Chapter 2: Be My Lady

Tamara

It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

It's not like I haven't been called fat before. Hell, I've been called a lot worse. But something about being called fat when I've been working so hard to be something else hurt deeply. I called out from work the next two days in a row and cried like a baby both days, fasting for 48 hours out of depression. On day three, I decided to go back to work and also to continue with my plan to slim down for once and for all before the 10-year class reunion next June. I'd come too far to stop now. Besides, I was already 75 pounds down. Another 58 pounds and I'd be at my dream weight. No way was I going to let some random jerks take that away from me.

I slunk into Redemption after my shift, feeling naked without my headphones. Today was weight day and I was determined to make up for missing my workouts while I was having a pity party. It was hard to concentrate though. I was out of the way like usual, but I still felt exposed and out of place. Pushing through, I finished my workout 45 minutes later despite the feeling that everyone was watching me. I looked up as the feeling intensified and noticed Keith watching me from across the gym. Stretching like I normally did after such a hard workout, I ignored him. Guys like him didn't end up with girls like me. I needed to remember that.

My newfound resolve lasted until I came out of the locker room, freshly showered and ready to leave the premises. As soon as I was clear of my hiding place, he wrapped me up in his arms. I squealed, but he didn't listen. It felt so good being in his arms, like coming home.

"Where have you been, Tammy? I missed you. I got you something," he whispered against my ear. I shivered before melting like a vat of warm chocolate against him. The truth is that I missed him too.

I managed an eloquent "gah" before he pulled back to observe his effect on me. I was looking anywhere but at him. Why was he doing this to me? I wasn't ready for what he was offering yet. I wasn't thin enough. Didn't he realize that? Overwhelmed with the sudden urge to run away, I ripped myself out of his arms and ran out the door.

He was right behind me, though. That suddenly made me mad. I whirled around to tell him I wasn't ready for this and ended up in his arms again. This time when I tried to pull away, it was like trying to escape an octopus. He wouldn't let go.

"Keith, I-"

"Shh, Sweetling. I've got you." I wanted to struggle. I really did. But even as my heart tried to splinter from the fact that I couldn't have him, he surrounded me with his presence. I relaxed against him.

"Why are you doing this to me? You heard that guy the other day. I'm-"

"Mine," he finished for me. "You've been mine since I first laid eyes on you, struggling to lift the barbell without a single weight on it." I blushed, remembering all too well how I used to struggle with the barbell before I got the hang of it. But that was months ago!

"I didn't-"

"You didn't have to know, Sweetling. I knew. I knew that you were mine and I just didn't know how to approach you. When that idiot encroached on my happy time in your arms, I could have murdered him. You saved his life. I was ready to do it. I was ready to cut off his air just because I couldn't stand the devastated look on your face. Thank you for stopping me."

"I… I don't know what to do with a statement like that. Keith, I'm not sure how to deal with this. I didn't sign up for this! I did not come to Redemption looking for a boyfriend. I came here because the men were all so stupidly hot that I knew no one would give me the time of day. I just want a safe place to lose all the weight I've always wanted without distractions. And I can't be yours. You barely know me."

"You think I don't know that I don't know a thing about you, Sweetling? Do you think I care? I've turned you into my ideal woman over the last few months and at any time you could tell me something that shatters that image. But I realized the other day that I don't care. Shatter away, darling. I love you so much at this point I'm looking forward to meeting the real you." He chuckled and nuzzled my forehead. My brain dissolved. Then I remembered myself.

"Wait. This is happening too fast," I protested, trying to back away. Again, it was like getting away from an octopus. A shiver of fear ran down my spine. He was so much bigger than I was. "Let me go, Rochester."

"So you can run away again?" he asked in an amused voice. I whimpered and he backed off a little, still holding on to me, but not as tightly. "I don't care about your weight, Sweetling. I just want you."

"But-"

"But nothing," he insisted. "Relax, Sweetling. I've got you."

