch landed on Derek’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Gabe took a step back, panting with the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins and looked up at me. Tracey ran to Derek’s side and helped him to his feet as he wiped the blood from the side of his mouth. The room stilled and all eyes turned to me, so I ran.

I didn’t look to see if anyone followed. All I knew was I didn’t want them to. I needed to be alone. I needed to clear my head. Running down the entrance of the stadium, I made my way out into the foyer, accidently running straight into the very firm chest of a man juggling multiple beer bottles in his hands.

“Sorry,” I muttered, wincing as I saw the stains on his shirt.

“Watch where you’re going, would you?” the man replied, dumping the now nearly empty bottles into the trash. He looked over at me, a frown pressed between his brows, but then his expression changed and a slow and seductive smile replaced his frown.

But all it did was remind me of Gabe’s smile. Only, he wasn’t Gabe. He wasn’t Derek. It was some dark-haired, handsome, but random stranger.

“Sorry,” I muttered again, moving around him and continuing out the door.

“Wait,” he said, but whatever else he was about to say was cut off when the doors slid shut behind me.