Chapter Nine. Cheryl. At Tornado Training.
Twenty eight…come on nearly there…
Twenty nine…
Thirty!
Gripping the thick metal bar I slowly lower meself back down to the mat. Every muscle in me upper body aches with the effort. It’s pain but good pain, healthy pain, the same pain I’ve been inflicting on meself day after day for the past month in a rigid schedule of sparring and working-out.
I’ve got to defeat Amanda Shields. Failure is not an option.
The words keep repeating in me head as I unwrap the bandages I’ve tightly wound around me hands to keep me sweaty palms from slipping off the chin-up bar. Today I’ve achieved thirty reps but by the week of the fight I’m aiming to be up to fifty. Nothing less will do. Me body needs to be in perfect condition when I take on ‘Mad Mandy’.
When I completely and utterly beat her into the middle of next week.
That’s right, this one’s personal. For all me ethics and honour it couldn’t be any other way when I’m fighting a bully and a homophobe. The woman pushes all me buttons but I’m determined to keep the fight clean and win on me own terms which is why I’m training my arse off because I’ve got to admit that I’ve let things slip recently.
And you know why…
Kimberley. All those incredible late nights and weekend ‘lie-ins’ over the past months have been starting to catch up with us. She does something to us no-one else ever has, entering the room and making me willpower evaporate like water on a scorching hot pavement. I’m powerless to her charms which wouldn’t be a problem if I wasn’t preparing for another of the biggest fights of me career.
Damn I’m getting tingles again just thinking about her!
Dropping me wraps into the bin and curiously checking the calendar on the wall I’m shocked to realise that its actually been a little over two weeks since we last saw one another in the flesh.
Wow, that long…no wonder I’m wound up…wonder if she’s at the club or at home tonight?
WHAT THE…?!
I jump as a pair of hands come down over me eyes and everything goes black, a body pressed heavily into me back. Reacting instinctively I go into defence mode rotating me attacker round and down onto the mat in a classic shoulder throw. There’s a flurry of blonde hair, a high-pitched squeal and it’s only when I have them pinned down, me face inches from theirs, that I realise me mistake.
“What the hell are you doing here?!”
“Oww!” Ozzie exclaims, her voice loud and petulant, “I was trying to surprise you doofus!”
I let go of her and her brow crinkles,
“Can you get off me you’re heavier than you look”
“Charming” I laugh, getting to me feet and helping her up, “you know when you frown you look just like your mum”
“Yeah…right” she grumbles, straightening her school uniform.
“And when you pout too” I add getting another glare for me troubles.
“So why are you here so early? I’m not even open yet, I thought you were after thieving the cash box”
“That’s why you tried to rearrange my spine” she mutters, rubbing her back.
