On the Ropes (Down for the Count) (16 page)

The fight between Gladiator and me ends in a decision, just like I thought it would. Both of us put our hearts and souls into the fight. We stand in the middle of the ring, sweat dripping from our bodies, with only the ref separating us. The announcer is looking at the judges as we wait for them to show their score cards. Jimmy, Frankie, and Patsy are all standing on the side of the ring in anticipation.

“It was your fight, Saint!” Jimmy points to me, yelling across the ring. I look over in his direction; he’s beaming.

I try to keep my smile hidden. I don’t want to look cocky in front of a crowd of people. Just because you think you’ve won a fight, doesn’t mean you actually have. I’ve seen it happen several times; a fighter claims victory, just to learn minutes later that the judges saw something different. It’s quite devastating to watch.

The announcer clears his throat. “The winner of this match, by way of decision…” he pauses to build anticipation amongst the crowd, “is… Gabriel ‘
The Saint
’ Vega!”

Once the announcer speaks the words, Jimmy’s jumping over the top rope of the ring. “You did it! I told you; you fuckin’ won!” he yells, jumping up and down as the ref holds my hand up in the air, declaring me the victor.

Frankie and Patsy aren’t too far behind, yet they’re a bit slower. Frankie’s trying to keep his smile to a minimum, staying humble.

Jimmy grabs my arm from the ref. “Undefeated!” he hollers throughout the crowd while pointing at me. “Undefeated!”

“That was an amazing fight!” I hear from behind me. “I’m proud to have you as ‘the face’ of TKO,” Blaine congratulates me.

“Thank you.”

“I think we should go out and celebrate. What do you say?”

“Absolutely,” Jimmy chimes in.

I laugh, shaking my head at Jimmy. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Why don’t you guys meet me at Shikago’s around eleven?” Blaine says, looking down at his watch. “I know the owner. She’ll set us up with VIP service.”

“Shikago’s?” Jimmy asks eagerly. “You can’t get into that place! Can I bring my girl?”

Shikago’s is
the
bar to go to in our area. It’s high-end and even has a dress code; nothing short of a suit, tie, and connections can get you in there. Jimmy and I can only dream of getting into a club that like. There are rumors that burlesque dancers make appearances throughout the evening, and the club’s slogan is “What happens at Shikago’s, stays at Shikago’s.” I actually think it’s pretty tacky for a place that’s supposed to be high-class.

“Are you sure you want to do that? The women at Shikago’s are top of the line,” Blaine advises.

“Hmmm… though that’s a tempting thought, Steph would hang me by my nuts if I go there without her. She’s been dying to go.”

“Who’s gonna tell her?” Blaine winks slyly.

Jimmy scowls at him.

“Awww… lighten up. I was just joking. Of course your girl can come,” Blaine slaps Jimmy on the back, “that just means more ladies for Saint and me.”

Jimmy begins to laugh along with Blaine, trying to play along, but I have a feeling he’s as disgusted by Blaine’s behavior as I am.

“Saint…” I hear a deep voice from behind me and quickly spin around.

“Congrats, man. That was a great fight,” Gladiator says to me.

“Same to you, it was a total honor to finally get in the ring with you officially,” my voice has nothing but gratitude in it.

“Saint… Gladiator… can we get a quick picture?” I hear someone in the crowd yell to us.

“Absolutely.”

Gladiator raises my hand in victory as the photographer snaps the picture of us.

“We’re going to Shikago’s tonight,” I say to him, “why don’t you join us?”

“Really?” he seems surprised.

“Of course. I hear it’s the place to be. Blaine, my new promoter, is takin’ us out to celebrate. Isn’t that right, Blaine?”

Blaine looks up at us. “Hell yeah, the more the merrier!”

“Okay. What time should I meet you guys there?” Gladiator asks.

“Around eleven?” I look to Blaine for confirmation.

“Yes, eleven. Just give the doorman your name. I’ll make sure you’re on the list.”

“Awesome, I’ll see you guys then.”

“Oh, Gladiator… are you coming solo or bringing a date?” Blaine asks.

“Solo,” he replies.

“Great. The ladies are going to love you,” Blaine smiles at him. “Make sure you wear a suit and tie, there’s a strict dress code.”

“Good to know.”

“This is going to be an epic night,” Blaine wraps his arms around Jimmy’s and my shoulders. “Babe!” he yells into the crowd.

Salem’s head pops up when she hears him call her. “Come here and take a picture of me and my boys.”

Salem rolls her eyes, but stands up and makes her way through the crowd. She looks out of sorts, surrounded by all the rowdy guys in the crowd. I duck from Blaine’s grip, “I’m gonna go help her.”

I walk to the corner of the ring, where she’s walking up the stairs, and sit down on the middle rope; making room for her to get through without flashing everyone. “Come through here, Salem.”

“Thank you,” she says kindly, giving me a meek smile.

“Any time.”

Blaine reaches out to her with his cell phone in his hand. “Here, use my phone to take the picture. Saint, get over here,” motioning me to join him and Jimmy.

I walk back over to them, and Blaine puts his arm back around my shoulder.

Salem stands up against the ropes holding up the cell phone.

“Okay, babe. We’re ready to take the picture,” Blaine is impatient with her.

“I swear, she acts like she doesn’t know how to work the damn camera. She and her friends take enough selfies to fill a freaking memory card,” he complains lowly in my ear.

I see the flash go off a few times. “Okay, there you go,” she snaps, as she hands him his phone back. “Can we go now?”

“Yeah, we’re going,” Blaine rolls his eyes at her. “I’ll see you guys later,” he turns, pointing at us.

“Later? What’s going on later?” she questions him.

