The chapter opens with Mitzi and Shirley in the ring right after the decision was announced following the boxing match.
Shirley was outraged when she heard she'd lost the boxing match with Mitzi by a 'split decision!' Gretchen tried to restrain her but she pulled free and went after Mitzi who was still sitting on her butt in the corner. Shirley charged across the ring while Mitzi was being helped to her feet by Cyd and a doctor. Mitzi had to hold the ropes with both hands to keep from falling but her helplessness didn't deter Shirley, she charged with her taped fists raised - intending to do serious harm to the groggy blonde.
Shirley grabbed Mitzi with her left hand and cocked her right, ready to throw a punch. Just then, Shirley was flattened as Cyd Charisse tackled her. She had her arms around Shirley's chest and slammed her to the mat flat on her back. Before Shirley knew what hit her, Cyd punched her in the face and busted her nose open! She writhed in pain holding her face in her hands as Cyd rose and stood over her shaking her finger at her admonishingly.
"You better learn how to fight bitch, before someone takes you to the woodshed and paddles that ass of yours 'til you beg for mercy. And if you don't think I'm woman enough to do exactly that, just get up and I'll prove how wrong you are."
Shirley started to sit up, but then slumped back holding her nose. She'd done enough fighting for one night and Cyd was fresh and looked eager for a fight. Gretchen came running over and pushed Cyd away, glared at her as she helped Shirley to her feet and then took her back to her corner. Frank climbed into the ring, went to Mitzi's corner and raised her arm to lukewarm applause from the confused and unhappy spectators. Most of them seemed to agree with Shirley that she had been the better fighter and they thought she deserved to win.
Cyd had her hands full trying to get Mitzi out of the ring and back to her dressing room. Even after five minutes, Mitzi's legs were still weak and wobbly. The referee asked if Cyd wanted a stretcher for Mitzi, but she refused. She put an arm around Mitzi's waist and held her tightly with her other hand as she pulled Mitzi to her feet. Mitzi's head lolled listlessly from side-to-side and she almost tripped over the ropes as they left the ring. The referee grabbed her arm or Mitzi would have toppled off the ring apron into the front row.
As she stumbled down the aisle beside Cyd toward her dressing room Mitzi's appearance was a stark contrast to when she entered the arena just a half hour before. Her hair, once fluffy and perfectly coifed, was wet and matted to her head. Her eyes were swollen and discolored, the left one nearly closed. Blood from her lip and nose dripped on her bare, heaving bosom. Her bra hung loose and twisted about her hips. Her breasts and stomach were red and showed bruising from the beating Shirley inflicted on them late in the fight. Mitzi was favoring her left side and held her left arm against her ribs.
Meanwhile, Shirley stood in the middle of the ring, waving her arms and screaming at Frank, the referee, the judges and anyone else who would listen to her rant. Gretchen leaned on the ropes in Shirley's corner, surprisingly calm - almost amused by the level of Shirley's pique.
Cyd led Mitzi to the dressing room where Adelaide met them and started applying ice packs to her face, breasts and side. It took about five minutes, but Mitzi finally started apologizing to Cyd for letting her down. Cyd was trying to make Mitzi understand that she'd "won" when the door opened and Frank and his entourage arrived to congratulate the winner. Mitzi looked up, her dazed eyes struggling to focus. She saw Frank was upset and she shivered. She'd heard what happened to Betty Page after losing her fight to Mitzi. For a moment, she was afraid the same thing might be about to happen to her. She breathed a sigh of relief when Frank came over and patted her on the back.
"Great fight hon. I didn't think you could take that kinda beating and stay upright babe. You're a tough broad. A lot tougher than I figured. If it's any consolation, your win cost me a lotta dough tonight."
Mitzi and Cyd both looked at him in shocked surprise.
"Cost you money?" Cyd asked.
"How?" Mitzi mumbled.
It still hadn't fully sunk in that she had WON the fight. Frank glared at Cyd and then looked back at Mitzi.
"Somebody bet a lot of money on you at the last minute. The odds were around 20 or 25 to one. I'm gonna take a bath on this stupid gimmick. Worse, the boys in Jersey are gonna take a bath. They ain't gonna like it when I tell them Mitzi Gaynor cost them another quarter mil. I find out you bimbos had anything to do with it - what happened to Betty Page will be a picnic by comparison."
Then a loud pounding on the door interrupted Frank.. Eager to change the subject, Cyd went to open it. She was met by ace wrestling reporter Brenda Starr, the woman who'd broken the story about Mitzi being humiliated by Shirley at the lesbian restaurant. She brushed past Cyd into the room, walked straight past Frank and went to Mitzi who was sitting on a table.
"Any comment from the 'winner'?" she chuckled, her pencil poised to record Mitzi's words for posterity.
