Miranda Li was ferociously cute. All the men at the Amazonia Boxing Club were caught by her compact, attractive figure, flirty smile and out going manner. Newly graduated from Blake Mitchell University, with a international studied degree, she had knocked out four female opponents in a row, something not many newcomers achieved.
Rich was the first guy to challenge Miranda to a match.
"You could hold a girl like that in the palm of your hand," Rich commented to his friend, Sam.
"You planning to tag her?" Sam asked, knowing personally what motivated men to take on attractive women in the ring.
Rich was unconcerned. "If it happens, it happens."
"But you plan to win the bout?"
"In round three," answered Rich, after a brief reflection. "I like Miranda, she seems like a nice girl. As a gentleman, you need to show consideration."
"I know you will," replied Sam.
Miranda lay on her back, out cold, as predicted, in the third round. Rich watched from his corner the petite fighter slumber through Emma the Ref's ten count. The females who attended the match were overjoyed that the beautiful twentysomething had been laid out. Rich had seen this display before and was always amazed at how much people loved someone else's defeat.
He noticed Desiree among the crowd that was repeating each number in the count out. But Desiree watched Miranda in silence, her eyes gleaming with lust identical to the desire Rich was feeling.
Miranda's seconds, Amelia and Cathy, placed the unconscious girl on a stretcher and carefully carried her from the ring. Out of concern and desire, Rich followed them to the dressing room, have shed his boxing gloves and put on sweat pants and a hoodie.
"You pasted Miranda completely, Rich," Cathy stated, very sarcastically. "Congrats!"
Rich watched Miranda's chest rise and fall as Cathy and Amelia worked to revive their friend. There was a tug at his sleeve. Rich turned and saw Desiree motioning to join her outside the dressing room.
"You really sent Miranda for a stroll down Dream Street," Desiree told Rich. Unlike Cathy, Desiree's praise was sincere.
"Yeah, so I see." Rich answered.
"She'll be fine. If I know girls like Miranda, and I do, this is her first knock out and she'll be slow to come out of it."
"Is that what you wanted to tell me, Dez?"
"No, I have a bet for you."
"Go on." said Rich, apprehensively.
"I bet you that I fuck Miranda before you can."
Rich was speechless for a few seconds. "I'm at a disadvantage there...I punched her lights out."
"Of course you did and you loved every second of it!"
The remark stabbed into Rich sharply.
"And?"
"Think how much you'd get out of nailing Miranda despite that?"
As far as Rich was concerned, Desiree was screwy and the sole reason his friend Peter married her had to be for love!
"I'm not interested in time tables, Dez. If I fuck her tomorrow or next week, what matters is that I do."
Desiree considered for a moment. "Fine. Forget sex. I bet you I can make Miranda fall in love with me first. Deal?"
Rich wanted to ask Desiree to define "Love," but the potential answers frightened him.
"Deal!"
The groaning from behind the dressing room door signaled that Miranda had finished her date with The Sandman.
It was Rich's doing that Miranda took a humiliating knock out, in front of her friends. Of course, getting KOed cold was a strong possibility at the Amazonia, as all the members knew. Rich hoped that if Miranda was naïve and inexperienced enough to go against a a taller, bigger male, she might believe his apology.
"Look at it this way, Miranda, you put up a good fight, against a man with two inches on you."
Rich and Miranda were sitting in a coffee shop a few blocks from Miranda's apartment. She remembered what it felt like to punch Rich's hard chest and abs, with no effect at all.
"You were just waiting me out, showing the little girl some pity before finishing me off."
Thank God she's smart, thought Rich.
"We were boxing, right? Knock outs happen. Did you not want me to take you seriously?"
"No."
"Right! Don't get discouraged, okay?"
"All right..." Miranda reluctantly agreed.
"I know!" Rich switched to a more paternal tone. "I can help train you."
"You would!?" Miranda quavered. No, wait...you can't..."
"Why the fu...ah, why not?"
"Desiree is already training me."
Bitch! Rich thought. "I imagine she is."
"And it's working out well." Miranda went on. "When I work with Dez as closely as we are, I'm becoming a better fighter!"
"Closely, huh? Did Dez tell you all that?"
"She did!"
"Of course." mumbled Rich.
"But Rich?"
He turned and saw Miranda looking at him with wide, probing eyes.
"What?"
"I do need training with other stuff...could you...help...me?"
At first Rich was happy seeing Miranda a few days a week and on alternate weekends. The couple tried new restaurants and movies, took road trips all over, and the sex was fantastic. But Miranda talked about Desiree much of the time, how great a trainer she was, but withholding the personal aspects of their relationship. Rich knew he was losing the bet.
He told Miranda that the only people in the world Desiree really loved were her husband and son and daughter.
"Women are disposable to her. I don't know why, but that's how she is," he added.
Miranda stared at Rich in confusion and anger. "No! Desiree is my mentor, she loves me!"
Rich felt a horrible exasperation at hitting the right nerve on the first try.
"It's true, Miranda, she's going to drop you soon."
"You're jealous!"
"I'm not!" insisted Rich. He considered telling his lover about the wager he made with Desiree. "Yes, all right, I am jealous! I don't want anyone sleeping with you but me! And that's because I don't like sharing...I don't like to lose!"
Miranda glared at him coldly. "I'm not a game!"
Desiree informed Miranda that she was a game.
The story of the bet stabbed into Miranda's gut. When Miranda slapped Desiree across the face, the older woman smiled.
Miranda encountered Rich a few days later at the Amazonia. She floored him with the hardest right hook she could muster.
The challenge match between Miranda and Desiree took place the next weekend. Miranda was eager to hurt Desiree, who watched her former lover from her corner of the ring.
She's pissed, Desiree observed to herself. Good.
"I know you, Miranda," Desiree said after the first round bell called out the fighters. "I know your body and how you move."
Miranda ignored the warning and struck at Desiree. She felt gratified when her fists connected, causing the older woman to retreat.
Desire provided a target to pursue, tagging the newbie when she pulled in close.
"You need to learn patience, girl," Desiree taunted, after side stepping one of Miranda's counter punches.
This infuriated Miranda, who felt all the love and respect she felt for Desiree was betrayed. Between the two women, a furious exchange of punches erupted. Shouts of encouragement for both fighters soaked the air around the ring.
"I taught you!" Desiree said to Miranda as their fists pounded each other. "I taught you everything!"
Desiree slipped two powerful gut shots to her opponent, who twisted in agony. A mean spirited upper cut exploded on Miranda's chin. She found herself dangling on the ropes, her arms turned to lead.
A series of punches to the young girl's midsection dimmed her vision. Miranda felt numb all over, unable to feel the punches that fell all over her.
Sometime during Desiree's assault, Miranda gave in and went to sleep.
Desiree saw that Miranda was out on her feet and stepped back. Eyes shut, jaw slack, Miranda took a half step forward and collapsed at Desiree's feet.
"I taught you!" Desiree shouted at the unconscious boxer. "And that's how I defeated you, bitch!"
Emma shoved Desiree back to her corner and counted out Miranda.
"Winner by a knockout!" Emma declared. The victor paraded around the ring, fists in the air.
Emma and Cathy carried Miranda into the recovery room. The smelling salts jerked Miranda back to reality.
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