“Nothing, babe. I’m just meeting them for a few beers to celebrate Saint’s victory later on tonight,” he kisses her nose. “You’ll be fast asleep by then.”

“Boxing is drama on its grandest scale.”

—Howard Cosell

Once I get home from the fight, I jump in the shower. With my hands up against the wall, I stand under the hot water and let it run down my sore body. I gently touch my rib cage and wince. Gladiator definitely landed some punches and there’s no doubt I’ll have some minor bruising tomorrow. My cheekbones are also very tender to the touch as I run a cloth over my face. Even with the headgear, I still feel battered after a fight.

Cool air enters into the shower. “Dude! You did great today!” it’s Adrian.

I poke my head out of the shower curtain, “Thanks, man.”

“A few times, I thought he was going down.”

“He’s a tough competitor. Are you coming out with us tonight to celebrate?”

“Definitely.”

“Go find your suit, we’re going to Shikago’s,” I shut the shower curtain.

“No fuckin’ way, I’ve been dying to go there! Hurry your ass up then, I need to take a shower next.”

“Give me five more minutes.”

“Alright, I’m gonna go iron my suit.”

Adrian and I turn down the street Shikago’s is on and see that people are already lined up down the sidewalk. The guys are dressed in suits and ties, while the girls are all in barely-there dresses and skirts. Blaine wasn’t kidding when he said this place would be packed, but we manage to find spots for our bikes in-between two parked cars. We bypass the entire line and walk right up to the doorman, who’s holding a clipboard. I can hear people complaining but Adrian and I ignore them.

“Name?” he asks without even looking at either of us.

“Saint.”

“’
Saint
’? No first name? No last name?” he briefly glances up at me as he flips through the pages.

“That’s right.”

He turns to the big burly bouncer, who must easily weigh two hundred and fifty pounds. He’s dressed in all black, his arms are covered in tattoos, and his nose is pierced with a large bullring. The doorman nods his head at the bouncer, who then steps aside to let me go through. Adrian follows.

“Whoa… whoa… whoa! You’re the only one on the list,” clipboard boy says to me.

The bouncer immediately steps in front of Adrian, stopping him from proceeding any further.

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” I say loudly.

I feel a hand on my chest as the bouncer starts pushing me back, “Take it eas…” he stops mid-sentence. “Hey, you’re that fighter I saw on the news last week!”

“That I am,” I answer smugly.

“I tried to get tickets for your fight, but they were already sold out. How did it go?”

“I won.”

He shakes my hand, “Congrats, man. That’s awesome.”

“Thanks. Can you let my friend in now?” I smile.

The bouncer steps aside, making way for Adrian.

“Alright, alright,” Adrian cheers, “let’s party!”

From the moment we step through the red velvet curtain, that divides the entrance from the bar, we can barely see a foot in front of us. Loud sultry music is blaring from hidden speakers all around, and as we round a corner, we see two girls dancing on a pedestal. They look like fifties pin-up girls. One has her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail while the other’s hair is long and blonde; both are wearing skimpy sailor costumes.

As we walk by them, the blonde leans down and runs her index finger over my shoulder. “Hey sailor,” she whispers. I spin around quickly and let my eyes scan over her. “Come back to see me later and I’ll give you a private show,” she blows me a kiss.

“Most definitely,” I respond as I walk away.

“Holy fucking shit, Saint, this place is dope,” Adrian stops dead in his tracks and slowly looks around the club. There are at least six more dancers on pedestals spread throughout the club; each of them just as beautiful as the next.

“Do you see them?” Adrian asks, squinting his eyes.

I’m straining to see if I recognize anyone because everything is so dark. The only things we can see are the dancers, due to the spotlights on them.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” a sexy, feminine voice questions from behind us. I turn and look her up and down. Her jet black hair is up in a high ponytail and on top of her head are little, black cat ears. She has the brightest, emerald green eyes, that cannot possibly be real, and she’s wearing heavy, black eye makeup that makes her eyes appear even more cat-like. Her luscious lips are covered in a layer of blood-red lipstick that immediately makes me think
blow job
. The black, leather catsuit she’s wearing is skintight and zipped low, to show off her ample cleavage. One hand is on her hip, and with the other, she’s swinging her tail around seductively.

“We’re looking for Blaine Davis. Do you know if he’s here yet?”

“Mr. Davis is here. He’s in the middle of a…” she pauses, trying to find the right words, “a private show,” she gives me a wink. “Are you Saint?”

I nod my head.

“Mr. Davis has given me strict instructions to take very good care of you. Follow me,” grabbing my tie, she leads me up a few steps into a roped-off section. “I’m at your beck and call for the evening. If you need anything, just let me know,” she offers while pressing her body up against mine.

“Anything?” I exhale heavily into her ear, as I run my hand over her ass and give it a little squeeze.

Tugging on my tie, she brings my face closer to hers. She then brushes her soft lips against mine and breathlessly confirms, “Anything.”

“What’s your name, doll?”

“Kitten. Kitten Deville,” she purrs.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Kitten. This is my friend, Adrian,” I motion him over to join us, “Adrian, I’d like you to meet Kitten Deville.”

“Hel-lo, Kitten,” Adrian smiles and licks his lips, “pussy cats are my favorite type of animal.”

“Meow,” Kitten plays along.

“Saint, I’m glad you could make it,” I hear Blaine call out. On his arm is a hot blonde, who’s wearing a sexy version of a Little Bo Peep outfit. He’s looking rather disheveled and he tries to straighten himself as he approaches us. The blonde takes her thumb and wipes lipstick off the corner of Blaine’s mouth. “Sorry baby, I left a little bit of me on you,” she squeaks in a high pitched voice.