"Get out of here," Cyd snarled as she grabbed Brenda's shoulder. "Haven't you done enough damage already? Besides, she's in no condition to talk to you - or anyone else - right now."
"Well," Brenda said with a snide little sneer, "after what Shirley did, she probably can't talk anyhow. I doubt she even knows where she is at the moment. Do ya hun? Do you even know what state this is?"
Mitzi didn't answer, just looked at Cyd with that, "fawn caught in the headlights" look she had when she didn't want to (or couldn't) answer a question. Cyd stepped in and pushed Brenda away, her hand in the middle of Brenda's chest as she slowly walked the redhead backward toward the door. Cyd opened it and shoved the protesting reporter into the hall.
Just before Cyd slammed the door in her face, Brenda yelled, "Hey Frank, where'd you find those judges? That decision stunk!"
Brenda jumped back just in time to avoid Cyd's high kick. She ran down the dingy hallway cackling about, "...getting the inside story from Shirley."
Frank's face was red since Cyd had slammed the door before he could answer Brenda's charge of a 'fix.' He turned to Cyd and held out his hands, as if begging for her forgiveness.
"Brenda's right about one thing," he said, "that decision was awful. Shirley should have won that fight. She knocked Mitzi out in the last round, everyone saw that. But she should have been way ahead anyway. I'm seriously thinking of throwing out the results and giving Shirley a championship fight with whoever wins the Rita-Sheree match tonight. She deserves it."
Cyd was furious. Mitzi slid off the table to argue with Frank but she had to hold on to the table to stay upright.
"Now don't go getting your knickers in an uproar," Frank said raising his hands defensively as the two women loomed over him. "I didn't say I was going to, just that I was thinking about it. Mitzi's always been a pain in my ass Cyd, she wins when she's supposed to lose and loses when she's supposed to win.
"You can't do that to her Frank. Everybody heard you announced the judges decision. If you don't live up to our agreement and give Mitzi the next shot at the title, I'll make sure they all know why you did it."
Frank snarled back, "Don't make threats Cyd. You're not such a big star anymore, you can't get away with trying to muscle me. Be careful when you 'demand' fights for your girl here. Sheree's tough, but Rita's destroyed bigger and better gals than her already. Don't forget Jayne Mansfield, Kim Novak, etc. Hell, Jayne hasn't been the same fighter since Rita gave her that beating a few months back."
"Listen," Cyd said as she wagged her finger under his nose, "everyone heard you say the winner gets a chance to win the title. Mitzi won. She earned that opportunity. You'll look foolish if you try to back out on your word and I know you wouldn't like that. Besides, how would the boys in Jersey feel if they found out you lost their money on a rigged fight? I don't think that would go over too well, do you? Just give Mitzi her chance at Rita. If she loses you won't have anything to worry about but if she wins, you'll have the sexiest champion this league's had in years."
Frank rolled his eyes but Cyd could see he was thinking about something she'd said. Finally, he nodded.
"OK, OK, you'll get to fight for the title. But, it's a one-time opportunity, Cyd. Mitzi caves in again in another big match and she's out on her ass - you too. I don't like being threatened and I have ways of making life unpleasant for bitches who get out of line. Don't you forget I'm in charge here. You get her ready to fight in one month. No delays, no postponements. She can't fight, she don't get no second chance. Don't mess up Cyd, or I'll make things tough on you too."
Frank spun on his heel and strode out of the room, throwing the door open with a loud bang against the wall. Mitzi and Adelaide just stood where they were as he left but Cyd took a deep breath and went over and slammed the door shut with a loud crash. Then she returned to where Mitzi had climbed back up on the table.
Adelaide was slowly (and erotically) rubbing an ice bag over Mitzi's breasts, down over her stomach which was still pink from Shirley's leather gloves beating a steady tattoo on her pale flesh. Cyd took the ice bag from Adelaide's hand and put it on Mitzi's swollen face.
"Keep the ice on her face Adelaide," she said with a trace of irritation. "The rest of her body will heal itself in time."
Cyd turned and picked up her bag and coat. She apologized to Mitzi saying, "I hate to leave you, but it looks like your in good hands and I've got to watch Rita's match with Sheree North. Sheree's a dancer same as you. I may pick up some things you can use against her. I hope you remember to lock the door before you start any funny business."
"What if Rita loses?" Mitzi mumbled. "Do I have to fight Sheree next, or can I still fight Rita?"
"Don't worry about that," Cyd said, patting Mitzi reassuringly on the shoulder. "Frank agreed you'll fight for the title, no matter who holds it. Sheree should be good in time but this is only her third fight. She shouldn't beat Rita. That's why Rita's fighting her now. Her manager probably wants to give Sheree a shot before she gets any more experience. Rita will still be champ when you fight her next month."
Cyd left Adelaide with Mitzi and went to watch Rita Moreno defend her title against Sheree North. Adelaide pushed Mitzi on her back on the table and bent over her, using her "magical fingers" to relieve the pain in Mitzi's torso.
