The next few days seemed to drag for Gisele. Her brother didn’t mention the dress she’d bought, since he hardly ever noticed anyway. She was expected to dress well, and the accountant reconciled the balance sheets. If she was going to annoy Alek, she’d have to come up with a better way.
But she wasn’t still mad at him. Gisele fell back into her normal routine, assuming her role at the poker games and living her life, such as it was. Watching for cheaters wasn’t her sole task. Often she was there to play hostess, entertain guests, or even seduce new comrades into the world of the Danilovs.
Some things Gisele wasn’t privy to, nor did she want to be. What her brother and his friends were involved in was better left for the dark corners. Her lifestyle skirted danger already. She didn’t need to delve deeper into what would only alarm her.
In many ways, Alek was a good brother. He did care about her. And when the stresses of his obligations weren’t pressing, he would relax and spend time with her. Sometimes they’d talk over a casual meal, or go out to the theater for some light entertainment.
For the most part, Gisele tried to focus on the things that really mattered. Her life didn’t completely revolve around her brother’s world. As often as possible, she reached out for other activities, clinging to a sense of normality that all too easily escaped her. In some ways, the complex where she lived was like a self-contained city.
There was a beauty salon, gym, and a lap pool. Instead of making use of them, Gisele went off-site. Pilates was a major stress reliever, and the studio she frequented wasn’t on the Strip. She attended private sessions with her instructor at a place that was away from the buzz of the casinos.
It had been more than a week since Gisele had seen Micah as he’d slipped out of the dark theater. At the time, she’d been optimistic that he’d call, but as the days drifted by she began to doubt that he would. One afternoon, she took the car to Pilates, directing the driver to drop her off and return in a few hours. She had a challenging Pilates session, learning some advanced techniques. It felt good to stretch her muscles and push her body with the new moves.
Down the street was the hair salon, where she had an appointment for a trim. While the beautician snipped the ends of her hair and chatted, Gisele’s mind wandered. Since she’d spent the evening with Micah, she’d had less desire to go out with Vik. He was persistent, though, and nagged her to attend a show with him. Gisele had put that off for as long as she could, without coming right out and telling Vik that she wasn’t going to see him anymore.
That was a big step. For years it had been easy to go with the flow. There was no other man she’d been serious about, so there was no reason not to accept Vik’s invitations. When day after day Micah didn’t call, Gisele became convinced that he wouldn’t. She might not hear from him again, so logically, she should accept Vik’s offer to go out.
But she couldn’t do that. Gisele didn’t want to go out with Vik. As much as she’d gone through the motions before, she wanted to see him even less now. There was no way to explain that to Vik so he’d understand. And on top of that, her brother would be disappointed.
That was just too bad. Gisele wasn’t obligated to please others. She could make her own decisions, so she’d have to think of a way to tell Vik. “I’m crazy about a man I saw a couple of times. I don’t know that I’ll see him again. But I just can’t go out with you anymore.”
That didn’t even make sense to Gisele, so it certainly wouldn’t deter Vik. It would only make things more difficult. He’d want to know who the guy was, and it would get messy. When Gisele dated, she did so discreetly. It was best if Vik, as well as her brother, were clueless.
The hairdresser gave her a hand mirror so she could look at her hair. “It looks good,” Gisele said.
Molly had been doing her hair for over a year now. They knew each other, but Gisele didn’t share anything too private with her. She hadn’t talked about her family, preferring to keep that side of her life separate. “You seem preoccupied,” Molly said. “Is everything okay?”
Gisele smiled. “Yes, fine…just trouble with men.”
Molly laughed. “That I understand. Well, if you want to talk, I’m here.”
After paying, Gisele went out for a walk. She wasn’t ready to go back yet. The late April day was warm and lovely. Yellow flowers bloomed in a few nearby flowerbeds, a sign of spring. She breathed deeply, taking a lung full of fresh air.
The Strip was all glitter and dazzle, but the air was thick and polluted. The casinos smelled of smoke, the streets crowded and stifling, laced with offensive odors. Someday Gisele would live in neighborhood with fresh air and flowers. If all went well, that day might not be too far in the future.
Gisele spotted a coffee shop, so went in for an iced latte. She found a place outside to sit and enjoy the open space. The sky was so blue, the sun so bright. It cheered her up. Soon she’d have to return to the complex and get ready for the evening’s poker game. But for a few more minutes she could live a different life.
*****
The following day, Gisele slept in, then went for a swim in the pool. She had the afternoon to herself, but there was another game that night. The previous evening had seemed almost dull, since Micah hadn’t been one of the players.
When Gisele dried off, she put on a wrap and sat in the garden. She was just about to text Abby when her phone rang, but she didn’t recognize the number that flashed on the screen. When she picked up, a deep male voice greeted her, making her heart skip a beat.
