The Cruiserweight (13 page)

The doors opened and security staff admitted
premier ticket holders and members of the media first. Though she
had the perk of being part of a pre-show meet and greet, Karen
bypassed it and headed to the small press area.

Several minutes later, a man holding some
photos sat down beside her. “You didn’t go to the meet and greet?”
he asked.

Karen shook her head. “I’m here to surprise
someone after the show, and there wasn’t anyone backstage I haven’t
interviewed.”

“Too bad, they’re having some major stars here
tonight.”

“Yes, I came in from Pittsburgh. I’ve never
been to a Dragonfly event and looking forward to this
one.”

“You’re in for a treat. This is the third one
I’ve covered in the last two months.”

“You must enjoy that part of your
job.”

“One can say that, plus I wouldn’t think of
missing Brett Kerrigan in his debut against Shima.”

“That’s the bout where I have a particular
interest.”

“It received a lot of attention, because
tickets sales surged right after he and Shima were
announced.”

The exchange was interrupted when Karen caught
some movement out of the corner of her eye.
Oh no, Brett’s
standing right outside of the locker room. I hope he didn’t see me
sitting over here
…

“Hey!” the man beside her exclaimed once he saw
who suddenly captured her attention. “That’s Kerrigan!” He got up.
“I think I’ll see if he‘ll come over and say hello.”

“No, that isn‘t necessary. He looks rather
busy
…
”

She decided to escape to the ladies’ room while
the men were talking and was about out of the main seating area
when a voice stopped her.
“Karen!”

So much for my planned
surprise.

“Brett
…
hi. I didn’t expect
to see you before your match.”

He pulled her into a hug and a deep kiss. “I‘ve
missed you, baby.”

“It’s been a
week
. The reason I’m here
tonight is a working trip to cover the show.”

“That or see a certain guy?”

“Now that you mentioned it, a particular person
also appeals to me.”

Brett was enjoying the new game. “And who is
he?”

“Funny thing, his name slipped my
mind.”

“Such a shame. I bet he’s a good-looking guy,
about so tall, with a nose that is a bit off-center and long,
blondish-brown, curly hair.”

Karen began to laugh. “Yes, Brett, I came to
see you too. Sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk since I got back
to Pittsburgh. One of my co-workers has been on sick leave and
we’ve been swamped at the paper.”

“Know what you mean. I’ve been occupied with
training, going through offers, and wrestling. It‘s a wonder I can
find time to take a shit.”

“But it’s good you’re keeping your name out
there.”

“Yeah, and I’ve been having fun since coming
back to the independents. Where are you sitting?”

“The press area, silly, where else?”

“Go backstage instead. Show the goons back
there your pass and say you’re a friend of mine.” He gave a sly
wink and sneaked a pinch on her ass.

Before she could respond, Brett pulled her
close to him and crushed her lips with his. Stunned, she froze for
a moment before giving in to the kiss and melted against his chest.
Oh God, I hope no one’s looking. I’m here to do a story, not
become
part of one.

When the kiss was broken, he smiled at her.
"Enjoy the show, sweetheart. Let’s meet up later.”

Karen was still flabbergasted from the kiss and
scribbled on a slip of paper she dug from her bag. “Yeah
…
sure. Here’s my hotel and room number.”

*****

Once dressed for his match, Brett made a call
on his cell phone to arrange a wonderful surprise for Karen. “Could
something be done later tonight?” he asked Kevin, a party planner
he knew from other shows.

“No problem, man. I can get a very romantic
dinner set up for two by the end of your show. Where‘s your girl
staying?”

Brett gave the name and room number of Karen’s
hotel.

“Oh, hell, I can do even better,” Kevin said.
“That hotel has a wonderful garden out back with a view of the
city.”

“
You’re a life saver, bro,“ Brett
said. “Remember, not a word about this to anyone else. Just make
sure everything is ready by ten thirty. If I don’t answer the phone
when you‘re done, leave a message on my voice mail.”

*****

The match between Shima and Brett was more than
Karen expected. An outstanding show of amazing talent between the
two contenders, Brett was the aggressor for a large part of the
contest. After the two men shook hands, Shima produced a white
glove on and slapped Brett with it. He responded by pulling a black
glove from his tights, whacking Shima across the face.

Their opening actions amused her.
What is
this, a wrestling match or a duel?

“Oooh’s” and “ahh’s”, along with shouts,
chants, cheers, jeers, and claps, filled the room as two well-known
contenders
—
the small, blond American
cruiserweight and a swift, skilled legend of Dragonfly’s Japanese
division
—
kept momentum going inside the ring,
fans not missing a move the entire bout. A flurry of offensive
moves from both men at a breakneck pace was also featured
throughout the entire exhibition.

Shima performed an extraordinary suicide
plancha for the crowd, followed by elbows and cattle mutilation
before he took a pot shot from Brett. Barely fazed, Shima recovered
quickly enough to catch Brett in a triangle choke, after knocking
him over with elbows He got the victory over Brett after hitting a
high double knee stomp off the top rope.

Karen expressed concern that Brett received the
move to his face, but it was quickly replaced with relief when he
stood up, unscathed, and shook hands with Shima.

Backstage, he was dressed in street clothes and
spoke with Karen and other members of the media. “It was an honor
it was to work a singles match with a Japanese legend like Shima,”
he said. “I’d also like to add that I’m based out of L.A. and have
plenty of future work lined up. Yes, I’m doing some future shows
for Dragonfly too.”

