Always Beautiful Read online

  I brought my hands up to my face and rubbed my eyes. This better not be a regular habit of Dixon’s to let his guy friends stay here. I sure as hell was demanding a lock for my room and having a talk with my cousin tomorrow. For now though, I just wanted to go back to bed and try not to think about the gorgeous tattooed man who had just been in my bed. That was likely to be the most action I’d get in a while.

  ~~

  I felt like I had been at the bar with Hannah when I woke up the next morning. My head was pounding and my neck and back were still stiff from the couch the night before. I rubbed my eyes, opening them slowly. Glancing at the digital clock on my nightstand, I saw that it was ten in the morning. I felt mildly better as far as the cold went, but I was in dire need of a hot shower and some coffee. I got up from my bed and grabbed a hoodie from my small closet. I wasn’t sure if Zeppelin would still be here or not, but I decided to be cautious and cover myself.

  I ambled down the hallway toward the kitchen and smelled coffee already brewed. Dixon was sitting at the kitchen table, his still-damp-from-the-shower head, bent and gazing at his phone. He looked up at me as I entered, heading straight for the liquid heaven that would help my morning along.

  “Hey lazy girl.” Dixon said as he smirked at me. I grabbed a mug and began to pour in some vanilla creamer before adding the coffee. “How are you up before me, didn’t you go out last night?” I asked. I sat down across from him at the table. “I had a few, yes, but I need to be up to get things together for tonight.” He replied. I nodded. “And your friend…” I hadn’t thought to check out the couch to see if Zeppelin was still lying there.

  “He left about an hour ago. Matt came and picked him up. He’s the one that drove us home last night.” Dixon explained. “Speaking of which, I need you to take me to go get my truck.” He added. I shrugged. “I can do that. When do you need me to make calls for you?” I took a sip of coffee and let out a small sigh, heaven in a cup.

  “I’ll give you a list of numbers to text and the few people you need to call. Word spreads like wildfire, so it shouldn’t take you too long.” Dixon studied his phone again. “Gregory Timbers and Zeppelin, who you met last night, are fighting tonight. It should be a good one.” He said absently as he scrolled through his phone. I almost choked on the coffee I had just taken a drink of.

  “Zeppelin fights?” I asked incredulous. Dixon nodded. “He’s an amazing fighter. He hasn’t done it in a few years, but decided to get back in the ring to earn some extra cash. Apparently his parents are hard up for money and he wants to help.” “He doesn’t have another job?” I wondered aloud. It really wasn’t any of my business, but I was curious as to what a guy who looked like him could do for a living. That many tattoos doesn’t scream intern at an office.

  “He just came back to Portland after going back home to Seattle to finish school for the last two years. I think he went for business, but he doesn’t have any work lined up at the moment. He’s been racing since he got here two weeks ago.” Dixon stated. “He races that bad ass GTO?” Honestly, I wasn’t surprised by that fact. It was too good of a car to not run it down the track. “Yep, remember I told you we do the street racing on Thursday nights.” I nodded. I remembered. I also really wanted to get my Coronet out there sometime and make a few passes. I love the smell of burning rubber and racing fuel. Dixon had assured me that I could go out with them the following week if I wanted.

  I finished off my cup of coffee and got up to place it in the sink. “Is it a habit of letting your friend’s crash here after having too many drinks?” I asked. I had almost forgotten to bring it up and wanted answers. Dixon looked at me and smiled. “Sorry about that last night. I figured you’d be passed out until morning.” He said. “Yeah, that’s what I heard.” I muttered. Obviously he knew about me finding Zeppelin in my room. It didn’t really surprise me that Zeppelin told him. How else would I have been in my bed this morning and not the living room?

  “Occasionally people will stay over, yes. But don’t worry about it Lucky. I promise not to offer up your bed anymore.” He vowed. I nodded. “Thanks Cuz. I appreciate that.” I said as I walked past him. “I’m going to take a shower and then I’ll take you to get your truck.” I announced, making my way down the hall. “Sounds good, thanks Lucky!” Dixon called.

