Oceans Collide Read online

  “You wouldn’t mind showing me what you’re made of, would you?” The look on her face made my blood boil with excitement. This chick was fearless. When she set down her bag and phone on the counter, I nearly did a back flip. She was really going to do this. I loved a girl who couldn’t turn down a challenge. Especially from me. She followed me to the center mat watching my every move. I felt her eyes on me. She certainly wasn’t stupid. If she were going to make it working for me, she would have to be okay with being surrounded by a bunch of horny assholes. I was a piece of pumpkin pie compared to other fighters. They were animals. The only thing they saw in woman was free pussy. I was thankful my mother cared enough to show me that women were much more than a good nut. If not, I’d be the biggest douche bag around. Especially, since I was so competitive. Something about athletes and sex went hand in hand. When I turned around to let her stretch, I caught her image in one of the side mirrors on the wall. Damn! When she bent forward and hugged her legs leaving no gap between her tits and shins, my dick jumped again. Flexible too, this girl could kill me!

  When I turned around, she was more than ready. She reached up and pulled her ponytail tight, and I asked her if she was ready. When she round-housed me, nearly missing my chin by only inches, my heart spazzed out. Oh, it was on! She was short so I decided to use some footwork on her to knock her on that cute ass. When she jumped over my leg sweep and rolled on her back across the mat, I could have died and gone to heaven. After dodging my jab combo and landing two clean hits on my sternum and ribs, I knew I was in trouble.

  After being kicked in the chin, I needed to get this girl on her ass or back, and either would be fine with me as long as I was on top. I lunged for her knocking her back hard against the mat. The grunt she made on impact had me wanting to cop a feel, but I thought better of it. Knocking my elbows out from under me, she shimmied up quick and wrapped her forearm around my neck. Her legs wrapped sideways around my waist, and I instinctively started to think of a million different positions I wanted to ram this girl in. Letting my dick think for me got me knocked on my ass twice, and I was done. I told her she was hired before I could even process what had just happened. The fact that she was holding back her excitement was certainly cute.

  Livie was different from any girl I’ve ever met. I’ve met hundreds of gym junkies in my day, but this girl lived and breathed fighting. She was a fighter. Even though she was beyond happy, the distant look in her eyes told me she was either a fighter or fighting something. Either way, I wanted her in my studio, no doubt about that. I think I just met the second woman in my life I would ever take shit from, and with that, I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door making sure I locked it this time.

  ***

  Stepping into my walk-in closet, I flipped on the lights. Think casual, I told myself. This wasn’t a date, so I couldn’t dress like it, but I didn’t want to look like a bum. I decided on casual and comfortable. I yanked a pair of faded denim Abercrombie jeans and an Abercrombie fitted print t-shirt. I grabbed my new Steve Madden Gypcee kicks I haven’t had the chance to wear yet.

  Taking a quick glance in the mirror as I walked by, I ran my fingers through my hair. I never paid much attention to it, because the curls were so wild, but the chicks dug my curls, so I always left a little more on top when I got my haircut. I guess they really do like to pull hair when being fucked. No complaints from me. I could have shaved while in the shower, but my goatee is coming in again and I looked pretty good with it, so I didn’t bother with shaving. Tonight was going to be a good night!

  When I stepped out of my bedroom dressed and ready to go, I was thankful my mom was still at work. She wouldn’t miss the chance to bust my balls about letting a female hand my ass to me. I pulled out my phone. No missed calls and no crazy text messages. I knew it wasn’t a permanent solution to dealing with Julissa, but it sure as hell felt good. As I passed the living room, I saw my mom’s car in the driveway from the bay windows. Crap!

  “Law, I can’t believe how you just strip off your clothes like that. They invented hampers and clothes baskets for a reason!”

  “Love you too, Mom!” I yelled back.

  “I’m going back to the hospital. I just stopped by to pack up more boxes. I won’t be back until early morning, Law. Make sure you eat a decent dinner!” she yelled from her room at the top of her lungs.

  “Mom!”

  “WHAT!”

