A new training partner

"Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, ok finished! You're done, good set, Alicia!" Mina's voice called as I let the leg press machine's pedal raise up for the final time. I swung my legs off to the side and stood up, using a towel to wipe the seat off of my body.

"You're getting stronger all over...the amount of weight and reps you're doing now is proof." the trainer said. "Still liking the full timer's life?" she then asked with a grin.

"The life is fine. You on the other hand, can eat me, you hateful **** driver." I groaned in exhaustion.

"Mmm, don't tempt me. Might make for good motivation." Mina said with a salacious wink as I wagged my finger at her.

"Are we done for the day? Please say yes? Cause I'm starving. Today is cheat day and there is this burger place that has been on my mind for like three days." I said. Mina had even taken over my diet, and my inner fat girl had suffered, although I was in far better shape now then...well then even in my first run in the SFL.

After the success of my return match, I had been **** to make a major decision. The SFL's management had made an offer to take me on as a full-fledged member of the roster. The match against Junior, despite being an opening match at a show, had received quite a lot of attention for what it was. The league's website had apparently reported that it sold almost as well as a main event match. Maybe enough people remembered me from the SFL's older days to draw attention. Or...it could be that me being older made me stand out when compared to the majority of the female roster? Or it could be, that it was just a really good match!? I'd prefer number three, since the first two just make me feel conscious about my age. But, hey take success anywhere you find it right?

Anyway, becoming a full time competitor was a commitment. Even more so than when I was first in the league. I mean, the training, keeping up with the event schedule, it's a lifestyle change now. I certainly couldn't do it while keeping down my accounting job. So a decision needed to be made. So after a week of thinking about it, I quit the firm I was working at and accepted the SFL's offer. And now, it feels like I live at gyms and training centers these days.

"So, real talk here Alicia before you run out of here to get this burger you want." Mina said coming over to me as I finished drinking some water. "After watching you in a real match, I have to say your wrestling and grappling skills are great. Especially your pro wrestling style holds and throws. What's even more impressive is the fact that, aside from those below the belt type attacks, you can still take hits and keep on coming. Given how long you've been away that's saying something. Buuuut...your striking game just sucks."

"Duh. I'm a wrestler." I said with a shrug. To be honest, I didn't really see the point. After all... "Besides, closed fists are supposed to be against the rules."

"Don't be naive." Mina replied. "People rarely get DQ'ed for throwing a punch, unless they don't let up when the ref tells them to. And kicks are perfectly legal. You barely threw a strike at all in that last match. In fact I don't think you threw one at all aside from maybe a few clotheslines. So let me ask, in all your time in the SFL, did anyone ever teach you any sort of you know....-"

"Let me save you some time." I cut in. "No. We didn't have the amount of training available back then that we do now. There was a guy who showed us the pro wrestling stuff, and that was it. Anything else, people already knew before joining, or learned outside the league. And...I was already a fan of pro wrestling since I was a girl, so I just naturally took to his training."

Mina nodded thoughtfully.

"I guessed it would be something like that. The SFL's 'Dark Ages' and all. Damn you're like an old relic or something."

I bristled a bit at that. "Come on, relic? I'm a woman in my thirties, not an artifact out of an Indiana Jones movie."

"Yes you are, and you've been lost in the temple of despair-"

"Doom, Mina. It's the Temple of Doom."

"Who knew Ruby Ryder was a nerd? But yes, you've been lost. But don't you worry, cause I'll get you polished, shiny and better than you were before. And that's why I made an arrangement with another trainer for you to do some cross training with his guy. And, oh lucky here they are now. Over here guys!"

I looked over at who Mina was calling to and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. Being led by a male trainer....was Junior.

"Jesus Christ, Mina." I said under my breath.

"Tyler, how it going?" Mina greeted the other trainer as Junior looked at me, his gaze unreadable. I met his eyes with my own. I couldn't tell if he was pissed about last week or not, but I wasn't going to be sorry about it.

"Mina. Glad to be working with you instead of against you here. You took Ruby here, who is older than either of us, and made her league ready. God, management needs to get over what happened and give you a trainee in their prime." Tyler said.

Get over what happened? What was this guy on about? Also screw him for bringing up my age when weren't even introduced. Asshole. Man, I'm irritible. I need to eat something.

"You know Ruby was part of the league before. I just got her back into fighting shape. Now....is about making her better than she was. Now, Alicia, meet Tyler. He's Mark's trainer."

As she spoke Tyler was giving Junior, I mean Mark, a similar line about Mina. And damn, I guess now I should call him by his name, right?

"So, Mina and I both agree that you both have some serious weaknesses in your styles that can be addressed by training and sparring together."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa Mina-" I began even as Junior, damn, Mark began protesting.

"Wait, Tyler, there is no reason we can't find some sparring other sparring partners-!"

"No, it's already been cleared." Mina cut in. "Starting tomorrow you're training buddies. Mark you'll be coming to this gym, instead of wherever you and Tyler train. That wraps things up for today."

Mark and I exchanged looks and both left, him out the building's exit while I went to the locker room for a quick shower before doing the same.

"The hell is she pulling? Like he and I would make good training partners." I muttered as I approached my motorcycle in the gym's parking lot, my riding jacket thrown over my shoulder.

I stopped as Mark, wearing a hoodie to ward off the evening chill, stepped out from his car, what looked to be an old restored Ford Mustang. Man, he's got a decent taste in cars at least.

After a moment of awkward silence, my hunger fuelled irritation got the better of me.

