The Boxer: A Stepbrother Romance (6 page)

              “Thanks Melvin.” Chance said with a smile before hugging Melvin; he almost asked Melvin how long he had but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know, “I love you, old man.”

              “I love you too sonny.” Melvin replied, “Now go get washed up you smell somethin’ fierce. I’ll be waiting out here like always.”

              “Yeah, I’m definitely giving you a lift home from now on old man.” Chance said, looking over sternly at Melvin, “I don’t want you going into a coughing fit on the road and crashing. Not gonna let it happen and I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll be back.”

              “Ha! I’ll see ya in a few sonny.” Melvin replied with a smile on his face before he walked over, grabbed a newspaper off the stand and sat on the waiting bench like he always did.

              As Chance took a shower he thought about Vegas and how great of a night he had had with Emery. He hadn’t had that much fun with anyone since he was in his teenage years and was with a girl he thought he’d be with forever, until she cheated on him and he caught her. He hadn’t really been the same since then and never really let any girl get close to him. He would get into relationships with them and try but he couldn’t get himself to care. Now he was having problems
not
caring.

              He sighed as he turned the water to straight hot, needing his muscles to relax so he wasn’t tensed up for the fight. He forced himself to stop thinking about Emery’s body as he stood there in the shower, feeling himself grow and focused on pummeling the test dummy. He sighed, he knew he had to get control over his anger but thought that instead of getting rid of it he could do what Melvin said and use it as fuel.

              He had always held back really in boxing, not really wanting to hurt the other guy but he wanted to score more points than them to win. He had never gotten a knockout punch because he never hit hard enough but now he wanted to see just
how
hard he could hit another fighter.

Chapter Eight

              Emery was going about her normal day, waiting for her review to come back from Theo McDowell. She had noticed a growth in business and knew that a good review would be amazing for customer volume. She sighed, feeling increasingly anxious as she knew the review would be showing up any day now. It was going to get mailed to the café to Emery but was also getting a spot on the local newspaper, both online and in print.

              Theo McDowell was a well-known critic and his critiques could make a business or utterly destroy it. Her heart started to race like it had the day she came in and she tried to stay calm, assuring herself that they had done great that day and was fairly confident that they were going to get at least a good review.

              “Ladies and Gentlemen, I went down to a little place down in Atlanta last a little over a week ago now, The Happy Day Café. There I sat in a restaurant sprinkled with kids and parents alike all sharing their meals in peace, happily enjoying time together. Now, I’m aware that children sometimes get loud but
these
children… were quiet and well-mannered. It was a pleasant experience.” Theo said, starting his review of Emery’s café, “I dined on simple foods to test the cooks basic skills and they excelled at every point. One of their cooks, I’m not sure what his name was but he deserves mention for his delicious tomato soup. For something so simple this man was able to make it like it was the first time I had ever eaten the soup and I even asked for some to go. Their main course was prepared
exactly
as I requested, not even off in the slightest really but it lacked that spark that the tomato soup did. Still, I had a banana split and even
that
seemed like it was made with pure love and joy. If you’ve ever got a hunger pang and a twenty to spend on a family dinner that can feed you for two days, visit Happy Day Café just off the highway.”

              “Oh my God that was amazing.” Emery said, her eyes wide and full of tears of joy as Lucy walked up to her and handed her the mail. Emery knew it was the review and gladly took it and sat it on the table but when she looked away she happened to notice that it was from Chance, “What the Hell?”

              Emery looked through the review and found that it was legitimately from Chance although Theo McDowell had been the one to come in. She didn’t understand and looked down at the paper in her hand. She shook her head and quickly started scrambling through her purse for Chance’s phone number he had given her back in Vegas. She dug out his phone number and pulled out her cell phone, immediately calling Chance and waving for Lucy to go away.

              “Hey, what’s this saying that
you
were the critic not Theo? Why did he show up and do a critique then?” Emery asked, leaving a message on Chance’s phone, “I don’t get this, I thought you were a boxer. Call me back as soon as you get this.”

              Emery couldn’t understand why Theo had shown up yet on the paperwork that had come in it had Chance Fowler as the critic in charge. She continued reading it, having gone off as soon as she saw Chance’s name on the envelope and read that Theo McDowell worked with Chance and sometimes went to his critique’s for him when Chance’s other career got in the way. She shook her head again, realizing that Chance was a part-time critic and part-time boxer.

              “This guy is full of surprises.” She said as she fought off her feelings for him but felt them get even stronger with his strange sense of mysteriousness he had about him.
Someone that loves food as much as I do, fantastic in bed, panty-melting eyes, what more does Chance have stored away
, she thought.

              Emery focused on work as business picked up after Theo’s review. She was still confused as to why Theo had even come and given her a critique. Emery sighed, confused by it all and just wished Chance would call her back. She Larry run the store for her so she could take the rest of the day off, feeling like she was too mentally shaken to be of use at the café. Larry had become the head cook with a near chef-like level of understanding of cooking in just the little bit of time after he got a compliment on his tomato soup. She had known that Larry’s soup was good from the first time she had it. He was a wizard with spices and made the tomato soup with fresh basil. She smiled, knowing that Larry would run the café well and headed out, trying to get her mind from racing and just needed to relax.

