Chapter Two

Just One More Chance

JESSIE SHOOK his head, wondering what he could do to help Jimmy, besides buy him a couple of steak dinners. Heading for the corner of the ring, he looked up and froze, his gaze captured by familiar gray eyes. He climbed through the ropes without a second thought and hopped down before heading straight for the tawny-haired young man watching his every move. Stopping a few inches away, Jessie found himself grinning like a dope.

“Eli?”

Eli returned his smile, sending Jessie’s pulse racing. “Hi, Dalton.”

“Aw, lay off,” Jessie teased. “When did you ever call me that?”

“Sorry,” Eli replied with a chuckle and shoved his hands into his pockets. The kid had always been a bit of a shy one around him. “It’s nice to see you again, Jessie.”

“It’s been what, five years?” Jessie couldn’t stop himself from giving Eli a once-over. The kid was sharp and handsome in an olive green V-neck sweater, striped tie, and brown tweed pants with matching cap. He appeared every bit the Ivy League young man he was, which also made him stick out like a sore thumb around here. In the five years since Jessie had seen Eli, the fella had become even more handsome.

“Yeah, something like that.” The intensity in Eli’s eyes had Jessie averting his gaze before he did something dumb, like give himself away. No one needed to know how happy he was to see the kid. He shouldn’t even be this happy, he reminded himself. He folded his arms over his chest and made like this meeting was of no consequence. Luckily Jasper chimed in before Jessie’s thoughts—and his eyes—went back to Eli and headed south.

“What am I? Chopped liver?”

Jessie grimaced in good humor. “Chopped liver would actually be a step up for you.” As per usual, Jasper was not amused, which in turn meant Jessie was. Greatly.

“I can see you forgot to take your anti-asshole pills again today,” Jasper muttered before jutting a finger in Eli’s direction. “Meet your new cornerman.”

And just like that, Jessie’s amusement vanished. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You needed one. I got you one,” Jasper said with a shrug, followed by a puff on his cigar. Was the thing even lit? Jessie didn’t even know anymore. What he did know was that he had never agreed to this. Grabbing Jasper’s arm, Jessie excused them for a moment and pulled the old man into Big John’s office, which thankfully was empty at the moment. He closed the door and thrust a glove out at Jasper, who didn’t think twice and started undoing the laces. “Are you nuts? The kid went to college, studied art. He should be out painting portraits of the ‘It’ crowd, not putting ice on some has-been’s ouchy.”

“First of all, don’t try to be cute, ’cause you ain’t. Second of all, the kid idolizes you. I happen to mention needing a cornerman for you, and he all but split at the seams begging me to let him do it. Besides, I think having Eli around will be good for you.”

The statement caught Jessie by surprise. “How so?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jasper propped himself on the edge of the desk and removed his cigar from his mouth, which meant he was preparing to say more than the usual cuss word or two. “Kid, we’ve known each other going on twenty years now. I know you better than you know yourself. The only time I ever saw you truly happy was when Eli was around. You ain’t been the same since that night, which, may I remind you, was not my idea.”

“I had to.” Jessie looked down at his old gloves—a reminder of better times—and did his best not to think about that night or all the ones that came after. He had done a pretty good job of filling himself full of hooch in order to keep the crushing pain in his chest at bay. After a while it had turned into a dull ache, but it had never gone away. That year, he’d lost the three things that had mattered most in his life. His title, his reputation, and Eli. The last being the most painful.

“You broke his heart,” Jasper reminded him quietly.

“I had to.” Jessie threw his gloves on the old leather armchair with a frustrated grunt. “It was safer.”

“Safer for whom? Him or you?”

Jessie came to a halt, the expression on Jasper’s face sending a momentary wave of panic through him. Swell. Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse. Jasper might be a belligerent old man, but he was the only family Jessie had left. Before he could so much as open his mouth, Jasper cut in.

“Don’t you dare,” he growled and got up to switch on the old gramophone, filling the small office with the sounds of Isham Jones’s “Who’s Sorry Now.” The irony was not lost on Jessie. With that done, Jasper turned and poked him in the chest with a bony finger. “I ain’t going nowhere, boy, so I suggest you stop insultin’ my intelligence.”

Jessie rubbed the sore spot on his chest and frowned. “But how?”

“I had an inkling for a while, but you remember Eli’s twentieth birthday?”

