The PRETTY (EROM Curvy Romance #1) (10 page)

B
ack at the gym
, Roman spars with multiple partners and trains with Al and other experts in their fields.

H
e first starts
out with calisthenics, then stretches. He jumps from floor exercises to a punching bag, to Roman Gecko wrestling moves. Once done with that, he climbs into the ring for more boxing strategies, kickboxing training, as well as Jujitsu.

E
very day is
a ten hour training day. Roman powers through the soreness of ribs and focuses on his techniques. Although he’s a better fighter than Lucky, he never underestimates what can happen in a ring.

R
oman has personally witnessed
champions get cocky and under-train, only to find themselves flat on their asses in the ring. That’s not going to happen to Roman if he can help it.

A
l
and the rest of the fighters have left the gym. Roman remains as he goes through drills one last time.

T
uesday adjusts
the waistband on her slacks and tucks the tail to her shirt back into her pants. She walks down from her office, being careful not to disturb his training. She sits on the third stair from the bottom and rests her chin on her knuckles until Roman calls it a night.

R
oman catches her gaze
. He jogs over to her and sits down next to her on the steps.

“
Y
ou look good
. You look ready,” Tuesday assures.

R
oman shrugs his shoulders
, “I never feel one-hundred percent ready no matter how hard I train, or how many hours.”

“
T
hat surprises me
,” Tuesday says, “You always seem so confident in the cage. I’ve never seen a look of doubt in your face, ever when training.”

“
I
never doubt
myself in the ring. Once I’m there, it’s all over. I do what I need to do. But before that time, I always wonder if I’ve done enough,” Roman confides.

“
Y
ou’re doing enough
,” Tuesday assures.

S
he wants
to say something more but bites her tongue.

R
oman picks up on it
, “What do you want to say?”

T
uesday turns to face him
, “Have you sized up Lucky? He’s not a clean fighter. He will do whatever it takes to win. You need to watch out for him.”

R
oman chuckles
, “Of course. He’s all flash. He tries to draw emotions out of his opponents; that’s how he operates. I also know he’s not above illegal tactics. But I can’t worry about that. I’m focused on my game.”

“
H
ow do
you focus on your game and not get caught up in his antics?” Tuesday asks.

“
S
imple
. I keep my emotions in check no matter what he pulls.”

T
uesday is not surprised
by the response and asks a follow-up question, “I’ve noticed that that’s the way you live your life, inside and outside the Octagon. You keep your emotions in check. Have you ever considered letting your guard down, just once, just a little bit?”

R
oman wipes
his face with a towel, then slings it over his shoulder, “Now why would I do that when so much is at stake?”

“
I
’m not talking
about your fight tomorrow, I’m talking about us,” she spills.

“
I
didn’t know
there was an us,” Roman says so quickly that it catches Tuesday off-guard.

P
erhaps everything that she feels
, everything that she wants, is all one-sided. Perhaps he’s not the type of man to ever get serious with a woman or trust her completely. Not that she hasn’t given him a reason for pause.

T
uesday rises
from the step and turns to walk back upstairs when Roman grabs her forearm and pulls her down onto his lap. She puts one arm around his neck to steady herself.

“
Y
ou’re a very complicated man
,” Tuesday blurts out.

“
I
don’t believe so
. I have basic thoughts and simple goals,” Roman responds, “I live by a simple set of rules.”

“
S
imple Rules
, huh. What are they?” Tuesday asks.

R
oman puts
his arm around her waist and pulls her closer, “Always do your best, give when you can, and just a little bit more. And always expect the same in return from others.”

“
T
here is
nothing in those set of rules about loving yourself, or finding love. Are you against… love?” Tuesday asks, not quite sure if she would hear the response that she longs to hear.

R
oman normally has
a pat answer to such a question that he would spit out every time someone asked him. The typical response is that he’s in love with winning, with the dance in the ring. Period. But this time he thinks long and hard before responding as he’s in love with this woman. He could see himself with her, with HER.

