Beauty and the Beast - Part 3  "Fight for Equality"
By Beaten Man - Replies to humbled@abeatenman.com 
She must fight to save her man from himself


Chapter 1 - Rhonda

I did as Professor. Oppenhurst requested and contacted Rhonda immediately
after his lecture. With all due respect to the good doctor Ralph was not
exactly what I would call cured.

And Rhonda was a mess. Such a mess that I drove the ninety miles to her home
the moment she hung up the phone. I couldn't believe what she had told me.

Oh their sex life was just fine, the good Doctor had done his job in that
department. That she described to me in more detail than I cared to hear. And
Ralph was happier and more confident than he had ever been just as she
reported to Oppenhurst. But Rhonda certainly was not. And what she was unhappy
about was Ralph.

His confidence was one of the problems. Or maybe the correct word was
overconfidence. From what she described his was now bordering on arrogance. He
still treated her well. He was never abusive with her she said. He remained a
loving and faithful husband to her. But now he was protective to the point of
insanity. If another man even looked at Rhonda, and believe me it's hard not
to, he went nuts and beat the tar out of them, He had become dedicated to the
boxing lessons they had started as a hobby and was training seven days a week.
Even Rhonda who loved exercise and trained daily with him was on the point of
exhaustion. He had gained twenty pounds of muscle in the year since Jake cold
cocked him and was competing as a heavyweight and every fight he won just
increased his confidence to try ever larger opponents. She was afraid that
eventually he would be hurt. But the confidence, boxing zealotry and the
jealousy weren't what was really eating Rhonda up. They just added to her
anxiety.

The real problem was in how their relationship was changing. Theirs had been
an equal partnership since the day they met. He wasn't the lord and master and
she was not the queen bee. They had always treated each other with respect and
dignity. Ralph was now treating her like a child. He made all the decisions,
even told her what to wear or what not to wear. Not in a nasty way but in a
way that made her feel as though he no longer felt her capable of even making
the smallest of decisions. If she was better at something than him, like
tennis for instance, he would just give it up. He didn't make her give it up,
he just wouldn't do it himself and act as if it was beneath him. And if Ralph
wouldn't do something Rhonda wouldn't either. She couldn't bear to take the
time away from him Ralph knew that. And it wasn't just things that Rhonda was
better at. He wouldn't do things that anybody was better at. They had started
taking Judo lessons. He didn't do well right away and quit. She of course quit
too, even though she enjoyed the classes and had made friends amongst the
other students. Worst of all was that she feared his new attitude,...

No, feared isn't the right word. That she KNEW his new attitude would
eventually lead him to ruin. Over confidence and arrogance will every time.
And that knowledge tore at her heart like a dagger.

Her love of Ralph, as did his for her, ran deep. He was her life.

Rhonda was upset. I was just pissed. I have always considered her not only one
of the most beautiful females I had ever met, but also about the noblest. She
was more woman than any other

I knew. I had felt that way when I first met her when she was a sixteen year
old kid in my neighborhood and I still feel that way about her twenty years
later.

I know what your thinking out there. That I loved her and was on my way to
claim her. Wrong.

Oh I love her all right, but I had never been jealous of Ralph. He was kind
and compassionate and caring. Just what a woman like Rhonda deserves. I
couldn't have been happier when she met him and found what she wanted. I was
pissed at Ralph for taking that away from her. For making her unhappy now. I
was going there to make things right between them.

When I arrived Rhonda was waiting for me out front. Except for the mask of
concern that she wore on her face she looked more beautiful than ever. She had
put on about ten more pounds of muscle since I had seen her last, probably as
a result of training with Ralph, making her incredible body almost astounding
in its perfection. I was almost speechless as we hugged hello. No matter how
many times I have seen her she has always taken my breath away. This time was
no different.

Her thick shoulder length jet black hair frames a face that Cleopatra would be
jealous of. In fact given her dark tan and exotic facial features .she always
was reminiscent of the goddesses of Egypt. She manages to be hard and muscular
yet at the same time completely feminine. Her figure couldn't have been lusher
or more womanly. Ralph is one lucky SOB.

We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes and then Rhonda launched back into
the problems we had discussed earlier on the phone. The more she talked the
more apparent her anguish became. Watching her beautiful face become ever more
pain stricken made me feel almost desperate to help her in some way.

I suggested she confront Ralph with her concerns. She said she had tried that
repeatedly and each time she did he simply brushed off her complaints the way
a stern father might chide his eight year old daughter if she attempted to
correct him about his drinking or smoking habits. He would either laugh at her
complaints about his treatment of her or become irritated if she expressed
concern for his well being fighting ever larger opponents. He dismissed his
jealous attacks on other men who looked at Rhonda as his duty to protect her
honor. He saw her attitude as the problem rather than his own.

