Page 4 of Beyond the Cage

His eyes widen in shock and, if I’m not mistaken, a bit of fear. Definitely not what I expected to see.

“Put me down.”

He complies, placing me on my feet and releasing me. Okay…this guy can really hurt me whether he wants to or not. I don’t think I want to take that chance.

“I…I’m leaving now,” I tell him.

He steps back and allows me to pass by him. When I start chewing, I realize I’ve acquired his gum. I pop it and turn to him with a cheeky smile.

“Thanks for the gum.”

I spin on my heels and run through the door. Taking a tentative peek behind me, I see him leaning on the frame of the door, watching me walk away. I want to go back the way I came, but I keep moving. Something tells me he’ll make my life more complicated than it needs to be.

Taking a deep breath, I head off to find Chelsea once more. I don’t even know how I’m able to walk on these jelly legs. K.O. also packs quite a figurative punch.

“Jas! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!” Chelsea shrieks.

“I was with K.O.”

Her eyes widen in surprise for about a millisecond before she jumps excitedly.

“Oh, my God! What happened?”

“C’mon. Let’s go and I’ll tell you all about it.”

During the drive back to our apartment, I fill her in on what happened in K.O.’s dressing room.

“Did he say anything?” she asks.

“No. He just stared at me the whole time…smiled, shrugged…like I’m supposed to read his mind.”

“I can’t believe you kissed him.”

“Well, I didn’t have much of a choice the first time.”

“Is he a good kisser?”

“Yeah…he is,” I answer wistfully. “Why do you think I went back for seconds?”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“Umm…no.”Why would I see him again?

“Do you know what I would give for a night with K.O. Jackson?”

“Well, if you see him again, you can have him.”

“He doesn’t want me. He wants you, you lucky bitch.”

We both burst out laughing and I crank up the music. Enough K.O. talk for one night.

Once we’re in our apartment, I remove my jacket, shoes, and socks then head for the bathroom to wash off my makeup. Chelsea follows and falls onto my bed.

“So…how was your first MMA match?” she asks as I put my hair up and turn on the water.

“It was okay, I guess. Some of the moves were great, but the blood and broken bones…not so much.”

“Hang on. There’s someone at the door.”