I didn't hear from Laura for a week. She didn't respond to my text a few days later.
I passed by Nellie leaving my apartment a few times, but when I asked for her number she said she was in a rush and couldn't remember her US phone number right now.
Even though I had some awesome sex with two very hot foreign girls, I felt like a dweeb. Was I becoming soft again this quickly after not following my usual training regimen? Didn't they both enjoy the sex with me? They both came. What else was supposed to happen? Where did I fall short? The same questions ran their course through my mind as when I was boxing and lost a match by decision.
I joined the school's boxing/MMA club, but everyone was focused on ground game and submission techniques. No one wanted to spar with just their fists. At least they had bags to practice with. Outside the gym, along the running track were sand pits with calisthenics equipment. The sand offered good resistance to my feet for my usual footwork routines.The high and low bars, wooden posts that were perfect for practicing weaving maneuvers.
It was a hot day out for the Fall. I bobbed and weaved underneath and around the bars and posts, practicing my ducks, jukes and feints. Rivulets of sweat were already pouring from my brow, when I heard a familiar, albeit unintelligible voice.
"You look knackered," said Nellie. Her pale face was flushed with red. Her hair arched back in a fiery ponytail. She jogged in place with a smile, slightly tilting her head to one side, as if she were studying her prey. She was coated in a sheen of sweat, headphone cord bouncing along with her small breasts. She gave a curt little wave and I couldn't help but smile. "Did you still want my number?" she said, but I couldn't understand her.
"Sorry?"
"Did. You. Want. My. Tele-" she mocked a phone with outstretched thumb and pinky finger against her ear with a goofy face, making me laugh, "phone, number?"
"Sorry, what?" I said in a phony exaggerated voice, cupping my hand to my ear.
"Ah! You!" She said, with mock anger. "I'll tell you something you'll understand, Mr. Boxer!" she hopped over the shin-height wooden barricade to the sandpit and took on a respectable boxing stance, her hands held up to her cheekbones. "Come on!" she said, and dashed forward. She jabbed much faster than I expected, hitting my shoulder, making an audible smack.
My shoulder flashed with pain from the jab, and started to throb. She saw me wince in pain, backed out of range, dancing from southpaw to orthodox.
"Aw c'mon, that didn't hurt," she dashed in again, delivering 3 quick jabs at the same spot. The first two connected, were much harder than the first punch she threw, and stung like being hit by a shotgun beanbag. The third I managed to back away from.
"Sorry, what was that?" I said through gritted teeth, yet smiling at the same time.
She stepped in again and started wailing on me, never going for my face, but throwing jabs and hooks at my shoulders and midsection. She definitely had taken a class at one time or another because her attacks were on point. I backed away and parried as best I could, refusing to throw anything back at her.
"Throw one at me!" she said, still throwing jabs. She wouldn't relent, staying on me like a hornet, stinging me. I was getting tired of the game we were playing. I feinted at her, startling her, causing her to stumble off-balance into a nearby wooden low bar, and fall flat on her ass. We both started laughing. I stopped mid-laugh and felt my side was already throbbing where she had landed a solid shot. I had a few welts and bruises after my first round with Nellie. Even though it was a one-sided fight, it was invigorating to spar with someone again.
"Hey," said a deep voice, "is this guy bothering you?" A 6'3 bronze-skinned blond guy approached us, jokingly at first, but with a there was a strange essential juvenility to the hulk, like his face had taken on that of a famous child actor, but was distorted in a Wonderland-esque fashion. He looked weighed about two of me. He offered a hand to Nellie to help her up.
"No, mate. Fuck off," Nellie said, batting away his hand. She easily sprung back up to her feet. He understood fuck off well enough, and veered back towards the track. Nellie's expression lit up, a dawning realization came to her eyes, followed by an evil smile.
"Actually, uhm, wait, he is! This guy is bothering me!"
"What?" he said, turning back around.
"Look man," I said, "she's messing with you, we were just playing."
"I don't know who this guy is and he keeps trying to grab me! Get him out of here!" She grabbed my shirt with both hands, and said into my ear, "if you kick this guy's arse I'll do anything you want for a week," before pushing me away and shrieking "get away from me, you asshole!" I looked back at her like she was crazy, and she returned with a smile and a nod as if to say "I know."
"Hey man, you heard her, fuck off!" he said stepping right up to me, his neck was level with my face. He leaned his forehead into mine and he smelled like a horrid blend of aerosol body spray and teriyaki chicken wings. I put my hands up, and tried to back away, but he started pushing me backwards. Nellie followed behind him, shadow boxing.
As a boxer, you never train for street fights, it's always the ring. I would never resort to using my fists on anyone outside of it. Only fools get into street fights, especially with someone bigger than them. Besides, this guy didn't know what was going on, and was just trying to help out a girl claiming she was being attacked. Although he was doing it a little over-zealously, it didn't warrant me really hitting him.