“Gisele…it’s me…Micah.” He said it as though he called every day, as if she hadn’t been waiting for endless hours, not knowing if he’d call at all.
“So you found my phone number.” Gisele hadn’t meant for her voice to be as sharp as it sounded. If only she could control her emotions better, but that wasn’t something she was good at.
“I knew you’d be glad to hear from me.”
Gisele laughed softly. “No problem with your self-esteem, is there?”
“Not that I know of.” Micah paused. “I told you that I’d call you. You didn’t doubt it, did you?”
Gisele sighed. “I didn’t expect you to call, Micah. Every guy says ‘I’ll call you.’ It’s not something I take seriously.” The last thing she wanted to do was show how vulnerable she was. Micah was a guy who did what he wanted. He wanted to talk to her now, but tomorrow he might not.
“Any guy would have to be an idiot not to call you.” Micah said it in such a matter-of-fact way that she believed he meant it. When he added, “I want to see you, Gisele,” her heart raced.
Gisele replied, “I don’t have anything going on. I’ve just been waiting around…all week…for your call.”
There was silence, and then they both laughed at once. It was cathartic, dissolving Gisele’s ire in an instant.
“I want you to come to my fight,” Micah said. “It’s tomorrow night. I’ll have a car pick you up.”
“Wait…wait. Who says I want to see you fight?”
“You don’t?” Micah sounded astonished.
“I don’t know. I thought there weren’t any amateur fights in Vegas right now.”
“No, not the amateur circuit,” Micah said. “This is the underground…a lot more exciting.”
“That’s your idea of a date?”
“No, the date comes after,” Micah said. “I’m taking you someplace special.
“If you are in condition to go anywhere.”
“Have faith,” Micah said. “I want you in the audience for the fight. I’d like to see you out there.”
Gisele let out a sigh. If she was going to see Micah, it was going to be on his terms. He wasn’t the type to come by with flowers and take her to see the latest blockbuster. So why did she find him so attractive?
“So you’ll come?”
“Against my better judgment,” Gisele said. “The underground? That’s dangerous, Micah.”
“You’ll be safe. I’ll have a guard with you at all times.”
“Oh, I’m completely reassured,” Gisele said. “I’m going to an event where I need a guard at all times.”
“You’ll be fine,” Micah said. “The car will be out front at four.” He hung up, so sure that Gisele would be there that he didn’t wait for her answer.
*****
The next day piles of clothes covered Gisele’s bed. She had a wardrobe to cover all occasions, except underground fighting. What was she going to wear? Most of her dresses were too sexy; she didn’t want the sort of riffraff that hung around the underground to get a look at her in one of those.
Gisele had formal wear, cocktail dresses, swimwear, even shorts to wear to the beach. But what was she going to wear to the fight? Faded jeans were out. That was no way to stand out, to attract Micah’s attention. She needed advice.
Abby answered her text right away. I’m getting ready for my show. What’s up?
You have to tell me what to wear to an underground fight.
Who’s fighting?
Micah. But what does that matter?
He called?
Yes, and I’m going to his fight tonight.
How disappointing that I have to work. I want to go.
Abby! What am I going to wear?
Micah has his eye on you, so wear something sparkly and skimpy.
In an audience full of ruffians?
Oh, it’s not that bad. I’ve been to one of those fights before. The underground is awesome.
How about my white jeans?
The ones with the sequins? Yes, good choice. With a fitted tank top.
Gisele tried on the outfit. After tossing aside three tank tops, she settled on the fourth one. It had a bit of class, and fit well without screaming boxing groupie. She wore her tan ankle boots and styled her hair in full waves.
At five minutes to four, Gisele was standing in the lobby when a car pulled up. A driver got out, and when she strode down the walkway, he opened the door for her. “Good evening, Miss Shelton.”
The man’s uniform was less chauffeur style, more the bodyguard look. He was as beefy as she imagined the fighters at the event would be. He was dressed in cargo pants, with convenient pockets to hide weapons, and a polo shirt under an army jacket. There was no Kevlar vest that she could see. Although he wouldn’t win any best-dressed awards for his ensemble, he looked ready for action.
The event was at a boxing gym on a desolate block, just far enough out of the congested areas to have a prayer of going unnoticed by law enforcement. By the time they arrived, Gisele was on a first-name basis with her guard, Ezekiel. When she’d asked him to call her Gisele, he’d said, “Just call me Zeke.”
There were quite a few cars in the lot. When they pulled up, Zeke handed the car over to another driver so he could go inside with her. “You’re up front,” the guard said.
The ring looked like any boxing ring, but the crowd looked more vicious. Gone were the froufrou women in the audience, replaced with females who had a more of a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. The crowd was more male than female, a rugged group for sure.
Gisele sat in her seat and Zeke took the one next to her. She was glad to have him there. The noise level was high, competing with the sound of Eminem booming through the speakers. Fans whirred up at the ceiling, and aromas of cigarettes, gym socks, and men’s cologne filled the room.
