Stiletto Sisterhood

Original Edition: Shay| Apologizing is like swallowing a pack of razor blades

Mopping up the beads of sweat from her face, Shayne stopped outside of Asher's office and poked her head inside. He sat behind his desk, glasses on and dark, curling hair tied away in a messy bun that had always been his style long before it became a trend.

Setting a hand to the door, she nudged it wider and sensing the movement, Asher's gaze popped from the computer and landed on her.

"Hey. When'd you get in?"

"About an hour ago. Susan said you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. Sure." With a flick of his wrist, Asher shut off his monitor. "Keep it open," he added before she crossed the threshold.

Smirking, Shayne plunked down in the available chair facing him. Considering all the things they'd done in this office, keeping the door open now was oddly comical. "What's up?" she asked, boosting her feet on the edge of his desk.

"I had a call the other day while you were in Toronto."

"Cool."

"There's a fight happening next month. They want to slot you in before the headliner."

An itch flashed across her palms. The kind of itch when something big was going to happen. Shayne curled her fingers, the blunt edges of her nails pressing firmly against that sensation.

"The call was with an organizer for UFC. There's a bantamweight title fight happening next month and a spot opened up against Pacheo, putting you in the ring with a top twenty contender before the title fight between Nunes and Rousey."

Her feet dropped to the floor. "Shut the f*ck up."

"I'm locking down the details this afternoon, but it's looking solid," Asher continued. "That gives us six weeks to get you ready."

The rush of shock and excitement was so swift she could barely see straight. Clinching this fight would kick open a few important doors and put her name on the map in a big way. Shayne pressed a hand to her chest where her heart thundered with purpose. "I can do this."

Asher bridged his fingers. "It's not a lot of time."

"I can do this."

"I want your ass in here every day, Melo. No excuses. You push as hard as I tell you to for as long as I tell you do." He pointed a finger at her, cocked a brow and a proud smile struggling its way onto his face. "No talk back, no guff, no excuses."

She popped out of her seat with a whooping cry, and was around the desk and in his lap before Asher had time to blink. Her mouth planted on his with a firm, celebratory kiss.

"Up. Off. Now," was all he could manage around her barrage of kisses. "That brings me to my next point. A major contingent to this deal."

"You're seriously killing my hard-on." Sighing, Shayne slid out of his lap and edged back on his desk. "Don't tell me you've been drinking Ms. Tugonon's Kool Aid while I've been away?"

"She's right Shayne—your reputation could use a bit of polish. UFC likes you, but they're concerned you may be a loose cannon and if we want these guys to take you seriously, she could help swing things around for the better." Reaching in the top drawer, Asher fished out a business card and held it up between his fore and middle finger.

Accepting it, Shayne read over the embossed script of the Gym's logo, and flipped it around to the see a hand written address on the back. "What's this?"

"That's where Rita's staying."

"This is a local address. Not a hotel."

"I know." Amusement coloured his voice, flickered in his eyes. "She's here for the next eight weeks whether you want her to be or not. So I suggest you go over there and get this ball rolling in the direction we need it to go."