              “Hey, you’ve reached Shane Mathewson, I’m unable to pick up…” Shane’s voice mail said as it picked up but Emery hung up on it and hailed a cab. He hadn’t been answering her calls lately and it was starting to worry her.

              “Where ya off to?” A middle-aged woman asked as Emery got into the back of the cab, “Oh,
hey
, I know you. We live in the same apartment complex. You goin home?”

              “Yeah; which apartment do you live in?” Emery asked, looking up at the lady as she thought she did look familiar, “Are you the lady that lives across the hallway?”

              “Nah, that’s Donna.” She said, “She’s my sister though, but I live on the bottom floor below her. She can be a loud bitch.”

              “Haha!” Emery laughed, “I really never heard her honestly. Except for when her boys piss her off but that’s justified, I don’t mind that and even then I’ve only ever heard her yell at them like twice.”

              “Yeah, her oldest Jay, he’s getting to be a little punk. Aunt Miranda almost had to smack his little mouth one day when he lipped-off to his momma like he ran things. Haha, that was a crazy day. He was alright in my book voicin’ his opinion until he called his mom a bitch. That just ain’t somethin’ you do.” The cabbie woman Miranda said as they drove into the apartment complex parking lot, “That’ll be a fiver please ‘n thanks.”

              “There ya go.” Emery said, tossing Miranda a ten, “Thanks for gettin’ me home.”

              Emery walked into the apartment complex and up to her small apartment. As soon as she got in there she turned on some Dr. Who and grabbed her water pitcher from the refrigerator. She walked out to her couch and sat down, fixing herself a tall glass as she fought off thoughts of Chance. She sighed and turned Dr. Who up in an attempt to drown out her own thoughts and make it easier to focus on, but not too loud so it didn’t disturb her neighbors. As she watched her Netflix account ran out and stopped her Dr. Who binge.

              She sighed and held back her urge to throw her remote at her television but turned on normal TV. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Almost as soon as she turned it to normal TV there was a commercial on for an upcoming boxing fight between an apparently well-known, but not to Emery, fighter named Tomas Jones and Chance Fowler. She watched the commercial intently to figure out where the fight was going to be before the phone rang. Emery grabbed it as fast as she could and answered without looking at who was calling.

              “What the Hell?!” Emery asked, thinking it was Chance.

              “Whoa, sorry.” Shane said, “I ran out of service, but my phone still tells me when I get calls. It just says service unavailable though and I can’t answer shit. What’s up? You need a ride?”

              “Yeah, to the airport.” Emery replied, “I was wondering why you weren’t returning my phone calls or even picking up. I thought you were mad at me.”

              “Nah, no way. I’m sorry I didn’t mean for it to come off like that."

              “Don’t worry about it Shane, I was just worried. I've had a lot on my mind lately.” Emery said, holding the phone to the side of her head as she quickly packed her bags for Chicago, where the fight was scheduled to be at, “I have a fight to catch.”

              “A
flight
to catch, you mean?” Shane replied in a questioning tone.

              “No, a fight, it’s hard to explain but I’m going to watch a boxing match tonight.” Emery said, summing it all up without necessarily lying, “I need a ride to the airport as fast as possible. Are you busy?”

              “Nah, I just dropped Lia with her date.” Shane said with a chuckle, “It’s always fun to see the downgrades haha!”

              “That’s not nice.” Emery said jokingly as she got done packing, “I’m ready to go as soon as possible.”

              “Alright, be there in a minute.” Shane said before hanging up.

              Emery hauled her luggage down to the street and waited for Shane to show up. He was there within a few minutes and quickly picked her up. Emery put her luggage in the trunk and hopped in the back seat before Shane drove off for the airport.

              “Yeah, it looked like Lia picked her new date up from the bar.” Shane said with a laugh, “I guess if that’s how she’s gotta find guys, ya know?”

              “How do
you
find chicks?” Emery asked jokingly, “I’m just kidding, I don’t want to know.”

              “I get your point; my way isn’t really all that much different. I go up to women randomly when I find them attractive and ask them to a date whereas she waits around at a bar now for old guys to get their fill of liquid courage to hit on her so she can choose who to go home with. Yeah, they’re identical.” Shane said sarcastically with a laugh, “Oh, Emery, I tell ya what. She reminded me why I don’t hook up with broads. I mean, no offense, you’re cool as shit but that’s why I couldn’t date you.”

              “Well Shane, I’d love to sit back here and be your psychiatrist all night but I’ve got a plane to catch.” Emery said as they pulled into the airport parking lot, “Don’t think that way though Shane, not all women are evil whores and you'll find that out eventually.”

              “Yeah, and not all men are assholes, we’re just bitter and pissed from being treated like shit.” Shane said with smile on his face, “Have a good time in Chicago. Talk to ya when ya get back.”

              Emery walked off, realizing that her friend really felt something for that Lia woman and she ripped his heart out. He was lashing out now, saying he didn’t care to cover the fact that he did care in an attempt to convince himself. It was exactly what she was doing with her feelings for Chance, just trying to convince herself that they weren’t there. She got on her cell phone's internet and ordered a ticket to Chance’s fight, knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to get into the back to see him. She grabbed a book to read on the plane ride over to Chicago and headed into the terminal to pick up her ticket and head out. She timed it to where her flight would be leaving shortly, within an hour and hoped that it didn’t get delayed. She didn’t want to chance missing the fight.