The Fight Club (5 page)

Julie

God, the man I stumbled upon yesterday was standing in the ring when I hit the club, wearing a sleeveless tee and track pants. He looked ready, like a fighter. But he wasn't wearing cloth around his wrists. Was he crazy? He could really get hurt.

Muscles expostulated through his sleeveless tee. He was handsome. If only he wasn't the biggest asshole I’ve met lately, I would’ve liked to watch his match closely. I was about to walk away when I heard a loud sound. Someone hit the ground badly. My eyes turned towards the ring to check who it was. It was the man. He had his back on the ground, completely beaten. The twenty-year old kid was smiling at him. Well, he deserved that.

But before I could move away, he caught my eyes, and something happened. A rage emerged in his deep brown eyes. He stood up and challenged the kid. Then I saw something unusual, a jump-punch which knocked out the kid completely.

I hate him. I hate him.
I walked away. He had something unique in him, but I wished he was beaten by the kid and made a mess out of himself. He was a jerk, and he deserved to lose.

But that didn't happen. That jerk won splendidly, in a very unusual way. I knew fighting. I was trained in martial arts, but I never saw someone make a move like that. No one win with a jumping punch, at least not him. A rage was building inside me when I reached the third floor. I wanted to punch the crap out of that man.

"Hello there." Rose greeted me, as soon as I reached the third floor.

I ignored her. I wanted to get ready, and ask Gavin to assign a client so I could keep my mind busy.

"Julie." Now it was Gavin who called me. I turned around. "I'm here to introduce you to your first client. Meet Noah Rich."

To my deepest fear, it was the man who knocked me down. Noah Rich. God, even his name sounded arrogant. Who keeps a word like
Rich
in his name? I wanted to punch him, but that would definitely get me fired on the first day of my job, and unfortunately, I couldn't afford that.
              "Hello, Mr. Rich." I extended my hand.

You can handle this, Julie. Keep your patience. You can do it.

"Interesting,” the jerk muttered, under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Nice to meet you, Julie," he said coyly.

"She will work only for you, for at least a month. She’s new, and when we hire someone, we assign them to a month of exclusive training to a single client. That way, they learn the work culture of the club. Your advantage is that she is trained in MMA," Gavin said.

My heart stopped when I heard the word
exclusive.
Me stuck with this asshole, for a whole month?

"So you know fighting?" Noah asked with a brow raised, like he didn't believe it.

"I can kick your ass quicker than that kid you fought in the ring," I said. Man, I wish I could punch him right now.

"I’m sure you could,” Noah said, giving an arrogant laugh. “Thank you, Gavin. I know I have many things to learn from her."

"Well, she’ll make sure you don't get hurt. But if she wishes, you two can spar for practice." He stared at me. "I'll leave you two alone to plan your details."

"Spar with you my foot." I mumbled as Gavin walked away.

"Easy, lioness. Why are you jumping to conclusions already?" Noah rolled his eyes.

"I'm declining training you straight away. You’re the biggest jerk I have ever seen in my life." Even the thought of fighting with him was disgusting. He thought I was trying to sleep with him. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Why don't you try one match, before you tell your decision to Gavin?" he asked.

"And why would I do that?" What was he thinking?

"If you go now, Gavin will think that you’re rejecting a client bluntly. It will affect your career in the club. No one refuses to work with their first client. After one match, you can tell him whatever you want. Maybe you can say that I tried to hit on you and you don't want to work with me,” he said.

He sounded innocent. And I knew he had a point. If I rejected my first client right away, Gavin could get angry, and fire me. If I told Gavin I didn’t want to work with Noah after trying a match with him, I would sound justified.

"And why would I trust you? What if you decline my claim, and get me in trouble?" I asked.

"You don't have to. But you
are
his employee, and he trusts you more than me. You have nothing to lose." He smiled innocently.

Gavin was a good man. He would take my word over Noah’s. I knew that.

"Fine. Let's fight tomorrow morning. I’ll kick your ass." I smirked and walked away. This jerk was a bit smart after all, but he judged me wrong. I will be kicking his ass soon. My muscles were already twitching to spar with him.

***

"Are you ready Noah?" I asked. I was itching to go against him, and teach him a lesson or two. I had been practicing this fight in my mind all night, and now, it was time to execute it flawlessly.

"Here I come!” He charged at me.

I took him head-on. I bent down and pushed my shoulder into his chest. He tried to flip me, but I stuck my leg out, and in the next moment he was on the ground. The loser took me with him, and my body landed on his, my face just a couple inches away from him. I could feel his breath hitting my cheeks. A strange feeling passed through my body. I somehow liked it.

"You are a strong woman. I didn't expect that move," he said in surprise.

