Tegan was about to retort when a wave of nausea hit. Whoa. How much had she had? Not that many, surely. When was the last time she had drank though? Months? New, more pronounced screams caused Fiona to turn her attention back to Gaz, allowing Tegan to excuse herself.
She stumbled out through an exit and found a balcony overlooking the inside of the arena. She barely made it to the small, fake, cobbled garden before losing the contents of her stomach. She heaved with such force, she sank to her hands and knees. As she coughed and vomited again, her hair was pulled from around her shoulders and held behind her head. She tried to thank Fiona, but the sting of the tears prevented any real words escaping.
The warm caresses across her back really helped calm her. “Thanks, babe. I’m sorry to ruin this. Can you please call me an Uber? I have to get home.”
“You sure you don’t want a doctor? There’s one in the building.”
“No, I... I...” Tegan held her breath, turning slowly at the sound of the voice. The deepness. She held her mouth open but no air escaped. Owen Gasnier was kneeling behind her, slowly letting go of her hair. He had held it while she was being sick. Rubbing her back too.
“Um...”
“Are you sure you’re OK?” he asked.
Tegan’s head was spinning, and she felt like another purge was nearing. “Oh God...”
“Bit heavy on the drink were we?” he asked through a smile.
“No, I... thank you... but I haven’t had much.”
“You don’t sound too bad, maybe it was something you ate?”
Tegan gave a small shake of her head and took a deep breath. “I only had a handful of prawns.”
“From here?”
Tegan nodded as she put her head down, breathing deep.
Gasnier gave a knowing groan. “That’s not good...” He rose and waved to a server through the windows. The server may as well have been doing a sprint trial for the Olympics, such was the speed he got out to Gasnier’s side and then bounced back in and towards the serving tables. “Well, that takes care of that. Now to sort you out.”
“I’m OK, really,” she replied, but even she knew it sounded flimsy. She couldn’t really move right at that moment. “My friend Fiona is just inside...”
“It’ll be awhile before anyone is let out. A few of the fans got rowdy, and a scuffle broke out. Hence, why I had to move aside and why I saw you out here all alone. Security have blocked access and I’m pretty sure the cops have been called. All in all, an eventful but pointless party. Oh well...” Gasnier made to reach out for her but paused, holding his hands out instead. “May I?”
“May you what?”
“I don’t feel right about leaving you out here like this. If it’s food poisoning, I feel it’s partially my fault. So...” He lowered himself to one knee, slid his hands under her, and lifted her into his arms.
The strength with which he held her shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. He carried her down winding steps and into the suite he had obviously occupied an hour before. Where he had dressed, relaxed, and then celebrated his victory. It was also where he could access ice and cold water, which he presented to her after setting her down on a plush leather couch.
“So, tell me about yourself. What can I call you?” he asked, sitting beside her about a foot away.
“Tegan,” she replied, sipping her water, pressing down on the ice pack at her neck. “I work at a coffee house just across the road. I got dragged here tonight by a friend that is completely obsessed with you, by the way. She’ll kill me if I don’t get her an autograph. I hope that’s OK?”
Gasnier gave a silent mini snort through his nose. “After all this, you’re still worried about your friend.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Fiona, right?”
Tegan adjusted her ice pack and nodded. “It would mean the world to her.”
“But not to you, I’m guessing.”
Tegan gave a short shrug. “Fighting isn’t really my thing.”
Gasnier turned so that he faced her, his knee bent to the side and resting on the couch. He was getting comfortable. “Really?” he asked, a look of absolute fascination on his face. “So you knew nothing about...” he said as he ticked things off with his fingers, “me, the first fight in Sydney, any of it?”
Tegan gave a submissive upward turn of her hands. “I thought there was a band named Gasnier playing tonight. The way his whole face lit up when he smiled was infectious and Tegan couldn’t help but return it. “Sorry...”
“No, no. It’s brilliant. I’m really glad you didn’t know who I was. So... what did you think of the night?”
“I have to admit, besides yours, I was bored. And yours was the quickest one.”