Missy and Evie

Evie had a slim, flexible body. Her small, roundish face seemed almost feline to her boyfriend, Larry. They had been a couple for the last two years and Larry was content. Evie loved sex and that was half of what Larry needed from a woman. The rest was fidelity.
"I just have to lay back and get laid," he told his male friends at the gym where Larry trained to box.
Despite that remark, Larry was never smug with Evie or took for granted their relationship. Bitter experience taught Larry never to assume a woman would always be there.
But more than that, Larry saw a searching look to Evie, like a person scanning for the final piece of an internal jig saw puzzle.
Evie had gone to the gym a few times to see Larry spar. She was impressed with her boyfriend's physical grace, but Evie found the atmosphere stifling. Evie left before Larry was finished with his session on her third visit. She sat in the nearby grean and open park, with the au pairs and new mothers.
Later that night, as they lay in Larry's bed, Evie admitted she would never go back to the gym.
"There's no air in that place," she added.
Caressing Evie's bare belly as they talked, loving the smoothness of her skin, Larry realized Evie had no male friends besides himself.

Missy had listened to Evie describe Larry in the ring. Missy figured her friend was exaggerating because she was still in love with Larry. Then Missy went to the gym herself and saw Evie wasn't embellishing. Larry moved fast and hit hard and Missy found that interesting.
When she was alone with Larry, Missy would probe him with boxing questions. Did he know how dangerous the sport could be? Was it right that women were fighting now? Would he box a woman?
Larry dropped the benign reserve he kept with all of Evie's friends when Missy brought up boxing and always gave a fervent response to every question. When Evie entered the room, Missy was discussing something else.
Missy knew Evie well and long enough to give Evie advice on what to do and not to do. Evie called Larry after their second date and stayed with him after she began to think he was a little dull, all at Missy's urging and was happy with her choices.
When Evie explained that she was looking for more in life than Larry and work, Missy suggested boxing.
"I told you I hate that place," Evie replied. "I could never be a boxer."
"Larry doesn't seem to have trouble with it."
"Larry is in his natural habitat in the ring, he moves like a tiger."
Missy raised the palms of her hands between Evie and her. "You could be a tigress! Go ahead, take some shots!"
Evie first shook her head, but then her fists smacked Missy's hands. Evie began to laugh and she struck her targets harder. Missy was laughing, too, Evie noticed. Punching is fun, Evie decided.

Evie threw punches in the air in front of of Larry, who was looking at his girlfriend in confusion.
In the past few weeks Larry had noticed how the minimal fat on Evie had vanished after she started working out. He had complimented her, saying Evie hadn't looked so good in a long while. But Larry was startled by Evie in a sports bra and tight gym shorts, pitching her fists as she kept her guard up.
"I want to fight, Larry" Evie said, with a sly, half smile.
"You want to box?" asked Larry. "You, who hated the gym, want to box?"
"I've been training."
"With who?" A number of situations, involving some of his male friends, none of them ending happily, raced through Larry's mind.
"Me." interjected Missy.
"You? Missy, when did you learn to box?"
"Just recently. Evie and I got some training manuals and DVDs out of the library," Missy explained with a perverse simplicity.
"And now Evie can box?"
"Yes!" Evie stated. She punched her boyfriend in the chest. Hard.

"I'll referee," Missy volunteered and when Larry reappeared dressed in T-shirt and sweats, pulling on his boxing gloves. Evie, already dressed for combat, paced like a she-cat around her corner of the living room, now cleared of furniture. Only thick blankets and pillows covered the carpeted floor.
"Let's go, Evie," Larry said, impressed at the solid stance Evie was using as they both circled each other. They threw punches carefully; Evie wanting to provoke Larry into action, while he waited to see what Evie had as a fighter. Standing as close as possible to the fighters, Missy was delighted to see that neither hesitated to hit the person they loved.
Larry let Evie chase him a little before hooking Evie into a clinch. He worked her mid section with a few punches, most of which she blocked. The few that connected caused Evie to "OOOOOHH!" or "OOOFFFF!" The winded Evie back peddled from from Larry's fists, creating an opening between them.
WHAP!!
Larry uppercuted his lover on the button of her chin.
Evie frooze in place, suddenly staring far away beyond Larry and wall behind him. The voices of Larry and Missy gently struck her body and melted, leaving behind blurred words.
Evie's eyes sank shut and she went to sleep. She fell forward to the floor, two pillows partially breaking her fall as she landed face down.
"Shit!" Larry barked, his voice verging on panic.
Missy was already counting her friend out.
"Wake her up!" yelled Larry as Missy reached "SIX!"
Missy glared up at Larry, her eyes shining with pleasure. "Okay, grab her legs!"
Clutching Evie by her bent knees, Larry lifted the unconscious girl they had just turned over on her back. Missy waited a moment, still looking at the slumbering girl and grabbed Evie's under arms.
Evie came around a few seconds after they settled her on Larry's bed. Groggy, she didn't speak for a minute, but sat up slowly and stared at Missy and Larry.
"Larry, give us a minute," Missy asked. "She'll be fine."
Larry protested, but Missy and then Evie looked at him blankly. A feeling of unwelcome came over Larry and exited the bedroom. Missy closed the door behind him gently.

Larry had a beer down the street and watched a few innings of a Mets game. He spent another hour in the local bookstore, where he carefully flirted with the blond behind the counter. She had praised his purchase of detective novel.
Returning to his apartment and entering his bedroom, he saw Missy naked, sleeping on the bed. Larry admired her breasts and thighs even as he felt twinges of hate for the personality lurking behind the lovely face.
Leaning against the bathroom door, he heard the shower running, knowing it was Evie. He had lost track of the times he had simply walked into the shower while Evie was using it and made love with her. Larry turned away and waited in the kitchen.
Evie appeared a few minutes later, wearing her soft white bath robe. Kissing Larry on the back of the ear, she slipped her arms across his neck and down his chest, hugging him.
"I still love you Larry," she whispered. "I just needed this, needed this to happen."
Larry tenderly touched her arm and then kissed it. He knew she was telling the truth and told himself he was only going to get half his needs from Evie.