Author's Note 1: I'm not sure how my original idea of a super sexy fuck fest in Vegas turned into this love story, but it did and I like it. This is an immensely personal story for me for many reasons, and I hope that you enjoy it. The story switches POV by character - you can tell by the chapter. If you've read any of my other stores, you know that music plays a big part in what I write. Hope you find a song that you like.
Author's note 2: For Godzilla, who hit me with a knockout punch I barely saw coming, and I can't get up to meet the count. The pass program is over. :-(
Author's note 3: Don't forget to comment and vote. Keep in mind that I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit! Love, cg74
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Chapter One - Alicia - Wednesday Afternoon part 1
"Alicia, Get your head in the game! Watch for the left!"
I can hear Max, my trainer, from the corner of the ring. He's right. My head isn't in the game. Let me pay attention before I -
"ALICIA! Start the count Joe! 2, 3, 4..."
I can't believe I let that bitch Karen knock me down. I'll never hear the end of it. She's never beaten me before. Max is rushing over, helping me to my feet.
"You alright? What's going on with you? It's not like you to lose focus!"
"I'm fine Max. Sorry I didn't knock her out."
"Don't apologize. You'll get her next time. Why don't you do about 20 minutes of bag work and call it a day. See you next week."
I take off my head gear, get out of the ring, and move over to the bag. Time to take out some frustrations.
Some girls get Barbie dolls, books, and tea sets. I got plenty of those.
I also got a world class boxing education, thanks to my dad and his brothers. By the time I was eight I could probably judge prize fights. I watched old fights like it was homework - Hagler, Leonard, Tyson, Ali, Duran, and the true undefeated champion Ricardo "El Finito" Lopez.
Boxing kept me out of trouble and the bullies off my back. I kept it up all through high school and college, and I still get in the gym once a week.
Now it's a stress reliever. And boy do I have a lot of stress. It seems like everything in my life has just gone to shit all at once, and no matter what I do, no matter how hard I punch, it's just not getting better.
I square my shoulders, get light on my feet. Time to beat out my frustrations. Where do I even start?
My Grandma died. My world, and now she's gone. Still can't believe I can't call her up and hear her voice or talk to her about Sunday dinner.
left jab, feint, right cross...
Prince died. Words can't explain what he means to me. May U Live 2C The Dawn.
left jab, right hook, right jab...
There's an idiot in the White House. The less said about that the better.
right jab, right cross, left hook...
My dog died in my arms. My snuggle pup has gone to the rainbow bridge.
right jab, feint, straight right, feint, left uppercut...
Sigh....
I'm a happy person. I usually wake up singing. I usually dance all the time. I have great friends and family. I love my job. I'm married to a great guy. My bills are paid on time and we're doing quite well financially. By any stretch of the imagination I have it pretty good. Why can't I break out of this funk?
I hit the showers and take a look at myself in the mirror while I get dressed - not bad, I guess. Nice caramel skin, cute hair, big breasts. Curvy. Not too small, not too big. Just right, as my husband says. Thinking of him makes me smile.
Saying my goodbyes to Max, I make my way to my husband Jacob's office. We're lucky that we work at the same university - he's a law professor on the tenure track, and I work in educational advancement. For 10 years now we've been trying to get through this thing called life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I remember the first day I saw him. I was hanging out with my sorority sisters at a party, doing what we do, and here comes this tall nerdy white guy from London with black rimmed glasses, bald head, and a goatee. We all thought he was lost and was looking for the other party with the white girls, but no, he was right where he wanted to be.
No one can accuse me of being shy, so I went right up to him and asked him to dance. I can get down on the dance floor, so I knew that the white boy couldn't keep up. Jokes on me, because he danced my black ass off the floor! After that dance, we talked all night. Not only did that accent drive me crazy but he was also smart and funny. We had so much in common despite our differences.
We were inseparable from that moment on. Our first real date was at a drive in - to this day I can't tell you what movie we saw, but I'm sure the folks at the drive in got a show. White boy has game.
We got married two years later. It was a little rough with me in grad school and him in law school, but we made it. He became an American citizen (immigrants - we get the job done!), and we've been living in Atlanta ever since. No kids yet, but we're having fun trying. I just started seriously using ovulation kits to track my fertile times a few months ago, and so far no baby. Jake is having fun with the ovulation kits - he keeps better track than I do, especially since I've been feeling so down lately. It just hasn't been that important.
I gotta do something to get out of this funk. But I have no idea what I can do. Something has to give, and soon.
Chapter Two - Jacob - Wednesday Afternoon part 2
"Is he on a call Shirley?" I can hear my wife outside my office, talking to my admin.
"No Alicia, go right in. Would you let him know I'm going home? I'll see you later."
My wife is here. Time to go home. 10 years and she makes me smile every time I see her face. I start gathering my things. I'm glad we work together, because she drives me home. Still haven't mastered the whole driving on the right thing.
"Hello darling. Did you knock Karen out yet again?"
"Not tonight baby. She got me." Alicia stretches out on my office sofa. This was a revelation. I arch an eyebrow.
"Karen beat you? That's never happened before. What's wrong?"
"I don't know Jake." She sighed deeply, her face looking forlorn. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't focus. I can't snap out of this, whatever this is."
I look outside to make sure Shirley is truly gone and lock the door. I lift up my wife's legs and sit at the end of the sofa. I take off her shoes and massage her feet.