Falling for Tyson Read online

  “Cosmetics? Well, you’ve got the face for it,” he smiled. Cassie shrugged, and he turned to Nat. “Wanna take a swim with me?” he asked. Nat looked over at Cassie, who nodded.

  “Go take a dip,” she encouraged. “I’ll catch up with Rox and ‘Less and get a bit of sun.” Cassie had spotted Roxanne and Alessia coming back from the volleyball net. She’d had known the sisters since school, and they were always great fun. They’d just flopped down onto their towels near Nat’s picnic basket, and she was keen to chat. Having heard Cassie mention her name, Roxy moved closer, taking up a spot beside Cassie’s towel.

  “Bout time you decided to grace us with your presence again, babe,” Roxy said, reaching into Nat’s picnic basket, hauling out a couple of apples, and tossing one to Alessia nearby. “We’d started thinking you didn’t want to hang out with the riff-raff anymore.” She stretched on her back in the sun like a lizard, biting into the crunchy flesh of the fruit.

  “Yeah, you’re riff-raff, alright!” Cassie chuckled, envying her friend’s toned thighs.

  Andy reached down to Nat’s outstretched hand and pulled her to her feet, and the pair strolled down to the shore. Cassie glanced around as Roxy chatted about her new mountain bike. She’d felt brave enough to put on a swimsuit beneath her dress, and with all the activity going on, she was sure she could strip off and do some proper sunbathing. She grabbed the hem of her dress and began peeling it off, tugging as it snagged over her shoulders.

  “Hey guys!” a familiar voice called out.

  ‘Oh, crap!’ She knew that voice anywhere. Colin. She struggled for a minute, the bodice now firmly hooked over her bust.

  “Babe,” giggled Roxy, “are you okay in there?”

  “Dammit, I’m stuck,” mumbled Cassie, wishing she could quietly die. She could hear the others greeting Colin. He was obviously here for the day. ‘Crap crap crap!’

  Roxy was openly laughing as she grasped the hem of her dress and tugged firmly, and Cassie’s head finally popped free. Alessia was kneeling beside her, joining the laughter.

  “Oops,” said Roxy, quickly adjusting the strap of Cassie’s swimsuit. “Wardrobe malfunction!”

  “Your puppies are trying to escape,” chortled Alessia.

  ‘Yup, definitely dying,’ thought Cassie, crossing her hands over her chest, although now her swimsuit was back in place. Roxy and Alessia were rolling around laughing.

  “Hey, quit it!” she grumbled. “You guys suck!” The commotion was going to draw attention.

  Too late. Colin was looking over at them, an expression of amusement on his face. A sleek, dark-haired woman was at his side, her hand hooked through his arm. The look she gave Cassie made her want to crawl into a hole.

  “Hey, Cass,” Colin said, nodding in her direction. Cassie nodded back, not trusting herself to speak. The couple strolled toward her, exchanging greetings with the others along the way. Colin stopped at her side. “How’ve you been keeping?” he asked. The girl with him had now wrapped an arm around his waist. On the surface, the gesture was casual, but the way her fingers had tightened on his hip betrayed a possessiveness that left little question in Cassie’s mind about their relationship.

  “This is Farrah,” he introduced her. “Farrah, this is Cassie…an old friend.” Cassie smiled and extended her hand, trying to keep as still as possible. Colin had never been particularly complimentary about the way she looked in a swimsuit, and she was painfully aware of her outfit.

  “Hi, Farrah,” she said, “good to meet you.” The woman took her hand as if she was picking up a dead fish. She was model-slim. One hand rested on her hip over white cut-off shorts that showed off tanned legs. Her matching cropped top left a strip of taut belly bare, and a tiny gem glittered in her navel.

  “Hi, good to meet you too,” she responded coolly. Her words weren’t convincing; her expression of distaste marred an otherwise lovely face. “Nice…umm, towel,” she added, flicking a glance over Cassie. Cassie resisted the urge to reach for her dress and pull it over herself. She’d just been measured and found wanting. The silence stretched between them awkwardly until Colin broke it.