"What do you want, Junior?" I asked, aggressively.

"Why? Just answer me that. And don't play dumb. Marie said you looked right at her while you fucked me in the ring! We...we had something set aside, just for us. Something that I promised I wouldn't do, and you did that. You made me do that-"

"No!" I snarled loudly and took a step forward before continuing in a softer voice. "No, you asshole, you don't get to put that on me. When we got in the ring, I didn't say 'Hey I haven't done this in a while, maybe don't hit me so hard, 'kay? Oh and no crotch attacks, cause I'm really not used to that stuff, tee-hee!'" My voice went high, like some cute-sy girl's might sound before returning to normal. "No, because that's none of your concern!"

"That is different!" he protested. "You didn't need to do what you did after the match. What you did, and looking at Marie while you were doing it!"

"Oh, that whole part of the show was for her, Marky-Mark." I replied. "Not that I didn't have fun and I'm sure you liked it. But your girlfriend needed to see what she was in store for. Because, I'm telling you, if you keep doing this, it's going to happen again, and again, and again. I'm honestly surprised you made it this long without having it happen. And if she's going to keep showing up to support you or whatever, she's going to have to see what happened last week replay itself with woman after woman. And eventually, someone is probably going to take a strap on to that ass of yours after you lose a match. Are you sure she's ready to see *that*?"

I took a moment to let that image sink in.

"Mark. This league, it's no place for the 'normal' type of relationship." I said somewhat gently as I held my hands up to put 'normal' in air quotes. "Jealousy over sex just can't be a thing. Because if you set up some sort of boundary, it's going to be crossed. Is that what you tried? The whole 'Oh I promise you I won't fuck another woman?' thing?"

He nodded as I went on.

"Also, if you keep trying to set limits, it only serves to hold you back. Eventually you'll figure that out....and you'll grow to resent her for making you do that. Even if she didn't say it, even if it wasn't even her idea. Because you'd be doing it for her."

Sighing, I put on my jacket, both to offset the chill and just in case Junior decided he still wanted to throw down over this.

"So that's the lesson you meant..." he mused. "Fucked up way of teaching it. How do you know?"

"Wouldn't have stuck otherwise. Although I have a strap on I nicknamed the Lane Splitter around somewhere if you want me to give you the harsh version." I shrugged. "And I know because I was you, like eleven years ago. Came into this thing with a guy I liked. I told him about it, about the money I would be making. For me, he actually was the one to put limits on things. Then I lost my second match. I was then fucked by the winner and his tag partner in the ring afterwards as my boyfriend sat in the front row. You know, all part of the after match fun that can happen. And you know what, I found it hot. First time in any part of a group sex scenario. Came not once but three times during that. But yeah, after that there was an argument, followed by a nasty break up and a change of address for me. All because I didn't learn the lesson: Nothing is sacred in the ring. Even if you had told me about your girl and the promise, I still would have done it, because if I didn't someone else would. And if they figured out what I had, it would be as humiliating as they could make it."

We stood in silence after that, Mark mentally digesting what I told him as I looked on.

"Yeah. Yeah I get it." he said after a few long moments, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I already kinda felt it. That resentment part. I was annoyed about having to take all these steps, make plans to try and prevent a girl from even wanting to use her pussy. To try and stay in the boundaries she set. It doesn't even matter anymore. She stormed off after the match. We didn't even have an argument, she had already checked out of the hotel we were staying at by the time I got there. I got a text message from her saying she got her dad to send her money for a plane ticket back to Cali and that she wishes me the best."

Ouch. By text? Jesus. I don't really want to feel bad for the guy. He pancaked my crotch into a steel pole! I know, nothing is sacred in the ring...still that shit hurt.

"Well. That's good." I said in reply. As he looked up, shock in his eyes, I held up a hand palm out to stall him. "Look. It sucks that things didn't work out. But better that you know now and have it played out, without it hanging over your head. Now, you're both free. She, to do...whatever Marie from California wants to do. You, Marky Mark, are free to focus on the league, and your place in it, without worrying about any promises and whatever."

He nodded, taking a deep breath as he accepted this.

"Well, it seems my place in it is to try and help you learn how to throw a punch." he said. "Also, if we're going to be training partners or whatever, you need to stop calling me junior. Unless you want me to call you mom."

"Uhh that's a hard no. Besides Marky Mark has a better ring to it now that I know your name." I grinned as I moved past him to straddle my motorcycle's seat.

"What the hell is Marky Mark from? Some TV show or something?"

"Oh Christ I am not hearing this." I paused as my stomach rumbled. "Tell you what. If your posh car can keep up, I'm going to this bar and grill that is supposed have the best burgers in the city. And I can tell you about how Mark Wahlberg was teenage me's masturbation fuel."

"Gross. And posh car?! That's a '68 Ford Mustang! One of the greatest American cars ever made. It was called the King of the Road with good reason."

"Biker girl. I don't really know cars," I lied with a grin. Oh I knew what he was going on about, I grew up with a dad who loved vehicles of all kinds. Still, making him grumble was better for taking his mind off the girl.

"Mmm, kind of a small bike for a real biker."

"Bitch, I AM small. A Harley is still a Harley even if it's a superlow. The Sportster line is a workhorse, and most importantly to a newly divorced woman, cheap when found used." I said. "Now get in your car, and keep up. I'm starving."

With that, we headed out as the sun began to set. Doesn't know Marky Mark, it's a good thing I don't have to travel with him to the next event. I'd probably have to stuff him in the trunk of his own car....