Chapter 30
Thirty
Kaden
Stepping into the banquet was like stepping into a fairytale. They had gone above and beyond and somehow still managed to outdo themselves compared to previous years.
Val’s jaw dropped. “Whoa. This is gorgeous.”
“Not as gorgeous as you.” I took her hand and spun her around, wrapping my arms around her waist.
She smirked. “I suppose now’s when I’m going to find out you can dance too?”
I stepped back and did a couple of cha-cha moves I had picked up while watching those dancing shows with Isabella.
Her eyes were set on me intently, and I stared at her while she bit her lip.
I often wondered where her mind went. Of course, if I was to ask her she would just giggle and tell me oh nothing in a playful voice which would be pitched slightly higher compared to her regular voice.
Just like usual. Val was an open creature, while also remaining engulfed in secrets.
I wasn’t sure how that worked, but for her, it did.
“What about you?” I cut into her thoughts. “Do you dance?”
She shook her head no. “I like the idea, but unfortunately, I was born with two left feet.”
I glanced down. “Not literally.” She smacked my arm playfully. “You know what I mean.”
The music grew louder, giving me the perfect opportunity to pull her in closer. “Think of dancing like fighting, only without the punching and kicking.” I whispered in her ear.
Val pulled back to stare into my eyes. “Did you just come up with that? Because it’s quite a stretch.” We both laughed.
That was another thing I really enjoyed about Val: I could be myself without fear of her telling me I wasn’t acting manly enough for her.
The more I thought about things, the more I realized Isabella and I never had a healthy relationship.
Neither one of us treated the other with the respect we deserved. With Val, it was easy.
A few moments later, the president of the United Fighting League was clearing his throat into the mic.
“Excuse me.” He cleared his throat again.
“Thank you all so much for being here tonight.
It is my pleasure to be honoring some of the most esteemed fighters and their trainers in the industry.
Your meals should be served momentarily.
Until then, enjoy the wine and hors d'oeuvres which are being passed around. After dinner, I will begin the awards ceremony. Enjoy!” He raised his beer and proceeded to exit the stage while everyone in the hall clapped.
It didn’t take long and the waitstaff began to serve all of the guests.
They slipped a plate in front of me and it looked amazing.
The prime rib was the most tender cut I had ever tasted, a baked potato done up with all the bells and whistles, and the asparagus had been sauteed in a butter garlic sauce.
Normally, I wasn’t a fan, however, there was something about the way these were cooked that made them perfect.
Or perhaps it was just this night overall.
I glanced over at Val as they set her plate in front of her.
I knew how much she loved seafood, so I had selected her to get a lobster tail along with a six-ounce filet mignon.
Val quickly looked over at me, her eyes wide. “Oh, my gosh, Kaden.” She blushed. “This looks amazing.” She shifted in her seat and winced.
“Dig in,” I encouraged, chuckling because I knew the reason behind her wince.
I watched as she took her first bite and melt. “Ugh, it’s perfect.” She smiled while continuing to chew. “They really do go all out for these things, huh?”
I nodded. “They really do.”
Just then, the president returned to the stage, and announced we should continue eating while he got started with the awards, explaining he had quite a few to get through and wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the celebration.
???
Val
I continued to enjoy my meal as people made their way to the stage to accept their awards.
When I looked over at Kaden, I could tell he was feeling nervous.
I couldn’t imagine being able to get up and fight and coach in front of thousands, and then get nervous to accept an award with only two hundred people in the room.
Finally, they called his name. Kaden stood up slowly as the crowd clapped and cheered. He smoothed the front of his suit jacket and strode toward the stage. I would have tripped. He accepted his award and then began his speech, listing all of the people he wanted to thank.
“Val, thank you for being my number one fan and support system. I’m not sure what I pictured for my life at this point, but I know one thing, I could no longer picture it without you.
” The audience swooned. His speech continued and suddenly, he threw a curveball.
“As you all know, I have been out of the fighting circuit for a while now due to my accident. But this is my official announcement to let you all know… I am returning to the octagon and I would like to challenge Mark Wagner.”
I couldn’t believe what just happened. Kaden challenged my previous trainer.
Part of me found it ridiculously attractive, and then another part of me felt upset that he didn’t mention it to me first.
“So, come on man, it’s your move.” Kaden wrapped up his speech and walked back to the table as everyone cheered even louder than before, shaking his hand and patting his back as he walked past.
As he sat down he looked at me, I wasn’t sure what my face was doing, but I hoped I wasn’t seemingly perturbed.
“Surprise.” He kissed my cheek.
“Wow, what a surprise.” My voice sounded sarcastic.
He sat quiet for a moment. “You’re upset with me?”
“No,” I quickly interjected. “I just wish you would have given me a heads-up, so I knew what to expect, that’s all.” I reassured him. “You’re gonna get back out there, how exciting!”
Suddenly, I noticed the look on his face. There was more. “I want you to fight, too, a rematch against Mia.”
My heart sank.
“You’re ready.” He encouraged me.
I thought for a minute. “Can I think about it? Or are the flyers already printed?”
He laughed. “Of course you can think about it.”
The evening continued, and Kaden and I were bombarded by people wanting to talk to him, congratulate him on the award, and cheer him on for making the decision to get back out there. It should have been overwhelming, but with him… it was tolerable.
When the evening was finally over, Kaden escorted me to his car and opened the door for me. “There’s something I want to show you.” He closed the door once I got in and hurried to the other side so he could get into the driver’s side and finish his thought. “Do you trust me?”
“I trust you.” I smiled at him.
“Good, you’re going to love this.”