When the other reporters left, he turned his
attention to Karen. “I’m going to be held up for a while longer. Is
it okay to call you later?”

“Of course. I want to start on my story so I
can get it in to Mr. Sullivan before the weekend’s over. I’ll be
awake for at least another few hours.”

Brett gave her a quick kiss. “Looking forward
to it, baby.”

She watched him walk toward a group of men,
presuming he’d been invited out to celebrate his first Dragonfly
victory. Gathering her things, she made her way back to the
hotel.

CHAPTER 21

Later that night, Karen emerged from the
bathroom, dressed in her robe, when someone knocked at her door.
“Who is it?”

“Delivery for you, Miss Montgomery.”

It’s after nine o’clock. Who would
send something this time of night?

Karen peered through the small peephole and saw
a bellhop in the hallway holding a bouquet of flowers before she
opened the door. “Just put them on the corner table.”

She pulled out a card that accompanied an
arrangement of pink and white roses. They were from
Brett.

Meet me in the lobby after you get
these,
the card read.

She was perplexed by the note. “What is that
man planning? Whatever it is, I have the feeling that wearing a
bathrobe won’t be appropriate.”

She went through her luggage, finding a pair of
dark dress slacks and a white silk blouse. She headed to the lobby
once she was ready and approached by a man she never saw before.
“Karen Montgomery?”

"Yes?"

"I was told by Mr. Brett Kerrigan to take you
to him..”

"All right," she said, hoping she wasn’t making
a mistake by trusting a stranger. She was ushered outside, and
still a little nervous, inquired where they were going.

"I was instructed not to reveal anything,
ma‘am. Mr. Kerrigan said it was a surprise.”

The man led her to a large park with a rose
garden behind the hotel. Karen stepped onto a patio, seeing the
deep blue murals of the sky dotted with twinkling stars. She
shivered with anticipation in the warm evening breeze, entered a
candlelit tent, and saw a picnic table covered with a tablecloth.
She caught a whiff of Italian food in the air and saw a bottle of
champagne chilling. The table was set for two, and Brett stood
beside it, his features basked in the soft candlelight.

She looked around the tent. "What’s all of
this?”

"I know you came to Chicago for business, but I
wanted to give you an evening of pleasure.”

"This is wonderful, but you didn’t need to do
something so elaborate.”

"At least have dinner. You haven’t eaten, have
you?”

“No, and I happen to be ravenous. What smells
so good?“

Brett pulled out a chair for her, thrilled he
would be spending the evening with the woman he loved rather than
holed up in yet another hotel room. "I got some lasagna and a
couple of salads," he said unpacking a basket. "I threw this little
party together with some help right after I saw you at the show.
The guy who brought you down is Kevin, a friend of mine and
responsible for setting up everything.”

“Do you always have friends make arrangements
for impromptu dates?”

“Only when someone special visits from out of
town. I would’ve done a little better, but this was kind of a
last-minute plan.”

“I think it’s more than enough.”

He popped the champagne cork, filled two
glasses, and handed one to her while he held the other in the air.
“Let’s start with a toast to the most beautiful woman in my
life.”

“Now you’re being silly.” She clinked his glass
with hers.

Brett served their dinner with great ceremony,
spreading out the entire contents of lasagna, salad, garlic bread,
and cannoli, “Eat, and I don’t mean bird portions. I like my women
to be well-fed and happy.”

Karen took her time in enjoying the meal,
keeping almost every bite in her mouth as long as possible, tasting
and feeling each culinary delight on her palate. “I had everything
ordered from one of the best restaurants in Chicago,” Brett
said.

They also had their share of champagne,
finishing off the bottle, and she felt a little buzzed, more from
his company than from the alcohol. He rose to clear empty dishes
before he walked toward the tent‘s opening. “I’ll be right
back.”

What‘s he doing?
Karen’s curiosity got the best of her and she peeked outside
the tent, seeing Brett head toward a thicket of
bushes.

An involuntary gasp escaped her lips when he
unzipped his pants and peed a perfect arc into the bushes. “Brett
Kerrigan!“ she cried, not believing the sight before her, “Get back
here
this instant
!”

He turned to her, grinning. “A little too much
champagne. When a guy’s got to go, he’s
got to
go.”

“You could’ve used the men’s room in the
lobby.”

“Bushes were closer.”

“Some way to end a romantic
evening.”

“I didn’t plan the pissing part.” He returned
to finish cleaning up the table.

“I hope not! Let me help you pack that
stuff.”

“Nothing doing, dear. Kevin can do the rest
while I walk you back to your room.”

"Thanks. Everything was delicious.”

Brett called Kevin before turning back to her.
“Ready to head upstairs?“

“Sure.”

They walked in silence along the path which led
back to the hotel and upstairs to her floor. Brett waited until
Karen slid her key card and the door swung open. “Thank you for
dinner. I had a great time, even though the ‘floor show’ was a bit
unexpected."

“I’ll try to plan something better next time.”
He paused a moment. “Oh, hell, I can’t let tonight end with the
vision of me taking a whiz in your mind.” he pulled her into a
long, gentle kiss. When it was broken, Karen lay her head on his
shoulder, looking up with a loving glance. He smiled and gave her a
little wink. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“You know, it may be awhile before I feel like
going to bed. Would you like to come in and watch a
movie?”

“How can I refuse the company of the best damn
kisser on the planet?”

She laughed and pulled him into the room. “Come
on, since you bought me flowers and dinner, I’ll treat you to
coffee and a movie.”