  “So, anyhow, good to see you again,” he said. “We’re umm, gonna crash over there.” He jerked his head towards the opposite side of the gathering, and Cassie nodded.

  ‘Oh, God, please go away,’ she groaned inwardly. The pair turned to leave, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  Before they were out of earshot, Farrah tilted her head towards Colin and whispered, “Is that her? The one you dumped?” He nodded curtly. “God, Col, what were you thinking?”

  “Let up,” he muttered, “I was going through a rough patch, okay? My judgment was impaired.” She giggled in response.

  “Not as impaired as she seems to be. Lord, what a klutz. I can’t wait to tell the girls…” her voice trailed away as they moved out of range. Cassie’s cheeks flamed. She cast a look around the group, hoping nobody had noticed, but Roxy shot her a sympathetic smile.

  ‘Asshole!’ she mouthed to Cassie, who shrugged. This was going to be a long day.

  By the time Nat had returned, Cassie had managed to get her dress back on, this time with fewer complications. Colin and Farrah were laughing too loudly on the other side of the site, and the group was starting to polarize. Cassie’s old school friends had gathered near her, while Colin’s buddies were huddled around him. This was so awkward.

  “What’s up, darling?” Nat asked when she flopped onto her towel beside Cassie. She slicked back dark, wet hair and fixed concerned hazel eyes on her friend. Cassie gave a tight smile and shot a telling look in the direction of the couple. Nat’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed a silent ‘Oh!’

  “Are you okay?” she asked. Cassie shook her head. “Shall I take you home?”

  “No,” Cassie objected, “it’s fine. You’re here with Andy, and it’s still early.” A peel of laughter echoed across towards them, and the pair turned to stare in the direction of the sound.

  “Help, I’m stuck, and I can’t get out!” Farrah squealed, miming Cassie’s earlier struggle with her dress. A blonde beside her was howling with laughter. Several of the others were shuffling uncomfortably and trying not to look towards Cassie.

  “What? Is that his new fling?” Nat’s face darkened. “And she’s laughing at you?” She started to get up, clearly intent on doing damage. Cassie put a hand on her friend’s arm.

  “No, it’s fine, Nat, really. Just leave it—”

  “That’s not okay!” Nat snarled, reluctantly sitting down again. “He can’t come here with some stranger and let her make fun of you in front of your own friends!”

  “Well, they’re his friends too,” Cassie sighed.

  “It’s still not okay!” Nat was livid. Andy had joined them on Nat’s towel, casually draping his arm over her shoulder.

  “I think I’ve had enough sun, actually,” he interrupted. “If you two want to head out, I’ll go with you.” Nat nodded at him.

  “Good idea, darling,” she said. He’d just given Cassie an opportunity to exit gracefully.

  Roxy, who was still nearby, chimed in, “I’m ready to rock ‘n roll too. Me and ‘Less have been here for hours already. How bout we catch drinks someplace? There’s a new sports bar that just opened down the road that I’ve been dying to try.” There was a chorus of agreement, and Nat reached for her bag, giving Cassie a wink.

  Cassie felt her heart warm and smiled over at her friends. “Okay, sure, sounds great,” she said. They all gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes, trudging out through the sand toward their cars. Behind them, Colin mimicked a loud mooing sound, and Farrah’s sharp bark of laughter set Cassie’s teeth on edge.

  “Goddammit!” Nat growled, trying to spin back before Cassie grabbed her arm.

  “Let’s just go, Nat,” Cassie soothed her, tugging her friend to the car.

  ✽✽✽

  Thumping music greeted them from the sidewalk as they pulled up outside the new
beach bar. Although it was Sunday, it had drawn a rowdy crowd, and the atmosphere was loud and upbeat. The marine-inspired décor was casual and comfortable, with chairs and tables spilling out towards the beach. Cassie kicked her sandals off as she took a seat at their table and curled her toes into the sand beneath it.

