Page 88 of Back Room Host

Over four weeks had passed since I brought Juri home with me. Plagued by guilt and hoping to make it right this way. Juri wasn’t Jérôme, that much was clear to me. And yet, I saw in him a chance for redemption. Helping Juri was a way to cleanse my karma.

And now he was gone.

Over the past few days, I tried to enjoy the peace at home before Sara returned. But since Juri left, something was missing. Everywhere. At the dining table, in the living room, in the bathroom. I caught myself going into his room as if I were looking for him, but all that was left to see was a peculiar painting on the wall and the emptiness Juri had left behind.

To this day, it was a mystery to me how he managed to pack all his stuff and disappear in less than five minutes. I wasn’t even prepared for the time with him to end so abruptly, especially with a bang and negative energy.

I thought I’d give him some time to calm down. I was sure he would contact me again during the week, but today was Saturday, and although I tried to reach him several times, he hadn’t reached out yet.

The bell rang, and the fight was over. Vasily won, of course. That meant if I made it to the next round, I would face him. That was doable. I had trained hard and done everything Dario recommended me to do, including maintaining my weight. I felt great until Tuesday. After that, everything went downhill.

“Everything okay?” Dario asked, patting me on the back. “Are you ready?”

I nodded. He handed me a water bottle, and I took a sip. My nervousness gradually increased. But that was good. It meant I was finally focusing on what was important. When my name wascalled, Dario accompanied me to the ring. I climbed the stairs made of chairs, slipped between the ropes, and entered the ring.

“Focus,” Dario said. “And stick to the rules! Not like last time.”

I opened my mouth and had the mouthguard put in, then I nodded. Something like last time definitely wouldn’t happen again. My opponent was one of the guys who had bullied me for years. No wonder I snapped.

I didn’t know the guy standing in the other corner now. He had a similar build to mine, which was no big surprise. In kickboxing, the weight classes were closely divided.

The guy didn’t scare me, but I felt an urge to disappear from the ring. To my own surprise, three rounds of three minutes seemed unbearably long to me. I’d much rather sort things out between Juri and me.

Focus!I scolded myself. Besides, I knew from the beginning that the affair between us would come to an end.Remember why you’re here!

I had trained for so many hours with Dario to face the shadows of my past. He had taught me that I didn’t have to be a victim anymore and I could fight. And that’s what I wanted to do right now.

I organized my thoughts, nodded as the referee asked if we understood everything, and touched gloves with my opponent. Then it was time, and the fight began.

Without hesitation, I attacked, hitting my opponent with a few boxing punches and ending the attack with a back kick. In my corner, I heard Dario shout approvingly. His reassurance felt good, and I continued my offensive. But as I struck, I was shocked at how much my opponent could take. Sure, he blocked my attacks as best he could, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing for time—which made even less sense to me.

The first round was over quickly, and I returned to my corner. Dario removed my mouthguard and held up the water bottle. I took two sips while panting heavily.

“That was good. You’re ahead on points,” my coach praised me. “But make sure you don’t overexert yourself.”

“I don’t want to underestimate him.”

“Of course not. I also have a feeling that you’ll need your strength.”

Once the one-minute break ended, I retreated to the center of the ring, but Juri came to my mind again. I thought about the day he came to the studio to take pictures, which had been a great day. I enjoyed every minute of it and every time we were together. His presence alone was beautiful.

The fight began once again, and my opponent was like a different person. As if he had used the first round to check out my weaknesses, he attacked me in the most aggressive way. I was still busy blocking his fades when his shin came at me. Luckily, I noticed it in time and managed to turn away, because that Tornado Flip would have sent me to the mat.

Dammit!

I collected myself and refocused on my opponent. But I couldn’t get out of the defensive anymore and felt like time was standing still.

Just like with Juri. The four weeks felt so long. Did he really stay with me for a whole month?

“Get moving, Luca!” Dario shouted from somewhere far away.

Suddenly, a back kick hit me on the side. Before I could catch my breath, my opponent followed up with another one. I staggered and gasped.

Damn!

At least I was still standing. I backed away and regained my composure. But as soon as I was back to my senses, mythoughts drifted again. To Juri and his incredibly soft lips. As a consequence, I received a left hook. Instead of seeing stars, all I could see were Juri’s mesmerizing moss-green eyes. Lost in thought, my opponent struck me with a right hook.

“How many punches do you need?” Dario yelled from the corner. “Get your guard up already!”

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