19. Keyshawn
Monday mornings always came around like a freight train. As my alarms went off, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked down at the beautiful woman laying in my arms. She was peaceful. The bruising had slowly faded away, and her voice had returned to normal. She’d gone to her primary care physician last week to get a full checkup, to make sure no unseen damages were lingering around. The doctor said everything looked fine and to continue to take it easy until she felt 100 percent again.
As I closed my eyes to revel in her warmth, her scent infiltrated my nostrils. Her sweet and warm cocoa scent had me feeling feral. My arousal was almost palpable. With a few gentle movements, I made my way under the blanket and her wetness greeted me with a low hum. I dipped my tongue between the folds and hugged her clit with my tongue. I devoured her until she’d begged me to fill her with the dick. We fucked until we’d both released our orgasms.
“Good morning,” I sang as I pulled out of her and smacked her on the ass.
“Mmm hmm.” She hummed a response.
“Do you want me to carry you to the shower?” I asked as I noticed her still lying on her stomach.
She didn’t give a verbal response. Instead, she nodded her head and rolled onto her side. The sweat on her skin made her glow under the natural light beaming through the curtains. She was the most beautiful sight in the world. I scooped her into my arms and kissed her repeatedly before we trekked through the mess of clothes to the bathroom.
I set her on the counter before I turned on the shower and set it to a temperature hot enough to soothe her body but not too hot to cook my damn skin. Women would bathe with lava if they could. I never understood how they could tolerate the burning temperature of the shower like that.
“What are your plans for the day?” she asked as we showered together. I washed her body, and she washed mine.
I snuck a few pecks on the lips before I replied. “I have a media day. I’m taking photos with Dre Bricks. He’s the new face of the industry. He’s made a huge name for himself and wants to have a chance at getting the title in my last match.”
“Are you going to let him?” Bern asked as she scrubbed my back with the exfoliating gloves.
“Nope. I’m going to whup his ass and offer him a name under the company I’m creating.”
“Oh? Tell me more.”
“I was thinking of doing something similar to what Coach Larry does. I want to mentor the next generation of boxers and keep my legacy going.”
She poked out her bottom lip and turned me to face her. Several kisses later, we were entangled in another round of sex. She had some stamina on her.
Once we’d cleaned up a second time, we got dressed in separate parts of the home. Then we went to the kitchen and made breakfast together. I made the protein smoothies while she scrambled some eggs, fried some shredded hash browns, and fried crispy pieces of bacon. We ate and drank together before I had Javon pick me up. I promised to call her during lunch as she climbed into her car to head to the office.
On the drive to the location where the photo shoot would be held, my mind focused on Bern. It was natural to be in her space. Even after eight years apart, we fell into a smooth routine almost instantly. We found our new normal and had only been dating officially for about a month. I wanted to propose to her. Too much time had passed between us, and I didn’t want to enter a new year without her as my fiancée.
“We’ve got a lot to discuss, Krash,” Gary stated as I walked into the building.
The room was packed. There were men and women everywhere doing something. It was “organized chaos” as some would say. Dre Bricks was being photographed as I moved through the room to the dressing room assigned to me.
“What’s up?” I asked as I tossed my bag onto the table and put on the gear assigned for the first look.
“We have a long day ahead. I need to go over the promo schedule with you,” he explained.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“This is your final fight, so we’re going to put tickets on sale starting in October,” he explained.
I nodded. “Right. The pictures will drop at the end of September, right?”
“Right.”
“I want to also throw a huge party for my thirtieth. I want to have like a block party with performances and shit like that.”
Gary nodded. “We can see what the weather is like. I doubt you’re going to want to be cold as hell outside in potential snow and shit.”
“Maybe not a block party then. Maybe get an event venue and have like bounce houses and shit. I want to emphasize that turning thirty isn’t the end of life. A lot of young folks think thirty is old as hell, but it’s really when life starts to turn for the better.”
“Growing up in the neighborhoods we lived in, seeing eighteen was hard. To know we beat the odds and are about to celebrate your big three-oh says a lot about the drive you have. You ain’t let life break you down.”
“Man!” I stared at myself in the mirror.
As I studied my reflection, I experienced a moment of clarity at Gary’s words. I’d gone through so much shit. My mother’s death, my grandmother’s death, and my father’s suicide could have had a negative effect on my life. I could have used that pain to get involved in the streets. Instead, I found Coach Larry to put my pain into something positive. I could have been a ward of the state, but instead, Bernice’s parents took me in and kept me out of the system. Bernice was my angel in human form. She was the constant in my life I needed to keep me from turning down the wrong path.
“Krash!” a voice from outside the dressing room called out.
“We’re coming,” I replied as I put on my gloves.
Gary led us out of the room to where the black backdrop waited.
“Good morning, Krash. My name is Jules. I’ll be capturing some pictures for the promo. Once we’re done here, you’ll do an interview with Leslie who will ask you some questions.”
“Sounds good.”