A team of men, who appeared to be running the show, stalked the ring and kept the crowd in hand. Most of them looked Russian, so likely this was a mob operation. This wasn’t a side of business that her brother was directly involved in, but he had plenty of connections into the Russian fight clubs.
Gisele shuddered. The Russians were ruthless, and did not have the fighters’ interests at heart. She’d heard some tales that she was reluctant to think about right then. If Micah wanted to impress her, participating in the brutal fights organized by the mob wasn’t the way to do it.
Having already seen too much brutality, Gisele should have declined Micah’s invitation. As a fighter in this arena, he represented everything she didn’t want, all that she longed to escape. Crime, greed, and butchering other men were on her list of what to avoid.
It wasn’t going to work out with Micah, no matter how damn sexy he was. Gisele was committed to changing her life, and this was just more of the same. Most of her life, she’d been smothered by the mob, squelching anything decent or normal. She didn’t need to hook up with a fighter, who was just another one of their pawns.
At a makeshift table in the back corner, tough-looking bartenders poured free booze from shatterproof jugs. Some dude in a leather jacket watched from a distance, no doubt supervising. And if the stories Gisele had heard were true, there was a cocaine locker on site for those who cared to imbibe.
Zeke followed her gaze, then looked back at her. “Just ignore them,” he said. “I’ve got my eyes on you.”
The hip-hop music was muted as the first boxers entered the ring. One dark-skinned boxer was covered in tattoos and had rings in both ears. His opponent looked just as menacing. The crowd roared so loud that Gisele couldn’t decipher the announcements.
It didn’t matter; it wasn’t Micah.
The first fight was over quickly, just enough time for the tattooed monster to clock his stockier but slower competition in the head a couple of times. Some idiot in the back yelled, “Let’s see some action.” And another closer to the front heckled repeatedly, finally shouting, “Yo dude, you know you can knock him out, right?”
Such was the spectacle that continued for several more fights. Then Gisele heard Micah’s name called and her pulse pounded. She didn’t want to see him out there, didn’t want him to fight. She was afraid for him, and just knew that something awful would happen.
But when the ropes were parted, Micah stepped into the ring like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Micah Thu-u-under Pu-u-unch Rinaldi!” the announcer shouted, and a couple of onlookers booed. Gisele kept her eyes on Micah, even when the opponent entered the ring.
This time Micah wasn’t wearing his royal-blue robe. This wasn’t the venue for formality or flash. This was about the fight, and which man could survive it. Gisele glanced at the muscled fighter dancing in the other corner. He looked about Micah’s size, so that was one good thing. But the deadly look in his eyes made Gisele cringe.
Remarkably, Micah glanced to where she was sitting and gave her a nod. He knew she was out there. Gisele put her hand on her chest to still her breathing. When the punching started, she gasped. The men seemed well matched, but in the first round Micah didn’t gain any advantage.
The second round went by in a blur. It was impossible to describe the true essence of the fight: the rush, the sound, and the chaotic feel of the environment. The crowd was incensed, calling out after each punch, shouting at the fighters. When the bell rang, blood dripped from Micah’s mouth, and Gisele tried to breathe in the stifling room.
“He’s hurt,” Gisele said, but Zeke didn’t bat an eye. “He’s fine.”
In Micah’s corner, his coach talked to him while another man mopped his brow and handed him a bottle of water. Squeezing, Micah dowsed his head to cool off, then put his mouth guard back in. When he stood up, Gisele closed her eyes. She couldn’t watch.
The screams of the crowd caused her to open her eyes with a start, just in time to see Micah stagger from a hard punch. The fight scene, the emotion of the spectators, and the grit of the environment amounted to sensory overload. It was intense, and all Gisele could do was watch Micah’s every move, praying for him to wipe out his competitor.
Then, almost magically, the other fighter seemed to tire, and Micah went on the attack. A sudden blow to the ribs buckled his opponent, followed by a thunder punch to the head. The guy thudded to the mat, and Micah looked down at him. The referee counted, but the guy didn’t get up until after the win was called.
In the middle of the ring, Micah pumped his arms, sweat dripping down his face and chest. He looked like a gladiator in his powerful stance, blood oozing from his mouth. The crowd cheered and jumped around, close to threatening a riot.
Gisele took a deep breath. “He won. Oh my God, he won.”
Zeke just nodded.
After a tour around the ring, Micah stopped in the corner and another guy leapt up to pat him on the back. Gisele recognized Luke, the friend that had been with him in Hollywood. As the music started up again, the sign for the fighters to clear the ring for the next fight, Micah turned around.
Gisele’s eyes met his, as Micah lifted his hand and nodded to her. She waved her hand in the air. “Show-off,” she said, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hint of a smile cross Zeke’s lips.