Abel (5th Street 4)

“I told you about Logan, right?”

“The new guy you said was kind of pushy?”

Nellie rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure I used the word persistent, but, yeah, him. Emily says she thinks he’s hot.” She hoped that throwing that in would excite Roni, because Nellie in all honesty didn’t exactly agree with Emily. Her idea of hot was now synonymous with only one guy. And Logan didn’t even come close in her opinion. “We’re gonna go see Slightly Stoopid at the House of Blues.”

“You are? I thought you said it was sold out.”

Nellie knew Roni would be a bit disappointed. They had talked about going together. Everybody knew it was their favorite band lately, but it’d been sold out. “They were. I don’t know how, but he got the tickets. I could ask if he can get more if you want.”

“No. We’ll go see them together another time. I don’t want to crash in on your date. This is a date, right? You called it that. So that’s different than with Abel.” Nellie could almost picture Roni’s furrowed brows as she paused. “Please tell me this is different than with Abel.”

Nellie attempted to chuckle, though thoughts of Abel on his date tonight made her stomach tighten, and a chuckling mood was the last thing she was in. “It’s different, but don’t get all excited or anything. I work with the guy. I’m not looking to make things uncomfortable for us. So, yes, I called it a date only because we’re going somewhere other than my bed, but don’t expect any engagement announcements or anything. I already told you I’m not ready to get into anything serious with anyone.”

After filling Roni’s inquiring mind a little more about Logan, Nellie was off the phone, and her thoughts were immediately on Abel. Except for small talk and a few questions Abel had asked her about the people in the photos in her home, they rarely spoke of their personal lives. The only times he ever really opened up were to talk about his upcoming fight for the heavyweight title. She’d never dream of asking him about his dates with other women. It was none of her business, and she doubted he’d ever ask her about her dates, but mostly because she now knew she’d rather not know about his.

Deciding ignorance was bliss, Nellie drove into her garage, determined to not think about something that didn’t matter anyway. Even this wouldn’t ruin the breathtakingly little time Abel gave her. She’d meant it when she told Roni she wasn’t ready for anything serious anyway.

Chapter 2

Making a quick move toward the front door, Abel walked as quietly as he could.

“Oh, you look handsome.”

Damn. Abel stopped and glanced up at his mother who was looking away from the stove where she was making dinner, while his brother Hector and his girlfriend, Charlee, studied at the kitchen table.

Hector smirked, knowing Abel’s cover had been blown. “Another non-date with Nellie?”

Abel gave him a look but ignored the question, walking into the kitchen instead of out the door. His mother, on the other hand, as expected, didn’t ignore Hector. “Nellie?” She turned to Hector first then back to Abel with a confused expression. “You’re dating, Nellie, Mijo? Roni’s friend?”

“No, Mom, I’m not dating anyone.” He shot Hector another warning look. “I already told you I gotta train. I don’t have time for dating right now.”

His mother was no fool. She threw the dish towel she held over her shoulder and wiped her hands on her apron with a knowing look. “Then where are you going tonight?”

“To hang out with a friend,” he said, stabbing a fork into one of the pieces of chicken she had simmering in green sauce and blew on it. He held his hand underneath in case it dripped. “But it’s not a date.”

His idiot brother was obviously enjoying this. “I’m pretty sure that’s what you called it when Noah asked at the gym.”

Abel rolled his eyes, biting into the chicken on his fork.

“Ay, Abel. So just say it. What’s the big deal?” his mom asked as she stirred the beans in the other pot. “Wait, Nellie? Isn’t she Roni’s age?”

Hector laughed. He knew just as well as Abel that their mother had never been too keen about Noah marrying a girl eight years older. It was no surprise this would be the first thing she’d bring up. Both he and his brother knew their mother would have issues with this—issues he wasn’t willing to discuss or get into. It didn’t matter—he wasn’t dating her.

“It’s not a date, and who said I’m seeing Nellie tonight anyway?” Abel set the fork down, kissed his mom’s forehead, and looked back at his brother. “I told Noah I had a date. I never said with whom.”

His brother gave him a knowing look. Aside from getting together with Nellie in the past few weeks, Abel had been too caught up in his training and everything else leading up to this fight for a social life, period. Hector knew all too well that Nellie had been Abel’s only escape from all the fight madness in weeks. And since Abel was notoriously private about his personal life, Hector was also the only one who would know this. Even one girl was too much of a distraction for Abel’s anal ass. Juggling more than one at a time like this in his life would be out of the question, so there was no use denying it.

“Okay, so I’m meeting up with her again, but it’s not a date,” he said as indifferently as he could. “I just said I had a date to Noah to get him off my back. The guy asks too many questions.