The Fighter's Block (41 page)

“
You weren’t rude,” he replied. “I understand. So what about Marnie? You guys not on good terms or something?”

He motioned for her to sit, so she followed him to a couch and they sat at opposite ends.
She slipped her shoes off and tucked her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

“No, it’s not that,” she told him. “Obviously you have the best apartment to avoid their fights. Quincy could never hear them either.”

“Quincy?”

“Oh, uh, he used to live here before you.”

“Oh yeah,” Cole nodded. “So they were fighting? About what?”

“Who knows,” Dani replied, shaking her head. “They’re always going at it. I think I heard something about ‘the goddamn fucking garbage can.’ ” That made Cole laugh, even if he wasn’t supposed to, but Dani chuckled with him. “I know, but the fight would have been just as obnoxious if they were actually fighting about something of value.”

“They fight all the time?”

“You’ve yet to witness one?”

With a smile he said, “Yeah, I’ve heard little things here and there, but nothing big I guess. So what’s their deal?”

Dani thought about it for a moment but ultimately shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t understand them. I mean what makes people talk to each other like that?”

“New Jersey?”

She smiled, but even though she did know it was because of the way Paul and Marnie grew up, she didn’t feel like discussing it. “If I talked to Van like they talk to each other, I would feel
terrible
.”

He studied her for a second before he nodded his agreement. “Well, I think you and Van have a different level of appreciation for each other. You understand the meaning behind love and respect.
I don’t mean to sound off base, but maybe Paul and Marnie are a good example of how
not
to treat each other.
Maybe in a way they’ve been good for you.
”

He waited for her to defend her friends, but she didn’t. She seemed to think it over for a moment before she barely nodded. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“So…are you and Marnie pretty close? You two are friends, right?”

Dani didn’t disagr
ee, but she was slow to agree. Eventually s
he said, “Yeah, we’re friends. I just think that I’m n
ot a very good
one
lately. I have no patience anymore. And if that really had been Marnie when I answered the door, she would have totally taken offense to whatever I would have said.”

“Really? She’s that sensitive? Or that combative,” he added knowingly.

“Yeah, that combative. She can say anything she wants and it’s no big deal, that’s life, but if someone says something to her… Oh God, I sound like a teenager,” she moaned, dropping her head back against the couch.

Cole chuckled and said, “Yeah, I understand. I’ve been around her too and I feel the same way. But you’re selling yourself short, Dani. You’re not a bad friend; you’re just balancing the scale a little better. If you ask me, I think you’re too nice. You let Marnie walk all over you.”

Anyone else might be offended, but he knew Dani wouldn’t be.
She was smart, willing to be objective even about herself.
She seemed to agree with him but didn’t say anything for a while. Finally she asked, “What was it that you needed?”

“Huh?”

“When you came over. What did you want?”

“Oh. Uh, it’s nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yeah, just…”

“Just what?” Dani was more curious than ever and she sat up straighter so she could get it out of him. “You came over for ‘something,’ so it must be ‘something.’ ”

He smiled and shook his head. “I just had a stupid question about cooking.”

She looked at him for a few seconds. “Well what’s your question?”

“It’s nothing, never mind.”

“Cole, just ask,” she said with a
dainty
laugh. “I won’t make fun of you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“No, I’m not afraid of that…”

“Then just ask me. I would love to help.”

He knew that to be true of Dani, so he played along with his earlier ploy to get a visit with her. “Um, well… It’s just about eggs.”

“Eggs?”

“Yeah, um, how do you cook them?”

She stared at him for a just a moment and had to smile at the way he seemed so embarrassed. “You mean like an omelette, or over-easy, or—
?
”

“No, I mean in the shell. How do you cook them in the shell?”

“Oh, you mean hardboiled eggs?” she asked. When he smiled he nodded, and Dani had to chuckle. “You just boil them in water.”

“Yeah I get that, but—”

“Oh, I get it. Yeah you put the eggs in the water while it’s still cold, then you bring it to a boil.”

“Yeah, that’s what I wasn’t sure
about
. Do you take them out right after they start boiling?”

“
Well, you
— Well, do you have some eggs you want to boil? Let’s just do it.”

“What? Now?”

“Sure.” She got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen, and Cole was glad that he actually did have some eggs in the refrigerator. He followed h
er
when she said, “Find me a pot and we’ll boil some eggs.”

So he found a pot and followed her instructions on how to boil eggs. When they were done he
had
five
hard-boiled eggs to
return
to his nearly empty refrigerator. Dani actually commented on his sparse
shelves, but Cole’s answer that he just wasn’t home enough to cook
very often
seemed to pacify her.

“You’re always welcome to come over and eat with us,” she said as she cracked an egg that had cooled. She ran it under the faucet for a second before she started to peel it and added, “Cody’s always raiding our fridge for leftovers.
Same with Scotty and Gary.
Paul too, but don’t tell Marnie.” She smiled at the secret and it made Cole smile too.

