“I don’t.”
“You should probably find out. That way we can have something done if he comes by again.”
“And if she doesn’t have one?”
“Advise her to get one.”
“Things are kind of tricky between us right now,” I blurted. “I’m not sure I’m the best person to advise her on anything.”
Trevor tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, suspicion etched into his expression. “What do you mean tricky between you?” His lips parted. “I asked her if there was anything going on between you two, and she said no.”
“When did you ask that?” I’d managed to keep my emotions in check up to this point, but his admission had my anger simmering.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. What gives you the right to go behind my back and ask her about us?”
“So, there is an ‘us’?”
“No, there isn’t,” I said, slapping the top of the bar for emphasis.
“But you want there to be, don’t you?” He straightened in his seat and pointed at me. I swatted his finger away, but he pointed it at me a second time. “You like her.” Before I could get a word in, he continued, “What are you thinking, man? You can’t get involved with her, especially since she’s your employee. But more importantly, she’s a distraction, one you don’t need right now. Goddammit, Jackson! What were you thinking?” He shook his head at me, chastising me. “I didn’t see this one coming. I’ve never known you to be interested in a woman before. Other than for sex.”
I leaned into him. “Are you done now?” The scowl on my face was enough to cause him to back up.
“Pfft… I guess.”
“First off, nothing happened between me and Sophie. Do I think she’s attractive? Yes. Is there a vibe between us? Yes. But have we done anything about it? Again, no.”
“Not yet.”
He was right. It was only a matter of time before one of us gave in and made the stupid decision to act on the chemistry between us. What would happen afterward, I had no idea. I’d never been in this type of situation before, so I was ill-equipped to process the ramifications.
“Does Elton know about this?” he asked. “How about Lance?”
“There is nothing to know. And if you keep shaking your head at me, I’m going to knock you off your stool,” I said, clenching my fist.
“You can’t fight outside the ring, remember. So, your threat is moot.”
“Then I’llaccidentallykick your stool out from underneath you,” I threatened, which got a smile out of him.
“Try it, fucker.” A moment later, Trevor placed his hand on my shoulder. The man always had my back, so his concerns came from a place of loyalty. “Seriously, Jackson. Be careful. You have to focus on your training and nothing else. Be smart about this.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, I’ve said my piece. Now it’s my turn.” He sighed, and I swore the weight of the world resided in his exhale. “I think I made a mistake with Christina.”
Christina was his ex-girlfriend. He’d broken up with her over a year ago but never said why. Trevor, like me, didn’t often talk about personal shit.
“What makes you say that?”
“The shitshow that is the dating world. The women are either crazy, looking for someone to take care of them, or, on the chance I actually connect with someone, she ends up ghosting me. I don’t get it. Christina wasn’t complicated. She didn’t play games. She was sweet, funny, and kind.”
“She was a looker too,” I added.
“She was gorgeous.” Trevor’s expression fell. “I fucked up.”
“Why did you break up with her, then?” I finally took a sip of my beer, licking the foam from my lips. I was the last person who could relate to his situation. It’d been many years since I’d been in a relationship, and that had only lasted four months. Trevor and Christina had been together for two years before he ended things between them.
