Chapter 2 .

Calypso was rushing frantically around the room, trying to get things ready for the meeting with the bride and groom. Cake styles, venues, flowers, the works were laid out on the table. Caly's eyes started to go blurry looking over all the info. She had been up half the night trying to prepare so to make everything perfect for her friend. This wedding was a huge deal for her professionally too. Maven was a big celebrity fighter, and it could mean great things for her business.

Maven had booked her a room at the hotel they were staying at, so it made things easier for her to focus on her work. Mavin was always pretty thoughtful, and he was a perfect guy for the kind-hearted Roxy. He was one of the few guys from KO Gym Caly approved of.

The KO Gym was the girls' routine hang out, along with all the local MMA fighters. They were a tight-knit group. The gym owner had even given the girls a room of their own that was transformed into a dance and photo studio. Roxy was a photographer as well as a ring girl and took all the fighters' promotional photos. The rest of the ladies in the troupe of five girls worked in the gym as fitness gurus or office staff.

Caly, with her dance experience, started the troupe and brought the idea to the gym owners' attention. They decided it would be great to bring in extra brand marketing for the gym. He soon brought the concept up to Las Vegas promoters to liven up the fights, and the fans ate it up. The women were as talented as they were beautiful.

Caly arranged her books and wedding samples, as a knock came to the door.

"Just a second! I'll be right there!"

She looked around, making sure she had everything. With a smile, she turned to answer her hotel room door.

As the door slid open, her eyes went to a broad chest of a man far bigger than Maven. The man was resting his arm on the door, facing with legs crossed at the ankles. He wore a black fitted tailored suit looking like a fashion model that just walked out of the pages of GQ. Calypso's mouth went dry as her mouth fell open in shock. This couldn't be who she thought it was. If it was, she was sure she would die right then and there. The old shy Caly was going to be screaming for an escape, but there was nowhere to run to.

Slowly, her eyes raised to meet his, and a shiver spread over her. Up, her eyes roamed to a stubble along his strong jawline, resting on the most luscious lips she had ever seen. The corners of those lips creasing into a slow, sly smirk. Farther, her eyes roamed as they made contact with the dark brown eyes that made her lonely nights seem a little less tolerable. Fantasizing about the man in front of her was what made her bachelorette life what it was. It was a blessing and a curse.

No other man compared to what was standing in front of her, and her social life suffered for it. The glorious Thornton Prescot.

"Caly. Looking good." He pushed a lock of his dark hair from his face. His modernized style with a length on top with short undercut perfect for the man who always looked to have it all together.

"Tha... Tha.. Thorn? Wa.. wa.. What are you doing here?"

He reached over, cupping her chin with his big hand, gently. "Awe. Isn't that adorable? You still stutter when you see me. Do I still have that effect on you, sweet cheeks?"

Caly shook it off and pushed his hand away. "Don't flatter yourself, Thorn. You just threw me off. I wasn't expecting you. Where are Maven and Roxy?"

Thorn pushed past, looking around the room with a cocky swagger. He turned back with his hands shoved in his jeans with a wide stance, grinning at her.

"They couldn't make it. Maven's weigh-in was pushed up early. They asked me to come to take you to lunch for having to wait."

"Um? Why? I can just stay here until they're ready."

"No-go. I have my orders from the Bridezilla herself, and I am not going to piss her off... Again."

The man was starting to get to her. If he kept looking at her that way, her inner Fae was going to scream like a banshee to run like a scared cat. Caly was about to have one of her notorious panic attacks. As much of an extrovert that she was on stage, she played off her shyness as best she could. Inside, the stress of someone with high functioning anxiety was like an atomic bomb about to blow. Unfortunately, no one but Thorn could make her feel as excited and painfully panicked as she was right now.

"Okay. What did you do? Pull the short straw?"

Thorn's smile dropped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Thorn. None of you guys have ever wanted to hang out with me unless the other girls were around. I'm a dead fish, remember? The boring sidekick with no personality. Little-miss-goody-two-shoes that you guys wouldn't give a second notice to. So, what gives?" She crossed her arms over her chest that he had been gawking at since he walked through the door.

"I volunteered. You just assumed no one wanted to hang out with you. I for one think you're pretty interesting."

"Why? Did you lose a bet or something?"

"What kind of question is that? I just wanted to see you again. Is that okay?"