She herself was becoming increasingly desperate. Ralphs condition, as she put
it, was deteriorating daily. The longer his behaviour went unchecked the
greater his arrogance became. She was now afraid to go anywhere with Ralph for
fear that he would beat up some poor bystander in a jealous rage. She had not
left the house in days. The last time she did Ralph had beaten up a busboy he
accused of looking down her dress. The kind and gentle man she so loved was
becoming more and more of a distant memory.

Naturally, I then suggested she bring Ralph to professor Oppenhurst for
further treatment. She told me that was the first thing she had thought of but
when she approached Ralph with the idea he had told her that he would no
longer allow himself to be manupilated by anybody. The therapy had done its
trick and he was more than satisfied with the man he had become. She had
purposely withheld her concerns from Oppenhurst because Ralph had forbidden
her to do so. That discussion was in fact the first time she was made aware of
Ralphs changing attitude towards her. He wouldn't discuss it, he simply
forbade it.

Then I suggested that she leave him until he came to his senses. She was
sickened by even the suggestion and told me she wouldn't live even one day
without the man she adored. He was her life and she would rather be miserable
than without him.

I had one last suggestion. Challenge him I said. Challenge him physically and
prove to him that he is not superman. Make him see reason. Physical therapy
had worked before and I reasoned it would again. Rhonda would have to force
him to accept her as his equal or she would have to accept the new realities
of their relationship. It would do no good for me or some other opponent to
beat him. He would simply redouble his efforts to "improve" himself so that he
could then beat them. The problem was not Ralphs feeling of superiority over
other men. Everyone knows there is always someone better. The problem was his
refusal to see his wife as his equal. Only his wife could convince him
otherwise. As risky as it was to Rhonda, I could see no other way out of the
dilemma

Rhonda did not greet my suggestion with .enthusiasm. She had a laundry list of
concerns. How could she strike the love of her life? And if she could he
probably wouldn't fight back. She was the love of his life too. He would never
accept the challenge. He would laugh at the idea and pat her on the head like
some sort of foolish child. He had grown too strong and too skillful. She
would lose, and if she lost she would be reinforcing his superiority. How
could she ever even approach him with such a challenge? The list went on and
on.

One by one I patiently addressed her list. Concerned parents strike their
children who they adore. It's necessary to make the impression last. She could
do the same for Ralph. He would fight back. He would not want to to appear
weak in her eyes. He too would be the concerned parent driving home the
lesson. He would accept the challenge because I would see to it that he did.
As for his skill and musculature, I pointed out that she too was now stronger
and had gained skilll right alongside Ralph. And if she did lose, as she
thought likely, how would that make things worse. He was already treating her
as an inferior. He might at least be made to realize that she could take care
of herself the next time someone glanced at her tits. All she risked was a
bloody nose, a small price to pay for a chance at happiness.

When I was finished her arguments were reduced to one How would I convince
Ralph to accept the challenge? How could I get him to even listen without
enraging him or even worse instilling him with jealousy over my very presence?
I reminded her of my own background and assured her that our conversation
would be "rational and civilized". I would convince him based on the love for
her that I knew was in Ralphs heart. We would discuss the matter man to man as
old friends and Ralph would accept if for no other reason than to prove to her
he loved her.

She began to sob then as she realized that I was right and that she had no
choice. She had probably thought of the same thing herself at some point over
the last few weeks. She agreed through her tears. She would fight her man.

As much as I would have loved to stand there and console her there were things
that needed to be done before Ralph got home. I suggested that she get some
rest while she had a few minutes as I made the preparations. When Ralph was
ready I would come for her. She went upstairs to lie down and I busied myself
preparing for their marital main event.

I went out back to their yard where they had a volley ball pit and lowered the
net so that half the sandy pit could be used as the arena with the net serving
as "ring ropes" on the one side.

Using some rope I marked off a three foot line in the center of the portion of
the pit that was to be used I retrieved two pair of six ounce gloves, some
wraps, two headgear and two mouthpieces from the storage shed where Rhonda had
told me they kept their equipment and laid them aside.

I got a set of black trunks for Ralph and a white pair with matching sports
bra for Rhonda from their laundry room and laid those on the kitchen table.
Finally I brought from my car trunk a black and a white karate belt and laid
them by the gloves. I then went back into the house for the most important
preparation. Figuring out how to handle Ralph. I had made a great argument to
Rhonda, now I'd better think of a way to make good on my promises.

When I decided I took off my shoes and sat in the kitchen anxiously awaiting
Ralph.

Chapter 2 - Ralph

He didn't keep me waiting long, within a half hour I heard his car pull into
the drive. A few seconds later I heard the front door open and him calling out
to Rhonda wanting to know whose car was in their driveway. I shouted out
"hello Ralph it's John. I'm in the kitchen" . Two seconds later he was in the
doorway staring at me.