“Have fun. You can lead and I’ll follow.” Jules lifted the camera as I began to toss out poses. I’d done many media days, so I knew the basic poses most designers liked to put on their flyers. Then, I did some fun ones.
“Ken! Can you come spray him down?”
Ken appeared from thin air with a bottle of water. He sprayed my forehead, chest, and abdomen. He made sure to make it look like natural sweat before he moved out of the way. Jules did some close ups and smiled once we’d gotten enough images for the designers to play with.
“Thanks, Jules.”
“No problem. It was an honor to capture the moment.”
I gave her a hug before I moved to the room where the interview would be held. I gave my gloves to Gary who held them while the interview began. Leslie was a bright-skinned woman with long, curly hair. She wore a pink and white skirt suit. She greeted me with her dazzling white smile, before she got into her professional bag.
“Hey, y’all! We’re here with the legend himself, Krash Williams.”
I waved at the camera. “It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s almost a bittersweet moment.”
“Let’s talk about the road leading to this moment. Many people know your history, but for the ones who don’t, give us the Krash Williams’ story.”
I licked my lips and folded my fingers. “I grew up in Houston. I was raised by a single father. My mama left when I was a baby…” I gave a run down on my terrible upbringing. “Boxing was where I found solace in the fucked-up cards I was dealt. In the beginning, I released my rage onto my opponents, despite the warnings Coach Larry gave me. I couldn’t go in like a street fight. I had to have calculated movements in the ring.”
We talked about Coach Larry and the impact he had on my career. I owed him everything. I dropped a hint about opening my own gym, to follow in his footsteps. Leslie asked about where he was now. I gave updates on Coach and Gary and the crew.
“While we’re on the topic of close friends, we’ve seen a lot of articles lately about you and your new boo,” Leslie began. “What’s the tea with you and Ms. James?”
“Bern is my heart in human form. I’m not afraid to admit I love this girl with my whole being. My soul dances when she’s near me. Reuniting with her was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. For anybody wondering if they should spin the block on the one they think got away, do it. The love is undeniable and unbreakable now.”
Leslie placed her hand on her chest and cooed. “Aww! I love this. A man who isn’t afraid to love his woman out loud.”
“It should be the norm. I be looking at some of these niggas with a side-eye. How can you claim to love a woman when you don’t love her out loud. Niggas who are afraid to show their women off are either insecure, cheating, or both.”
Leslie laughed. “Oop! Period, Krash. While we’re on the topic, will we be hearing wedding bells in the future?”
“Fa shit sho. By the time this interview airs, I plan to have already asked her. I have the ring picked and everything. Fucking hos gets old fast. Having a reliable, loving, and beautiful woman to come home to every day is the ultimate blessing. Everyone might not want to settle down, but I sure do.”
“We love a man not afraid to love his lady! Before we go, do you have any words for future boxers and your opponent, Dre Bricks?”
“To Dre Bricks, it’ll be a fun match. I’m not going to go easy on you, but I do want you to know I’m willing to mentor you when the match is over. I’ve seen you fight, and you have a hell of a left hook. With the proper guidance, you could be bigger than me one day. To any young man looking to get into boxing, think about what being a boxer is. You have to be able to take a punch. You have to be able to fall down and get back up. They say boxing is a poor man’s sport because historically, boxers were known to be of lower class who couldn’t afford the expensive shit like golf or tennis.”
I gave a quick history of boxing. I’d never been so forthcoming in my interviews, but I figured as I planned my retirement tour, it made sense to drop as many gems as possible. I ended the interview telling everyone this wasn’t the end of Krash Williams.
“Thank you, Krash. It was a pleasure interviewing you.”
I smiled at Leslie. “You did a great job. Keep up the great work. This is only the beginning for you. Your career will take off because you make everyone feel comfortable.”
“That means so much. Please, if you or Bernice ever want to promote something, don’t hesitate to reach out. There will always be a spot for you on the show.”
“Thanks.”
We said our goodbyes as I headed back to the dressing room to change.
“You really about to be done with boxing,” Gary stated as he packed my gloves into the bag.
“I wouldn’t word it like that. I’m not fighting anymore, but I’m going to still be surrounded by the sport.”
Gary nodded. “Pops is going to go crazy when I tell him about the plans for the mentor program.”
“I owe it all to him. I still feel like the money I give him isn’t enough for everything he’s done for me.”
“He feels the gratitude in every paycheck and story you share. You’ve brought his gym a lot of success. Hell, you’ve brought me a lot of success. I’ve got young niggas in my email asking to become a part of the team. They want me to manage them too.”
“That’s what the fuck I love to hear!” I exclaimed. “I want to be able to expand everyone’s business so when I’m not moving like I used to, the bags still come y’all way.”
I’d moved in my purpose, and everyone around me had elevated in one way or another. The end of this chapter in boxing would be the beginning for so many others. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Bernice. I’d be content being nothing more than her man while she went out and continued to do big things.
I had it bad, and I didn’t care.