Page 22 of Minotaur Bar
“You like?” I ask, turning towards her with my hip cocked, sticking my ass up for her in my tight spandex shorts. “All for you, babe.”
“That’s fucking right!” she snarls, yanking my face to hers by my horn. I growl, immediately nuzzling her neck and biting at her flesh teasingly.
“I love you, red. Your wild compliments mine,” I say, holding her body to my chest. “Also, you look fucking gorgeous. That dress never had someone so fucking hot inside of it.”
“I think so too, about both things you said,” she teasingly agrees, scrunching up her cute nose. “You ready? All the fighters are here. The trucks are outside steadily serving food. By the way, I’m getting nachos from one of them! Duke has shown the judges to the table. Cash says he’s doing good at the bar. And security has been having every human stepping foot inside signing the liability wavers. We’re ready to rock, big guy!” Her smile is dazzling as she rattles her list off to me. I love that she’s as invested in this place as I am. I can see us tending bar together for years to come. It lights a fire inside of me.
“I’m ready, red.” We kiss each other passionately before heading out the door.
*****
The preliminary rounds go by quickly. I win my fights, barely breaking a sweat on the first one. One good fucking hit to the cheek and I knock out a young bull named Ruckus I’ve seen come around a few times. He’s a good sport about it. It takes him longer to come to than it did for me to fight him. But he gives me a hug afterwards and laughs it off.
I have a little more trouble taking my semi-final opponent down. Bruiser is a regular, one I’ve mostly gotten along with. He told me he was putting in as much work as I have over the last month and it shows. We end up going the full three rounds and the decision is left up to the judges. It feels good when Tess announces my name over the mic and the ref holds my arm up. Bruiser is pissed off, but he shakes my hand. I promise him a free round on me, and he lightens up a tad as he stalks out of the ring.
I watch as Tess, dressed in her pretty black sequin gown with a slit up her thigh, laughs at something her friends Ginger and Maggie are saying in between rounds. She’s grown close with the two minotaur females and the three of them often hang out together when Tess isn’t working. They stand above the ring with her, centered on the stage I built. She’s safe, secluded and they’re having fun watching the fights and drinking beers together. It makes me feel good to know they’ve bonded so well. She looks around and finds me staring at her, her cheeks turning a hint of red as she waves at me, beaming. She’s having a great time. And so am I knowing she’s out of harm’s way. Tess blows me a kiss that I rip out of the air and hold to my heart. She mouths the wordsI love youand I mouth them right back, feeling drunk off her affection. What a gods damn babe.
“You ready, Havoc?” Gambler asks me as he approaches the ring. He’s my last fight of the evening. The one I need to get through to win this thing for Tess. I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but we don’t hate each other either. We’ve just always rubbedeach other the wrong way. He’s not a bad bull, just not my brand of beer.
“Let’s close thing out with a bang, shall we?” I reply as he nods curtly.
“I’m taking home that trophy,” he says, checking the tape on his knuckles. “Your girl doing ok?”
“What?” I ask, caught off guard that he’s asking about Tess.
“I heard she took a horn to her stomach. That’s nasty business,” he says.
“That was months ago,” I growl, wondering what his angle is. “You trying to distract me?”
“Is it working?” he laughs. I stand up, my full height just a tad bit taller than he is. We bump chests, the tension growing between us. Ok, maybe I do hate him.
“You’re about to take one ofmyhorns, asshole,” I threaten him. He gives me a dark smirk.
“I’m fucking ready to beat your ass, Havoc. Don’t be thinking too hard about your girl while I pummel your face in.” I go to throw a punch when my arm is caught from behind.
“Whoa, there. Save it for the ring,” Duke says as he pats my back. “Get the fuck out of here before you start a real fight, Gambler. Get on in the ring.”
“With pleasure,” he says, sauntering off as I let out a huff of extreme annoyance.
“I’m about to fuck that bull up,” I hiss as Duke laughs, nodding his head.
“Oh, I’m well aware. He’s about to regret riling you up. But if you punched him before the start of the fight, you would’ve had to forfeit.”
“Glad you were there,” I reply. “Fuck that bull! Every time I think I’m being weird about not connecting with him, he pulls some shit like that and reminds me why I don’t fucking like him.”
“He’s a prick. Just wait for the bell, then kick his ass,” he says with a wink, pushing me towards the ring. I climb over the rope, watching Gambler as he jumps around, putting on a big warm-up act. I take a second to look around and really ground myself in the moment.
I feel the dirt beneath my hooves, as the ring is nothing more than some posts with thick, heavy rope strung between them. I see the immense amount of spectators who came out to have fun and support Duke’s great idea. I smell beer and fried food, my mouth watering. I hear Tess from above calling down to me to tell me how hot I look, which makes me giddy at her praise. And I can taste this victory, just out of my fucking reach. But I’ll get there. I zone in on Gambler again, my fucking game face on, ready to punch the shit out of his arrogant ass.
“Ladies and bulls. Minotaurs and humans alike. Are you ready for your championship fight tonight?!” Tess bellows into the microphone as everyone goes wild around me. I can feel my adrenaline coursing through my body, pumping out through my limbs. “Fighting in the green shorts, with two knockouts this evening, is Gambler!” I roll my eyes as he does some weird roundhouse kick that makes the humans ooh and awe. He did have a couple knockouts, but the guy is all show.
“And fighting in the opposite corner is the most handsome minotaur I’ve ever laid my human eyes on. Sexy as shit in his slutty little crop tops. He’s the owner of your favorite bar, keeping you all shitfaced and me satisfied with multiple orgasms a day,” Tess rambles off as I throw my arms out wide.
“Really, red?!” I call up to her as she and her friends lose it. The crowd roars with laughter as Tess struggles to get it together.
“Sorry, cookie! I couldn’t help it!” she shouts back without using the microphone. “You’re good in bed, baby!”
I roll my eyes but am secretly loving how publicly Tess is celebrating my skills in the sack.
