You Look Familiar by Louisa West

Author:Louisa West
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Louisa West

“Where are we?”

They’d driven clear across town to the gas station at the waterfront. Joey had led Veronica up a fire escape to a door she’d always assumed was the business office. He reached for the top of the door frame easily, and something glinted in the moonlight.

“This was where I used to do all my boxing training,” he told her excitedly. “I can’t believe the key is in the same place!”

Veronica couldn’t believe he’d remembered its hiding place.

The door creaked open, and he reached on instinct inside and to the left to hit the lights. A dirty looking boxing ring popped into view, along with several torn posters stuck to the wall and a tattered, heavy punching bag that had fallen onto the floor in the past twenty years.

Veronica wrinkled her nose with distaste as Joey urged her inside. “This place looks...”

“Exactly the same!” he finished for her. He was all but dancing—his feet were light, and his eyes were drinking in the once-familiar sights. “What a trip!”

“I was gonna say ‘unhygienic’, but okay,” she said.

Joey bounced in front of a punching bag still suspended on an elasticated rope between the floor and the ceiling. He hunched up his shoulders, ducked an invisible right hook, and then peppered the ball with rapid jabs. She resisted the urge to tilt her head to one side and enjoy the show.

“I need to show you why boxing means so much to me. That way, you can understand why I can’t just give it up,” he huffed, slowing down his jabs. He noticed a pair of boxing gloves tied together and slung over the back of a folding chair nearby. He undid the knot, clapped them together to dust them off, and then wandered over to Veronica.

“Here. Put these on.”

“You want me to put those on my hands?” she asked, horrified.

“Yes?” he replied with a smirk, jiggling them at her.

“Gross,” she shuddered. “Make sure there’s nothing living in them,” she added before holding out her hands.

“The first thing about boxing,” he told her, peering into each glove before pushing and tugging them into place for her, “is that you have to feel it here.”

He lightly tapped a finger on her forehead.

“And then you feel it here.” He pressed one of her gloved hands to her heart. “It’s a lot about focus, and all about passion.”

Her gaze skipped to his face, but he was already looking down to tie her gloves. He frowned lightly with concentration, his lips pressed together. She let her eyes wander over his jawline, peppered with stubble after a few days without shaving. Emboldened, she took in the sight of his broad shoulders and the tempting curves of his biceps before finally glancing down to his hands. He tied the gloves onto her hands with a practiced ease. She noticed scars all over his knuckles, scars that whispered about more than just regulation boxing matches with protective gloves on.

Veronica took in a slow breath and held it for a moment, trying not to let her concerns take over.

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