B
ut he’s let
his insecurities block him from getting close to a woman for fear of getting used, or hurt. But maybe it was time to let Tuesday in. Just maybe Tuesday is the one he’s been waiting for his entire life.

R
oman takes
Tuesday’s leg and pulls it around his back so that she sits facing him with her legs wrapped around his hips.

H
e removes
his gloves and places them next to him. Although he has wiped away his sweat, the scent of him is still strong.

R
oman seizes
Tuesday’s hips and draws her into his abdomen.

R
oman lets
down his protective wall and lays it all on the table. He has never admitted what he’s about to say, to anyone, until now. “I’m scared, Tuesday. And I haven’t been scared since I was eleven years old.”

T
uesday places
his face in her hands, “What are you afraid of, Roman?”

R
oman takes
a moment as he’s not used to spilling his guts or sharing feelings. It feels awkward and uncomfortable to him. But perhaps, that’s what real love feels like. He is willing to give this a real shot.

“
I
’m
afraid that as soon as I tell you what you mean to me, that something will come between us, something very powerful. It will be something neither of us can control or shut down, and we’ll be lost to each other. I know this makes no sense,” Roman confides. Roman’s mind races, simply embarrassed to have even said anything.

S
till on his lap
, Tuesday scoots in closer to Roman and leans her head on his shoulder.

R
oman is surprised
by this tender moment. He wraps his arms around her waist as his head drops past her shoulder.

T
hey stay
in this position in complete silence with their breaths synced to one rhythm.

R
oman wonders
if this is what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. Why was he so fortunate to have found such a compassionate, unselfish and giving human being like Tuesday?

N
either wants
to let the other go.

F
or the first
time in Roman’s life, he feels genuine closeness, a sense of belonging, and even safety in her arms. He knows he can trust her with his heart.

H
e pushes
down deep the negative thoughts that have plagued him about Tuesday, Franklin Forrest, and her ex-boyfriend. None of that matters right now.

F
or a man
about to step into the cage tomorrow and decimate his opponent, The Pretty can only fill his thoughts with Tuesday.

T
he auditorium is
at full capacity, and the roar of the crowd is almost deafening. Thousands have come to witness the ultimate fight of the century.

T
he men are
in their perspective corners psyching themselves out for the match. Al rubs down The Pretty to work out the tense knots in-between his shoulder blades.

R
oman searches
the crowd for Tuesday. She sits five rows back from the ring. She gives him a friendly wave and blows him a kiss.

R
oman winks
at her before he refocuses his attention to inside the cage.

A
llistor stands
next to Lucky as his trainer rubs him down. “Remember, slow and steady. Dodge. Defense only the first two rounds.”

L
ucky spits in a bucket
, “I can take this guy in one.”

“
I
believe
you’re quite delusional, Lucky. You’re no match for The Pretty. You can nurse your bruised ego after you cash your check. We’ve gone over this. Stick to the script.”

A
llistor taps
Lucky’s shoulder with his cane and exchanges knowing looks with the Referee before he steps outside of the cage.

A
l puts
a bottle of water to The Pretty’s lips as he takes a few swigs.

T
he Pretty
and Lucky stomp around the cage near their corners to get their adrenaline up.

F
ans hold
up signs for both fighters as they cheer in anticipation of the bell.

T
he Television Commentators
go over the rules of the fight.

“Three judges score the fight based equally on Striking, Grappling, Effective Aggression and Cage Control. It’s a ten point MUST system. Knees or downward elbows to the head of a grounded opponent are not allowed. And only the Referee or Doctor can stop the fight.”

T
he bell sounds
and the lights go down. A spotlight shines on the Announcer, who is center cage.

“
W
elcome ladies
and gentleman to the UFC featured bout of the evening; all made possible by Guzzle Energy Drink and HBO. This fight is sanctioned by the Athletic Commission, and its chairperson, Daniel Betters.”

T
he Announcer continues
, “Introducing our three judges, scoring from cage side; all from Florida; Hector Montez, Chris Tangle and Bill Goodwin. And our third man in the cage, introducing tonight’s Referee, Troy Evans.”