****
While Frank was visiting Mitzi, Shirley was in her dressing room, still outraged by the "crooked" decision. Gretchen shook her head and muttered how she couldn't understand it either, but she reminded Shirley how she'd warned her a month ago she needed to train harder.
"You could'a knocked her out like you said you would if you hadn't wasted your time pounding on the heavy bag every day and instead spent time improving your footwork and working on your combinations. You went out there looking for an easy knockout and she caught you with a couple of lucky punches in the first round. You got yourself so far behind, the only way you could win was to knock her out, but you didn't train hard enough to get that. Maybe you'll listen to me next time. You deserve to lose after fighting such a dumb fight."
Shirley ignored Gretchen's criticism and went on about how she, "coulda, shoulda, woulda" won....etc. Gretchen just reminded her, "Yeah, but ya didn't win. You let her off the hook. Fought a dumb fight, just like I predicted you would. Ya shoulda listened to me but you let your ego get in the way."
Shirley finally admitted that she lost because she hadn't listened to Gretchen but Gretchen didn't let the matter drop. She reminded Shirley of what she'd told her several times in the past two weeks.
"I saw this coming, you know. It's not a total surprise to me and shouldn't have been to you. I can't believe how thick headed you are sometimes. If you'd listened to me from the beginning . . ."
****
Back in Mitzi's dressing room, she had her eyes closed as her beaten and battered body began to respond to Adelaide's skilled touches. Mitzi was snapped out of her dream state by a loud and insistent knocking at the door. At first Adelaide told her to ignore it and wait for them to go away, but whoever it was didn't stop knocking. Finally, Adelaide stopped and went to the door to send them away. She opened the door and when Mitzi saw who was standing there, she let out a joyous cry.
"NIKKI!"
Adelaide's face fell as she recognized Mitzi's former lover, Nikki Spade. They hadn't met but Adelaide had seen a photo of Nikki on Mitzi's night stand so she had the advantage when they came face to face for the first time.
"Go away," Adelaide said with a nasty growl as she moved to block Nikki who had started to come in, "Miss Gaynor doesn't want to be disturbed."
"It's OK," Nikki said, turning sideways as she tried to squeeze between Adelaide and the door jam. "I'm an old and very dear friend of Mitzi's."
Adelaide slammed her open hand in the middle of Nikki's chest the way she'd seen Cyd do to Brenda Starr earlier. She gave the slender blonde a firm push that stopped her in her tracks.
"You got trouble with English?" Adelaide sneered. "I said she can't be disturbed. Not by old friends, dear friends or old, dear friends. Now, if you need help translating that," she looked Nikki up and down disdainfully, "I'll be happy to help you out skinny."
Adelaide forced Nikki to step back into the hallway and started to shut the door in her face. Before it was more than halfway, Nikki threw her body against it. Adelaide went reeling back into the dressing room as the door flew open and Nikki staggered into the room behind it.
"It's alright, Addy," Mitzi said as she sat up quickly. "Let her in. Nikki's my lov . . I mean, she's a friend of mine."
Adelaide ignored Mitzi, telling her, "Lay back down hon. It won't take me but a second to throw this bitch out on her bony ass. Then I'll get right back to you."
Adelaide grabbed Nikki by the front of her blouse and started to swing her around to throw her out the door, but Nikki clamped down on Adelaide's wrist and bent her hand back. With a yelp of pain, Adelaide let go of Nikki's blouse. Nikki bent Adelaide's arm down and then up behind her back. As Adelaide rose on her toes with a pained squeal, Nikki gave her the bum's rush through the open the door. Adelaide slammed into the wall across the hallway. By the time she caught her breath and turned around, Nikki had slammed and locked the door.
Nikki turned around to face Mitzi and smiled at her one-time girlfriend.
"I missed you so much, baby. Gretchen finally set me free and so now I'm back. It feels great to be with you again."
Mitzi slid off the table and they came together in an embrace.
"Oh Nikki," Mitzi gushed, "I've missed you so!"
They kissed; their lips pressed together, their hands groping each other's bodies with feverish abandon. When at last they broke their clinch, Nikki jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the door behind her.
"Who's that bitch? One of Cyd's bodyguards for you? She better get a new one, she's hopeless."
"No," Mitzi sighed as she leaned against the table holding her throbbing head. "She's my, a, uh, masseuse. I met her at the Mission that night. You know, the one you ran off with Gretchen and Shirley. She lives at Cyd's and takes care of my bruises and whatever aches I might have."
Nikki looked at her a moment before she smiled. "Well, I'm back and I'll be taking care of those 'aches' myself. I missed this lush body late at night. I can't wait to climb into bed and celebrate your victory."