Caly looked to the table with all the hard work she had put in. She had hoped to avoid the KO crew as long as humanly possible. "I just want to know why you would want to even be seen with me."

Thorn walked over and smiled sweetly down at her. "Do I need a reason to want to spend a few minutes with a beautiful lady?"

"Cut the crap, Prescot. Why? Tell the truth. No one else wanted to come, did they?"

Thorn looked away, starting to get a little annoyed. "Yes. Okay. None of the other guys wanted to come. You tend to be a little hard to talk to. But -"

"But what?"

"I thought they were being assholes. So, I told them all to fuck off, and I came myself."

"Why would you do that?" she said, softening her tone.

"Because sometimes people aren't what they seem. I know firsthand that big boobs and a pretty face can only go so far. Trust me when I say those other girls may have been more of the life of the party type, but when a man decides he needs more than that, he looks for girls like you and Roxy. Someone with substance. You don't give yourself enough credit, Caly. Girls like you are a treasure."

"I thought that the party girl type was your thing? Didn't you marry, Slone Carter? She was the biggest groupie of the MMA. I don't think she would want you to have lunch with me. She hates my guts."

"Slone and I are divorced now."

Caly felt like her heart just did a backflip. As much as she wanted to hate him, she still felt a little excitement knowing that small piece of information.

"Divorced?"

"She left me. I haven't seen her in over a year. It's been almost two years since I've seen you. Come to lunch with me. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be."

"You sure? No tricks. The last time..."

"Damn it, Caly. How many times do I have to tell you I had nothing to do with that night?"

"But, you were there and..."

"And? I happened to be there at the same time it happened, and you still think I was involved in that prank? I would never do something like that. I know you don't believe me, but it's true."

Caly dropped her head, remembering the laughs from the other fighters. The most humiliating night of her life was supposed to be the best. "I trusted you."

Thorn went over and took her hand in his, pulling it to his heart. "I hope one day you will again."

Caly sighed. "Fine. Lunch. But, if you do anything -"

"If I do anything wrong, you have my permission to punch me in the nuts."

"That's a given." She giggled.

***

Caly sat down at the bistro, taking in the hustle of the Vegas strip.

"I almost miss this."

Thorn looked around at all the commotion and groaned. "It's too much if you ask me. I like things simple and quiet."

"I said almost. I wouldn't give up my house on the beach for anything. I like my quiet space. I just miss all the fun things to do here and dancing with the Ring Bella's."

"It has sort of lost its luster for me," Thorn said as he waved over a waitress.

Caly shifted nervously, not making eye contact. "That's because you grew up here. You are desensitized to the glitz and glam of it all."

"Caly, stop."

"Stop what?" She asked, looking at him with a surprised look.

"Stop fidgeting and thinking the worst. I'm not going to do anything. I hate that you think I'm such an asshole."

"I don't."

He chuckled, not believing a word of that. "You don't?"

"No. I just think you and the guys would rather not have me around. It's no big surprise to me. Roxy and Spice are the only friends I have. There is a reason for that."

"You would have had one more friend here if you remember correctly."

"Until that night you stood me up and sent a guy in a pig costume wearing a tuxedo to my room. I was really excited about the gala, and that night really hurt me. Then you all stood down the hallway laughing at me."

Caly wanted to cry remembering that night. The night the whole KO Gym turned her into a laughingstock. They aired it on the reality show and took months for her to recover from the humiliation and media firestorm that followed.

"I told you, Caly. It wasn't my idea. I didn't have any idea those guys planned that. Besides, it wasn't any of my friends. It was the rookies. We would never do that to our girls."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. Everyone hated me."

"No. Not everyone."

Then why did you marry her? Caly thought but didn't have the guts to say out loud. Caly got up from the table. "I don't think this is a good idea. I'm going back to my room to take a nap. Tell Roxy to call when she's ready for me."

Thorn stood, looking like he wanted to stop her. "Caly. Please?"

"No. It's okay. I know when I'm not wanted. Tell the guys not to worry. I'm here to do my job. I won't be ruining their fun this weekend."

***

Caly walked away, and before Thorn could stop her, his phone rang. He watched as Caly exited the bistro, sad that she still blamed him. He had to fix this. But how? He hoped when she knew the truth, it would change everything. Answering the phone, he heard the desperation of the person on the other end.

"Hello?... Is she okay? Alright, I'm on my way."