Incinerator Read Free

ready for another round.
    “Bruno!” I snapped.
    His face registered no emotion whatsoever. “Bitch was out of control,” he shrugged.
    “You’re done here. Get changed and go.” He stared at me and I stared back. “Leave, now, Bruno.”
    He glanced over at Nicky, who by now had collapsed, coughing, onto the canvas, then he sighed, ducked through the ropes, jumped down and sauntered towards the changing rooms, undoing his gloves with his teeth and not once looking back.
    “You sure you’re OK?”
    Nicky was sitting on the bench in the ladies’ changing room, bent forwards, flexing her jaw from side to side while I stooped beside her.
    “I’m fine. It just really bloody hurts, getting punched in the tits.”
    “Yeah, I know,” I said.
    “I don’t think you do.” Somehow she managed to giggle. She straightened up and arched her back, touched her breasts and winced.
    “I’m really sorry. I should never have let that happen. We’re banning Bruno from ever training here again.”
    “It wasn’t your fault, or his. It was me who lost it. I knew we were meant to be sparring, but I just … really wanted to lay into someone, and he happened to be there.”
    “Why did you?”
    She looked at me, and shook her head, andturned to grab her towel. “I’d better make a move …”
    “Is everything all right? With you and Harry, I mean?”
    As soon as the words were out of my mouth I wanted the cracked lino floor to open up and swallow me. She’d talked about her husband a few times, and from what I could make out they always seemed to be arguing. But it was none of my business if her marriage had problems. What was I going to do about it anyway?
    When she looked at me now, though, she didn’t laugh, or politely suggest I should scram; it was almost like she was flattered that I cared. I guessed she was about to tell me something, but thought better of it, and held a hand to her jaw again.
    “I need a shower,” she said.
    She stood, and I did too, and held up a finger up in front of her face.
    “Put that away, Finn. I don’t have a concussion.”
    “What day is it?”
    “It’s Sunday, and tomorrow’s Monday, and you’re coming to my office at three to sign the completion.”
    “The what?”
    “For the purchase of the freehold. Have you forgotten?”
    When Nicky had helped me buy the lease she’d mentioned the whole building was for sale. That had worried me—I thought we might get chucked out by the new owner—until it occurred to me that if I bought the building, that wouldn’t happen.
    “No,” I said. “Well, sort of. I’d forgotten what day of the week it was.”
    “Then how the hell were you going to test me for a concussion?” Now she sounded like her regular self again. When she started to pull off her T-shirt I suddenly realized where I was, and made a run for it.
    “Don’t use all the hot water, all right?” I called over my shoulder.
    “Tell you, Finn, we are damn lucky she didn’t sue. That’s what puts gyms out of business.”
    “How would she sue us? She’s our lawyer. It would count as conflict of interest or something.”
    “I’m serious, boy! Next time it happen, maybe it won’t be a friend of yours, who getsup and walks away and laughs about it. Maybe some girl end up in hospital.”
    “Delroy, there won’t be a next time.”
    Delroy shook his great grey head and sighed. We were sitting around the table of his poky kitchen drinking rum from shot glasses—heavily diluted, at Winnie’s insistence. Delroy’s wife didn’t approve of strong drink, and Delroy had a hard enough time walking when he was sober. Watering it down was fine by me; I didn’t really like the taste anyway, and I only sipped at it to keep Delroy company.
    I ate at their house most nights, and loved it there, and they seemed happy to have me. It was warm and bright, and even the po-faced Jesus pictures Winnie had pinned up everywhere didn’t stop the place feeling cheerful. It was certainly