  After I was showered and dressed, I felt a million times better than I had when I woke up. I blow dried my chestnut colored hair and left it down. It sat just past my shoulders and had a slight wave to it. I dabbed on a bit of makeup and was ready to go. I found Dixon waiting for me in the living room. I saw my phone sitting on the coffee table. I had completely forgotten that I left it out here last night. Reaching for it, I tossed it in my oversized white purse and followed Dixon out the door.

  “Are you ever going to let me drive this thing?” Dixon questioned as I started up my car. It purred to life instantly. I snorted. “Yeah right, I don’t let anybody drive her.” I backed out of the driveway and headed down the street. “Where are we going?” I asked. “Matt’s house, he lives across the bridge in Vancouver.” Vancouver was a town in Washington that was just on the other side of the Columbia River from Portland. I knew that much, but not at all how to get there.

  “You know I’ve only been here a week and only went to the grocery store right?” My voice was filled with uncertainty. Dixon laughed. “I’ll give you step by step directions Cuz. No worries, I promise.” He assured. “What about the trip back, can I follow you?” “If you can get home from dad’s garage, then yeah that’s fine. I have to finish up a car for a client by two today.” I took a breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sure I can manage that.” I declared.

  An hour and a half later, I was back at Dixon’s house, making calls to a few people. I let them know where the fight was and who was fighting. It was my job to inform people, and they would take care of the rest. Apparently the fights were held in a local abandoned warehouse near Old Town. Matt was in charge of all of the money and the betting side of things and Dixon was in charge of making sure the fighters showed up and the venue was secured.

  After I was finished making the calls, I called my parents. It was going on two in the afternoon and Dixon had said to meet him at the warehouse around eight tonight. I had time to kill and figured I would check in since I hadn’t since Wednesday. I was close with my parents, but independent enough that they gave me my space. Both of them had jobs that required lots of traveling for business so I was used to not speaking to them a lot. I loved them though, and missed them now, knowing that we were in different cities and I couldn’t just stop by on a whim.

  My mother answered on the first ring. “Hey baby, how are you doing?” She cheerily greeted and I instantly smiled. “Hey mom, I’m doing well. I fought a touch of a cold the last few days, but I think I’m on the upswing.” “That’s good honey. How is living with Dixon?” “It’s not too bad. He’s hardly ever home. I talked to Uncle Eddy and I think I’m going to help out in the office a bit this summer.” I explained.

  I didn’t want to tell her about the fight thing. I’m pretty sure that was something Dixon kept under wraps. “That will be great. So you got anything exciting planned for the day?” She wondered. I shook my head though she couldn’t see. “Not really, I think I might go apartment hunting with Hannah sometime this week.” “Just let me know when you do. Your father and I will send money for the deposit as soon as possible.” “Thanks mom. How’s dad?” My father and I weren’t as close as my mother and I were. He owned his own accounting business and spent a lot of time away. I often wondered if it bothered my mom, but I think she was used to it. She had her own things to fill her time.

  “Your dad’s been working with a new client. He’s been pretty busy, but always comes home in time for dinner.” I could hear the smile in her voice which made me smile again. “Well tell him I love him and I love you too. I just wanted to check in.” I said. “We love you Lucy. Call me next week after your apartment search.” “I will. Bye mom.�
�� “Bye baby.” My mother and father were the only two people that called me Lucy instead of my nickname Lucky which was given to me by Dixon when I was younger.

  I spent the next two hours tidying up the house and unpacking a few more boxes in my room. I hadn’t brought a lot with me, but it was more than enough to take up space in my new temporary room. I was glad that Dixon didn’t mind me staying with him for a while. Actually, he had offered to let me spend the next few years here if I wanted, but I didn’t think that was best. After living with my parents my entire life, I wanted to be independent in all ways. My goal was to have a place by the end of summer before school started.

  I made myself a light dinner and sat at the table. I had put on some music while cleaning and unpacking, and I left it on for background noise. It was kind of nice to just sit alone and think about my future.

