Chapter 4
“I hired someone,” my brother says.
I take out my phone to text him instead since we’re out on the floor and don’t want people to eavesdrop on business matters.
Rey: Quien?
Javier: Una persona.
Rey: Stop being funny, wiseass. I’m paying them. You could tell me who you hired and what you know about them. Hopefully, they won’t steal from us or, worse, tell other camps our secrets.
It’s not uncommon for people to hire spies to infiltrate other fighter camps. They can leak footage. That’s why we train after hours and on Sundays when no one is scheduled to train at the gym. I’m undefeated and still have my title as the heavyweight champion.
My brother’s upcoming fight has garnered much attention after he announced I’m training him. It also helps that he’s outgoing, while I’m a mystery. I don’t parade my wealth, and I don’t interview.
After every fight, I thank the commentator and walk out of the ring .
Sure, I get paparazzi following me occasionally when I’m up for a fight. I’m not cocky or flashy. Nothing was handed to me. I’ve earned everything through boxing, including my mother’s house and this boxing gym. I know what it’s like to come from nothing, but I don’t trust anyone who isn’t my brother or mother.
Javier: Relax. Don’t worry, it’s all good. I met the person yesterday. They will fill out the paperwork when they come in, and I’ll run the background check to make sure they aren’t a serial killer or a spy.
I grin.
Rey: Esta bien. (Alright) I trust you. I’ll give them a week. If they’re not good, they’re gone.
Javier: Trust me. I have a good feeling about this.
The next day, after six hours of brutal training with my brother, I check the time on my phone. Right on cue, the glow from the afternoon sun grabs my attention as the front door to the gym opens.
A short woman, maybe in her early twenties, walks in with black leggings, a sweater sliding off one shoulder, and a pair of Vans. Movement in the gym stops. Heads turn. Before I can get a good look, she turns to close the door.
When she turns around, it feels like time has stopped. The earth has stopped spinning on its axis, disrupting everything.
My eyes slide slowly over her petite frame until they land on a small nose, perfectly arched brows above dark lashes, and light brown hair in a loose ponytail that reaches her waist. She’s gorgeous.
My eyes scan the gym, looking at the curious faces, probably wondering why she is here until I spot my brother leaning on the ropes in the ring’s corner. He smiles and waves at her with his glove still on. Maybe, it’s a girl he’s dating, but I don’t miss the tightness in my chest.
She returns his smile, and it gets worse. A lot worse. I take a deep breath, then look away and hit the speed bag harder to the beat of Eminem’s “Till I Collapse.” I hit the bag in a rhythm RIGHT-RIGHT- LEFT-LEFT.
My arms burn to their limit, and sweat stings my eyes. I stop, grab a towel, and wipe my face. I glance over and see a few guys huddled together, looking toward the office. David elbows Hector and gestures with his hands the way guys do whenever they notice an attractive woman. That is exactly why I made rules in the gym for all the fighters who sign up; no females or girlfriends are allowed in the gym unless they are parents or actual fighters. It causes too much drama and disrupts training. What if Javier saw them and lost his shit when he has a fight coming up? We can’t have headaches like that in my gym.
The guys wait like dogs in heat until the office door opens. Hector bites his lip after David says something.
My blood boils. The same way it did when I was twelve and kids would bully me after school. The same way it did right before I landed the punch that would knock out my opponent. Hector notices me first, and his eyes widen. I can see his neck move as he swallows, dragging David down the small hallway to the locker room.
That’s what I thought.
I pull out my cell phone and text my brother.
Rey: We need to talk.
Javier: What’s wrong? ;)
He’s being too nice. Either he knows I’m pissed off or worried I’m going to bitch him out.
Rey: Your girlfriend visiting the gym.
Javier: Que novia? I don’t have a girlfriend, Rey.
Rey: Whatever, the girl you’re dating. Don’t invite her or any of them to the gym. It’s distracting the guys, and they’re talking about her.
Javier: Rey, I don’t have a girlfriend, and I am not screwing anyone… at the moment. The woman you saw entering the gym is our new administrative assistant. Our new hire.
I look up at the aluminum ceiling of the massive warehouse and close my eyes for a second. Is he crazy? I wipe the sweat on my face with the towel, toss it on the bench, and storm my way to the office. Why in the hell did he hire her? Not that I have anything against women, but he can’t be that dense. Is he blind? The guys’ reactions as soon as she walked in are reason enough.
I open the door to the office. She is sitting in the chair— my chair behind the desk. Javier stands next to her, pointing at the stack of paperwork. He stops mid-sentence and looks up.
Her eyes land on me, igniting my blood. I stare directly at her, memorizing every part of her face. Every angle. Every curve. The color of her eyes, lips, and hair. The tip of her tongue when she nervously licks her lips. The tremble of her ringless fingers when Javier gives her the stack of unopened mail. My heart trembles. It stops. It begins. It turns, trying to understand why the rhythm isn’t the same, but I know why. It’s because of the woman in front of me and her strawberry scent.
She needs to leave.
Javier glances at me, and he can tell from the murderous glare I’m giving him that I don’t approve.
I point at him, then at me, and nudge my head to the side, signaling we need to talk.
I enter the locker room, check each stall to make sure no one is inside, and walk back to find Javier with a tight expression.
He raises his hand. “What?”
“She needs to leave.”
He gives me a stupid “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about” look.
I pinch the bridge of my nose to keep from losing my shit. I can’t believe he doesn’t see the problem with her working here. I love my younger brother, but he can be dense sometimes.
“Find someone else.”
He shakes his head. “She needs the job.”
“I don’t care.”
My heartbeat hasn’t returned to its normal rhythm since I’ve looked at her. I can’t think. I can’t breathe, knowing she is still here.
“She is two semesters from graduating from Penn State with a degree in human resources. She’s perfect.”
“Tell her you changed your mind.”
He slides his hand down his face in frustration. “Please tell me it’s not because she’s attractive.”
I stare at him, not wanting to admit it. I don’t want him to know how I’m feeling or what I think. With one look, she’s managed to crack the iron wall I’ve built when it comes to the opposite sex .
“She doesn’t belong here. This isn’t a place for someone like her.”
“You told me to find someone qualified, and I did. I don’t have time for this. She stays unless she can’t do the work. That is what you said, and I’m sticking to it. I won’t tell her you don’t want her here because she’s too pretty. What kind of idiot says that?”
He’s right. He needs to train for his upcoming fight, and we don’t have time to find someone else.
“You deal with her. If someone gets out of line…”
“I’ll deal with it like I always have,” he says, then storms out.
I sit on the bench, hating myself. He thinks I don’t trust his judgment when nothing is further from the truth. I blame it on my lack of interaction with people. I was never good at it, and once they found out the truth, I knew it would get worse. They would look at me differently. They would see how damaged I was. They would see my weakness.