  She walked out of her room and I trapped her in the kitchen. “Mom, you okay? You’ve been all extra annoying lately.” She slapped me across the chest with her little hand, but it still stung. “What mom… I’m just worried about you. You’ve been running around here the past three weeks with your head cut off. I just want you to remember that you still got me, Mom. I’m here, whatever you need.” It had been a while since we really talked. I decided to make it count. She stared at me blankly, when a tear slide down her freckled cheek.

  “Law, don’t you worry about your old crazy mother. You’ve got a studio to launch and a condo to buy.” She added with a wicked smile. She pulled me into her stretching her arms around my chest in a tight bear hug. I did the same kissing the top of her head. When she pulled away, she smiled at me.

  “Law, you don’t know how proud I am of you. I know I give you hell, but it’s because I love you and want you to want the best for yourself. You’ve grown into a great man Law.” She stood on her tippy toes and kissed me on the cheek. “I gotta go call you when I’m heading home okay, champ?”

  “Yes ma’am.” I saluted her as she sprinted out the door. No doubt I was a mama’s boy and proud of it! I glanced at my watch, and it was time for me to head out to Sunshine’s hotel.

  Chapter Eight

  Livie

  The vibrating and sporadic ringing of my cell phone woke me up. I reached out and grabbed the phone to silence it. I seriously have to program some new songs for my alert notifications. I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the bright screen. It was a text from Lawrence.

  Lawrence ~ hey I’ll b downstairs @ 6:30. That kool w/u

  I took a look at the clock and it read 5:15 p.m. Crap did I really sleep for that long?

  Me ~ fine w/me i’ll b ready. c u soon

  Lawrence ~ k Sunshine c u soon

  I couldn’t help but smile. I had no idea why he kept calling me Sunshine, but I liked it. The possibility of reminding someone of Sunshine was nice. It was refreshing. I was always used to being called names like: bitch, whore, and good for nothing daughter… I shook my head to clear the terrible memories of my mother. No need to go down that road anymore. Mom wasn’t around anymore for her to abuse me like that. That fact did nothing to keep me from wishing that she were still alive, though.

  My eyes drifted over to the drawer where I hid mom’s letter under some old journals. I huffed out a heavy breath and sat up stretching my back. Shit, my back was sore. I should have gone straight into the shower when I got home. Willing my legs to move, I dragged myself to the shower and flipped on the hot water. Hot showers were the best! I yanked off my top and sports bra wincing as my shoulders stretched with the reach as I pulled my top over my head. I pulled down my sweats and removed the bandage on my thigh. The cuts were scabbing over and dry. After my shower of course, they would be raw and pink lines, and my friendly reminder of my sick addiction.

  Tossing my clothes into the hamper, I stepped into the steaming shower and washed away this morning’s grime. I washed my hair lathering it up good with my favorite Pantene conditioner. It smelled like the yummy tantalizing scent of fresh vanilla. When I stepped out of the shower, the clock read five forty-five. Damn, I needed to get moving. I didn’t want to have Lawrence waiting for me. That would be a bad impression to make and regardless what people said about being fashionably late, because that was never a good excuse. I always figured the only people that say that are people with no fashion sense at all, and they always managed to still look like a hot mess.

  I grabbed the two towels neatly folded on the wall
shelves. I used one to wrap my wet hair, and the other I wrapped round my body. Drying my feet on the microfiber rug, I stepped into the bedroom. I loved how this suite had its own space for everything. The bedroom was separate from the bathroom, mini kitchen, office, and living room area. It looked like a condo—a very nice condo. I stepped into the closet and surveyed my assortment of jeans and tops. I wasn’t the one to wear dresses and skirts, or extremely girly clothing, for that matter.

  I did, however, have the best collection of jeans and sneakers. I had jeans in every cut, color, wash, and style. My shoes, on the other hand, were a lot simpler. I favored sneakers over anything else. I think that always training and working out got me stuck on them. I walked over to the far corner and grabbed some dark denim hip huggers. They had really cute rhinestones sewn into the back pockets. The design sort of looked like butterflies. I turned to the other side of the closet and skimmed through my tops. I pulled on a grey off the shoulder knit top. The fabric was light so I wouldn’t get too hot.