A
nd now
, what the crowd has been waiting for. The Announcer gears up to announce the two fighters, “It’s the light-heavyweight attraction… and nooo ooo ow it's sss sss shoo ooo time!”

T
he crowd erupts
with chants of “The Pretty” and “Lucky.” Fans hold their signs up above their heads and shake them in a rhythmic pace to their chants. Spotlights sweep the crowd as excitement reaches a climax.

“
L
et
me introduce the fighter standing on my right, in the red corner and standing six foot two inches and a weight of two hundred and four pounds. His record stands at twelve wins, zero losses, five wins by way of a knockout and two by way of submission. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the fists of fury himself, Theeeeeee Pretttttttttty!”

T
he Pretty raises
both arms and walks around the cage to rile up the crowd. Fans chant his name Pre-tty, Pre-tty, Pre-tty as they hold up compact mirrors in solidarity.

T
he Announcer does
the final introduction. “On my left, standing six foot and weighing one hundred and ninety-nine pounds, with a record of four wins, eight losses, ladies, and gentleman, please welcome the southpaw sensation, Luuuuuuuucky Leeeeeeeeewis!”

F
ans chant Lu-cky
, Lu-cky, Lu-cky. Lucky prances around the cage and shakes his fist at the crowd.

“
N
ow to give the instructions
, fighters center ring,” the Announcer orders.

T
he Pretty
and Lucky Lewis face off as the crowd shouts their names. The energy in the arena is volcanic.

T
he Referee gives the instructions
, “Gentleman, this is the main event, this is show time. You know the rules. I want a good clean fight. I won’t tolerate anything less. Go back to your corners and let's rock.”

T
he two fighters
do as instructed. The Pretty gets last minute advice from Al, “Save your energy during this round. Let his tire himself out.”

R
oman slaps
his hands together and rolls his neck to loosen it up before the first bell.

T
he Referee points
to The Pretty, “Fighter, are you ready?” He points to Lucky Lewis, “Fighter are you ready?”

B
oth fighters say
yes as the bell sounds.

T
he fighters enter
the center ring and circle each other.

L
ucky Lewis is
a southpaw while The Pretty is Orthodox. The Pretty lands hard body kick. The two trade punches as The Pretty lands an inside leg kick. Lucky charges and lands a right, but The Pretty circles out and away from Lucky.

L
ucky receives
a crushing body shot from Lucky, but he quickly rebounds and clips Lucky.

T
hey exchange bombs
. It looks like Lucky is hurt, so he backpedals, but The Pretty isn’t letting up. He presses Lucky into the fence. The Pretty is all over Lucky, but Lucky is saved by the bell.

R
oman returns to a waiting Al
, “I thought we agreed to conserve your energy?” he says as he applies ice packs to Roman’s back and shoulders.

T
uesday is pleased
with the fight so far. It’s going precisely as she has envisioned.

T
he bell rings
again which signals round two.

L
ucky charges
out and lands an inside leg kick to The Pretty’s left calf. He then dives toward The Pretty’s single leg and grabs ahold of it.

B
ut The Pretty
uses an under-hook before he crosses his other leg to land a half-guard. Lucky is on his back and scrambles and twists to get released. He does and jumps back to his feet. Lucky lands every third move, but he’s consistent. The Pretty goes deep and lands another hard body kick. He presses Lucky again into the fence. However, the Referee separates them for inactivity.

Lucky scores with a round of hard body kicks, a leg sweep and a left hook to end the round.

L
ucky slowly moves
towards his corner and plops down. He know’s he’s losing, and losing big time. He looks over his shoulder at Allistor, who sits near cage-side. Allistor tips his cane. The Referee glances again at Allistor before the third and final bell sounds.

T
he fighters step
out of their corners for this third and final UFC light heavyweight championship title round.

T
he Pretty is
up by four points at fifty-six. He has scored perfect tens from all three judges in the past two rounds. However, the Referee deducts points in two rounds for what he calls holding and fish hooking.

T
he Pretty’s opponent
, Lucky Lewis, catches a few “lucky breaks.” Bookies give him 100 to 1 odds that he would make it to the third and final round against, The Pretty.