As soon as I saw him I could see the difference in him. Where he had been of
average build the last time I had seen him now he was broader at the shoulder
with a much thicker chest and more muscular arms. There were other changes .
Ralph had always kept his hair very short and wore glasses. His dark hair was
now down over his ears and was combed straight back rather than neatly parted.
The glasses were gone and he was, I assumed, wearing contacts. He had once
looked bookish and scholarly with a gentle expression on his face , now he
looked vaguely rough. His eyes narrowed as he eyed me suspiciously. He did not
greet me as you would expect someone to greet an old friend that he had not
seen in almost two years.

What are you doing here and where's my wife he demanded from the doorway. I
informed him that it was nice to see him too and that Rhonda was upstairs
resting. I told him I was there because I was concerned for Rhonda and I was
concerned for Rhonda because she was concerned for him and he was making her
unhappy. I said all this as pleasantly as possible considering I was in his
home preparing to interfere in his life. Getting involved in the marital
problems of others, even life long friends, is touchy business at best.

Not that it's any of your business, but whats the problem with my wife he
demanded. I explained to him as Rhonda had to me exactly what was troubling
her. How she feared for his safety and more than that how she feared that
their relationship was changing in ways that saddened her Nothing, I'm sure
that he already wasn't aware of. He did not look happy as I spoke but he
remained silent.

That changed when I began explaining how Rhonda felt the only thing she could
do to restore equality in their relationship and make him see the light was to
challenge him herself physically.

When I told him she was willing to fight him for his own good he exploded in
anger and told me I was crazy to even suggest such a thing. That he was not
about to beat up his wife to please her or me and that I would need to leave
immediately.

I told him I wasn't going anywhere until I had finished speaking my piece. I
was there as a friend to him as well as Rhonda and he needed to hear me out. I
told him he had nothing to fear from me.

and that I had his best wishes at heart every bit as much as Rhondas. Thats
when he came charging across the room at me. I rose and placed my left heel
just beneath his chin, against his adams apple, as he got near me. I reminded
him that though I was 10 years older than him and though I didn't have twenty
pounds of freshly minted muscle on me and though I hadn't just completed six
whole months of boxing training I was still a third degree black belt in Go
Shu Ru Karate. I told him if he didn't want to fight his next boxing match
with his head pointing in the wrong direction while wearing a bra to support
his balls he would need to calm down so we could discuss the matter as
gentlemen.. He didn't look happy but he did back off.

Believe me, I was quite happy he did as the pain in my other leg was already
reminding me that tomorrow I would be limping with a pulled groin muscle and I
wasn't a kid anymore. I had no doubt that without the use of my legs he would
have more than likely mopped the kitchen floor with me - and my belt.

He did, however, have arguments. According to Ralph he was giving Rhonda what
every woman wanted, a strong aggressive man that could take care of her no
matter what. She would never have to worry again about being attacked by some
savage bully. She would never have to watch him being attacked by one either.
He was, in short, now the man that she really wanted even if she didn't know
it.

I reminded Ralph that they had been quite happy for fifteen years in a
relationship that didn't feature an aggressive thug. Why was was one incident
with a lunatic bully suddenly more important to him than a lifetime of other
experiences that had served to fortify and strengthen their relationship? Was
it Rhonda who was benefitting or was it Ralph?

As he chewed on that sentiment I told him Rhonda had chosen him above all
others because with him she had found the man that would give her the
partnership that was required for a long and stable relationship together. She
could have had a million tough guys if protection was what she wanted.
Equality was not based on who is the stronger it is based on mutual respect.
The best fighter in the world respects the guy he just beat even though he
might be stronger. And love isn't demonstrated by satisfying your own needs,
it's demonstrated by satisfying the needs of the one you purport to love. You
don't decide what that need is - they do.

His argument then shifted to the unfairness of a contest between them. How he
was so much stronger than her and so much more skillful that she wouldn't
stand a chance. Her effort would just be futile theatrics and how he loved her
too much to hit her. He didn't realize it at the time but he was demonstrating
the very point of Rhondas principal anguish. He no longer respected her as his
equal. He thought of her as inferior and therefore treated her as inferior.

As we debated his demeanor softened and he was becomming less beligerent. I
could tell that my words regarding their relationship were finding the old
Ralph who was still somewhere inside this new head strong one so I pushed on.
I began by explaining to him that Rhonda didn't care about winning or losing
some stupid match. What Rhonda cared about was regaining his respect. She
didn't feel she needed to beat him to do so, A losing effort that at least
demonstrated she was worthy of being given a chance, in her mind, accomplished
that. She wanted the chance to prove to him that being the next heavyweight
champ wasn't necessary in order to be respected by the current one. She wanted
him to demonstrate the fact that he at least contemplated the idea that she
was worthy enough to be given her shot at the title.

I know, lots.of metaphors and cliches but I didn't have professor Oppenhursts
command of language. Only his desire to manipulate. I mean help.

Since he had stopped arguing and was listening I took that as wavering and
decided to keep hammering. I went on about how the man she loved had never
worried about how she saw him in her eyes. He knew that she was comfortable
with him because he was comfortable with himself.