"What if I disappoint you?" I asked, feeling genuinely afraid. What did one do with an Alpha suitor? He looked at me, a soft smile on his face that soothed me.

"You've spent the last six months on a quest for self-improvement that has inspired a whole gym. I know you're not finished yet, love, but your journey is well begun. I don't think I could ever be disappointed in you. But even if you disappointed me, no force on Earth could make me hurt you." His words soothed me as much as the hand smoothing through my hair and down my back. Swallowing back a purr of contentment, I looked up at him.

"So… What now?" I asked, feeling a lot better about this whole 'relationship' thing.

"What do you usually do after working out?"

"I… I uh…" I looked away, trying to think of something that didn't make me sound like a huge nerd. He stopped me with a wonderfully callused finger under my chin.

"The truth, Sweetling," he smiled at me as if he knew I had a secret.

"I read hair magazines, learning the newest trends and hairstyles. Then I fix my lunch for the next shift. Sometimes I make dinner if I'm not too tired. I'm usually in bed by nine when I have a day shift. Five o'clock comes early."

"You read hair magazines?" he asked, still smiling that warm, inviting smile I couldn't help but melt into.

"All the time," I smiled. "That and fashion magazines. They always have the latest trends and techniques for hair styling. I went to beauty school while I was working as a nurse back in Philly and graduated at the top of my class. Someday I hope to open my own beauty parlor slash barber shop. I would have a sassy crew dedicated to making the world beautiful, one person at a time."

"That sounds impressive," he grinned teasingly. "So when can I sign up to be your first client?" He threaded his massive hands through my locs and this time I couldn't hold back my purr. He leaned in and possessed my mouth in a way that made me feel alive. I'd never been kissed like that before, all raw heat and power. Hell, I'd never been kissed at all. I moaned, melting against him and surrendering to his dominance. He rumbled with approval, molding my body against his and tilting my jaw up to kiss me more thoroughly. My toes felt like they would never uncurl.

"You should go before I take you against your car," he whispered against my neck as he peppered my jaw with kisses.

"Huh?" I blinked, my mind a gooey slurry of goodness and light. His dark chuckle brought me back.

"I have a gig in West Oakland tonight. It starts after your bedtime, but I'd like you to come see me play." That brought me up short. West Oakland was one of the rougher areas of town. And I was a good girl who was safe in bed before the night owl woke up.

"Um… Text me the address and I'll meet you there," I told him before I could change my mind.

"Do you have friends to come out with you?" he asked in concern. "Some of the guys hang out at Nu Vida where we're playing. If you meet them here, they'll go with you. I'd offer to escort you myself, but I have to leave soon for set up and sound check."

"Okay," I agreed, mentally going through my wardrobe for something that would fit me after losing so much weight. Since I wasn't a party girl, I didn't have much beyond scrubs to wear. My downtime clothes were sizes too big for me now, but there might be something… "I'm sorry, what?"

He chuckled and hugged me tight before loosening his grip on me. "I said I'll tell the guys to meet you here. One of them can drive you and bring you back to your car here."

"Should I come with you? So they know who I am?" I asked, flushing when he chuckled at me.

"Believe me, they all know who you are. We've been following your amazing progress for months now. But," he said flirtatiously holding me close again, "it occurs to me that you've never introduced yourself to anyone here and therefore you don't know anyone by name. Let's go back inside and fix that." Keith didn't give me a chance to protest, guiding me back through the doors of my gym. It was so different entering the place with his arm around me. I still felt like an outsider, but I also felt protected. I could see where these people were a tight-knit unit. He led me to a knot of muscle and bone grappling on the mats, stopping next to a petite brownish redhead. She looked at me with a friendly smile before turning back to the fight.

