Page 21 of A Fighter’s Love

Jenny tipped her chin. “You need to hire a secretary, just a day or two a week depending on what else is going on.”

“I can’t just fucking magic up a secretary.”

“I’ll place an advert for you.”

He shook his head, as if the conversation wasn’t really sinking in. Jenny pushed away a kernel of sympathy for him. He was no longer the young man she’d fallen for, given her virginity to. Billy Benton had grown into a self-centered, obnoxious individual. Perhaps it was because of what life had thrown at him. Maybe he would have always turned out that way.

“What I will do,” she said, “is finish off the marketing for the Jackson v Grinder fight and sort out the bar and health and safety. I’ll also come in and update the website, so tickets can be bought online.”

“You can do that?”

“Sure.” She sighed. “But then, that’s it, Billy. I’ve got a full time job that’s pretty intense, and it’s all I can cope with.” She gestured down at herself. “Trying to do all this stuff at the gym is the reason I look so fucking shit.”

She didn’t know where the last bit had come from. Was it because Dale’s presence had made her braver or was she finally seeing the big picture?

Billy clenched his jaw. If he’d said she didn’t look shit, that she was beautiful to him, perhaps she wouldn’t have wanted to punch him quite as much as she did. But he stayed silent, his eyes brimming with annoyance. Not sadness or regret, just majorly pissed off he’d lost his free personal assistant.

Well it was tough. His loss was her gain, and her gain was getting her life back.

Chapter Six

Billy turned. When he saw Dale standing in the doorway, he hesitated for a moment before striding toward him.

Dale moved to let him past, then returned to the doorway. He raised his hands and gripped the top of the frame, elongating his torso and exposing his pale underarm hair. “You okay?”

“Yes. I think so.” She tried not to stare at his body, and forced herself to focus on his face.

“He took it better than expected.”

Jenny thought about it for a moment. “I suppose he did. I thought his temper would flare but he seemed to accept it.” She shrugged. “Though I suppose he couldn’t really argue about the state of our relationship. It’s been over for a long time.”

Dale smiled. “And you were the one who had the courage to end it. I’m proud of you.”

“You are?” It was a long time since anyone had said anything like that to her.

“Sure.” He released the frame and stepped into the room. “Taking control back, facing up to what’s in your heart and soul and acting on it, it’s a big step.”

“You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

He tipped his head and studied her. “Maybe.”

“Life in general or a relationship?”

He smiled, just a little. “Both.”

“Dale, get out here,” Michael called from the gym.

He sighed. “Better do as I’m told and go let Jackson beat me up again.” He laughed. “The guy’s too hot to handle.”

“He is.” She glanced out of the window at Jackson who was practicing upper cuts in the center of the ring. His shoulders were hunched, his arms moving at lightning speed, and his biceps balled tight. “Very hot.”

Dale grinned and seemed to struggle to tear his gaze away from Jackson. “I’ll catch you later, but if you need me, if Billy decides to be an arsehole, you know where we are.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

He directed his grin at her and headed out of the office.

Jenny sat at the desk and brought up the gym’s website domain on the computer so she could work on the ticket sales. She had to admit, the whole break-up conversation had been easier than expected. Oh, she’d known Billy would whine and moan, but she’d also anticipated a whole load of shouting, some snarky, cutting comments and maybe even a few items getting hurled across the room.

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