Jessy took the opportunity to take a walk along the pier. She left Adam and Sam talking about Adam’s fight.
She leaned against the wooden rails and watched a few surfers taking on the waves. She loved the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves. This is exactly what she needed. Seagulls flew around, looking for scraps to pick up. She watched them, feeling more relaxed being out here and not stuck in a metal building.
A day away from the gym and Royce was good for her heart. She felt like she wasted a whole year chasing after Royce for nothing. He flirted back with her all the time and she had assumed he felt the same for her. When she had walked in and seen him with another woman, her heart had dropped to her toes and her vision blurred. For a second she had thought she would pass out. It hurt, it still hurt, but if Royce wasn’t interested in a monogamous relationship then she had to forget about him. Kyle had been a stupid attempt to forget Royce. She would get back into the dating field, she would just be wiser next time. Royce could not be the only man who set her body on fire.
Jessy sighed as she walked along the long boardwalk. Finally when she was tired she went back to the booth to find Adam alone.
“Sam went to the gym,” he explained, and she nodded and sat down. Her sandals were cute but not made for long walks. She took them off for a while.
“You’re not worried about the fight, are you, Adam? Because I know you have the talent,” she asked him when she noticed his mind was far away.
“I’ve been working hard for this for years, Jess. My parents are so proud of me and they’ll be there to watch. That just makes me more determined to win. I want to use some of the money to offer them a dream vacation,” he replied with confidence. “They have done nothing but
encourage me when I announced what I wanted to do. Most parents would freak out and tell their kids no, that getting beat up by another fighter is a stupid dream.”
“True. My dad said his own dad looked at him like he lost his mind. After he won his first fight his dad admitted he had been wrong. He could see the passion my dad had for the sport. It’s evolved over the years but it still takes sacrifice and sweat to reach the top,” Jessy commented. She was sincerely touched by Adam’s attitude for his parents. She heard a lot of guys brag about buying material things. “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”
“One sister. She is married and lives in San Francisco,” he answered happily. “I have a five-year-old nephew, Rory, and he is my number one fan.”
“Are they coming too?” She was glad he had the love and support of his family. Sam had been raised by his grandmother, who passed away a few years back. Blake had parents but he never spoke to them. He was very bitter for the harsh way he had grown up. He always said Jessy and Jared were his family and that’s all he needed.
“Not this time, but they’ll watch it on TV with friends. They’re having a big party. My sister says if I win she’ll claim me and if I lose she’ll pretend she doesn’t know me.” He laughed, letting her know he hadn’t taken his sister’s comments seriously.
“I always wanted brothers and sisters but it never happened,” she said sadly, wishing once again her mom was here to give out advice on how to handle a broken heart.
He reached across and squeezed her hand. “Hey, no sadness. The sun is out and we’re not stuck in a metal building that smells like Sam’s sweaty socks.”
Jessy laughed. “Not a good image to put in my head after eating, but you’re right, Adam. Let’s enjoy this day on the beach. Maybe we can swim, too?”
Adam leaned back in his chair and put his hand over his heart and groaned. “Me and my big mouth.”
* * * *
Royce was helping Gabe use the punching bag when he heard laughter. He looked over at the door and saw Adam and Jessy walking in looking happy together. He ignored the feeling of jealousy that rose up. Friends didn’t get jealous, he reminded himself. After all, he was the one who insisted on friendship. Jessy’s hair was windblown and messy and his first thought was that Adam had been kissing her. His gut twisted at that idea. He growled under his breath.
“Huh?” Gabe said, stopping with his fist in midair. “Am I doing it right?”
Royce reluctantly focused his attention on Gabe again and nodded. The kid was light on his feet and quick with his hands. In this rough neighborhood those were probably good traits to have. Jared offered to let Gabe do chores around the gym in order to work out free. Royce was willing to help him. Gabe didn’t seem as hard as some of the other boys in this neighborhood but he still had a lot of built-up anger inside of him. He told Royce his dad walked out on him and his mom four years ago and never bothered staying in touch.
Maybe there was still a chance to lead him down the right path. “Yeah, you’re turning into a pro, kid. Let’s take a break.”
Gabe nodded and went to get some water. Royce walked up to the laughing couple. “How did it go?”
Jessy stopped laughing at whatever Adam had been saying and looked at Royce with nothing but politeness. He didn’t like it. He wanted to see her pretty green eyes light up with joy the way they once did, not look at him as if he was a stranger. He couldn’t remember a time he had felt such a deep desire for one woman.
“It went great,” she said with a polite smile, and Royce was tempted to grab her by her neck and pull her in for a heated kiss. Then maybe her eyes would be soft and shiny again.
“Jonesy tried to meanball us but we didn’t fall for it,” Adam admitted, giving Jessy a playful wink.
“Good,” Royce agreed, trying hard not to glare at Adam for being so flirty with Jessy. She was a beautiful, energetic woman. Who wouldn’t want to flirt with her? “It’s all part of the trick to make you lose confident. Was it an all-day event?”
Adam chuckled. “Nah. We hung out, a day on the beach. Piece of advice, Royce. Never challenge this girl to a swimming race. I think she is part fish.”
Jessy laughed and playfully punched his arm. “You had fun with me, admit it, Mad Dog.”
Adam kissed her cheek softly. “I did, you’re all right for a girl. See you tomorrow, Jess.”
“Bye.” She smiled and watched Adam leave. By the time she turned back to look at Royce he plastered a polite smile on his face and hid his emotions from her.