Adelaide was in the hallway banging on the door with her fists when Cyd returned accompanied by a man with salt-and-pepper hair. Cyd introduced him as "Edmund Morris." He shook her hand and quickly excused himself, thanking Cyd for getting him backstage but explaining he was meeting "Dutch" backstage after the fight. As he disappeared down the hall, Adelaide told Cyd that Nikki had showed up and they had been together ever since. Cyd knocked on the door and ordered Mitzi to open up which she did after a brief delay.
Cyd noticed Mitzi was still dressed in the panties she'd worn in her match - her bra still hung loose around her waist.
Cyd eyed Nikki for a second before she offered her hand and introduced herself. "Cyd Charisse," she said, "Mitzi told me about you. How'd you escape Gretchen's silken web?"
"She let me go," Nikki said as she snuggled against Mitzi possessively. "She and Mitzi made a bet on her fight. Mitzi won so Gretchen had to let me go. Naturally, I came straight here to make sure she was alright."
Cyd smiled as she opened the locker that held Mitzi's street clothes.
"Come on Mitz, get dressed. I want to check you into the hospital overnight, just as a precaution. You took quite a pounding in that last round and I want to make sure there's no damage. You've gotta fight in four weeks and I wanna be sure you're ready."
Mitzi looked up at Cyd, her face revealing her concern.
"I don't need to go to a hospital," Mitzi said even as her knees buckled and she slumped against the table. "Ohhhhhh, maybe you're right, Cyd. Hey, d . . . did Sheree win?" Mitzi rasped, her quivering voice betraying her concern.
Cyd shook her head.
"No, but there's time to talk about it on the way to the hospital. Adelaide, help Mitzi dress while Nikki and I have a little chat. Outside in the hall, if you don't mind Nikki."
"I'll help Mitzi dress," Nikki said, stepping in front of Adelaide as she reached toward Mitzi's clothes. "We can talk later."
Then Nikki looked Adelaide square in the eye and said evenly, "Mitzi won't be needing *you* any longer. I'll take care of her needs from now on. Pack your stuff and clear out of Cyd's house."
Adelaide looked at Cyd, then back at Nikki. Her fingers curled into claws. Before Adelaide could start anything, Cyd stepped between the women.
"You two stop this or I'll have you both thrown out. If you care anything for Mitzi, you'll help me get her to the hospital, I'll deal with your little catspat later tonight. You two either behave and help me, or get out and let me help her myself."
Both blondes muttered, but slowly backed off and glared at each other. Finally, Cyd herself helped Mitzi get out of her bloody fighting outfit and put her dress on. With her battered body covered, Cyd took her by the elbow and guided her out of the dressing room to the exit. She had a taxi standing by to take them to the hospital. Back in the dressing room, Nikki and Adelaide picked up their stuff and quickly followed in sullen silence. Cyd led the dazed and groggy Mitzi down the dimly lit hallway while Adelaide and Nikki elbowed each other as they jockeyed for position next to Mitzi.
"Isn't the ambulance entrance the other way?" Nikki asked looking back over her shoulder and then at Cyd.
"We're taking a cab. I have one waiting at the back door," Cyd said. "You two stop fighting and help me with Mitzi or we'll never get there."
"Why aren't we using the ambulance?" Adelaide asked. "It would be faster."
"Because," Cyd snapped, her voice showing her irritation, "If you insist I explain every decision to you, Frank had them take Rita to the hospital in the ambulance. It won't be there. Now you two either shut up and help or get out of my sight."
They aided Mitzi into the waiting taxi and Nikki elbowed Cyd aside to climb in the back beside Mitzi after Adelaide claimed the seat on the opposite side of the groggy blonde. Cyd angrily opened the front door and got in front with the leering driver who couldn't tear his eyes off the reflection of Mitzi's half-exposed breasts in the mirror.
During the ride to the hospital, Cyd took advantage of the time to quickly tell Mitzi, Nikki and Adelaide about the match she'd seen earlier between Sheree North and Rita Moreno.
****
Cyd's description of the match between champion Rita Moreno and challenger Sheree North:
"Sheree came out looking strong and determined. I think she wanted to overpower the smaller Rita, but Rita was cautious - probably 'cause Sheree broke Jayne's leg in her last fight. Everyone quickly saw that Sheree was bigger, and she looked stronger, but it was soon clear Rita was quicker on her feet than Sheree was.
"Sheree kept charging at Rita, trying to get to lock up with her, but Rita avoided every one. One time she ducked under Sheree's arms, another time, side-stepping her and then once, she feinted one way and then went the other, catching Sheree and hip tossing her to the mat. Every time Sheree got her hands on Rita, that damn Puerto Rican would get to the ropes and the ref would make Sheree break.
"It didn't take long until Sheree was frustrated, just what that wily veteran Rita wanted to do to the inexperienced blonde. Sheree was taking more and more reckless chances trying to get her hands on the smaller woman and I could see it in Rita's eyes, she was setting Sheree up for something.
