Dépaysement (h.s)

83

Delilah Lavigne

Our sweaty bodies collide, his hands traveling down my arm connecting a grip with mine—slipping all over each others skin from the wetness.

Our faces meet, heavy breaths leaving both our lungs.

He grabs my waist tightly—pinching my skin, "Goddamn Enzo!" I push him roughly off of me and rip off the Velcro from my boxing gloves, "Did you have to pinch me? Jesus." I rub my sore skin with a slight unwarranted pout.

He sighs—hunched over with his hands on his knees , "If I hadn't grabbed you, you would've fallen. We have been going at this for three hours straight can we please take a break? I feel like I'm gonna fucking pass out."

He's such a baby. "Your father is the one who wanted us to train more on new moves and get better with old ones. Take it up with him—not me."

"Luca didn't give us clear instructions on how long to do it for. This was all you." He waves his finger upright circling the room.

We sit on the mats and chug water as if we've been deprived of it and in a desert for the past week.

I throw my gloves on the ground next to me and hug my knees, I think about asking him why he never calls Luca 'dad' just out of curiosity but then I decide not to given the fact that I don't really give a shit as to what the answer is. He'd probably bullshit me anyways.

"Yeah I guess we can be done for the day, but tomorrow we're back at it bright and early—" I point sternly, "I don't care if I have to drag your boney ass out of bed and into the car like I almost had to this morning."

He looks at me shocked, "Getting up at four in the morning to go workout harder than I ever have was not in my calendar, sue me if I was a little sluggish."

My eyes roll, "Yeah well you could benefit from penciling that in from now on." I eye him up and down, "Every time I see you I feel like I'm staring at a five year olds shitty drawing of a stick figure."

Enzo flips me off then presses down on my head to help himself stand up, "Alright I'm out of here, got some business to tend to." He winks.

Business. The good ol' interrogate and slash method.

I shoo him away, "Yeah yeah you have fun with that."

Before he leaves he stops in his tracks and rests his hand on the doorframe, "You gonna be home when I'm done?"

"Probably not, I've got errands to run. Groceries and what not." I shrug.

His head rolls back, "Fine. I might be getting in late tonight so here." He reaches into his pocket and holds up his car keys, tossing them to me and landing in my cupped hands perfectly. "I'll get a ride with Sandino." He refers to his 'right-hand man' when I'm not around to assist.

I smile and press my hands in a praying motion, "Bless. Tell Sandino I say hi."

He laughs, "He's gonna think long and hard about that tonight when he lays down for bed."

My face cringes, "Gross. Get outta here you weirdo."

Sandino has not stopped trying to flirt with me and get my attention since the day we were introduced over a year ago. He thinks he's subtle with it but I've known from the beginning how much he wants me.

One time I felt slightly bad that I was being a complete dick and shutting him down too much that I slipped a nip for him just for fun. He was so baffled his eyes were widened and he was speechless for a good hour.

After I finish rolling up the mats and loading my bag and equipment into the car, I drive into the city.

I never appreciated quiet drives before. I always blasted whatever songs I had in my playlist and never thought to just sit in silence.