She was convinced that the man she loved had no fear of competition with her
because winning or losing meant nothing. If he won at canasta we was a better
card player. If he lost at tennis she was a better tennis player. It was as
simple as that. A contest only resulted in proving who was better at a
particular event. Nothing else. The idea of dominant or inferior never entered
into the equation. Not in his mind and not in hers. The man that Rhonda
married wasn't inferior to anyone that bested him at anything and wasn't
superior to anyone who didn't. He never even thought of such things. They were
equal partners and loved each other because they were. And they treated each
other accordingly.

I also told him it was time for both of them to stop worrying about his
fragile ego and start worrying about hers.

Ralph surprised me then and asked how he could demonstrate to Rhonda that that
he did respect her and considered her his partner. I gave him two choices.

1. Go upstairs and get down on his bended knee and tell her that he had been a
fool and then prove it to her by changing his behaviour. I told him if he was
man enough to do it and truly felt that she was as strong as he was that would
work. But if he only said it to placate her today and didn't really feel she
was at least his equal his later actions would betray the sentiment and he
would then have lied to her and further lowered his stock in her eyes.

2. Put on the gloves and allow her to try and prove to him that she was. Win
or loss at least he wouldn't be bullshitting her. He would have to live with
and accept the outcome. Hopefully he was neither to arrogant to be gracious in
victory nor too fragile to be secure in defeat.

Ralph picked up his trunks from the kitchen table and asked if I would help
him put the wraps on his hands.

Chapter 3 - The Rules of Engagement

As I limped up the stairs bringing Rhonda her fighting outfit and the word of
Ralphs acceptance of her challenge I thought of what the logical outcome of
this match should be. Ralph was the larger and heavier muscled of the two and
Rhonda the quicker and more naturally athletic. Since they both had the same
amount of training that shouldn't be a factor. Ralph by virtue of his
competition over the last six months would be match experienced and hardened
towards the effect of blows. Rhonda, on the other hand, had shown the ability
to take punishment. I was sure a man Jakes size had to hit hard. This was a
fight between a cruiserweight and a small heavyweight. Male and female had no
place in my equation I shared neither Ralphs opinion that he would be
overwhelmingly better nor Rhondas that she would be no match for him. If I was
a betting man I would have made Ralph the 7 to 5 favorite. But odds mean
nothing. My final opinion was that the match would be decided by endurance and
the will to win. I genuinely hoped for a draw. That way they would both win. I
hoped for a draw, I wasn't optimistic that there would be one.

When I reached their bedroom Rhonda was sleeping on top of the linens.
Watching her rest peacefully in her modest teddy it was almost impossible to
picture her downstairs in a sandy pit trading punches with Ralph. She looked
so totally feminine and innocent laying there. Her glorious chest rose and
fell slowly as she slumbered, her partially opened mouth formed almost a heart
as she gently breathed. Only the sharp definition of her biceps above her bent
elbows gave any indication at all of the strength I knew she possessed. I
shook off the sudden urge to lay down beside her and instead tapped her foot
to awaken her. As she shook off the sleep I informed her that Ralph was
downstairs waiting and her challenge had been accepted. She was silent as she
accepted her fighting wear.

While she was in the bathroom changing I talked to her through the closed
door. I wanted to be fair and I am not a total prick so I told her that Ralph
had expressed deep sorrow for any pain he was causing her and would have
prefered that they resolve their problems in some other manner. I told her
that he loved her and did not want to hurt her, that he only accepted the
challenge out of a sense of fair play.

I also told her that he had expressed the opinion that he was too skilled and
too strong for her to stand a chance. I said I wasn't a total prick. I never
said I wasn't a manipulative one.

When she emerged from the bathroom the change she had undergone was startling.
Gone was the softness of sleeping beauty. Instead standing barefoot in front
of me was the quintessential amazon warrior. She had pulled her thick black
hair into a ponytail and removed her make up. Her six paxk abs stood out flush
above the waist of her white trunks clearly defined and as solid looking as
granite. Her proud breasts were barely restrained by the white sports bra as
her already stiffened nipples pushed the cotton fiber to its limit. Her
shoulders were wide, straight and square, The arms that hung loosely by her
side showed the musculature that only untold thousands of pushups and curls
can attain. Her legs were long and smooth. The thighs and calf each clearly
defined and looking hard as diamond. For the first time all day I no longer
envied Ralph. Win or lose this fabulous creature would give him a definite run
for his money. She spoke the first words since

I had awakened her. " I'm ready, let's go".

We joined Ralph out back in the volleyball pit turned battle ground. He was
prepared for battle except for his gloves and the belt which I had not yet
explained. He appeared more than a match for his amazonian wife. I had noticed
the change in his body the moment I saw him in the kitchen but I was not
prepared for how extensive that change would be once he had removed his shirt
and donned his black trunks. He may have only gained twenty pounds in the past
year but he must have lost another twenty pounds of fat that was also replaced
by muscle. His shoulder and back muscles stood out and were clearly defined.
His legs bulged at the thigh and his calfs were twice as big as I remembered.
His waist had shrunk by a good four inches and the ab muscles were each
pronounced. His chest was almost as big as Rhondas and his arms were thick
with vein decorated muscle. It was no wonder he had become so confident. I
raised my mental odds to

eight to five..