“No, I won’t tell her.
What about the guys on the other half of The Block? They don’t venture over here?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes.
I don’t really know those guys very well, yet.
Blaine is in his mid-thirties and he thinks we’re too young for him. He does come over once in a while but he’s got a different girlfriend every week. Nick and Greg
aren’t really here much because they
both work two jobs
.
And Calvin bartends
,
so he’s gone late into the night.
So see? I’m limited for who’s around to feed. You’re an easy victim.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Nah, d
on’t worry about feeding me. I manage.”

She glanced at him and handed him a freshly peeled egg as she grabbed another one to peel. “Probably better that way since I’ve barely been in the kitchen this past week.”

He figured that to be true and decided his previous assumption that she
was going to
insist on feeding him
wasn’t going to
work out
now
. “Well maybe I take that back,” he told her. “Maybe if
I
give you a reason to be in the kitchen, you’ll actually start eating again.”

She eyed him carefully for a moment and then smiled. “You’re going to use
my sympathy for a different angle? I eat just fine.” She took a bite of the egg she held as proof. “In fact,” she said after she swallowed, “I’m making spaghetti tonight and you’re invited. My sister is coming over with her kids, and a few people from The Block. We’ll make it a party.”

He was intrigued with that, pleased that he could be around more of Dani’s friends and family without having t
o investigate a different way. Right now i
t was
Paul
he was most interested in, and he was happy to hear that
he
would be there too.

Dani left a few minutes later, stating that she had a few things to do that day. It was true since she had barely cleaned
the
apartment in the past week; it would be nice if she could get the laundry off the couch. Cole promised he would show up for dinner at six, and once she left, he was on the phone with Jack.

“I don’t like him hanging around her,” Paul said under his breath. He kept an eye on Cole talking with Dani and Jaime as he murmured to Cody at the same time. “The guys say he’s always near her, always finding a way to talk to her.”

“Yeah I heard that too. She was
at the Divehouse
again
this morning
and he might as well have had his arms around her. She was upset.”

“How come you didn’t talk to her?”

“She had that look, you know? –Like ‘don’t come near me’ or something. And I don’t do well with chicks and their emotions. I’d just rather she be the one to talk to me, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it. Marnie says she’s a closed book when it comes to Van. I know she’s got something to say, she just keeps it in. But that guy there,” he added, nodding toward Cole. “I don’t trust him.”

“Mickey vouched for him,” Cody shrugged. “I think he’s all right. Maybe he just doesn’t know his place when it comes to Dani, but he’ll learn soon enough. But other than that, he seems legit.”

“Yeah I guess.”

Cole could feel the two talking about him, but so far neither one had discussed much with him besides MMA. He could tell they w
ere cautious of him around Dani
and that made him curious. H
e knew what kind of guy Van was
and
it appeared
that everybody at the Divehouse had his back, but there were ways to test that for s
ure. Sooner or later he’d find the truth
.

“Hey, I forgot that I have a phone call I need to make,” he said to Dani, lightly touching her elbow. When she looked at him he said, “I’m gonna head to my apartment and then come back if that’s okay.”

“Sure, that’s fine,”
she nodded. “The
door will be unlocked, just come right in.”

“Okay, thanks.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he walked across the room, fully aware that Paul and Cody were still watching him.

Paul took the opportunity
to follow him out the door,
and
when he
saw Cole halfway down the hall, he also heard him
on the phone, talking to someone about a used car.

“Yeah, just have him call me back when he gets in,” he heard Cole say. “Yeah, this same number. Okay, thanks.”

He hung up the phone, well aware that there was someone else in the hall with him, but pretended to be surprised when he
glanced behind him
and saw Paul.
At first nothing was spoken, but Cole slid his phone into his pocket and said, “I hate playing phone tag with people.”
Paul barely scoffed and just eyed him for a moment. Cole figured this was his opportunity
so he added, “Can I help you with something?” He took a few steps closer to Paul, and the challenge was instantly met.

“Maybe you can answer a few questions for me.”

“Oh? Like what?”

Paul looked him
over again, not at all afraid. B
ut
he was
sure if they got into a scuffle, it wouldn’t be an easy one. “Let’s just say that I don’t like you hanging around Dani all the time. This is the only break I’m gonna give you for being the new guy; just consider yourself warned.”

“Warned?” Cole chuckled sarcastically. “Warned for what?”

“Just stay away from her. If Van wasn’t locked up right now, he’d beat the shit out of you.”

“For doing what? Talking to her? Are you kidding me? She’s my
neighbor
. What, I can’t talk to my neighbors? I thought this was supposed to be a great place to live when you
fight
for Mickey. What happened to a brotherhood with your fellow fighters?”

“You’re not looking for a brotherhood,” Paul scoffed. “You see a beautiful girl that’s alone and fragile right now, and because her husband isn’t around to fuck you up, you think you can work your way into her life! I’m telling you right now to back off!”

“I am well aware that Dani is married,” Cole growled back. “She’s just a friend to me, and that’s all.”

“You mean that’s all she’ll give you,” Paul
smirked
. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t jump at the chance to be with her if she wasn’t already taken.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Cole replied
honestly
. “Yeah, she’s a pretty girl. And she’s nice. I’m sure you’d like a little sweetness in your life too.”