"And I didn't expect that you would bring me down with you." I pushed my hands on his chest and stood up, giving him my hand. He took it, jumping to his feet. He pulled me closer, so close that if he wanted he could easily bend his head and kiss me on the lips.

What the heck I am thinking about? Why would I think about a kiss?

He smelled like sweat, a smell that I enjoyed. I loved the smell of sweat, because it reminded me of the fight coming ahead.

"I won't be so lenient next time," he said, his arrogant voice returning.

"And I won't either." I stuck my leg behind his and pushed him back. He stumbled and hit the ground again. But this time I didn't go with him, because I was careful.

He had weak legs. If he wants to fight, he needed to work on them. Now it was time to test his upper body.

"Come on! Get up and fight!" I teased.

He jumped on his legs and took a stance. I moved forward and hit him with a swing kick. He parried it with his right hand and punched me with the other, which I blocked. In the next moment, I hit him with a drop kick. It was hard to defend, and if he put his hand in-between the shot, he would get hurt.

But he didn't do that. Instead, he put his chest in the line of kick. That way, the kick impact lightened. As I hit his chest hard, I was pushed back, and I fell on my ass.

"That was nice," I said, catching my breath. Another unusual movement from him. A normal fighter would’ve moved back, and I would’ve had time to hit him with my other leg. But he took a chance and surprised me. If we were in a real fight, he could’ve taken advantage of my setback and KO'ed me. He had a strong upper body.

"Does your decision remain the same?" he asked, moving backwards.

I paused. He was a good fighter, and if I worked with him, I could make him great, which would be good for my career. I had been putting my personal issues ahead of my professional choices. That had to stop now.

"I think we would work good together. What do you think?" I asked.

He softened. "I was being an ass that day, when I pushed you over. And I'm sorry for what I said. Please forgive me, and work with me as my trainer."

I saw honesty in his brown eyes. "It's a deal, then." I extended my hand, and he shook it. We had a deal after all. Maybe he wasn't as big of a jerk as I thought.

Noah

A day to convince her to work with me, another day to insult her, and a day more to convince her to leave the club. Yes, I needed three days to set my plan in motion and complete it. At first she was reluctant to work with me, but I made sure that she changed her mind. She would learn her lesson very well. I grinned while parking my bike. The fight club was just five miles away from my house, and I used that opportunity to ride my old Ducati.

"I love you, babe. At least you’re loyal,” I said, caressing the yellow metal. The Ducati was my favorite. It was a present from my Uncle Sam on my eighteenth birthday. Even after six years, I made sure she looked brand new.

It was five in the morning when I entered the club. I loved that time of day, because I knew the club would be almost empty. I could get time alone for myself, and some time to think about ways to insult that bitch.

I decided to take a shower as soon I entered. I needed to wipe out the last bit of sleep from my eyes, and be completely fresh and energetic so I could win every spar with her. She was good. She had showed her strength and clever thinking already. I needed to outwit her.

And then my morning began to sparkle. Julie walked out of the women’s shower room when I passed by, her hair scattered on her face, water droplets falling from her blonde locks. There were few droplets on her eyelids, enhancing her beautiful eyes. There was a small dimple on her right cheek, which beautified her blooming skin.

"Wow." I couldn't believe that she looked so beautiful, in spite of resemble to Tonya. Heck, she looked nothing like Tonya in that moment. Instead, she looked like a completely different woman, whom I adored in that moment.

"Noah. You’re already here?" A smile bloomed on her face. I could watch her smile for hours, and wouldn’t grow tired of it. "I didn't expect you here before six."

She looked surprised, but then, she didn't know I woke up at four every morning to start my daily routine.

"Julie. Let me get a quick shower, and then meet you in the ring. We’ll have a good spar today." I ran away. The more I looked at her, the more I noticed how pretty she was. Tonya That made me doubt my actions. After all, she looked like Tonya, and deserved every bit of punishment I planned for her.

"See ya in the ring," she replied with a sweet voice. Tonya What the fuck was happening to me?

Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in front of her in the ring. "We’ll start with some stretches," she said.

"I'm fine with the direct match. I do my warm up the moment I get out of bed,” I said.

"Aha, not a warm up. I want you to
yoga-up
. It will help the blood to flow through every corner of your body."

"What's wrong with the jumping jacks and running I do every morning?" I asked.

"There is nothing wrong with it. But flexibility is the most important aspect in this game. And I don't want you to fail in the match just because you didn't make your muscles flexible enough."

She replied to my insult with serenity. I felt irritated. I wanted to show her that her ways were futile, and I was the master here.

"Okay. You win."

"Whatever you say, Noah." She smiled again, and this time, her dimple roped me closer to her smile.