  “Aaahh!” sighed Roxy, “This is perfect! I’ve been wanting to come here since it opened.” A waiter arrived and handed out menus, taking their drinks order before leaving. Jumbo-sized screens were suspended strategically so patrons could watch from wherever they were seated. Music vied with sports commentators for airtime, and the result was a cheerful cacophony.

  “How’re you feeling, darling?” Nat turned to Cassie, still concerned.

  “I’m fine…really,” she said, reaching over and giving Nat’s hand a squeeze. Her friend was loyal to a fault, and she loved her for it.

  “I don’t know how you didn’t go over and kick him in the nuts!” said Alessia, who was never one to pull any punches. “What a dick.”

  “Probably doesn’t have any,” Roxy joined in. “I think that battle-ax had them in her purse!” Cassie giggled, starting to feel a little better.

  “Hardly a battle-ax,” she said, “she was kinda gorgeous.”

  “What? The trashy chick in hotpants?” said Andy. “I wouldn’t call her gorgeous.”

  “You’re kidding,” said Cassie. “She could be a model. Or a movie star.”

  “Or a hooker!” Roxy added. “She looked cheap.”

  “Exactly, darling,” agreed Nat, whose judgment Cassie was inclined to question. But coupled with Roxy’s observation, it held weight. “Did you see those boobs? Holy cow! They barely moved. I have nothing against silicone, but at least get it right! And the bellyring? Really? That’s so last decade.”

  The waiter had arrived with their drinks, and Cassie reached for her Cosmo. She had a bellyring. She’d done it on impulse as a teen but took it out when she’d decided she’d never have a bikini body. Someone had turned up the sound on a nearby screen, and a small group had gathered to watch. Shouts and whoops were added to the rising din around them. Cassie peered over to see what was on the screen.

  “Frankly, I’m really disappointed in those people,” Nat said.

  “Hmm?” Cassie said, squinting her eyes at the screen. “Why?”

  “They’re supposed to be our friends. Your friends. It sucks that they’d behave like that, darling,” she said. Cassie was peering over Nat’s shoulder towards another screen that was closer. Someone had switched the channel to some sort of wrestling match, and the camera was panning over a ring surrounded by wire mesh.

  “It’s fine, Nat, let them be. Everyone’s allowed to make their own choices,” Cassie said, starting to wish they could change the subject. On the TV, a pair of men were facing off across the ring, and something about them snagged her attention. As she watched, one danced towards the other and snapped a kick at his thigh. The other man buckled, swayed, and then straightened. The group at the screen gave a shout.

  “Woah!” Roxy joined in, also watching the action. “That was close.”

  Andy turned to see too. “Oh, yeah, this is a replay. I caught that fight the other day. It was brutal. That guy’s a machine.”

  Cassie leaned in, watching more closely. While both athletes looked to be in great shape, there was a lethal edge to one that made her zone in on him. The camera panned closer, following as the pair bobbed and weaved around each other. Blows landed, kicks fell. Initially, she flinched…and then she found herself clenching her hands and giving tiny thumps on the table whenever a fist hit its mark.

  “Holy shit, that guy must be hurting,” commented Roxy, shuffling up beside Cassie to get a better view. Andy nodded.

  “It gets worse,” said Andy. “He gets through this round, but he goes down hard in the next.” Cassie’s eyes were glued to the screen, mesmerized by the roll and play of muscles as the men battled each other to the ground. By the next round, Andy’s spoiler alert came to fruition. One of the fighters had taken two bounding strides towards his opponent, launched himself into the air, and snapped a knee up at the other guy’s chin. Cassie was transfixed. It was as if he had wings. As the man went down, the other threw a series of sharp blows to the side of his skull. His fists and forearms were up around his head, defending his face, knees curled up to his chest. The referee had stepped in and stopped the fight, while the aggressor prowled in short paces nearby, gloved fists on hips, breathing hard. It didn’t look like it would take much for him to lay into the other guy again, but the man was still on the ground, shaking his head.

  The exchange marked the end of the match, and the commentator stood in the center of the ring with a fighter on either side of him. One of them was weaving on his feet, his face bruised and bloodied. His head sagged slightly between his shoulder blades, and Cassie suspected that only pride kept him standing. The other was—

  It was…him! The guy from the gym. Now she realized that the strange nagging feeling had been growing recognition.

