"Jacqueline, is that the best
you can do?" He sent a sent a smashing blow towards her nose.
She only just dodged the black,
fisted boxing glove by retreating backwards, lightly on her feet as the rush of
air from the power of it shot over her nose. Refocusing, she aimed an uppercut
at his stomach. "Don’t call me
Jacqueline."
He bowed his body backwards,
deflecting the punch. "Jackie, then."
Jack Katz smiled. She knew this man
of old. The games he played she enjoyed. "Do you want me to beat the shit
out of you?"
Magnus Wellsby snorted at that.
"Like you could. You’re just a girl, Jaq-ue-line."
Whack. Her fist connected with his jaw.
Jack had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes momentarily blink in pain. She
followed up with a hook to his stomach. The involuntary sound of oomph from him made her smile. He never
gave away any feelings or emotions unless caught off guard. Like now.
"You’re getting old, Squiggly." She danced around him punching the
air waiting for him to re-group. "How old are you anyway?" He was her
colleague, boss and mentor. He annoyed the hell out of her with his attitude
and fascinated her with the mystery that surrounded him. One minute he was
obvious, the next obtuse and confusing. Jack called him 'Squiggly' due to his
dark, bushy eyebrows that looked like they had been haphazardly drawn on.
Those, and his curly hair, made her think of squiggles. Of course he was the
least ‘Squiggly’ man she had ever met. There was a deep, magnetic intensity
about him that was both powerful and frightening. Calling him Squiggly, in her mind, slightly
leveled the playing field they were on.
"Why? You interested in
me?"
She bounced back and forward in
front of him. Could he knock her on her ass? Absolutely. Would he? Absolutely.
That was their relationship. Equal, yet not so.
Jack wasn’t silly enough to think she knew everything about the dark
haired man. In some ways it was probably
best not to. There was a scary, intense edge to him hidden behind a charming
smile. "Well, when the paramedics come it would be helpful to be able to
give them your approximate age." It
was then she caught her sneakered toe on the edge of a rubber exercise mat and
hit the floor, landing hard on her side. The fall jarred her. She rolled over
and looked up at her opponent. Jack knew
being vulnerable at any stage with him was dangerous.
He laughed. "On your back,
where you should be, Katz." Magnus charged her, giving no quarter.
Jack scrambled
onto her knees and crawled fast along the ground. It wasn't dignified but it
wasn't meant to be. She was only looking to get enough distance between them in
order to get to her feet. Once up, Jack repositioned her stance. Left foot
forward while her right was behind giving her strength. Her red gloved fists
guarded her face. She liked boxing. It was good cardio that kept her reflexes
strong and Squiggly was a good opponent. Unlike other men she boxed with, he
treated her like an equal and pulled no punches. Neither did Jack. "Bring
it on, Squiggly-man." Magnus
charged her, fists flying, making her continuously back away. She knew she
needed to get in a position where she could force him back but it was hard. He just kept coming.
"This enough
for you, Katz? Do you need more? Something harder or deeper? More out of
control? I know you like it like that."
She did. But not
boxing. They both knew that. "I’d wear you out of we had sex." Jack
was starting to sweat, trying to avoid contact with him.
He laughed at
that. "I may not want to have sex with you." Magnus threw a long
armed punch.
Jack managed to
avoid it. Just. "That’s true. I’ve often wondered whether you like men
better."
**Story 2 in the Jack Katz Zombie Hunter series
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