She demonstrated me various poses of yoga. They were simple, and at first, I laughed. But when I was down to my fifth round, I was sweating. I never thought that yoga would make me break a sweat.

"Now, move onto the Warrior." She demonstrated. It was a pose where I had to extend my hands parallel to my body, while standing in a lunge.

I was worn out by trying the same poses again. I wanted to fight with her and pin her on the ground. And all I got were yoga poses.

"Stretch your hands on both sides, Noah." She swiftly moved in the same pose and stretched her hand parallel. But she was too close to my body. Her chest was pressed on my back, and something was happening in my trouser.

What the fuck? Why am I getting aroused by her touch?
I had no answer, but the monster rising in my pants wasn't ready to stop. If she walked in front of me, she would find me in a very embarrassing position.

"That's enough for today. Are you planning to exhaust me with these silly poses?" I stood up, making sure that the erection in my track pants was hidden from her.

"Come on, Noah. Don't be a jerk. We are just halfway through. We have yet to try Warrior Three. Let me show you how fun much it is." She bent through her waist, and then moved into a forward lunge. She then raised her back leg, and extended both hands in the air. Her tight sports bra was showing me her cleavage, and it was working on me in a very wrong way.

Fuck. She’s just a normal woman without the curves I love in any woman, and I still get heated up by just looking at her boobs.

This was bad. I was here to focus on insulting her, but rather, I was appraising her body in my mind. What the fuck was going on?

"Julie, let's get to training." I grabbed her hand and broke her yoga position.

She looked at me with furious eyes, but I didn't care what she thought. I needed her to stop.

"You’re a jerk.”

"Whatever you say," I replied, taking a stance. I would beat her in the ring.

We judged each other by moving in circles, opposite to each other. Though I could beat that young kid a couple of days back, it was only possible in rage. In reality, I had not practiced for almost three years now and beating Julie would be tough.

Julie charged forward. I expected her to take me head-on, but she diverted her path and threw a sidekick at me when she passed my right side.

I ducked to dodge her kick, but it threw me off balance and I hit the ground. She stood there with a serious look on her face. She gave me a hand to get up, but instead of taking her hand, I moved quickly and wrapped her waist in a hug, planning to throw her over the top of my head. It was a wrestling tactic I learned from one of my friends.

But she expected that, and flipped before I could lift her in the air. The result was her breast pressing against my face, and my back on the floor, again infuriating me. But then an ecstatic warmth emerged in my body as I could feel her hard nipples pressed on my cheeks. My nose was perfectly placed in-between the two round blossoms. It was the ultimate arousal I could feel in that moment. My tongue was itching to lick her nipples.

God damn, Noah. Push her away.

I did so. I didn't like the way she was making me feel. Tonya

"I wish you had a curvy body when you thought of rubbing your nipples on my face." I chuckled in a sarcastic way, to insult her.

She didn't say a word, but her eyes told me that my insult had worked. She stood up and waited until I was once again standing.

"Now come on, and don't rub your boobs on my face again," I said, jibing her on.

She jumped in the air and her knee hit my chest pretty hard. I moved slightly back to avoid some of the impact. If I hadn't anticipated her move, she would’ve done some damage to my ribs. But still her kick had the power to knock me down on the ground. Then she was on back of me, wrapping her hands around my neck in a death lock.

Fuck, what is she thinking? Is she going to kill me today?
Her grip was tightening, and I was losing it. I tapped on the ground frantically. There was no escape from the trap. She had to release me, or I would die.

Thankfully, she loosened her grip.

I took a deep breath. "Have you gone mad?" I shouted after I caught my breath. But she had already left the ring.

"She’s fucking crazy," I whispered as I walked to the shower room. "If she ever does that again, I’ll complaint about her."

But then again, it was her job to train me, and my opponent in the ring wouldn't take the time to teach me anything. He would just beat the shit out of me.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Am I losing it?
I was missing my touch. Three years back I fought fiercely. Maybe because I was in my prime. I should’ve anticipated her move. If I had moved a little and locked my own hands, I could’ve saved myself from that lock. My prime fights flashed in front of me when I took a shower.

When I left the showers I found she was standing outside, talking with another man. A fighter, actually. A fighter in his prime. I knew it, because he looked the way I used to.

Something was kicking inside my brain. I felt hostile towards that bastard. Why was he talking to Julie, and why was he standing so close to her?

What the fuck I am thinking about? Why would I even bother caring about who she talks to?

I needed a girl. I needed someone to fuck that evening. I looked around, and I found a trainer walking by.

"Hello, miss." I flashed a smile at her.

"Hello Mr..."

"Noah Rich, owner of the Orange Computers. And you are?”

I knew she would be ready to fuck me by that evening, just by the way she looked at me with those dreamy eyes. It was the look of a girl ready to warm my bed in the night.