"As Sheree released Rita from still another hold because she'd gotten to the ropes, Rita suddenly slapped Sheree in the face. You could see the color rise in Sheree's cheek where Rita had slapped her. It was an insult and a taunt and Sheree went crazy! She lowered her head and charged at Rita who was backing up quickly. Just as Sheree was about to slam into her, Rita dropped on her back and kicked her feet up into Sheree's stomach, sending her flying over her and through the ropes onto the floor.
"Sheree landed on her head and shoulder and her body crumpled to the cement floor. She was obviously stunned, but Rita never missed a beat, she hopped out of the ring and attacked Sheree before she could regain her senses. She pulled Sheree to her feet by the hair and slammed her in the side of the jaw with a forearm which knocked her back against the edge of the ring. Rita scooped Sheree up and rolled her back into the ring where she lay holding her head with both hands as Rita climbed back in."
The three women were leaning forward in the back seat now, listening intently as Cyd described the match with a veteran's attention to detail. Even the taxi driver had turned off his radio to hear better and slowed down so as not to arrive at the hospital before Cyd finished the story. As she continued, the taxi was silent.
"Sheree was in trouble and, like the pro she is, Rita didn't fool around and immediately went for the pin. She body slammed Sheree, hooked her leg and made the cover. The referee slapped the mat three times and just that easy, Rita had the first fall. She hardly broke a sweat. Sheree groggily stumbled to her corner where she had to recover during the brief lull between rounds if she wanted to avoid a humiliating two straight fall loss to the champion."
"Now here's where it all started to go wrong. Rita was in her corner talking to Frank before the second fall. Sheree saw that and was running across the ring when the bell rang. Just as the timekeeper hit the bell, Sheree slammed into Rita's back and grabbed two handfuls of hair. She started slamming Rita's face on the turnbuckle before Rita knew what was happening. It was just blind luck the bell rang in time otherwise Sheree could have been disqualified. Anyway, Sheree had Rita groggy before the second fall was a minute old.
"The referee pulled Sheree off of Rita, but it was all she could do to stay on her feet, she was staggering and had one hand on her head as she stumbled around the ring trying to keep away from Sheree until she cleared the cobwebs from her head. But Sheree wasn't going to give Rita that chance, she chased her down in the opposite corner and kicked Rita in the stomach. She fell back against the ropes and Sheree kicked her again as she gamely hung onto the top rope with both hands.
"Rita's a dancer and her body was in terrific condition for the match, but Sheree's legs worked like pistons as she slammed her feet over and over into Rita's tight stomach. Rita slowly collapsed, loosing her grip on the top ropes and slumping down with her butt on the bottom rope and her arms draped across the middle ropes, her head and shoulders draped over the rope outside the ring. But Sheree kept kicking her in the stomach and chest until Rita dropped to the mat, half in and half out of the ring."
"Oooohhhh," Mitzi moaned and everyone turned to look at her, afraid she was about to pass out from some sort of delayed reaction to being battered so badly by Shirley's fists. But she was holding her stomach with both hands, her face white. "I can't imagine how awful that must have felt. I almost feel sorry for poor Rita," she murmured softly.
Cyd continued, "Once she had Rita down on the mat, Sheree went to work on her legs, trying to prevent her from using her quickness to evade her superior strength later in the match. Sheree pulled Rita back out to the middle of the ring by the ankles and stomped on her knees and ankles several times each. Rita was writhing in pain and trying to crawl away, but whenever she got near the ropes Sheree dragged her back to the middle of the ring. She'd learned her lesson in the first fall and wasn't going to let Rita near the ropes again if she could prevent it.
"Sheree lifted Rita's right leg in the air and stomped and kneed the inside of her thigh. I was afraid a couple of times that she might have snapped Rita's leg she jumped so high and then came down with her full weight on Rita's leg. It was a brutal and cruel sight to see, but I have to admit - it was impressive in it's efficiency and ruthlessness.
"Sheree laid Rita's right ankle over her left knee and jumped on it. Rita screamed in pain and thrashed around clutching her knee. You could hear her sobbing all over the arena since it was deathly quiet. Still, Sheree didn't let up! She pulled Rita's right foot up and spun around, putting it into a step-over toe hold. Rita was pulling at her hair and slamming her fists on the mat, yet she still refused to submit. I wish she had, that was a foolish mistake on her part, letting her ego overcome common sense and enduring still more abuse to her already injured leg.
"Rita screamed through her clenched teeth as Sheree twisted her leg this way and that way. It was terrible to watch, yet no one moved to stop it, the audience just sat and watched although quite a few seemed to have their hands busy under the coats or handbags in their lap. It was an awesome thing to see. Finally, Sheree stepped back and dropped to one knee. She laid Rita's leg over her raised thigh and leaned forward, pressing down and threatening to snap Rita's tibia like a twig. The referee was almost pleading with Rita to submit, but she stubbornly refused until Sheree leaned her full weight down on her ankle. Rita screamed out her submission at the top of her lungs. She sounded almost incoherent, the pain was so bad.