As I wrapped Rhondas hands I explained the rules of engagement and why I had
chosen the equipment that I had. To protect their faces each would wear padded
head gear that would help protect their faces and chins. To compensate for the
facial padding they would wear the lightly padded six ounce gloves which were
just enough to protect their hands. The shock of the head blows would be
absorbed by the headgear and then distributed to the neck and on down to the
legs. There would be no rounds and no rest periods. The fighters would begin
facing each other at the scratch line which I had created with the length of
rope in the middle of the pit. If a fighter was knocked down the other fighter
must return to the scratch line and the fighter knocked down would then have
one minute to either surrender or return and face his or her opponent at the
scratch line.

Both would wear the belts I had laid out. Ralph the white and Rhonda the
black. The fight was over when one fighter wore both belts. A fighter might
either surrender the belt to indicate they had quit or if they had been
knocked down the other fighter could claim it from their knocked down opponent
during the sixty seconds. It was up to the fighter on the ground to protect
the belt if they wished to continue. All the normal rules of boxing applied.
That is only fists were to be used and no hitting below the belt. They would
have to fight their own way out of clinches and there was no time limit.

My sole function was as time keeper after a knockdown. There would be no
referee. They were on their own once I said go. What went on in the pit was
strictly between them.

I assisted each of them with their gloves, belts and mouthpieces and asked if
their were any questions or concerns. When neither spoke I indicated that they
should face each other across the scratch line and get their hands up. Rhonda
put her arms around Ralphs neck and whispered through her mouthpiece that she
loved him. She then walked to the line and assumed a fighting stance. Ralph
followed and assumed his..

I wished them both luck and said go.

Chapter 4 - Battle in the Sand

It was hot and muggy, typical south Florida weather. The threat of a late
afternoon thunderstorm was apparent as heavy black clouds hung just below the
gray sky. The back yard was screened from the view of neighbors by large ficus
hedges that ran down both sides of the property. At the rear was a large lake
that had a wooded field on the opposite bank. Their house itself screened the
backyard from the street. There was only me standing well off to the side of
the pit to witness this spartan version of a lovers quarrel as it unfolded in
the sweltering heat.

The moment I saw Ralph I had regretted the choice I had made for both the type
of match and the glove padding. The headgear I had chosen was to protect both
of them from injury and to make them less reluctant to fight. I had chosen the
lightly padded gloves because I had always thought of Rhonda as the stronger
of the two and had assumed she would punch harder and have the harder body. I
had chosen the pit match with the surrender of ones colors ending the match
because I thought Rhonda would knock him down and he would not interfere with
her removing his belt. I did all that expecting the Ralph I had known for so
many years. The man facing Rhonda was not him.

This was a big, hard strong looking fighter who had displayed a great deal of
pride and more than a bit of stubborness. I had tried to stack the odds in
Rhondas favor and now I was afraid that I might have done the opposite.

At first they simply circled one another with their hands held ready at the
sides of their headgear and their elbows tucked in. By their stances I could
tell they were each well trained. By their initial lack of action I could tell
that they were each loathe to strike the other first. I knew soon someone
would strike and that once the punches started to exchange back and forth they
would quickly lose their fear of hurting one another as the competitive juices
and the adrenalin kicked in.

Rhonda struck first with a couple of lazy jabs that seemed aimed for Ralphs
gloves. He slipped the second jab and and fired his own left to her stomach
and went up top with his right which landed high on her headgear. Rhonda
returned the right hand and they continued circling now exchanging jabs. Both
fighters were bouncing as the moved around and each was moving their head from
side to side. The head motion made them appear like two Egyptian dancers
circling

Ralph went up on his toes and began to dance in and out peppering Rhonda with
jabs. As she began to follow him as he moved out he suddenly began circling
again continuing to dance and jab;

Now she was more or less pivoting in a tight circle as Ralph danced around
her. After about the third rotation he suddenly fired a hard right to her jaw
and then followed with the left. Rhonda backed off and Ralph stepped in
landing a big upper cut as he did. That turned her face skyward and his follow
up left right to the stomach and face landed her on her delicous backside.
Ralph reached down for Rhondas belt and was rewarded by a slapped glove and a
punch in the stomach from the seated Rhonda. He shrugged his shoulders and
returned to the scratch line followed closely by an annoyed looking Rhonda.

As soon as they were facing each other the action picked up again. As Ralph
went up on his toes and began to dance in behind his jab Rhonda crouched and
lunged under the jab and buried her head in his chest. She began firing lefts
and rights into Ralphs stomach driving him backwards.