  I had wanted to work in the medical field ever since I was a little girl. After I turned sixteen and watched my grandmother on my father’s side get sick and die within a few months, I knew it was my calling. She had been feeling ill for some time, but refused to go to the doctor until it was too late. At that point, they couldn’t find the exact cause of her ailments and it wasn’t until she passed away that they realized she had an autoimmune disease.

  Being a healer for people, or someone that they could communicate with in times of trouble, or that person that had to help discover what was wrong came easily to me. You can’t cure all diseases and sometimes you have no way of knowing what the diagnosis will be, but I wanted to do my part to help. I had already spent four years in school and though it was rough at times and downright exhausting, I knew that I would be that much closer to my ultimate goal. I wasn’t sure what would become of me in the next few years, but I was excited to start this next chapter.

  I would be around twenty-five or twenty-six when I could officially start my career and though most people I knew talked about being married or having kids by then, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. Truth be told, I hadn’t really given it much thought as I was wrapped up in creating a career for myself. At this point in my life, I was just learning, just growing up and fully comprehending adulthood. I was in no hurry to rush things along and tie myself down.

  There were a few guys that I dated in high school and one boyfriend my sophomore year of college, but it just wasn’t in the cards to last more than the year. Jeremy was a great guy and majored in communications. He wanted to dive into the world of Public Relations. We got along really well. He was sweet and funny, but he was a horrible kisser and had no interest whatsoever in cars or anything involving getting dirty. We mutually decided to put an end to the relationship, and I focused on only school after that.

  Twenty one years old, a virgin, and having only kissed three guys, I wasn’t your typical girl now-a-days. My best friend Hannah on the other hand had loads more experience in that department. She would call me up and tell me about all her dates and flings and wild times at parties. Who was I to judge how she chose to live her college years? Honestly most of her stories were quite entertaining and made me grateful for choosing to not go down that road. Now that she was with Josh, she had calmed down quite a bit. I knew she was head over heels by the way she talked about him. I couldn’t be happier for my friend.

  There were times I did think about what it might be like to have that one person that you knew you could always count on. That person that you trusted, that you told your greatest fears and deepest desires to. I knew that being in love was something that I definitely wanted, but I was also patient. My mentality was that life would bring me someone when the timing was right. I didn’t have the time to search and if I was being honest, the thought terrified me somewhat too. My parents had been together for twenty five years, but Dixon’s parents were divorced and so were Hannah’s. The “D” word was something I didn’t want anywhere close to my radar and keeping to myself kept heartbreak from happening.

  My phone began to vibrate and play Hannah’s ringtone, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Hey chick!” I answered. “Hey Lucky, what are you up to?” She asked. “Not much, just hanging at the house. I got all those calls done for Dixon.” I announced. “Well good, because we are headed to pick you up to head to the warehouse for the fights.” “I can drive myself.” I protested, but Hannah immediately cut me off. “Dixon texted Josh and said you would probably have a hell of a time finding it. We’re coming to get you. Besides, I haven’t physically seen you since Wednesday and I miss your face.” I smiled. “I miss yours more.” “Be there in thirty minutes. Put something cute on!”

  I glanced down at my jean shorts and t-shirt. “Why do I need to be cute at a fight?” I wondered. I thought the dress code would be pretty basic. “There are a ton of eligible bachelors who are hot and full of testosterone. Trust me, you want to look good.” She replied. I shook my head. “I’m not looking to hook up Hannah.” “If it happens, it happens, Lucky. Just get pretty and we’ll see you soon!” I was about to argue with her but she hung up. Letting out a sigh, I stood and carried my plate to the sink.

  Heading to the bathroom, I touched up my makeup, adding some black liner and blush, as well as a pink, tinted gloss. I had no clue as to what to wear to a fight since it was my first time, but I figured comfortable shoes and jeans were in order. Whether there was sitting or standing, I didn’t feel like rocking heels and a dress. It seemed a bit much for the occasion. I wasn’t as fashion forward as Hannah, but I kept up on trends enough to look decent. I decided on a pair of dark skinny jeans, my ankle-high, flat motorcycle boots, and a billowy black tank top. It was casual yet cute and I liked it. I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me.