"So, Rita was hurt so badly she lost the next fall as well?" Nikki asked as she forced Adelaide's hand away from Mitzi's thigh where she had been slowly rubbing higher and higher while Cyd described Rita's writhing. Mitzi's body acted out each and every twitch and jerk as Cyd described it and Nikki hadn't realized for several minutes what had been causing her reaction. The women exchanged withering glares but Cyd ignored the rising tension and answered Adelaide's question.
"Don't get ahead of me Addy, I'm getting to that," Cyd said sharply, her tone sending the subtle message to both women that they were to stop fighting over Mitzi and worry about getting her to the hospital in one piece.
"As soon as Rita screamed out her submission, everyone sort of breathed a sigh of relief since they thought she'd barely avoided a serious, if not crippling, injury to her leg. The referee quickly waved for the bell, but despite it clanging and ringing for over a minute, Sheree refused to release Rita's leg. She kept pressing down on the lower leg, her face looking like that of a crazy woman. She was obviously out of control since the referee couldn't pull her off. I thought sure Sheree was going to snap her leg.
"Frank climbed into the ring and tried to help the referee pull Sheree off of Rita, he screamed in Sheree's ear for her to let go, but she ignored him. Finally, just as it looked like Rita was going to pass out from the pain, the referee managed to pry Sheree's fingers from Rita's leg and knock her onto her back. He sat on Sheree's chest and waved to signal he'd disqualified her and awarded the match to Rita. It took several minutes to get Sheree out of the ring and to put Rita onto a stretcher. Her knee was swollen and discolored, it really looked ugly. They took her straight to the ambulance to take her to the hospital. That's why we're in this damn taxi."
****
"Hey driver," Cyd snarled as she turned to look at him and realized they were still nowhere near the hospital, "What's the delay? You gonna sit here all night? The light's green, let's get this woman to the hospital."
He stepped on the gas and the taxi shot ahead with a squeal of tires. They arrived at the hospital emergency entrance a few minutes later. After waiting nearly a half hour in the waiting room, they finally got Mitzi into a room where Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce, the doctor on duty in the ER that night, reassured Cyd that Mitzi would be well taken care of.
"Hot Li . ., er, Nurse Hoolihan, and I will check her out from head to toe, then we'll keep an eye on her for the rest of the night," he assured the three nervous women. "Call in the morning and check on her condition, but I'm sure she's just got a mild concussion. She should be able to go home tomorrow if there's no complications."
****
It was 3am when Cyd, Nikki and Adelaide finally got Mitzi to her room and could leave the hospital. Cyd flagged down a taxi and then looked at Nikki who appeared lost and confused.
"She'll be alright Nikki, don't worry about her. She's got a hard head, you more than anyone should know that."
"I know she'll be fine," Nikki sighed. "I was just wondering if I could bunk at your place tonight. I've been living with Gretchen and Mitzi gave up our apartment. If I had any money I'd check into a hotel, but . . ."
Cyd waved to Nikki to get into the taxi with she and Adelaide, but the blonde masseuse protested.
"CYD! You can't take her home with us. She's been living with Gretchen, for God's sake. For all we know, Gretchen sent her here to spy on Mitzi. You can't trust that bitch."
Cyd looked at Adelaide and shook her head slowly.
"Leave those decisions to me Addy," she said with an edge in her voice. "I'm responsible to Ethel for Mitzi's welfare and her training. You just tend to your responsibilities and leave Mitzi's welfare to me. I say Nikki comes home with us and that's that. You don't like it, I'll help you pack your stuff. I've made it clear I never wanted you around Mitzi in the first place, so don't start pushing to get your way."
They got into the waiting taxi with Cyd in the middle to keep Adelaide and Nikki apart. The entire trip Adelaide sulked and Nikki looked out the window. No one spoke until the driver pulled up in front of Cyd's Malibu house, stopped, cleared his throat and broke the uneasy silence.
"That'll be four fifty, lady."
While Cyd paid the driver, Adelaide slid out of the cab and started toward the house. Nikki had to scramble to keep up with the long-legged masseuse, then the two of them stood there hip-to-hip until Cyd arrived to unlock the front door. Once inside, Addy strode quickly across the living room, opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside, headed toward the pool house where she lived.
"Just a minute Adelaide," Nikki said as she ran after the big blonde, "I wanna talk to you."
Adelaide spun around and stopped short, forcing Nikki to skitter to a stop. She nearly fell as her heels caught in Cyd's thick, lush carpet. Before the two angry women could come to blows, Cyd stepped between them.
