Amelia wanted to be taken by her lover, whether male or female. "Consumed" was the word she used. In college, her experience had been with women and she was certain about her lesbianism. After graduation, she encountered Jon at the Amazonia Boxing Club. Between their two bouts, both of which ended with the Asian girl out on the canvas, they slept together. The fact that Jon sucker punched Amelia in the ring the day after such shared intimacy ought to have put her off men. Instead, she found herself wanting to submit, to be bested and dominated. When not in the arms of a lover, Amelia was worried by this tendency.
Would she end up in love with an abuser? The physical dangers of that prospect frightened her. Emotionally, she was pleased.
Scott knocked Amelia out for the count one Saturday afternoon at the Amazonia. He was a skilled boxer,but Amelia took him on with trepidation. would he KO her the way she wanted it? His thoughtful eyes moved over her body so completely that Amelia assumed he was falling for her.
No! No! she yelled to herself. Do that when I don't care!
Moments later, Scott hurled a right directly into Amelia's mid section. The girl boxer jerked forward, her face distorted by agony. Two upper cuts exploded on Amelia's chin and jaw. She staggered comically into the ropes and Scott moved in quickly. He opened up on her torso for twenty seconds, before punching the side of her face.
Black silence blanketed the girl boxer. She stood a few seconds, limbs and muscles slack, head head lolling on her right shoulder, mouth gaping and eyes shut. Amelia's knees gave out and she lay on the canvas, unmoving.
As she dreamed of Jiannah, a beautiful black woman she'd been with three nights before, Scott placed Amelia on her back and administered a ten count.
Amelia came to in the dressing room where Scott had carried her. She sat up lethargically, focusing on the male figure seated next to the bed.
"What?"
"I knocked you out," Scott explained. "How do you feel?"
Amelia thought briefly, then asked Scott if he would drive her home. While they fucked, Amelia saw the thoughtful look in Scott's eyes again. He was falling in love.
For two weeks, Amelia stayed away from Scott, even though thinking about him got her excited. She slept with some old girlfriends and some guys who resembled Scott in different ways. Very late one night Amelia woke suddenly, realizing that Scott had never called her.
Amelia waited a few more days. When nothing happened, she panicked. I saw him, she told herself multiple times. I saw him fall for me!
"Hey, Amelia, where you been?"
The male voice filled the gym around Amelia, making her jump back from the heavy bag she was using. She had tentatively given up dodging Scott and visited the Amazonia after ten pm to work out.
"Scott!" she blurted, like a little girl thrilled at her father coming home after a long absence. "I've been here, like always."
"Good. Get in the ring!"
"I don't feel like a fight now..."
Scott clasped Amelia's bare shoulders. "I am! I'm here to knock you out!"
Stressing the last three words, Scott's voice penetrated the Asian fighter. She took hesitant steps backward toward the ring. The intruder shoved her a few times until they both stood in the ring.
"One punch is all this will take!" said Scott, slamming his gloves together "From this fist right here!" He held the red boxing glove in Amelia's face, who felt fear stab her. Scott meant his threat.
"No, okay, Scott!" Amelia began. "I'm sorry...okay?...okay...!"
He said nothing and pushed closer. Amelia retreated, pleading louder, but aware she'd be clobbered in a minute.
"I just thought we could mess around..." Amelia struggled, her voice weakening. The ropes suddenly pressed on her back. Scott's fist went back. "Good night, Amelia!"
BAM!!!
Amelia never felt the punch or her hard landing on the canvas.
Amelia delayed introducing Scott to her parents for a month. They wanted to give her black eye a chance to fade.