Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
So Budi is cooking tonight. At seventeen, he’s massive. Middleweight now. He’s not gonna make heavyweight, but he’s gonna be light heavyweight before long. I wanted to switch him over to boxing last year because he’s got a mean uppercut that has knocked me out twice without even trying, but he said no. Actually, he said, “I didn’t just spend the last fourteen fuckin’ years fighting for my right to live to give up now.”
I tried pointing out that boxing was a legitimate sport, but he wasn’t having it.
Beth texts me at five minutes to six, letting me know she’s downstairs. Almost in the same moment, I get the call from the doorman. She is let in.
“Are you gonna meet her at the elevator?” Evard asks, smirking at me.
“Behave, Evard. Or I’ll send you back to the jungle.”
He just snickers.
I open the door and I do meet her at the elevator. The doors pop open and there she is, wearing another very casual summer dress, a kind of light orange color with a light-purple flower pattern. Only this one goes all the way to the floor, swishing as she exits. Her hair is up in a fancy way, not just a ponytail. It’s slightly messy. Like she did it up this morning and didn’t bother tucking all the stray bits back in for her dinner with us.
Which I like.
“Lance. Long time.”
I smile at her. “Beth. It’s been days.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were gonna push on. You know, with the date thing.”
“Are we dating?”
“We could be.” She tilts her head at me, like she’s keenly interested in what I’ll say here.
“You refuse to date a Saudi prince, but you’ll date me?”
She chuckles. “Where are these boys? I need to meet them.”
“So you can date them too?”
She shoots me a warning. “You better be nice to me.”
“I’m kidding. But obviously you do like the young ones.”
She tsks her tongue. “Shit. You’re an old fucker, Maart. And I like you, don’t I?”
I chuckle too. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
“Have you ever brought a date home before?”
“Hell, no.”
Beth tilts her head. “Why do you say it like that?”
And then we’re through the door and all four boys—men, whatever—are standing in line, grinning like a bunch of assholes. Chuckling like they are about to have the time of their lives telling this woman all my embarrassing secrets and when she leaves, they’re going to rib me about it relentlessly.
It’s all the more entertaining to them because of who she is. How many times have I complained to them about ‘that fucking reporter?’ Dozens, at least. And they remember all of them, I’m sure.
Maeko offers his hand first. “Macks. Nice to meet you. I’m—”
“Maeko.” She finishes for him. “Yes. I know. That last fight was amazing. I’ll be watching next year when you defend. I predict another belt for you.”
The smile that forms on Maeko’s face is… I dunno. I’ve never seen him smile like that before. He can’t even respond, he’s so taken with Beth.
Beth redirects her gaze. “And you’re Paulo. Wow.” She looks him up and down. “You’re even more formidable in person than you are on the screen. I pity the next fighter who comes up against you. Each time I see you in the ring, you’re better than the last.”
Paulo practically blushes. “Thanks. You’re… you were a good reporter. I read all the Ring interviews when I was a kid. They were well-written. You always kept it interesting.”
Beth might melt a little. Paulo always was a charmer. Polite, respectful, intelligent.
But then she turns her attention to Budi. She makes an exaggerated gesture of looking up. Then she just chuckles. “The one and only Budi.”
Budi is a quiet kid—man, whatever he is these days. So he doesn’t say anything back, just nods at her.
Then Beth lands on Evard. She nods at him. “Yep. I can definitely see your father in those eyes of yours.”
Evard lets out a breath, which prompts Beth to place a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Don’t worry, Evard. You won’t be in his shadow forever.”
And this makes Evard brighten. It’s hard being Cort’s son, I guess. So many expectations that Evard won’t be able to live up to unless he carves his own way through this world.
Finally, introductions over, Beth turns back to me. “Smells good in here.”
I nod at Budi. “He’s the cook tonight.”
Beth offers him another smile, but Budi just ducks out and goes back to the kitchen.
“All right.” I wave my hand at the boys. “Go away. Don’t hover like a bunch of lovestruck puppies.”
They disperse, cracking jokes about me and my new girlfriend.
I turn back to Beth. “Drink?”
“Sure. Red wine, if you have it.”
“Come on. Follow me.” I take her hand, feeling a little self-conscious about that, and lead her through the living room, past the kitchen, and into an office that is set up with couches and a private terrace with a spectacular view of the ocean. “Have a seat. I’ll get that wine.”