"Look you two, you're both wrought up about the fight right now. Let it go and wait 'til tomorrow to talk. I don't want you two fighting in my house. This stuff isn't all paid for yet."
Grudgingly, Nikki backed off as Adelaide tossed her head insolently, spun on her heel and showed her backside to Nikki as she pranced haughtily around the pool deck toward the pool house where she was living. Nikki angrily threw her purse on the sofa and glared at Cyd who shrugged and walked over to the bar, dropped two ice cubes in a glass and poured herself a Scotch.
"Come on," Cyd said as she gestured with the half-full glass, "I'll put you in Mitzi's room tonight and in the morning we'll decide what I'm going to do with you when she comes home."
"It's OK," Nikki said retrieving her bag, "I'll just move in with Mitzi. Don't put yourself out on my account."
"Uh-uh," Cyd said, clucking her tongue. "I didn't let Adelaide sleep with Mitzi and I'm sure not going to let you either. Besides, if I so much as mention it, Adelaide will throw a fit. I don't want a couple of wildcats clawing and spitting at each other under my roof. You behave yourself and don't antagonize Addy either. You make trouble and you'll answer to me, got it?"
Nikki muttered something Cyd didn't catch, but she let it pass. Cyd opened the door to the guest room and stepped aside to let her by.
"Get to bed and get some sleep. In the morning, we'll go fetch Mitzi, then . . . if you still want to stay, we'll figure out where I'm going to put you up. Maybe I'll have you sleep in the pool house with Addy, at least that way you two can keep an eye on each other. I don't have another guest room and it's damn sure neither of you is bunking in with me."
She closed the door and left Nikki alone with her thoughts. She sat on Mitzi's bed and slowly ran her hand over the sheets, then lay down and buried her face in the pillow, smelling Mitzi's aroma on the cotton bedding. She inhaled deeply and struggled against the tears that welled in her eyes. Then she sat up, wiped her eyes, smoothed her hair, resolutely walked to the door, opened it and walked out toward the pool house where Adelaide was getting ready for bed.
Adelaide was in her bra and panties when Nikki came through the door without knocking. Adelaide smiled and tossed aside the dress she'd just removed. She put her hands on her hips and looked Nikki up and down slowly, her eyes twinkling.
"I guess you couldn't wait 'til morning to do this, huh bitch?"
"Look you," Nikki said, "I'm not waiting for anything. I want you out of here by the time I wake up in the morning."
"Really? And why would I leave? I've got it pretty good here, a roof over my head, three meals, a dry bed and, if you haven't guessed already, a hot body to share it with, plus I don't have to work my ass off like at that damn shelter like I used to for 'Major' Sarah Brown. This is a sweet gig and I'm not giving it up without a fight dearie."
"Cyd wouldn't like it if we fought *dearie*," Nikki said, her voice dripping with venom. "But if that's what it takes, I'll oblige. You should know before we start that I know all about you and Gretchen. It's amazing how much you can learn listening at keyholes and eavesdropping on phone conversations. But then, I suppose you know all about that, seeing as how that's what you've been doing here for the past couple of months."
Adelaide raised an eyebrow and rubbed her hands together to dry the palms which were damp with perspiration.
"You think you know everything? You don't know the half of it. I told Gretchen all about Mitzi's training, everything that dumb bimbo told me at night when I stuck my tongue in her pussy and drove her wild. But it doesn't matter what you know, or think you know. Cyd knows you've been sleeping with the enemy, so to speak. She won't believe anything you tell her about me. And, if you tell Mitzi I was double-crossing her, she'll throw you out on that bony ass of yours so fast your head'll spin. She can't get enough of me. So, if you wanna hang around a while, and if you know what's good for you, you'll keep that sweet little pouty mouth of yours shut and do as I say. Do that, and I'll let you hang around 'til I get tired of you. You make trouble and if Cyd doesn't throw you out, I will."
Nikki was stunned! It hadn't occurred to her that Adelaide might have insinuated herself so far into Cyd and Mitzi's confidence in the last few months that they wouldn't believe her when she told them about her. Still, she had no choice if she wanted to save Mitzi. She took a deep breath and turned toward the door.
"I can't do that," Nikki said. "I've had my fill of doing what I'm told by some bitch. If you aren't going to leave on your own, I'll tell Cyd what you've been up to. She's probably smarter than you think, she knows you aren't what you seem. I think she'll be very interested in the story I have to tell. I got dates and times, she can check her phone bill, sooner or later, she'll see I'm telling the truth."
As Nikki turned to go, Adelaide lunged, grabbed a handful of the hair at the back of her head and yanked the surprised blonde over backward. Nikki's head slammed to the floor with a loud "THUMP." Nikki writhed in pain and held her head in her hands as Adelaide drove her heel deep into Nikki's soft stomach. All the air went out of Nikki's lungs and her body convulsed; her knees lifting up, her head and shoulders snapping forward. Nikki's hands wrapped around her mid-section as the young blonde rolled onto her side, gagging and fighting to get a breath.