After driving him back about five feet she suddenly stopped moving forward and
straightened up. As she drew her head back she fired a tremendous right to
Ralphs face which sent him stumbling to the ground. The shocked look on his
face was priceless as he fell back. She too reached for his belt as he lay on
his back. She managed to get both gloves on the knot but could not manipulate
it with the clumsy gloves. Within a few seconds Ralph sat upright and shoved
her away sending her toppling over. They both scrambled to their feet and
began walking back towards the scratch line.

Observing first Ralph and then Rhonda attempting to untie the belts I realized
two crucial errors I had made in choosing the equipment and the type of
contest. In the first place there was no way either of them would be able to
remove the others belt with their hands encased in gloves. The match was a
throwback to the early days of boxing and was designed for barefisted boxers.
I had not considered that when I selected the match. I was only thinking of a
way to end the fight quickly as I assumed they would each not want to quit on
their own. In choosing the light gloves I was trying to make it easier for one
or the other to gain a quick knockdown. What I had instead done was place them
in a position where the only way for the match to end, barring a knock out,
was by surrender. Given the chin padding beneath the headgear a knockout was
highly unlikely unless a fighter had already absorbed considerable punishment.
I was beginning to feel like a first class moron.

And something else was nagging at my mind. Their actual motives. From the
eagerness both had shown to gain a quick victory it was obvious they were not
doing this just as a competition to establish equality. They each wanted to
win the match outright. In Ralphs case it was easy to figure out. He was a
suddenly converted alpha male and wanted to demonstrate to his wife that
despite her besting of Jake she was second fiddle to him. And he also wanted
to beat the fighter that beat him to prove he was better than originally shown
when Jake knocked him out. Yes, Ralph was easy. Rhonda was bit more difficult
to figure.

More difficult, but not impossible. If all she wanted to do was gain Ralphs
respect in order to regain parity in Ralphs mind simply knocking him down and
fighting him to a virtual tie through ten minutes of boxing should have
sufficed. She had wanted an outright victory. There was something else she
wanted to prove. She had claimed to me that her principal concern was the
change in their relationship. She had also repeated that his aggression
towards others and the fact that he would eventually be hurt in a match were
concerns, but secondary to the relationship one. She had not been truthful and
I should have seen it. Rhonda loved Ralph too deeply to put concerns with her
own problems above her concerns for his safety, She wanted to make it evident
to him that he could be beaten and wasn't so tough hoping that would make him
reconsider his desire to fight.

And one more thing I realized. There was a reason Rhonda contacted me to
unburden her problems on. I was the one person she knew well that had the
ability to not only take Ralph down a peg but do it quickly and in a way that
would not cause him permanent damage. She knew how I felt about her and knew I
would come immediately if I thought she needed me. Rhonda, it seems, was not
above using her feminine wiles to save her husband from himself. She just
hadn't counted on my making such a convincing argument regarding the futility
of having someone else besides her best Ralph. Even her initial contact that
resulted in my publishing her account of the episode with Jake was simply an
attempt to get my attention. She and Ralph were already finished with their
treatments with Oppenhurst by the time she did that. Ralphs behavior must have
already been causing her concerns.

The manipulative prick had been out manipulated. Next time I 'll leave the
psychotherapy to Professor Oppenhurst.

All this went on in my mind in the minute it took for Ralph and Rhonda to get
back to the scratch line and square off. As I came out of my reverie they were
once again trading punches in the sandy pit. This time there was no dancing or
wasted movements They were both flat footed and exchanging blows alternating
between the body and head of each. These punches were hard and straight and
coming at a blistering pace. Now they resembled two piston engines as they
each fired away disdaining any defense or strategy. The effects of the Florida
heat was showing up in the form of buckets of sweat that was not only dripping
from them both but also spraying outward as each punch landed.

Occassionaly one would cover up momentarily and the other would press forward
driving the covering fighter back. Then their positions would be reversed as
the covering fighter began firing back and drove backward the former
aggressor. Then the even exchange would begin all over again. Skill and power
were not factors in this fight. It was now a slugfest reminicent of a barroom
brawl. I had been right about one thing. The outcome of the match would be
determined by stamina and desire. I dropped my mental odds to even. I had long
ago stopped even hoping for a draw.

The barroom brawl had been going on for about fifteen minutes which put them
at 25 straight minutes of fighting when the third knock down occured. As
Rhonda covered up during one of Ralphs occassional drives forward she was sent
stumblig backward and landed flat on her back as the reult of a powerful
uppercut thrown by her husband. Again Ralph began fumbling at her knotted
belt. Rhonda kicked and punched at him from the ground furiously driving him
off. He returned to the scratch line and after a half a minute Rhonda rose
unsteadily and stumbled after him to the opposite side of the line. Ralph
wearily raised his fists as did Rhonda and the brawl was underway again.