B
ut the odds
will turn in his favor. Lucky misses three swings as The Pretty’s lightning quick agility saves him from impact.

H
owever
, Lucky pretends to slip as The Pretty takes advantage of the fall and lands on top of him. He wraps his body around his and slides him over to the fence once again. However, Lucky twists out and conceals a rabbit punch to the base of The Pretty’s skull.

T
he Referee sees
the banned technique, however, says nothing and does nothing. The Referee glances over at Allistor as he allows the fight to continue.

A
blow
like this can normally knock a player out, and possibly send them to an early grave. Yet, The Pretty manages to stand up.

T
uesday is
use to brutal fights between men in cages and knows The Pretty can handle himself, but this is different. She recognizes the illegal blow and jumps from her seat and charges towards the ringside Doctor. Unfortunately, she is stopped by Security.

“
S
orry
, Ma’am,” A Security Officer bellows, “Please take your seat.”

“
D
idn’t you see that
?” Tuesday responds in a hyper state of agitation.

T
he Security Officer
shakes his head and blocks her from going any farther.

F
rom The Pretty’s corner
, Al sees the illegal blow and gestures to The Pretty as to what to do. However, Roman waves him off as per The Pretty’s demands.

T
he Pretty refuses
to allow a single punch to take him down, even if it’s an illegal one.

O
fficials
, the Cornerman, everyone running the bout say The Pretty just looks tired, yet Tuesday knows otherwise. They all miss key moments where they should intervene to help, The Pretty.

T
he second sign
of trouble comes towards the middle of this final round. The Pretty slightly staggers after he lands a Muay Thai short-range strike.

T
uesday recognizes
his stagger as a gait disturbance, evidence of his changing condition. Why haven’t the referee or officials, or the coaches stopped the bout, Tuesday wonders?

T
he Pretty takes
a jab and a leg kick from Lucky. The Referee reprimands Lucky for an illegal groin kick. Lucky’s back faces The Pretty as he stumbles. He doesn’t have his feet under him at this point.

This is the first indication of a deteriorating fighter. As the fight progresses, The Pretty’s feet cross, which puts him in a vulnerable position.

T
he ringside Doctor
glances up at The Pretty and Lucky and ignores all the warning signals before he returns to texting. He takes his eyes completely off the fighters at a time when he should monitor them closely.

T
he Pretty is
on the ropes as Lucky lands an uppercut. The Referee steps in and asks The Pretty if he wants to continue.

“
H
ell yeah
,” The Pretty manages as he staggers back to his feet and into the center of the ring to confront Lucky.

F
rom the sidelines
, Tuesday shouts to the Referee, “Do a standing eight count.” However, her words are ignored. Or perhaps they are drowned out by the crowd.

T
uesday pushes
her way towards the three judges before Security notices. Tuesday grabs the shoulder a Judge and asks, “Why in the hell is the Referee even in the ring if he’s not going to protect the safety of the fighters? You saw that illegal blow, why are you letting this continue?”

T
he Judge gestures
for Security to take her away.

T
he bell sounds
as both fighters return to their corners. The Pretty grabs ahold of the cage to steady himself but is unsuccessful. He loses his balance as Al catches him.

T
he ringside Doctor
again glances into both corners before he returns to texting on his cell phone.

A
l holds
up The Pretty by his neck and shoulders as the Timekeeper taps the Doctor on his shoulder to get his attention.

T
he Pretty collapses
to the ground.

T
uesday screams
as she manages to make her way into the ring. She places The Pretty’s head in her lap and speaks to him, “Roman, Roman can you hear me? Speak to me, Roman!”

B
ut The Pretty
is old cold; and not the type of unconsciousness that comes and goes. This is so serious that Tuesday realizes that he may never awaken.

T
here is
pure chaos inside and outside the cage. Allistor rises from his seat and strides away.

L
ucky stands
center cage as the Referee slaps Lucky on the back and raises his arm as the victor.

P
aramedics arrive and attend to
, The Pretty.