  It was just after six o’clock, and I shot Dixon a text, letting him know that I would be arriving with Hannah and Josh. I figured I could just GPS my way to the warehouse or at the very least get step by step directions, but I was relieved to not have to worry about it now. I’d have no choice but to get used to the streets in this city and find my way eventually. I’d rather not do it late at night or by myself. True to Hannah’s word, I heard Josh’s car pull into the driveway almost exactly thirty minutes later. I grabbed my purse and tried to ignore the nerves that began to take over in my stomach.

  This was new territory for me. Not only was underground fighting illegal, but I had never seen it before. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The only thing I kept thinking was that it was somehow like the WWE wrestling that I’d seen on cable. Not that I was sheltered and didn’t take part in my fair share of underage drinking and partying, but this was a whole new ball game. I just hoped I wouldn’t be arrested or hit on by some sweaty guy in spandex and pleather boots.

  “Here goes nothing.” I muttered to myself as I opened the front door.

  Chapter 2

  ~June 2012~

  “You look good girl!” Hannah complimented as she pulled me in for a gigantic hug. “Thanks. So do you.” I took in my best friend’s appearance. I was always envious of her strawberry blonde hair and splattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her skin was so pure and flawless. Hannah wore a denim jacket over a short black dress. Her feet were clad with a pair of purple Converse shoes.

  “Are you excited for tonight?” Hannah asked as I got in the back seat of Josh’s new Dodge Charger. I shrugged. “I’m not sure what to expect really.” I confessed. “Is it like a wrestling match?” Hannah started laughing and Josh arched a brow at me in the rearview mirror. “What?” I asked. “It’s not like wrestling at all Lucky.” Josh answered. “It’s fighting, throwing fists, no gloves, no padding, and no cage.” My eyes went wide and I looked between Hannah and Josh. “Why would someone want to do that?” I was sure I sounded totally naïve, but the thought of fighting with someone for sport, without any protection, didn’t appeal to me. I wasn’t entirely sure why it would appeal to anyone for that matter.

  “It’s a good way to blow off steam and the money is decent.” Josh explained. “Wouldn’t you be worried about your face?” I as
ked. Josh shrugged. “That’s why you try like hell not to lose.” Hannah turned around in her seat to look at me. “It’s an adrenaline rush just watching it. I can’t imagine how it would feel to actually fight.” She said. I cocked a brow at her. “Are you thinking of trying it?” I wondered. She immediately began shaking her head as Josh mumbled, “Fuck no.” “I’m not stupid Lucky. I’d probably get killed in there by some giant girl. I’m just saying that it’s fun to watch. Don’t turn into a pansy on me.” She said with a knowing look.

  “I’m not a pansy.” I said as I glared at her. “I can handle it, I was just a little taken back by the fact there is no protection.” Hannah nodded. “Well it’s not really legal, so why worry about padding and gloves?” “Good point.” I mumbled. I thought about Zeppelin fighting. Was he good enough to win? I had never seen Gregory Timbers, so I wasn’t sure what to think. “Are you betting?” I asked Hannah. “Hell yeah, it’s supposed to be a good fight. Josh said that Zeppelin and Gregory have a history and it isn’t pleasant.” “Who do you want to win?” I looked at Josh as I asked my question. I don’t know why, but I suddenly hoped that they would bet Zeppelin to win.

  “Zeppelin and I are buds. We used to train together for fights before he left a few years ago. I haven’t seen him fight in a while, but I’m sure he will cream Gregory.” he replied. I nodded. “Cool.” The car fell to a comfortable silence as we headed toward Old Town. After a while Hannah started talking about an apartment that was available near where her and Josh lived. It was just after seven when we arrived at what I assumed was the place where the fight would be held.

  Josh pulled into an alley behind an old looking building and parked in a back lot. I saw Dixon’s truck parked there as well as Zeppelin’s GTO and another car. We got out and I stood beside Hannah. “Is that the place?” I asked, pointing to the building behind us. “Yep, they hold the fights in the basement where no one can hear the chaos. We go in through the back door in the alley.” Josh got on his phone and appeared to be texting. He looked up at us after and said, “Dixon will come open the door for us.”