This time Rhonda weaved as Ralph punched at her head and concentrated her fire
power on his stomach. She pounded his mid section relentlessly for a good five
minutes as she avoided as many of his head shots as she could. Ralph attempted
to clinch and instead sank to his knees as his grasping arms slipped down
around Rhondas waist Rhonda reached under his arms and began struggling with
his belt. She was off balance and fell or was pulled down on top of Ralph.
They began rolling around in the sand clutching at each other and
occassionally punching to each others sides as they rolled.

In spite of my promise to simply watch and not be a referee after a minute I
couldn't be a silent witness any longer. I limped over to them and after a few
seconds managed to pull them apart.

Grasping each by an arm I pulled them to their feet and stood between them.

Haven't you had enough?. Hasn't this gone on long enough? Haven't you each
proved your point yet I asked. They stood on either side of me staring into
each others eyes. Neither said anything and I doubt if either of them even
heard a word I was saying. They just glared at one another. They were totally
fixated on each other and there was no one else in their private little world.
I contented myself with the thought that they were now behaving as they might
have a year ago contesting a tennis match or game of chess. The contest had to
be resolved so that they could move on to the next competition between them.
The next hobby they shared. The outcome only important so that they could move
on.

I led them back to the starting line and they squared off once again. From
their heavy breathing and the sheer volume of perspiration on both their
bodies I knew the contest must soon end. The punishing fight was taking its
toll on both Ralph and Rhonda. Either Rhonda would surrender her desire to
protect Ralph from himself and content herself with her good showing or Ralph
would surrender his new found alpha status and content himself with his
demonstration of competitiveness in a losing effort. Either way the physical
battle that was a test of wills was entering its final stages.

That was my new hope replacing my lost dream of a draw. My mental odds had
dropped Ralph to a 4 to 5 underdog.

As they again began fighting their limited boxing experience was starting to
show. Their guards were too low and the head shots sailed in over them. Their
eagerness to punch left their stomachs unguarded. Neither one remembered to
bob, weave or dance. They simply attacked. The punches were different now too.
Where as in the beginning the blows were sharp from their hand speed they were
now thudding in driven mostly by arm strength. The thudding blows were not
quick enough to cause a knockdown, only to cause pain. Neither went down and
afforded themself a brief rest.

Back and forth the battle raged. Rhonda would knock Ralph back with an
overhand right or uppercut and he would stagger back and punish her with a
combination that would send her stumbling backwards only to return to him
firing punches once again. They clubbed each other like this for what must
have been at least fifteen minutes. They had now been punishing each others
bodies for close to an hour with no rest and no water. Even the perspiration
was beginning to dry up in spite of the sweltering humidity. If this private
war did not end soon dehydration would claim them both.

After what to me seemed an eternity Rhonda had been driven back to the net
from Ralphs most recent combination. As he shakily advanced on her she fired
back a hard right to his solar plexus which stopped him in his tracks. She
followed with a left right combination over his dropping guard and he stumbled
back towards the center line. She stepped in close and landed another
downstairs upstairs combination which send him all the way back to the scratch
line with his arms at his sides. As he stood swaying she stepped in even
closer, so close her breasts touched his chest, and fired a tremendous
underhand right into his unguarded stomach. Ralph ptched forward and sank
towards his knees as his legs buckled beneath him. As he dropped he grabbed
Rhonda around her shoulders for support. she instinctively put her arms about
him underneath his. He was now laying on her with his head resting on her
breasts. As she supported him.he desperately shuffled his feet beneath his
buckled legs attemting to right himself. As he woozily regained his footing
Rhonda released him, stepped back, and brought up a right uppercut which
started from her knees and landed flush to Ralphs chin. He dropped straight
back and lay flat on his back at his wifes feet.

After a moment Rhonda bent over the barely concious Ralph and began fumbling
with his belt knot in a desire to claim her victory. I yelled for her to take
off the gloves but she simply continued fumbling, deaf to my pleas. After a
few moments she stopped the effort and simply stood over Ralph and yelled for
him to quit and give her the belt.

Ralph began to shake his head and clear the cobwebs. As his senses returned,
rather than attempting to stand, he tore off his gloves and began fumbling
with his belt knot as he looked up at Rhonda. When he had removed his belt he
held it out to her signalling his surrender. The long match was ended. Rhonda
had won.

Instead of grabbing the belt from him she took his offered hand and helped him
to his feet. When he was able to stand she raised her gloved fists above her
head as Ralph himself tied the belt around his wifes waist. When the belt was
secure about her he helped her remove her gloves and the two embraced. As they
hugged each other tight they desperately tried to kiss through their headgear
and around the mouthpieces.

Their struggle to find each others lips awoke me from the hypnotic trance the
matches dramatic ending had left me in. I went to their side and removed their
headgear and mouthpieces as they remained locked in one anothers arms
oblivious to my presence. When I had freed them and their lips could finally
meet they kissed each other, first tenderly and then ever more passionately.

They sank together to the sandy ground and lay locked together for almost
fifteen minutes as I pretended to be interested in the trees on the other side
of the lake.