How could Jessie forget? Everything changed that night. Eli had been in his second year of college, and although he should have been spending his birthday with his friends, he’d informed Jasper he wanted to celebrate with him and Jessie somewhere swanky. When Eli walked out onto the roof garden of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel with a top hat in his white-gloved hands, sporting a white tie, tails, and his hair slicked back, Jessie had been rendered speechless. Gone was the scrawny kid, and in his place was a grown man who was handsome as sin. It was Jasper’s presence that kept Jessie from gawking all night, but it hadn’t kept his thoughts from wandering.

“You idjit, don’t go thinkin’ about it now!” Jasper sputtered, absolutely scandalized. “I’m standing right here.”

All this time, Jasper had known, and yet…. “You stuck by my side?”

“Course I did. What kinda fool you take me for? I ain’t sayin’ I agree with it. I’m saying you’re a good man. So as long as I don’t never know about what you do, with who, or where, it’s all ducky.”

As if Jessie would discuss his love life or lack thereof with Jasper. That thought made him… queasy.

“I especially don’t wanna know about what you get up to with my nephew. But if you break Eli’s heart again, so help me, I will not hesitate to shoot you. You got that?”

Jessie was under no illusion Jasper wouldn’t do just that, and then the old man’s words hit home. “Wait, you know about Eli?” Instead of a reply, he received a smack on the side of the head. “Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?”

“Heaven almighty, sometimes I wonder if you been knocked in the head one too many times. I practically raised that boy. Of course I know. And guess what, I can dress myself and everythin’.”

It was probably best he not bring up the fact that in the time Jessie had known him, Jasper had yet to wear a pair of matching socks. “Eli’s a good kid, Jasper. Too good for the likes of me. He deserves better.”

Jasper shot him a penetrating look. “What he deserves is a nice dame, but seeing as how it ain’t in the cards, you’re the next best thing.”

“Wow.” Jessie stared in disbelief. “No one’s ever insulted me with a compliment before. That’s some talent you got there, Jasper.”

“Now you listen here, because I’m gonna say this once. You’re a good man, and if my nephew’s gonna be doin’ whatever he’s doin’, it might as well be with someone who will treat him right. I just don’t wanna know about it. Now get the hell out of here. You can fill him in on the match and then drop him off at home.”

“You’re not sticking around?” Jessie didn’t like the idea of being alone with Eli for such an extended period of time.

“No. I’m getting myself down to Anne’s.”

Jessie’s smile was wicked, and he couldn’t resist. “You know she’s got fellas now.” Jasper’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull, and Jessie struggled not to burst into laughter. “Just saying, is all.”

“Oh, fuck you, Dalton.” Jasper stormed over to the door and slammed it open. “I’m gettin’ the hell outta here before I lose my lunch.”

Unable to hold it anymore, Jessie threw his head back and laughed. Eli appeared beside the office door, looking from his uncle to Jessie with a curious smile. “What was that about?”

“Nothing, just razzing the old man.” It had been a long time since Jessie had any fun. It felt good. Grabbing his gloves off the armchair, he motioned for Eli to follow. “Come on, I’ll bring you up to speed on this weekend’s exhibition match and what you’ll need to get ready for it. Then I’ll take you home.”

Eli stopped in his tracks and looked over to the side door where his uncle had disappeared through. “Oh, but I thought—”

“I can get someone else to take you if that’s a problem,” Jessie said, trying not to sound disappointed.

“No, that’s not it at all,” Eli said quickly, his cheeks going a little pink and making Jessie wish he was wearing more than a pair of shorts. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“It’s no inconvenience.” He walked into the locker room with Eli on his heels, and just his luck, the place was deserted.

Eli ducked under the clothesline of hanging towels and grabbed the biggest one with the initials “J.D.” monogramed in black on the bottom right. He handed it to Jessie with a knowing smile. “I might be a little rusty, but I remember a few things.”

Jessie reached for the towel and somehow ended up covering Eli’s hand with his own. Their eyes met, and Jessie found himself unable to look away from that smoldering gaze. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Eli took a step closer, his gaze shifting briefly to Jessie’s lips. “Jessie, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

The boisterous laughter of two fellas horsing around snapped Jessie out of his trance, and he quickly released Eli. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he said gruffly and made tracks into the separate shower room without so much as glancing in Eli’s direction. Once inside the white-tiled room, he turned the cold water on and hunched down under the icy spray, letting the tiny needles prick his skin and relieve some of his tension—among other things.

What the hell was he doing? Eli was handsome, smart, and thirteen years younger than him. He deserved to be with someone who wasn’t all washed-up. Years ago, Eli had looked up to him, and Jessie had done his best not to let the kid down. It had been that simple. Now, Eli was a grown man, and there were so many more ways Jessie could disappoint him. None of them having anything to do with boxing.