  I walked out and opened my dresser drawer and pulled out my black lace strapless bra and matching panties. I wasn’t crazy over thongs even though I wore them every once in a while. I favored the cute cut-off boy shorts. The pretty laced ones, of course. They made my ass look really hot; because of course, I was obsessed with my body. I applied some coconut oil lotion on my skin and dressed quickly. My hair was almost dry, so I just ran my fingers through it while applying some anti-frizz serum. My hair didn’t really frizz up too bad, but I did it out of habit.

  I skipped to the bathroom and found my gray eyeliner. I loved the way the gray liner worked with my brown eyes. I applied my usual nude shimmering lip-gloss and was ready to go. I went to grab my phone when I realized I wasn’t wearing my shoes yet, so I ran to my closet and scanned through my options. I really need to do some serious shoe shopping. Oh, snap! I forgot about my Georga-F sneakers, and they were grey. I loved Steven Madden shoes! I grabbed my grey ankle socks that matched my sneakers.

  When I got to my dresser, I pulled my wallet out of my shoulder bag. I hated bags and purses. They just made me feel too prissy. I grabbed my iPhone wallet case and transferred my id, debit card, and the only credit card I owned. A black Amex card courtesy of dad. I rarely used it but maybe once a year. Still, I made it a habit to keep it with me in case of emergencies. I never knew when Lucy was going to give me her last whoop. I laughed at the thought. One quick glance in the mirror, I grabbed my room key and headed out the door.

  I reached the main lobby in record time—six fifteen. I had ten minutes to kill, so I headed toward the lobby’s gift shop. I looked for Peter on the way, but I guess his shift was over. I loved talking to that kid. He was so shy and unsure of himself. It would do him some good to take kickboxing or karate class. Loosen him up a little. No one his age should be so uptight, aside from me, of course. I was always the exception to everything. Mainly because I was damaged goods. There was no hope for a girl like me. Just a tragic ending somewhere along the narrow and forever winding road.

  The gift shop was a cute little set-up. Of course, the price of everything was ridiculous. I could get a complete pap exam for the price of a fucking teddy bear. “Going somewhere special, beautiful?” The voice I heard immediately irritated the hell out of me for no reason. Not a good sign. If the voice of that loser made me want to vomit, then I most definitely didn’t want to see his face. So I did what I always did when guys tried to hit on me. I ignored him. “What, are you deaf?” Fucking ass. I turned around quick whipping my hair across his face. He looked like a corporate world scumbag. He was dressed in a grey suit that was wearing him instead of the other way around. His black eyes were beady looking, and he kind of looked like a weasel.

  “I heard you perfectly clear the first time. Not interested!” I went to move aside, but he blocked me with his arm. I took a peak around us and under his arm to check out my surroundings. A family with three small kids walked in. If it weren’t for those kids, I would have given him a bloody nose by now. “Look, whatever your name is, don’t waste your time. I said I’m not interested!” I growled in a low tone. The jerk laughed and moved in closer pressing my back into the shelves of colorfully designed tourist mugs. I stomped my foot out of frustration. “You telling me you’re not going to give me chance, little girl?”

  “That’s exactly what the fuck I’m saying!” I said a lot louder. “Now move before –.”

  “Before what?”

  He cut me off, and just as my blood started to boil, I heard a familiar voice behind the asshole speak up. “Or she’ll lay you flat on your ass. Unless you would rather a man kick the snot out of your fucking face, back up, and let her go.” The jerk sneered at me, but he didn’t move. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around the jerks neck and spun him away from me. The momentum sent him stumbling straight into the flower stand knocking everything over as he hit the floor.

  My hands flew up to my face to muffle my laughter as I looked at Lawrence. He was pissed, but the smile in his eyes instantly made me feel better about the situation. He looked at the guy who was still on the floor being yelled at by the cashier clerk. The little old lady lit into him like you wouldn’t believe. “You okay, Sunshine?” Lawrence asked me stepping closer. Now that my laugh was a controlled giggle, I was able to speak and answer him. “I am now. Thanks. That asshole was really making my blood boil.” He looked me up and down making sure I was okay and walked up to the clerk. He handed her a hundred dollar bill and apologized for damaging the flowers. The elderly woman blushed a violent shade of purple and thanked him. Smooth.