When they were able to they helped each other back to the house as I remained
outside for a few more minutes putting away the equipment and fixing the net.
The memory of the victorious Rhonda standing above her vanquished husband
played over and over in my mind as I worked.

When I was finished I followed them into the house.

Chapter 5 - That's Life in the Big City

I found Rhonda and Ralph sitting side by side on the sofa in the den still in
their battle attire. The hand wraps lay strewn at their feet as though they
had hurriedly removed them and thrown them aside so they could run their hands
over each others body. Their heads were laying against the sofa back and their
arms were intertwined supporting one anothers head. Their eyes were shut and
they were both breathing deeply, this time from arousal rather than
exhaustion. They each had a bottle of water and slight perspiration was again
present on their faces and bodies. I had no doubt that when their strength
returned and they rested there would be another, more intimate match in their
household that evening.

Despite the protective head gear both their faces showed the marks of battle.
There were bruises on their faces and both had bloodied noses. They would each
have blackened eyes tomorrow and Rhondas nose would require professional
attention as would Ralphs swollen left eye. Their bodies were covered in
technocolor bruises and angry red welts. In spite of her battered appearance
the sleeping beauty quality had returned to Rhondas face. Ralphs face too had
a much more relaxed and gentle expression, much different then the hard set I
had noticed when he first arrived. I made a mental note to call him and
suggest he keep the longer hair and contacts. They no longer made him appear
thuggish, only less bookish and more handsome. Rhonda deserved a handsome man.

Why shouldn't the man she loved have an appearance worthy of such a fabulous
woman?

I offered to take them to the hospital to have their wounds addressed but they
declined and assured me they would go in the morning. Then we talked for a
while about old times and what was new in my life or theirs. We talked about
the weather and politics. We talked of old times and old friends. We talked
about everything except the recently concluded battle. The fight was never
mentioned other than my hospital offer , We just chit chatted as old friends
will after a period of absence.

As the hour grew later I made preperations to leave. Ralph took me aside and
thanked me for my concern and for helping him to see what his, as he called
it, foolish pride was doing to his relationship with Rhonda. He told me he
understood my feelings for his wife and appreciated that she had someone
besides just him that she could rely on. We shook hands and Ralph left me with
Rhonda to say our goodbyes.

Rhonda put her arms around my neck and hugged her cheek to mine. I tried
pulling away, afraid that I would betray my feelings, suddenly not trusting
myself to be so close to her. She pulled me tighter and told me to stop being
foolish. She told me that she knew I loved her and that she knew

I loved her too deeply to allow myself to show it. That she knew that my
happiness in her choice of Ralph was because I wanted her to have what I felt
she deserved. She told me she had known it for fifteen years.

We stood with her hugging me for a few minutes as she whispered her thanks for
my help. She told me how sorry she was for using my feelings for her to
manuver me into helping her help Ralph regain his inner compass. I told her I
was glad that she had. She offered her lips to kiss me good night. I turned my
head and she instead lightly brushed my cheeek and said goodnight as she
released me. I watched her hurry up the stairs to once again engage the man
she so loved.

When she was out of sight I closed the door and left.

I drove the hundred or so miles back to my home on Floridas west coast under a
jet black sky totally lost in my thoughts. It was hard for me to believe that
it was only this morning that I had left for Miami to attend Professor
Oppenhursts lecture.

I thought of his somewhat pompous lecture to his class and how pleased with
himself he had been. He had made so many good points and had done such a
magnificent job in curing their sexual disfunction and restoring Rhondas
equilibrium. I just couldn't help wondering that if he would have just left
them alone to have a non manipulated deciding fifth fall, and not been in such
a rush to see them screwing, if todays bout couldn't have been avoided.

I made a mental note to call the good doctor and see if he wouldn't like to
tackle my problems next and perhaps make the cure for unrequited love his next
lecture subject.

I even thought about Jake Hubbard. I wondered if somewhere in hell there was a
battered brute with ruined face and a broken spine that was aware of what his
actions had nearly done to one of the most truly beautiful love affairs God
ever created in his wisdom. I wondered if perhaps the fires might not be
turned up just a bit for his benefit.

But most of all I thought of the magnificent Rhonda and how valiently she had
fought to save her man from himself. How beautiful her bloodied face and
bruised body had looked as she stood victorious over her beaten but worthy
mate. I realized that I who had been a lifelong bachelor would now never even
considering marrying.

Where could I ever hope to find a woman that could compete with my thoughts of
her.

But that's life in the big city.

THE END

Authors Note: Though each of the three parts of the beauty and the beast
trilogy are seperate stories told in seperate narrative styles from differing
characters and can be read individually the entire story does not make sense
unless all three parts are read.

Part one is available at http://www.thevalkyrie.com/stories/1misc21/beauty.txt

Part two is available at
http://www.thevalkyrie.com/stories/1misc21/beauty02.txt