No, I Don't Like Her
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"No, I don't like her, Darien," I say, angily.
"Why not? I mean, yeah, she can be kinda bossy sometimes, but she's an okay person," he says, softly. He's trying to calm me down. I got news for him. It ain't working.
"'She's an okay person'? She's a bitch!" I yell.
"Ok, yeah, I'll give you that one. She can be a bitch sometimes, but she's been through a lot, Dorian."
"I don't give a shit! I've been through a lot, too, but I'm not a total bitch!"
"Well, Alex thinks you are."
"What? That's the pot calling the kettle black!"
"Dorian, calm down, sweetie. You're going to hyperventalate!" he says, pulling me in to a searing kiss.
I regain my bearings and look up at him. "Ok, I'll stop with the ranting. But it's not over between me and her," I vow.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he smiles. "It'd be a hell of a fight."
"Damn skippy," I whisper, pulling him to the bed.
*****
Ok, it's really quite stupid. What Alex and I were fighting over, I mean. She took ammunition out of my office without bothering to ask me. Not my Agency-issued ammo, either. The good stuff I buy with my own money.
"Alex, where did you get those clips?" I asked her.
"From your office. I hope you don't mind me borrowing them," she said.
"Yeah, I do mind. I pay for those out of my own money," I glare at her.
"Sorry, I'll pay you back, Dori," she promised. Ok, she doesn't look sincere at all.
"That's not the point, Alex. I would've been glad to give them to you. But, you should've asked first. Just ask first."
"Fine, but I don't see what the big deal is."
"You wouldn't," I mutter under my breath.
"What was that, Agent Slater?" she snapped.
"Nothing, Agent Monroe."
"No, you said 'You wouldn't'. I heard you."
"It's none of your damned business what I said. Just let it go, ok?"
"No, you say something like that, the next thing I know, *you're* taking stuff out of *my* office!"
"You're paranoid! What would I take? Your broccoli? I hate the stuff. Your grass? Please, if I wanted grass, I'd buy a house with a front yard," I growled at her.
"Mm-hmm." She's trying to intimidate me with that "ice-princess" glare.
"You won't let this drop?" She shook her head. "Fine, meet me at the gym on 6th and we'll have a go. You game?" She nodded. If I didn't know better, I'd say that's fear in her eyes. "Come on, honey, I'm a trained agent, just like you are. You're no more afraid of me than I am of you."
"What time?"
"I'll be there at 9:30, warming up. You be there at ten."
She nodded and smiled, "I'll be there. See you then, Dorian." She walked away from me.
Damn this is going to be fun.
*****
"Dorian, you can't do this!" Darien shouts from the living room.
"Yes, I can. And, yes, I am," I reply. I didn't tell him about the fight until five minutes ago. It's 8:02, and I'm supposed to be at the gym in an hour and a half. He's trying to talk me out of it.
"No, not if I tie you up and don't let you leave the house," he says, appearing mysteriously behind me. I feel his fingertips trailing across my shoulders and back. I sigh and lean into the touch.
"If you tie me up, I won't sleep with you for a year, Darien," I say, turning to face him.
"You can't resist me, Dorian. I can't resist you," he whispers. His lips brushing against mine with every word. I pull his head down a little further for a kiss.
"You're right, but I'm going to do this," I say, slipping on my resolve face.
"Fine, but I'm going with you," he concedes.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," I say, punctuating the last three words with kisses.
"Tease," he whispers, picking me up and laying me on the bed.
*****
It's 10:30 and she's not here. Please, whatever dieties out there, please don't let her cop out of this.
I hear a loud bustling noise from the other end of the gym, and Alex walks in. Her purse is slung around her shoulder and her gun is drawn. I look to her left only to see a drunk being held in a head-lock.
"Do you see what else I have to deal with, Dorian!? I don't need shit from you, too!" she yells.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Alex, but I can't bring myself to care. So, why don't you pay him off and send him on his way, so we can get this party started."
She looks at me in shock and lets go of the man. She flips out a fifty from her wallet and hands it to him. He runs blindly to and out the door.
"Let's go, girly," I smile, playfully.
*****
Ooh, Gods, this girl is slow! She must not be practicing!
I lash out twice with my left arm and once with my right. I catch her in the jaw all three times. I kick her twice in the ribs and once in the knee.
Ow! That hurt, man. She landed her first good hit of the match. A good, strong punch to my left side.
I'm starting to feel this in my legs. I'm going to be so sore in the morning, but this is worth it.
I kick out with my right leg and make contact with her shoulder. She cries out and punches for my face. I block the punch with my left hand and kick her back towards the wall with my right foot. She slams into the wall with a satisfying thump. She comes back towards me.
I can't believe this is happening. It's been at least two years since I sparred, but, then again, I've been training all my life.
I knock her back into the wall again. She picks herself up and walks back into the ring. I react quickly when I see her shoudler move. I dodge the punch with a practiced ease. I sweep her ankles out from under her and she falls. Her butt makes a very meaty sound on the mat.
I lay across her shoulders, and the owner of the gym nods to me. Cool, I won.
I stand up and offer my hand to help her up. She smacks my hand away.
"Come on, Alex, don't be a sore loser," I say softly.
I begin taking off my gear. My hair is sufficiently plastered to my forehead. It looks dark brown instead of its normal bright red. Darien walks slowly toward me. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up off the ground.
"You're amazing, Dorian," he whispers in my ear.
"Good work, kid," a familiar Brooklyn accent dances in my ears.
"Bobby? What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Watching you kick ass, Dorian," he smiles. I shake his outstretched hand and pull him into a tight hug.
I continue the conversation while several spectators congratulate me on my victory.
*****
I gather my things and begin to walk towards the door, when I see Alex sitting on a bench, bandaging her sore ribs.
"Here, let me help you," I offer, holding my hand out for the tape. She looks at me warily and hands me the tape.
"Thanks," she whispers. I finish taping her ribs and help her get her shirt on.
"There, just put some ice on it, and then some heat. You'll be good as new in no time," I smile genuinely at her. I notice a small red and purple spot above her eye. "Ooh, I guess I clocked you good there, huh?" I say, examining the bruise.
She winces away from my touch and smiles softly. "Yeah, I guess you did. I guess I'm out of practice."
"I'll make you a deal. You meet with me to spar every week, and I'll forget about the ammo," I offer my hand. She smiles and shakes my hand.
"Deal."
FIN~
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