Chapter 17: Mick

Chapter Seventeen

MICK

“ Y ou two heading for Vegas?” the waitress asks as she pours Josie a coffee.

“How’d you guess?”

“Nothing much on this road but people traveling to and from Vegas. Getting married, are you?”

“Um, no.”

The waitress laughs. “If that’s your story, stick to it.” She winks as she leaves.

I keep shoveling pancakes into my mouth. Yes, it’s dinner time and yeah, I’m eating breakfast food. It’s delicious.

“You need to stop grinning.”

I point to myself because my mouth is full.

“Yes, you.” She leans forward, and her shirt gapes just enough for me to catch a good look at her beautiful cleavage. The monster in my sweatpants stirs, which it shouldn’t because it had quite the workout just a few hours ago. “You’ve been wearing a ‘just got laid’ look for the last twenty-four hours.”

I swallow and take a gulp of milk before replying. “It’s a factually accurate look, so I don’t know what else I should be wearing on my face. Would you rather I look disappointed?” I try to frown, but my mouth just won’t turn down at the corners. “Sorry. No can do. Getting regular sex must prevent that. If I was into science, maybe that’s what I’d study. The effects of sex on facial expressions.”

“And how would you get your data? Going around and interviewing people?”

“I’ve got you.”

“A single subject sample size wouldn’t have valid results.”

“Why can’t the results be based on the volume of the sex rather than the volume of the subjects?”

“That’s not how hypotheticals are proven.”

“That’s why I’m a boxer and not a scientist.” I grin and dig into my cakes.

“When do you think you’ll have your first fight?”

“There’s a match in two months that Pedro says I might be ready for. Scratch that. I will be ready. I’ll tell him about us after I win. He won’t quit on me once I’ve started the road to the belt.” I drop my fork to my now empty plate. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you and it sucks, but this way, I can make a better life for both of us.”

She waves her hand. “I don't care. I’m a gamer. My natural habitat is being shut inside a room with the blue light of the computer screen as my only companion. There’s only one valid reason to leave and that is to eat.”

“Or go to the beach and have sex.”

“We didn’t have sex on the beach.”

“Mistake noted. Will put that on the agenda for LA trip 2.0.”

“I don’t know. I feel like that might mean sand in places where sand should never go. Plus, it’s public.”

“We would use a blanket, and it would be at night.”

“How tied are you to this fantasy?”

“Not very,” I admit. I throw some cash onto the table for the meal. “You could convince me that the blue light of the computer screen is the most romantic place in all the world.”

“You mean it’s not? I’m offended. That’s my life.” She clasps a hand to her chest in mock dismay.

“I’m in competition with a computer? I’m the one who's offended.” I grab her hand and pull her flush against me. “I guess I’ll have to prove that I’ve got better equipment.”

She turns pink but still sasses me. “I’m going to be a tough grader. I’m not giving you any extra points because we’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Would not expect any. Let’s motor.” I spin her around and direct her toward the door, making sure to walk behind her so my hard-on isn’t evident to everyone in the café. Once free of the exit, I grab her hand and pull her toward the car. She laughs out loud, and I’ve never felt so much joy in my heart. I’m about to plant another kiss on her smiling mouth when I notice three guys leaning against my wheels.

The three straighten as we grow closer. I gently slide Josie behind my back. “Got the wrong car. Those wheels are mine.”

“Oh, I think we’ve got the right one,” says the blond guy with a scar running across his cheek. His two friends stack themselves beside him like their sides are magnetized. “Your girl looks tasty, and we’re hungry. Why don’t you let us borrow her for an hour or so? We’ll give her back. Maybe not in exactly the same condition but close enough.” The three snicker like they’ve told the greatest joke in the world.

“Let’s just go, Mick,” Josie whispers behind me.

“Right.” Because getting into a fight with these fools would only result in trouble. “Obviously the answer is no.” Gripping Josie’s hand, I move toward the car. The three yahoos step in my path. I try again. No luck. I drag a knuckle down the center of my face. “Guys, you don’t want to do this.”

“Because you’re a professional boxer?” The leader snorts. “This isn’t a ring with a referee that can blow a whistle to save you from a hit. This is the street.”

He sounds so fucking pretentious that I nearly bust out laughing. I guess I don’t hide my contempt well because the leader’s eyes narrow.

“You think I’m joking?”

The next thing I know, a fist is flying toward me. I see the one straight on and the one coming from the guy on my left. I twist out of the way and push Josie toward the car. “Here, get in and lock the doors. Now!” I shout when she hesitates. I avoid another punch but walk right into the third guy’s boot. My knee buckles, and I go down. I hear the car door open and then slam shut followed by Josie’s scream. One of the guys has abandoned the fight to trap her in his arms. These fuckers are going to die. I scoop up a handful of gravel and rise up, tossing it into the kicker’s eyes. While he claws at his face, I take on the leader. He lunges for me. I bounce out of the way, and when he flies past me, I kick the back of his leg. Hard. There’s a loud, sickening sound as his patellar fractures. I swing around and drive my fist into the second guy’s jaw. He goes down, too. I reach down and slam the leader’s head into the gravel twice and then stand to face the third. He pushes Josie toward me and sprints in the opposite direction.

I grab Josie close. “You okay, darling?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Are you?” She pushes my face from one side to the other. “Did they hurt you?”

“Not a scratch. My pretty face is untouched.”

“Good. Let’s get out of here.”

“Agreed.” I take her hand again, but another voice stops us.

“Not so fast, son.”

We pivot as one. My heart sinks low when I see two uniformed cops in front of us. One of them takes out a notebook. “Gonna need to see some ID,” he says.