“You’re going to freeze something off standing there like that.”

“Jesus!” With a sputter, Jessie quickly turned off the water, then pushed away from the wall, instinctively throwing his hands over his groin to maintain whatever dignity he had left. Despite being successful on that venture, he couldn’t see a damned thing. His hair was plastered down over his eyes, and when he tried to blow it away, Eli’s chuckle told him he was getting nowhere fast.

“Here, let me help you.” Eli’s voice was soft, sweet, and not at all helpful to Jessie’s current predicament. Tender fingers brushed across his brow and soon he could see again.

“What are you doing in here?” Jessie took a small step away from Eli, who was standing there giving him the up-and-down, which again, wasn’t helping him any.

“You forgot your towel,” Eli replied innocently as he held out the item in question. Jessie quickly snatched it away, then looked down at himself briefly. “You’re going to need both hands,” Eli added, a devilish gleam in his bright eyes. So much for the kid being shy around him.

Ignoring Jessie’s protest, Eli took the towel back from him and closed the distance between them. As he wrapped the towel around Jessie’s waist, Eli pressed himself against Jessie, and—being the dope he was—Jessie couldn’t keep himself from meeting Eli’s gaze, a gesture that had their lips nearly touching. All Eli had to do was lean in. To Jessie’s relief, and perhaps even disappointment, Eli pulled away.

“Arms out.”

Jessie did as instructed, and Eli secured the towel tightly. With a nod of thanks, Jessie cleared his throat and motioned toward the door. “You should go. Someone’s bound to come in here any moment.”

“So? I’m your cornerman. Besides, it’s not like you fellas don’t all shower in front of each other.”

“That’s different,” Jessie murmured, telling himself he was too old to be getting sappy. Taking the initiative, he walked around Eli and back into the locker room where his clothes were. Again, the place was empty. Usually the closer it got to dinnertime, the busier the locker room was, but today of all days, no one was goddamn hungry. Typical.

“How’s it different?” Eli asked, following close behind.

“You know how so. Don’t be a pill.” Jessie swiped his underwear up from his stack of clothes, turned, and nearly collided with Eli. For crying out loud, why did he have to get so close?

“No, I don’t know,” Eli said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought I did, but then I remember the blonde who opened your front door in her nightie.”

“What the hell are you talking about? What blonde?”

“Nothing,” Eli said with a sigh. “Never mind. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Before Jessie could so much as utter a syllable, Eli was gone. Great, now the kid was in a lather with him and he had absolutely no idea why. Next time he saw Jasper, Jessie was going to strangle him. Quickly, he got dressed, then pulled his bag out of his locker, snatched up his jacket and cap from the coatrack, and thundered out of the gym. Now he had a nice long ride into Manhattan to look forward to. That wasn’t going to be awkward at all.

Once he was behind the wheel with Eli sitting grumpily beside him, Jessie decided to pretend like whatever had happened in the locker room hadn’t happened, and instead concentrated on going over everything Eli needed to know about the exhibition match coming up. Somehow he managed to keep yammering until he pulled up outside Eli’s bachelor-apartments hotel in Greenwich Village. When Eli spoke, his voice was low and devoid of its earlier warmth.

“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Damn it. Something told Jessie if he let Eli walk away like this, they would both regret it, and Lord knew Jessie had accumulated enough regrets over the years. Listening to the little voice in his heart, he grabbed Eli’s wrist. “Hey, wait.”

Eli paused. “Yeah?”

Before he could talk himself out of it, Jessie blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Meet me for breakfast.”

“What?” Eli turned toward him, an endearingly puzzled expression on his handsome face. “You want me to have breakfast with you?”

“We could maybe make it a thing, if you want. You know, meet at the gym early and have breakfast at Mabel’s, across the road. She still makes some mean scrambled eggs. Catch up on old times?”

Eli seemed to think about it for a minute—the longest minute of Jessie’s life—until a bright smile stretched across his face. “I’d like that.”

“Great. I’ll see you then.” Jessie knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. Eli jumped out of the car, closed the door, and turned to lean on the frame.

“Good night, Jessie. Thanks for letting me stick around.”

There was so much Jessie wanted to say, but all that came out was “Thanks for wanting to.”

Afraid of what might come out of his mouth next, Jessie decided it was best he not hang around, and drove off, telling himself he shouldn’t be so damn hopeful. Even so, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Breakfast was well on its way to becoming his favorite meal of the day.