Monica's Fight

 

That bastard put me out! was Monica's first complete thought when she saw Emma the Ref raising Will's right hand in the air, announcing his victory.

Monica's body refused to move, so her seconds, Louis and Kaylee, helped her sit up. Monica was still seeing stars.

"What...happened..." Monica asked Louis.

"You got decked!" answered Louis.

Monica was trying to stand on wobbly legs, supported by her two friends.

"Will got in some good, lucky shots and you were gone," Kaylee added.

Those last moments trickled into Monica's consciousness. The challenge match between Will and herself was near the end of the round five. Both were evenly skilled fighters, but Will landed a sudden left-right combination and finished with an upper cut. The first two punches dazed the female boxer. The last blow made her sleep.

"This was too early, I told you!" Kaylee was speaking what she and Louis knew was true. Louis had begun unlacing Monica's gloves the moment she sat down in her corner.

"I never even saw it!" Monica insisted, unheeding of Kaylee.

Louis stopped removing the bandages from her hands. "And that's because you weren't ready to fight Will! I've known him for five years and that's four and half more years training and experience than you have."

Louis went silent for a minute, cutting away the rest of the wrappings. "I'm sorry about this, Monica..."

When they first met at the Amazonia Boxing Club, Monica was immediately impressed by how good a boxer Louis was,as he sparred with Kaylee. But Monica held back her emotions until she felt she could trust Louis. When she finally relented and took him to bed, their love making cleaved her soul.
A new energy erupted in Monica. In her following bouts, three of her opponents were knocked out cold and had to be carried from the ring. A male adversary was next.


Despite Louis and Kaylee's objections, Monica publicly challenged Will.


Monica threw herself back into training- running, sparing, rope work. At first Louis was impressed. And then Monica told him why she was working so hard.
"I'm taking Will on in a rematch," she told him one night in bed. "And I'm going to win."
"Will knows better, he'll tell you 'No'," suggested Louis, hopefully.
"I already spoke to him about it, he said whenever I was ready."
"Christ, you are serious!"
 "I am."
"Don't do this. Will is a seasoned fighter."
"And I'm not?" Monica demanded.
"Not yet! You're getting there, for sure. But not right now!"
Louis leaned toward Monica, first tentatively and then strongly, kissing her. His hands gently moved over her bare thighs and under panties. Returning Louis' kisses, Monica was consumed by arousal.
"Okay, no!" blurted Monica, rolling out of Louis' embrace.
"You're fucking joking!" he blurted in return, as exasperated as Monica had been insistent.
"No."
"How long until the fight!?"
"Just a month." Monica read the distress in Louis. "I'm sorry, I don't like doing this. You know our time with each other is special to me!"
Louis' face was a blank.
"I need to win this fight!"
"No, you don't!" Louis insisted and abruptly turned his back to Monica.


Self-denial was hard on Monica, also. Continual training with Kaylee burned off some of the pent up energy, but not enough. Monica's opponents in three matches, Jasmine, Cathy, and Karen, were left bruised and unconscious on the canvas.

"This won't last much longer. The match is the first of next month." Kaylee told Louis, while they both watched Monica punish a heavy bag with gloved fists.
"Yes, I know."
Kaylee knew Louis was unsettled, even as he watched his girlfriend become a better fighter. She suspected he was jealous of Monica's transformation, though he would never admit that. Monica had been a good friend to Kaylee during and after Kaylee's divorce and Kaylee had always liked Louis.
They should not split up over this, Kaylee decided.


"What are you doing on Saturday?" she asked Louis, knowing the answer already.
"Nothing. Monica's going to see her sister in Scotch Plains."
"Come over to my place for lunch...we'll have a beer after."
Louis shot a look of surprise at his friend. "Of course."
Monica might have seen Kaylee affectionately stroke her boyfriend's arm, but she was concentrating too hard.
Louis understood that Kaylee was being a friend and it would only be one night. He always admired Kaylee's ass.

Will figured the rematch was personal. That Monica hated him over the knockout he gave her. Now, watching Monica in her corner, he understood that she was trying to prove herself. Did Louis grasp that?, he wondered as Emma the Ref waved them to the center of the ring. No, he loves her too much.
"Are the rules clear?" asked Emma. Monica nodded quickly.
Will disregarded the question. "Monica, what are you trying to prove?"
Monica felt like she'd been stabbed.
"And who are you trying to prove it to?"
Will walked back to his corner before Monica could answer.

The first two rounds slipped by quickly. Will aggressively engaged the female fighter, keeping her on the defensive, but not doing any real damage. He was testing Monica, as a master probes to see how much an apprentice has learned.
Monica struck hard in the rounds that followed. His battered face and belly taught Will that Monica had changed. Only his ring experience, that told him how a woman as determined and angry as his opponent was, allowed Will to control the battle.
"You've done well, Monica," he whispered to her in a deliberate clinch. "You fought very well!"
He hammered Monica's midsection three times, mercilessly.
"Sweet dreams, Monica!"
Will's right sent Monica sprawling onto the ropes. Before she could recollect her senses and defend herself, Monica took a shot to the button of her chin.
Standing flat footed, Monica heard nothing. The crowd of female spectators screaming for Will to finish her off, Louis and Kaylee's shouts - instantly obliterated. Monica began drifting to the canvas, struggling to stay up as her body turned with the grace and beauty of a ballerina. Warm, comforting blackness cushioned her impact.

Emma the Ref completed the ten count quickly. She was crowded by Louis and Kaylee before she even finished declaring Will's victory. Monica slumbered for three minutes in her boyfriend's arms, until smelling salts brought her back.