  The commentator was booming into the microphone. “And the winner, by a unanimous decision, is Tyson…The Killllerrrr…Killorrrrannnnn!” He swung the fighter’s arm into the air, and Cassie’s breath caught as the lights shone off his shoulders and chest, skin gleaming beneath a light coating of perspiration. The crowd was chanting, “Killer! Killer! Killer!” He seemed oblivious.

  “He’s a killer alright,” Andy said, taking a swig from his beer bottle. “Hasn’t had a loss in…hell, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him losing a fight.”

  “Kinda easy on the eye too,” Roxy added, nudging Cassie in the ribs. Cassie said nothing.

  “Hubba Hubba,” Alessia piped up. “I’d go a few rounds with him!” Nat laughed. She’d threaded her fingers through Andy’s, and the pair shifted closer together.

  “I know him,” said Cassie abruptly. Andy looked up in surprise.

  “Who, Tyson Killoran?” Andy asked. “You know Tyson ‘The Killer’ Killoran?”

  “Yeah,” said Cassie. “He runs classes at my gym. I met him this week. He tried to convince me to take personal training sessions.”

  Andy set his bottle down on the table abruptly, his face a mask of disbelief. “Tyson ‘The Killer’ Killoran offered to be your personal trainer?”

  “Sure,” Cassie replied. “And why do you keep calling him that, for Pete’s sake?”

  “Because it’s his name!” said Andy, who appeared to be a groupie. “And he never…ever takes on personal clients. Like ever.”

  Cassie shrugged. “Well, he said I should call. I still have his card somewhere.” It was in her wallet. She’d taken it out enough times for it to be a little dog-eared, but she wasn’t going to admit that. “Maybe he was joking. I wonder why he would have asked…” she mused.

  “I know why, darling,” Nat interrupted. “Because you’re hot! He likes you. He thinks you’re gorgeoussss. He wants to kisssss you!” she said in a sing-song voice.

  Cassie felt her cheeks grow warm. Her eyes kept wandering to the screen where the commentator was interviewing the man. “Don’t be daft, Nat, men like that don’t go for girls like me.” She took a gulp of her Cosmo to hide her discomfort.

  “What? Why would you say that?” Roxy objected. “You’re a bombshell!”

  “Yeah! Just look at you…and all that!” Alessia said, waving a sweeping hand in the direction of Cassie’s ample chest. Cassie glanced down and pulled a face.

  “That’s the problem. I’ve got too much ‘all that’,” she disagreed. Cassie’s generous D-cup bra sometimes felt a little too small. She hated it.

  “Oh, babe, what I wouldn’t do for your boobs! Honest!” said Roxy, giving a mock scowl. Her own athletic frame didn’t carry much spare flesh – Cassie had envied her for years.

  “I’m not sure I should be joining this conversation, but I have to agree with them,” Andy interjected. “And since I’m a man, I think my opinion counts most!” Nat gave him a playful shov
e. “Seriously, though, guys love shapely women.” He was choosing his words carefully. “You know what I mean…curves.”

  “Yeah, curves,” Roxy interrupted, “and boobs! Big boobs!”

  Cassie was cringing at all the attention but could definitely feel her mood shifting. “Okay…I suppose…but nobody likes this much…junk in the trunk.” She remembered the taunts of the girls at the gym and felt insecurity surge again.

  “Are you kidding?” Alessia stopped her. “Haven’t you heard of Beyoncé or Kim Kardashian? You’re bootylicious, baby! Women literally get butt implants to have an ass like yours.”

  “Sure, but Colin hated it. It’s half the reason he left…I wasn’t well-groomed enough to be a law partner’s wife…or something.” Cassie sighed. Colin had been pitching for a partnership at the law firm he worked at since she met him. When they broke up, he’d told her he couldn’t spend his days trying to keep her in shape. It was certainly something that had marred their relationship. Her mind reeled back through the constant criticisms.