I choose me.

Part 1: Life as it is.

"It's just bad timing Benny." She sighed while lacing up her wrestling shoes, not looking at him.

"How is it bad timing?" He wasn't speaking nearly as calmly as she was.

"This year is just going to be busy for us, you have fights, I have meets, exhibition fights, this sponsorship thing is getting serious." Her voice trailed off as she stood and approached the platform. He was ripping the velcro of his gloves off, then securing it back and ripping it again.

"How old were we when we met?" He asked her.

Olivia silently loaded the bar and then said "Nine" quietly. Benny began throwing punches at the heavy black bag.

"How old were we when I picked those flowers of out old lady McNally's yard and told you that I loved you?"

The bar pressed against her shins and she sunk down, gripping it hard, "Twelve" she growled as she deadlifted the weight eight times before slamming it down onto the platform. She turned and looked at Benny who was leaning against the bag now, panting, little beads of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead and upper lip, his bright green eyes were staring at her intensely.

"Fifteen years, it's been you and me for fifteen years, so why won't you marry me now?" He went into another assault on the bag and she added more weight to the bar.

"I don't see why a piece of paper matters if we have been together for fifteen years and we'll be together forever, so why does it matter?" She set up again. Olivia took a deep breath and pulled the bar up, the cold steel scraped her shins and tops of her thighs hard, another eight and down on the platform.

"It matters to me. I think Andrew is telling you not to because he thinks it won't do anything for your career." Olivia was getting increasingly irritated, this had been an underlying tension for months now. Andrew had been taking on a bigger role in her career as her name was getting back out there, and Benny felt like he was getting pushed out, though he had an amazing career of his own. She slid more weight on the bar. "Just drop it would you?"

He answered by punching the bag harder and she strapped the belt around her middle, then struggled for four reps with the massive weight, "I know you don't like Andrew, but he's a good lawyer and manager-"

"He's a snake." Benny said between hits to the bag.

"Why? 'Cause he's a guy?" She put another plate on each side, not even bothering to count weight anymore.

"Because I think he is only looking out for his own wallet and only cares about how much money he'll make on you, and yeah, he wants in your pants, everyone sees that." he dropped his hands, out of breath.

She tightened her belt and set up, "Who is everyone Benny?" She yelled and drug the bar up for a slow two reps "For the record..." Olivia said, now laying down on the mat, "I didn't say I didn't want to marry you." His gloves dropped to the ground.

"You didn't say you wanted to either." He walked away and up the stairs.

Olivia lay on the mat, staring up at the dusty white ceiling fans spinning around and around, she rolled over and dug her watch out of the gym bag, it was nearing noon and she had a lunch appointment with their accountant, she didn't even tell Benny about it because Andrew was going to be there. Knowing he was still fuming, she opted to take a shower in the locker room instead of their apartment upstairs. After a quick shower Olivia dressed in a plain black maxi sundress and flip flops, and put her long black hair into a messy ponytail. She glanced back at the staircase before pushing out of the door. The sun was warm on her bare shoulders. It was an unusually hot May in South Boston, but it was beautiful this time of year, she checked her watch again and stood by the curb, Andrew was picking her up, she didn't drive and had no desire to, especially in such a busy city.