Shadowboxer Read Free Page B

anybody home?—this what pays rent for nobodies like you. And what you do? You embarrass me.’
    ‘But...’
    ‘But what? But he’s a jerk? But he’s fake? You think this is some kind of excuse?’
    No, actually my excuse is he’s a... what’s the scientific term for cat-hater? Like homophobe , but for cats. There has to be a word. I’ll ask Malu later.
    I said nothing. It had been a rhetorical question, anyway, because Mr. B plowed on.
    ‘I know Tommy Zhang is all image. I know he can’t fight. You know it. Deep down, he knows it. But we all got to keep up his front. He’s a movie star. Tommy’s career depends on image. Don’t you get that?’
    Still I said nothing. What could I say?
    ‘You change your attitude or pick a different business. This ain’t no sport, not no more. We are in show business. That means putting on a show. Tommy Zhang is huge. He’s starting up a new fight circuit give those criminals in Las Vegas a run for their money. It’s going to be big, and it’s going be clean.’
    He was referring to the underworld connections of Cage Federation, the biggest fight organization in the country. Some people said the whole business was corrupt and based on backdoor dealing. Of course some people would say that about boxing, too. I didn’t care. I just wanted a little piece of it, a chance to do something with my life.
    ‘Come on, Mr. B,’ I said. ‘You’re not telling me Tommy Zhang is putting up his own money? Who’s backing him, and how clean are they? He didn’t sound happy on the phone to Thailand just now.’
    Mr. B waved that away. ‘Zhang got all kind of big money contacts. And he got better TV promotion. But thanks to you I got to go kiss his ass, make a fool of myself, and pray what really happened don’t get out. Or we got headlines saying: “Tommy Zhang beat up by girl.”’
    Well, I thought. If the pants fit...
    ‘Everybody on our side been sworn to secrecy, but you never know what little rat might decide to cash in. Now Tommy’s gotta reschedule his photo shoot.’
    I had to work so hard not to laugh. Mr. B saw my face and got really mad. ‘He can’t take pictures with a damn black eye, Jade. You’re costing me all kinds of money with your fucking childish temper!’
    I winced when he dropped the f-bomb. One thing about Mr. Big is that he almost never swears. I better watch out.
    I looked down at the cigarette burn in Mr. B’s carpet. If I thought about anything else, I might crack and start to cry, and no way was that going to happen. No way.
    ‘I am so close to giving up on you. Anybody else, they’d be gone already, and I would tell Tommy he can press charges.’
    I said nothing. Mr. B’s tone changed. ‘You know you are like my daughter.’ I felt my cheeks getting hot. ‘Your mom and Linda are best friends. Your mom came to me when you got in trouble with the police. I took you on. I talked to your school to take you back, I helped you get that job you need. Me and Linda got our differences, but we promised your mother we would look out for you when she went to the Dominican Republic. Your mom didn’t want to leave you here. She let you stay because of me .’
    ‘And because Malu moved in to my house,’ I added. ‘You kept me so I could train.’
    ‘Exactly. You’re talented, only a year away from turning pro. But you’re not eighteen yet. You got to listen to us, Jade. Me, your mom, your cousin Malu, all of us are your family. If you don’t listen we can’t help you.’
    He was expecting me to look at him or say something. I was still concentrating on the cigarette burn.
    ‘Jade?’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered, finally, without looking at him. ‘I’m really sorry. I didn’t think.’
    I felt my throat tighten as I let myself think about what this gym meant to me. My future here, all my hard work, my dreams of a pro title... I blinked back tears, refocusing on the carpet. Nothing can get through to you if you focus your attention on something