"You left too soon."
"Right after you told me you're better off alone," she said. "Now, I'm thinking you were right."
"Well, there is something I can't do alone." I nuzzled my stubbly cheek along her neck and whispered in her ear. "If you really want to help me…"
I thought about begging. In fact, I would have begged. I needed Kya, wanted her more than anything. She burned in me like a fever and my lips against the soft skin of her neck were only a small part of the cure. If I had any hope of getting her out of my system, I needed all of her.
Kya pried my hands off and held me at arm's length. "I do want to help you, Fenton. The vitamin supplements people are still interested. I can use my expense account, get you a new room, a suite even."
Better than a cold shower, I thought. "Thanks for the coffee and the detour, Ms. Allen. Now, if you don't mind, I need to face my public – adoring or not. You know what they say about publicity."
#
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd thank me. All I did was drag you out of a reporter's riot and find you a new gym to train in. Gonna get you ready for your next fight and get you back on track to the title, too. Yeah, no need to thank me," Aldous said.
I ignored my coach and pummeled the punching bag he held. It was Peretti, over and over again, and what I should have done to him.
"Oh, so now you're focused," Aldous said.
"Yeah, now I'm focused," I said. "You know I'm thankful for everything you do. Best way to show it is to get that title."
"Best way to do that is to get your life in balance," he said. He let go of the punching bag and crossed his arms over his chest. "And, the first step is to realize you can't keep everything separate and in tight little boxes. That's not how life works."
"What am I keeping separate?" I asked. "This is all I've got."
"This and whatever is all over your face when that little blonde spitfire is around," Aldous told me.
"I don't need endorsements to succeed. You've always agreed with me on that." I ripped off my gloves and headed to the weight machines.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." He followed me and corrected the weight I chose on the lat pull-down machine. "You get the same expression I wore when I first met my Tia."
"It's not like that. She's only after me for an endorsement deal." I pulled hard against the heavy weight. "And, I'm not ready for anyone right now. No love until the title is mine."
"I'd say Peretti knocked you pretty good, but you've had this crazy notion in your head for years now," Aldous said. "Life is not going to wait for you to have everything lined up all neat. And, love certainly doesn't work that way. Let me tell you about love. If you don't open the door when it comes knocking, it’s just going to come crashing through anyway."
"Where's your focus?" I asked. "I just told you Kya Allen is not interested in anything but an endorsement deal. If it’s not on the dotted line, then she's not interested. So what if I find her attractive? There are plenty of ways to deal with that."
"Is that what your little party last night was all about?" he asked. He threw me a towel. "Might as well shower up and get some rest. You're a wreck."
I leaned my forehead against the cool tile of the shower as the hot water kneaded my sore muscles. Aldous was right about one thing– last night's party was meant to get Kya off my mind. First, there were the fake twins with their matching shade of blonde and tiny silver skirts. After Kya appeared on the dance floor, I ditched them in favor of a tall woman with blue streaks in her black hair. She had the most amazing hands, but when Kya left the party, all I did was drink.
I toweled off and found the Army surplus cot Aldous had set out for me in a private corner of the gym. I knew as soon as I shut my eyes, I would see Kya.
"Hello?" I answered my phone on the first ring.
"So, I was going to take you up on your offer, but I'm not so excited about sleeping in the back room of a boxing gym," Dana Maria said.
"I'm sorry, sis. I can explain," I said.
"No need to explain; your story is all over the media. I think it’s safe to say I was right. We don't know each other anymore and you don't owe me a thing," my sister said.
I slumped back on the hard cot. My reputation had skyrocketed my popularity over the past few hours. I was now a trending topic. I could not change the way the world viewed me, now. Too bad my sister and Kya had to see me that way, too.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kya
When I gave the front desk clerk my company credit card and requested a suite, I had no idea what I was getting. Within minutes, a porter accompanied me to my old room, gathered up my suitcase and carryon, and whisked me five stories higher. There, he unlocked the door to a miniature paradise.
Large picture windows overlooked the pool. From that height, it was a jungle-like vista with spots of bright blue. The rest of the view stretched out over Vegas with all the major casinos easily identified. I stood and had to admire the bright, garish architecture of the town.
It was easy to understand why people loved Las Vegas. There was no mistaking it for any other place and that made escaping the normal day-to-day almost automatic. Except I was there to work. I turned to explore the suite and laughed out loud.
A full kitchen complete with restaurant-grade appliances and hand blown glass fixtures overlooked a wide sitting area. A gas fireplace glowed against the bright sunlight of the room, promising to be a warm and cozy contrast to the neon lights later that night. Two rooms with double-doors swung wide flanked the main area and both had king-sized beds and luxury bathrooms. The master suite was distinguishable by an added hot tub alcove in the corner.
I finally understood why so many endorsement agents got seduced by life on the road. Expense accounts were easy to abuse under the excuse of wining and dining a client.
"Come in," I called at a knock on the door.
A tall man with a golden tan and flashing white teeth strode into the suite and placed two cases on the granite counter of the kitchen. "The front desk told me you were thinking about dining in this evening. I am the personal chef assigned to your suite. Room service is also available, but I thought I would let you know I am free this evening if you would prefer something prepared fresh here just for you."
I blinked, thinking he might be a mirage. Had I stared out the picture windows at the desert sun too long? "I, um, am planning to entertain a client tonight. The Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Fenton Morris. Have you heard of him?"
The blond chef smiled. "If I had missed his billboards, I certainly would have heard about his big scene at the MGM this morning. Seems like a rough customer, but easy to cook for. Steak, risotto, fresh vegetable medley. It'll be nice to cook for an athlete that might actually eat leafy greens."
"That sounds wonderful," I said. I wrung my hands and looked around at the suite again. Was this for real?
"And, how about a glass of wine for you? Perhaps a nice peppery Cabernet?" The handsome chef tied on a white apron and opened the larger of his cases. He selected a bottle of wine and cocked a questioning eyebrow at me.