"You stupid bitch," Adelaide hissed, "you should have taken my offer. I'm going to enjoy hurting you. I'm really gonna have fun with this tight little body of yours. I haven't done this to anyone for years, I missed the rush I get inflicting pain on a woman."
Adelaide kicked Nikki in the ribs again and again, each impact jarred the slender young woman's body and brought a loud grunt or a pained groan from the groggy blonde. Adelaide giggled happily with each kick. She kicked Nikki twice more and then bend over, wrapped her hands in Nikki's blonde hair and twisted, rolling her over onto her knees and then hauling her up as Nikki yelped in pain and pawed weakly at Adelaide's powerful forearms. Adelaide had developed her strong muscles with years as a masseuse and she knew the parts of a woman's body that gave the most pain (or pleasure) when she applied proper stimulation.
Adelaide dragged Nikki to her feet using a handful of hair, then slammed her fist into the weak-kneed blonde's stomach. Nikki's body shuddered and she staggered, but Adelaide twisted the handful of hair until Nikki's head was bent backward, her wide open eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. She never saw the knee Adelaide drove upward between her quivering thighs.
The impact lifted Nikki's light frame into the air and when she came down she collapsed in a pile at Adelaide's feet. The maniacal masseuse dragged Nikki on her hands and knees across the room and out onto the cement pool deck. Nikki struggled weakly against the bigger woman's power but Adelaide had little trouble forcing Nikki to the edge of the pool where she straddled her back and dropped, flattening Nikki's chest and belly on the rough concrete with her head and shoulders draped over the edge of the pool. Adelaide dug both hands into Nikki's hair and leaned forward, plunging her head underwater!
Nikki flailed her arms, splashing water, and kicked her feet as she struggled in vain to unseat Adelaide and get a breath of air into her burning lungs. But Adelaide was firmly seated and she laughed crazily as she held Nikki's head under the surface of Cyd's swimming pool. Nikki's struggles weakened rapidly as she hadn't been able to get her lungs filled with air before Adelaide tried to drown her.
"That's enough Adelaide. Let her up," Cyd said calmly as she stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the struggling women.
Adelaide kept Nikki's face in the water until Cyd reached her, raised her leg and kicked Adelaide off of Nikki who came up sputtering and coughing. Nikki rolled over on her back and lay at Cyd's feet, red-faced and sputtering. Adelaide sprang to her feet and pointed at Nikki.
"The bitch was sent by Gretchen to spy on us," Adelaide lied before Nikki could catch her breath. "She admitted it to me when I confronted her. We should send her back to Gretchen before she starts trouble with Mitzi."
Adelaide bent over to grab Nikki and pull her to her feet and throw her out, but Cyd shoved Adelaide away and shook her head.
"Not so fast! I was outside and heard the whole conversation. I heard everything she said, and you. Why did you betray Mitzi's trust like that? Giving information to Gretchen to use against her, that's terrible. You're the one who's leaving, and not tomorrow like Nikki wanted, you're leaving tonight. You got 30 minutes to pack your stuff. If you're still here after that, I'll throw you out myself although I'm sure Nikki will give me a hand once she's recovered from your cowardly attack."
"You can't throw me out," Adelaide said bristling. "Mitzi won't stand for it. She'll fire you when she hears about this."
By then, Nikki was sitting up and she ran her hands through her hair to push it back out of her eyes. She started to stand, but Cyd put her hand on her shoulder to keep her on her butt. Cyd never took her eyes from Adelaide who hesitated for a few moments and then her body slumped as if the air had been let out of her. She knew she was beaten, she couldn't beat Cyd and wasn't foolish enough to try. She glared down at Nikki and then walked back to the pool house to gather her belongings. Adelaide held her head high, haughty to the end.
"You haven't heard the last of this," Adelaide growled as Cyd helped Nikki to her feet. "I'm going to get you for this Charisse, and Nikki's just had a little taste of what I can do. Watch your backs girls, I don't forget it when someone double crosses me."
Cyd took Nikki back to the main house and put her to bed in her room, told her to stay there and went back out to the pool to watch Adelaide as she carried her suitcases to the gate where, apparently at her summons, a taxicab waited to take her to Gretchen's - or perhaps back to Major Sarah Brown's mission where she could resume her 'career' as a masseuse. Cyd made sure Adelaide had gone, locked the gate and went back inside to pour herself another Scotch. Then she went to bed.
The light was still on in Mitzi's room when Cyd nodded off, Nikki was struggling with her emotions, trying to think of how to break the news to Mitzi about Adelaide's betrayal and to explain what she'd been doing at Gretchen's in a way that Mitzi could accept.