Page 35 of The Breaking Pointe
She claps ever so softly.“It looks fancy,” she says, as if she’s holding back excitement.
I pour for the both of us before sitting myself down so we can begin to eat.
“This looks heavenly,” she mumbles, twisting her noodles around her fork on the plate.
Beginning to do the same, I wait for her to take a bite, anticipating her reaction.I don’t ever cook without any meat, like ever, but if this is gonna turn into anything serious, I better learn right now. Now or never.
She finally gets her bite in, closing her eyes as she covers her mouth, chewing and eventually swallowing, following with a hum while she slowly opens her eyes.
“Is there anything that you’re unable to do, Colton?” She pulls her hair back, closing her eyes with a blissful smile as she eats more.
I look down, feeling the crimson flush. “I mean, I could give you a seriously long list. I’m not perfect, but there’s a lot to me,” I say, now taking my bite.
Damn, it is good.
“So,” she sings. “Tell me. I really gotta know. Feels like you’re this mysterious guy,” she says, continuing to eat.
“I’m really simple, I swear.I like to box.”I shake my head. “Scratch that—I love to box.And I love my art.Very simple.” I chuckle softly, going to sip my drink.
“I’ve seen you fight before your last match. I must have,” she says, really looking at me now.
Icowerinmyseat,slowlychewing,swallowing,then
talkingagain.
“I doubt it.I’m in the rookie league.You’re used to the big shots, I’m sure.” I smile, humbly.
“Rookie league? With a hook like yours? Hm.” She widens her eyes quickly, eating a forkful of pasta with a smirk.
“You got some commentary?”I taunt her,chuckling softly.
“I just think that’s dangerous for the other guys, no?”She takes her glass, swirling it slowly.
“Sure.”I roll my eyes, playfully.
“Really, Colton. How long have you trained?” she asks in a more contained tone of voice.
I furrow my brows, thinking as far back as I can, gathering all the mental details.“Since I was about twenty-one.I mean—I’ve only been taking it seriously for about five years,” I say nonchalantly as I take another bite, finishing it. “I started with freelance fights.I hung around my manager’s gym a lot and he got me involved.Before I knew it, I was doing it for real.”
She sips her wine, looking at the table then me.“What about your art? You don’t make a living from it?”
Damn, she wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted to talk. “I don’t know.” I tighten my lips to the side for a split second.“It’s just not in the cards for me.Boxing makes sense right now.I make money—a nice amount—-then I come home. It’s simple.”
She eats a few noodles, then responds, “Well…I think that sounds like a load of excuses.” She smiles, sure of herself.
Iscoff,asmilecreepingontomyface.
She takes a few more bites, watching me before swallow- ing. “I shouldn’t be shocked at how much you can eat, and
how fast.Is it bad to say that I’m nearly full?”she asks, taking one last bite.
I wipe my face, getting ready to finish my plate.“It’s pasta. It’s filling.I just carbo loaded like a maniac.”I chuckle, taking my last bite then wiping my face again.
She continues to lock her doe eyes on me, taking baby sips of her wine.
“You know, I’m glad you didn’t end up being some creep. Or like…worse,” she admits.
I sit back in my seat, clearing my throat as I find my words. “I’ll be honest, Noelle,” I pick up my glass again, staring into it, “when I found out that I was fighting Daniel, I wound up doing some extensive research on him. I managed to get onto his social media, and well—I stumbled across you.”