Both fighters were incredibly hot; the kind of guys that could crush a fat chick like me without a backward glance. Catching flashbacks of my time in high school, I started backing away before they could notice me. But his firm arm at my back reminded me that I was now officially dating a stupidly hot guy of my very own. One who - at the very least - could hold his own against the two on the floor. The larger of the two locked the other in a painful-looking hold of some kind, his knee applying pressure to the blond's carotid artery. I held my breath until the blond tapped out. A smattering of applause sounded for the two men, but I was too transfixed to join in. I'd never seen a real fight between such titans. I usually came in, did my thing without looking at the man flesh on display, and left. Until today, I couldn't have picked any of these people out of a police lineup. But I had a sudden feeling that was about to change.

"Your girl looks shocked, Wall. You're going to have to show her some fighting moves." Suddenly all eyes were on me and I squeezed my eyes shut and tensed up, wanting to disappear before the taunting started. When no one threw an opening verbal jab at me, I opened my eyes slowly. The first thing I noticed was the sympathetic looks sent my way from nearly everyone in the group.

"Don't worry, Sweetie. We're not like that," the larger man said kindly. "Name's Ray. But I go by Predator in the ring. The guy I was fighting is Jake AKA Renegade." The blond smiled and waved.

"I'm Jimmy, but I go by Blade Saw in the ring," another huge fighter spoke up. "That's the club owner, Max. He goes by Torment in the ring. His girl, Makayla AKA Doc, and Tag AKA Fuzzy."

I choked on the little bit of moisture I'd managed to work into my mouth at that last one. "Fuzzy?" The huge guy with a blond buzz cut steps forward with an embarrassed grin.

"They wanted to take me down a peg." Again I was shocked that someone would admit weakness in a room full of predators. No one seemed to scent the blood in the water though, and my shoulders relaxed.

"Well, you look like you could break a man in two with your pinky, so… no pegs taken," I said with an embarrassed huff. The group laughed.

"Don't feed their egos," Doc groaned. "They're big enough as it is." Another round of laughter sounded out and I smiled in relief.

"You going to The Wall's gig tonight?" Fuzzy asked in an authoritative voice that reminded me of my brother, the one in the army.

"Yes sir," I snapped out without thinking. Fuzzy nodded in approval.

"Your girl's got good instincts, Wall," he told Keith. "You should join my Get Fit or Die class."

The bottom dropped out of my stomach, just like it did whenever I went on a roller coaster, and I immediately started reevaluating my life choices. "Oh, I can't join a class! I'm not-"

"Trust me. Fuzz is one of our best instructors. Man's had six months to evaluate your progress. He says you're ready, you're ready," Predator said firmly.

"But I can't commit to every Tuesday," I said in a panic. "That's the problem with nursing. My work schedule is-"

"Don't worry about it, Tammy. Just come when you can. The rest will take care of itself."

I blinked. "How did you know my name?" The group laughed, but it wasn't a nasty kind of laughter so I didn't take it personally. "Okay. Um… H-How do I sign up?"

"I'll take care of it, kiddo," Fuzzy nodded encouragingly at me. "We'll be heading out to your man's gig around 8:30. Is that enough time to get back here?" I nodded, grateful that I wouldn't be headed to this thing alone. "Very well. See you soon." The others murmured farewells and clapped Keith on the back, ribbing him about his band. I listened in a daze, wondering just how I'd gotten roped into taking a class here.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but my band is waiting for me. See y'all at Nu Vida." He pressed a kiss to my temple and jogged away. The conversation went on without me. I was in a daze, not used to just hanging out with hotness of this magnitude. What should I say? What should I do? I was used to observing these kinds of interactions, not participating in them!

After what felt like a few years of standing awkwardly beside the group, my new friends took pity on me.

"You don't have to be nervous, Tammy," Blade Saw said out of the blue. "We're all going to see the Wall tonight, along with Renegade's girl, Amanda, and Predator's girl, Sia. I bet you want to get ready for the big event. We'll see you later tonight."

Visibly sagging at the friendly dismissal in his tone, I beat a hasty retreat.

May your New Year be full of hope, love, and all the good things life has to offer in 2025. It starts on a Wednesday this year, but we won't let the 'WTF' stop our fun, eh? :P