  As he turned to me, he crooked his elbow waiting for me to slip my arm in his. I gave him a playful frown before I accepted and hooked my arm around his letting him lead me out to the parking lot. As he reached over to open the passenger door to his bad ass Raptor, he grinned at me. “What’s that for?” I asked. He shrugged and kept smiling. I used the running board to step up and jump into the seat. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. This felt like a monster truck. He closed my door and jumped in the driver’s seat.

  “You know, I think you hurt my feelings, Sunshine,” he said seriously and my heart stopped.

  “I did what?” Not having any idea what he was getting at.

  “Well, you met me this morning and within twenty minutes you put me on my ass twice. And, just now, you were letting a douche bag get in your face. I don’t know, Sunshine, the boss is a little hurt.” When I saw the smirk pull across his perfect lips, I punched him on the shoulder. “See!” He said pointing at me.

  “You started it,” I said calmly. He turned the ignition and the truck roared to life. I felt like a jellybean inside this massive truck. It was a sexy truck, and manly just like mister boss man. As he backed out of the parking space, he pointed to my seat belt.

  “Yes, sir!” I said saluting him as he continued to laugh at me. “Does Cheddar’s sound good for dinner? Or do you have a favorite place to eat out at?”

  “No favorite place, Cheddar’s is fine.”

  Chapter Nine

  Livie

  As he pulled out onto the road, I snuck a peak at his curly hair, and his side profile. The guy was giving Paul Walker a run for his money, big time. As I opened my mouth to ask him if I could turn on his radio, his cell phone rang. Lincoln Parks New Divide blared through his Bluetooth speakers. Nice. The stereos front face touch screen read MOM. He answered the phone with a frown. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?”

  “Hey, Law, I’m sorry to bother you. I know you have a business dinner, but afterward, do you think you could come by the hospital? Your dad sent something for you, and I think you need to see it tonight.”

  His grip on the steering wheel tightened turning his knuckles white. “Yeah, Mom, no problem. You okay?”

  “Yes, of course, Law. I’m fine. I’ll see you later. You can come right up to my office.”

  “Ok, Mom. See you later.” She hung up. I didn’t want to intrude on his mood, but I felt bad for him. Clearly
, his father was a sore spot to touch on, and I understood that kind of pain. It may not be for the same reasons but that kind of pain, I notice anywhere and in anyone. “You okay?” I asked not liking the silence. He shook his head.

  “Yeah. Sorry about that. My mom rarely ever calls me when she’s at work.” He turned and gave me a reassuring smile. “I saw you bobbing your head to my ringtone you want to listen to more of my music?” I had a feeling he was trying to hide his change in mood behind the music, so I naturally went along with it. I wanted to take that pain he was feeling away, but I knew that I couldn’t. I couldn’t even keep my own mother from taking her own life.

  “Yeah, sure. I love Lincoln Park.”

  He opened his Pandora app on the touchscreen panel, and the music blared out of the speakers. I rested my head back and just gazed out window. Whatever he was going through, I understood. We didn’t need to make small talk. I knew he was hurting, and I was hurting in my own way, as well. He took his right hand off the wheel and reached it behind my headrest, and we drove in silence the rest of the way.

  Lawrence

  That one simple phone call from my mom really pissed me off. I warned my dad the next time he tried to contact either of us that I’d kick his fuckin face in, and I meant it. We didn’t need him. My mom had me and I had her; it was that simple for us. The ass wipe no longer existed, and I liked it that way. No one told him to be such a whore, and the crap he pulled to keep the girl quiet was sick. She was pregnant with his kid, and he was paying her to keep her mouth shut. The day that my mom found out had destroyed her, and it destroyed us. Since then she submerged herself in me, and in her career as a Pediatric specialist at the local university hospital.