Page 6 of Double Trouble
Out of the ring, I was thronged by the usuals, fans and managers alike.
A tap on my shoulder was Owen, grinning. He threw his arms around me into a hug. “For a while there, I thought-”
“That I was just saving myself for the end?” I cut in.
He laughed. “Some guys are saying you took a hit of something partway, the way you made that insane comeback.”
I glanced at Cin, who I now noticed was beside him. “Guess something made me more inspired, is all.”
She was smiling, although it looked like she wasn’t sure she should be. As Owen went over to talk to the other guy’s manager, I grinned at her.
“So?” I said. “That was your first fight, right?”
She nodded.
“And you hated it.”
Her blush deepened but her head shake was firm. “No, actually. I thought I would, but it was exciting. You were incredible.”
“Incredible enough to warrant a drink?”
Just then, Owen returned.
“You’re just in time,” I told him. “I was just asking Cin out for a drink, and she was just saying…”
Both of us glanced to her.
“Yes,” she said.
A second adrenaline rush went through me as my gaze pierced into hers – Game on.
“How about that,” I said. “Two victories in one day – not bad.”
Owen grinned, holding his phone. “If you count the fact that the Shore Club just offered us free meals if you go there for your post-win meal, then I’d count that as three.”
I gave a mock-tortured sigh. “You know I can’t resist free food.”
“Speaking of,” Owen said, lifting a familiar rectangle. “Think we really have the lucky fry to thank for this victory.”
I laughed, as Cin peered at the desiccated thing. “Is that…”
“A fry, yeah,” Owen said. “Only it’s lucky.”
“That’s how I won my first fight, all the way back at the tender age of fifteen,” I explained.
As Cin continued eyeing it uncomprehendingly, I clarified, “The guy I was street-fighting, who was kicking my ass and was all set to keep on kicking it, stepped on the fry and slipped.”
“Thus was the lucky fry born,” Owen said, uttering our quote.
“Thus was the lucky fry born,” I repeated.
Cin looked from me to Owen to the fry and burst out laughing.
—
As it turned out, the Shore Club had a whole lot more than just free food. The awed look on Cin’s face was worth it as we walked in, past a light-studded ceiling and chic wood and metal modern booths. Lucky for me, Owen had packed a suit in my gym bag for me to change into after the fight. Cin, however, with her sexy yet casual jeans, hadn’t faired as well.
One step inside, and she was biting her lip. “I’m definitely not dressed for here.”
“Don’t worry,” Owen said, leaning in as if he had a great secret to tell. “Beautiful women get a free pass.”
I clapped my brother on the shoulder. “That’s why Owen here gets away with murder sometimes.”
Owen gazed at me nonplussed. “We are identical twins. If you’re trying to say that I’m a girl, then that means–”
“That I’m awesome?”
“Dude.” Owen let out a much-maligned sigh. “That’s not even funny.”
I shrugged. “I just kicked a guy’s ass, I don’t have to be funny.”
Cin was watching us all with upturned eyes that carried an amused twinkle. “You guys must’ve been a handful when you were young.”
“You’ve no idea,” Owen said, grinning. “Mom practically threw us out of the house, that one time I hid hot dogs all over Jake’s room.”
“Especially after I slipped on one and almost cracked my head open,” I said drily.
“Can you blame me?” Owen said. “After you bleached all my clothes.”
“I warned you not to buy the same sweatshirt as me. That there would be repercussions.”
Cin laughed. “Do you two fight over everything?”
I looked at her straight on. “Not everything. Sometimes we share.”
4
Cin
“Sometimes,” Jake said.
His words were like another one of his perfectly-placed blows in the ring. Except I didn’t have the luxury of the ropes at my back to catch me. We were in the middle of a fancy restaurant, for God’s sake, was he really saying what it seemed?
A glance at Owen found him frowning at his brother. What had he meant?
Luckily, the hawk-nosed waitress chose this time to arrive.
“Table for Powers?”
Jake flashed his pearly whites. “That’s the one.”
Almost imperceptibly, his hand slid to the small of my back, guiding me after our waitress.
After watching his fight, I was all adrenaline myself. That was partially what had gotten me agreeing to this in the first place, even amidst the prickles of hesitation. If both Owen and Jake were into me, and I was into both of them, how was this going to work out?
“Do I have to dust it off for you?” Owen joked.
Coming to, I realized we were now at our table, and he’d pulled a chair out for me.
