He’d always been a bit of a jerk, but wasn’t the type to lash out. Kevin had always done his best to avoid confrontation so the little outburst concerned me.
“Okay, you’re not drunk,” I whispered, nervously.
He walked the length of the table and stood over me. I cursed myself under my breath for not getting up sooner. I didn’t like the feeling of him towering over me.
“It’s been too long,” he said. “Enough of this nonsense. I’m ready for you to move back in.”
“It’s not going to happen, Kevin. I can’t forgive you for what you did.”
“Bria, don’t be so naïve. I have a stressful career and you spent so much time working on your own crap… what was I supposed to do?”
“That’s such a lame excuse. Yeah, I’m a busy girl, but don’t put that on me.”
“Why didn’t you just give this stupid job up? I never should have gotten it for you.”
“Why would you say that? You know-.”
“What the hell are those?” he interrupted.
He was staring at the vase of flowers.
“What asshole from the mail room gave you those?”
“It’s none you your business. They’re from a friend.”
Kevin pulled out one of the roses and held it in front of my nose.
“Some loser is trying to get in to your pants with these? What a fuckin’ joke.” He dropped it on the table in front of me. He was seething with anger, now.
“I think you should leave.” It came out a lot less assertively than I’d hoped.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” he snapped. “I think we have a lot more to discuss.”
He put his hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch me again!”
I jumped up, sending the wooden chair skittering back into the wall of files.
“Still a total priss, I see.”
Kevin kicked the chair away and started to advance toward me.
“I’m warning you, Kevin, you need to leave me alone.”
His eyes were unfocused and his gait unsteady.
“Just turn around and leave. You’ll thank yourself when you sober up.”
“It’s been such a long time,” he said. “I think we should give it one more chance. What do you say?”
I was backed up into the corner.
“Not another inch closer.” My own anger was starting to rise.
“What are you going to do? Are you going to scream for help? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m your boyfriend.”
When he leaned forward to take another step, I didn’t even think twice about what I was going to do.
I grabbed the heavy, metal stapler from the corner of the table and winged it at his head.
He was slow to react. The stapler hit its mark dead-center on his smug face. He reeled back in surprise and his nose immediately started gushing blood.
“Jesus, Bria!”
Kevin’s right heel caught on the table leg as he was stumbling backward. He fell in a heap.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” he screeched.
“I told you not to come any closer,” I said.
“You’re fuckin’ crazy!”
“Listen up you asshole. I gave you plenty of warning. What did you think was going to happen?”
He scrambled to his feet, clutching his shirt to his nose.
“I’m not done with you, bitch. You’re going to come to your senses soon and start begging me to come back. And when you do I’m not going to forget this little incident.”
Kevin ran up the stairs, grumbling and cursing. The door slammed behind him and I was able to exhale.
Seventeen
Luke
I danced around him , letting my impeccable footwork put me in position to strike. When he lunged forward with a sloppy right hand I easily stepped out of range and made him pay with a stinging right hand.
I couldn’t remember his name. It didn’t matter. He was new to the gym and trying to make himself known. So many of these guys came in lacking the proper respect. They thought if they could put on a good performance against me or one of my top guys then people would take notice. They’d go too hard in sparring sessions and break the rules to get their recognition.
The problem was, I knew exactly
“Okay, you’re not drunk,” I whispered, nervously.
He walked the length of the table and stood over me. I cursed myself under my breath for not getting up sooner. I didn’t like the feeling of him towering over me.
“It’s been too long,” he said. “Enough of this nonsense. I’m ready for you to move back in.”
“It’s not going to happen, Kevin. I can’t forgive you for what you did.”
“Bria, don’t be so naïve. I have a stressful career and you spent so much time working on your own crap… what was I supposed to do?”
“That’s such a lame excuse. Yeah, I’m a busy girl, but don’t put that on me.”
“Why didn’t you just give this stupid job up? I never should have gotten it for you.”
“Why would you say that? You know-.”
“What the hell are those?” he interrupted.
He was staring at the vase of flowers.
“What asshole from the mail room gave you those?”
“It’s none you your business. They’re from a friend.”
Kevin pulled out one of the roses and held it in front of my nose.
“Some loser is trying to get in to your pants with these? What a fuckin’ joke.” He dropped it on the table in front of me. He was seething with anger, now.
“I think you should leave.” It came out a lot less assertively than I’d hoped.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” he snapped. “I think we have a lot more to discuss.”
He put his hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch me again!”
I jumped up, sending the wooden chair skittering back into the wall of files.
“Still a total priss, I see.”
Kevin kicked the chair away and started to advance toward me.
“I’m warning you, Kevin, you need to leave me alone.”
His eyes were unfocused and his gait unsteady.
“Just turn around and leave. You’ll thank yourself when you sober up.”
“It’s been such a long time,” he said. “I think we should give it one more chance. What do you say?”
I was backed up into the corner.
“Not another inch closer.” My own anger was starting to rise.
“What are you going to do? Are you going to scream for help? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m your boyfriend.”
When he leaned forward to take another step, I didn’t even think twice about what I was going to do.
I grabbed the heavy, metal stapler from the corner of the table and winged it at his head.
He was slow to react. The stapler hit its mark dead-center on his smug face. He reeled back in surprise and his nose immediately started gushing blood.
“Jesus, Bria!”
Kevin’s right heel caught on the table leg as he was stumbling backward. He fell in a heap.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” he screeched.
“I told you not to come any closer,” I said.
“You’re fuckin’ crazy!”
“Listen up you asshole. I gave you plenty of warning. What did you think was going to happen?”
He scrambled to his feet, clutching his shirt to his nose.
“I’m not done with you, bitch. You’re going to come to your senses soon and start begging me to come back. And when you do I’m not going to forget this little incident.”
Kevin ran up the stairs, grumbling and cursing. The door slammed behind him and I was able to exhale.
Seventeen
Luke
I danced around him , letting my impeccable footwork put me in position to strike. When he lunged forward with a sloppy right hand I easily stepped out of range and made him pay with a stinging right hand.
I couldn’t remember his name. It didn’t matter. He was new to the gym and trying to make himself known. So many of these guys came in lacking the proper respect. They thought if they could put on a good performance against me or one of my top guys then people would take notice. They’d go too hard in sparring sessions and break the rules to get their recognition.
The problem was, I knew exactly
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