Desire Uncaged: An MMA Romance by Ina Anielka Read Free Book Online Page A

he dreamed he was looking for Sara in the gym. He kept walking in circles calling her name. He got the vague sense she was there, but for some reason he was looking wrong, and couldn’t quite get himself to her. He awoke early, can couldn’t get back to bed.
    As fight day, arrive, Ethan found himself feeling better, the comfort of routine helped the anxiety. He ate a simple meal of healthy food, and hydrated as much as he could. He watched TV. There was nothing to be gained by dwelling on the fight this close to fight day. He would cross that bridge as the fight drew closer. Joe stayed close by. They watched by Sci-Fi movies and complained about the bad acting.
    Before long, it was 5:00 and Ethan had to make his way to the arena. Once he got in the car, it was like someone flipped a switch, the nerves began to fire. He felt the adrenaline start to gradually enter his system. His brain knew that as the final fight, he was hours away from entering the cage, but none of that mattered to his instincts.
    As soon as he entered the arena’s backstage area, he was grabbed by the promoter. The promoter, ever the politician, greeted him with a smile and handshake. He brought Ethan back to a small room in the back of the arena. It had been refitted as a pre-fight exam room. Waiting for him was a doctor dressed in khakis and a polo with “state athletic commission” emblazoned on the chest. Ethan shook his hand and the doctor administered an examination that was so cursory it was almost comical, given that in a few hours, he would be fighting another trained opponent inside a cage.
    There was one hitch, somewhat unusual for Ethan. He was asked to give a urine sample. Allegations of steroid abuse were rampant, but Ethan always fought clean. He doubted he could even afford steroids if he wanted them. After some discomfort, he provided a sample and went back to the locker room. Now it was all about waiting.
    The ‘locker room’ wasn’t really that at all. It was a conference room, cleaned out of its tables and chairs. In every corner fighters were in various stages of preparation. The later card fighters were lounging in sweats, resting on the floor listening to music. The fighters closer to their respective fights were wrapping their hands and donning their gloves or even warming up. And Ethan watched slowly as one by one the men warmed up, then walked out of the room and onto the main arena floor.
    Some fighters returned joyous and victorious. Others came back despondent from defeat. Some were bloodied and battered from long, grueling contests. Others had little damage. Once could hardly tell that had been in a fight, save for their glistening coat of sweat.
    Ethan was soon jostled by his coach. He pulled out his own earbuds and began to warm up. His nerves felt more and more frayed as the adren aline slowly built in his bloodstream. Ethan tried to focus on the mechanics of the warm up; the punches and kicks against the mitts his trainer held. He tried to ignore the rising anxiety caused by the tiny voice in the back of his head that reminded him this was the biggest fight of his life, against the toughest opponent he ever faced.
    Ethan felt off rhythm. His punches against the mitts felt awkward and lethargic. Minute by minute he threw his fists against the pads. He knew he had to push through the tightness, the slowness that seemed to inhabit his limbs. As he worked up a sweat, he ‘burned off’ the adrenaline, leaving him more ready for the fight. Gradually, Ethan felt droplets start to form on his brow. His concentration on the pads became more intense. His breathing and heart rate increased. Ethan entered the place of quiet concentration, where everything seemed to melt away but the pads, and his trainer. Ethan blinked the sweat from his eyes as he hits the pads. His fists moved with their normal ease and purpose. Everything felt right, like a car finally shifted into gear.
    “Okay, take a rest, E. You’re gonna be up in