The Way To A Woman's Heart... (For Alexandra)

Perfect. Everything had to be perfect.

Getting rid of Army was the first thing, but the hardest thing. He was an avid Friction watcher and a big fan of Angel himself, so when Carmen told him that the Champion would be visiting, he naturally wanted to stick around, probably interested in thing she wouldn't have any interest in giving him. It took a lot of cajoling, but Carmen finally managed to get him to leave with the promise that she would ask Angel to autograph a poster of his. It would be embarrassing, but a small price to pay. Carmen could just ask her on the way out, no biggie.

She had to get the apartment sparring ready, though. The last time she'd done anything like this, she wound up nearly tearing the house down, so she wanted some order this time. She cleared away plenty of space in the living and brought out the mats, laying them down so there wouldn't be any rug-burn risks. It wasn't quite as spacious as the wrestling ring, but Carmen didn't think they would get too crazy. Just sparring, right? It would do.

Finally, there was the cooking. By some miracle, she managed to find everything she needed to make garbanzo - the beans had been an extra pain in the ass. Not that beans were impossible to come by in Japan, but she could settle for the store brand, run of the mill stuff. She wanted quality, and that brought her out to the fresh-air markets, putting her Japanese speaking skills to the test. It had taken a solid day just to get everything she needed.

But, finally, it was done. The food was set and cooking, ready to go in under an hour. She was dressed in the attire she'd promised a few weeks back - hip-hugging jeans, jagged and cut-off, and a blazing red sports bra that wasn't quite as tight as she remembered. Fit to fight and do just about anything else Angel might have in mind.

She sat at the kitchen table, watching the clock. Forcing herself to exude some calm. "God, I am such a schoolgirl sometimes." She chuckled and rubbed her eyes, just making some noise to keep her nerves cool.

Angel glanced down at her phone, as she stared at the door in front of her, double-checking to make sure it was the right apartment number. Satisfied that she was at the right place, she lifted her hand, gently knocking on the door, then waiting for someone to come answer. She was looking forward to this. Every since meeting Carmen the week before, she had been counting down the days, nay, the hours, the minutes until the day had finally arrived. Carmen's description of her cooking had been driving Angel nuts. The Friction champ had found herself staring off into space all week long, drooling at the thoughts of a good home-cooked meal from her part of the world.

Of course, almost as much she had found herself drooling just a tiny bit at the thoughts of sparring with Carmen. The girl had a pretty good reputation, and after seeing her first hand, Angel had to admit that Carmen looked like she could hold her own pretty damn well in a fight. Angel was quite eager to see first-hand just what the woman could do...and to show off what she could do, as well.

Angel lifted her hand again, giving the door another impatient knock, sniffing the air at the same time. She could smell the food cooking, and it was driving her crazy. Nothing against Japanese cuisine, of course, but there was nothing like a good home-cooked meal. She hadn't eaten much all day, either, wanting to save room for her big meal and her big spar with Carmen.

She wasn't dressed quite like she had teased Carmen with at the bar, though. She was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans, and a simple black t-shirt. Nothing fancy, nothing too attention grabbing. She found it was easier to actually make it through the city without getting swarmed by fans if she dressed plainly. Slung over one of her shoulders though was a small duffel bag, a change of clothes and a towel tucked within.

She glanced down at her phone again, waiting for Carmen to come answer the door. She was almost tempted to just barge in. She knew it was rude, but...the food smell so damn good! She could barely help herself!

Carmen was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the knocks at first, and to be fair, it was a very rare sound in the apartment. Even back home, Carmen rarely entertained company because she was out and about so much, always training or traveling around the world. She didn't have friends so much as she had passing acquaintences. People knew of her, but few knew her.

The AFW was changing that, though. Lorenza Saldano, her old rival, was getting close to her in a way she would never have dreamed when they faced off two years ago. She'd hooked up with Rebecca Tomko, a girl she met in her childhood. Clyde seemed interested in hanging out after their match. And, of course, there was the Friction World Champion that she was rushing to let in, too.

A social life. Just what she'd always wanted.

"Coming, coming, coming!" She slid on over to the door in a few bounds and opened it up, letting the night air waft on in. "Hey!" Damn it, tone it down a little. Sound cooler. She was excited, but she didn't want too sound too excited. Be cool. <"Hey."> More low key, better. She tried not to smile too goofy as she looked Angel over and let her in. <"Glad you could find the place okay. Come on in.">

Angel smiled right back at Carmen, as the woman opened the door. Carmen amused her. She knew that there were people that would freak out over meeting the Friction champion, but Carmen was the first fan she had actually met personally like this, and gotten to see get excited over her like so. <Hey, girl>, she answered back, lifting her arm to give Carmen a playful punch in the shoulder. <You seem excited to see me. Are you that eager for the champion to kick your ass a bit?> she teased, stepping into the apartment after her.

Of course, as soon as she stepped inside, she took a big whiff, inhaling the scent of Carmen's cooking. She closed her eyes, her tongue slowly sliding over her lips as she basked in the smell of the all-too-familiar food. <Damn, girl! It smells even better in here then it did outside!>

Carmen rubbed the spot Angel hit as she closed the door behind her, like she did it hard enough to make a bruise. <"Oh, I've been looking forward to it all week. And I'm sure you will kick my ass, one or two times - before I close the distance. Then you're mine." Carmen bounced on her heels as back into the kitchen to give the oven one more check. <"Figuratively speaking.">

She knelt down in front of the stove and popped it open, letting some more of the sweet smell waft its way around the house. <"Just needs about ten, fifteen more minutes. And it should smell better in here than outside, yeah. This side of the city's got kind of a distinct aroma to it. Lot of car fumes.">

She stood back up and nodded to the fridge. <"Thirsty? We've got Red Bull, Red Bull...and Red Bull.">

Carmen rubbed the spot Angel hit as she closed the door behind her, like she did it hard enough to make a bruise. <"Oh, I've been looking forward to it all week. And I'm sure you will kick my ass, one or two times - before I close the distance. Then you're mine."> Carmen bounced on her heels as back into the kitchen to give the oven one more check. <"Figuratively speaking.">

She knelt down in front of the stove and popped it open, letting some more of the sweet smell waft its way around the house. <"Just needs about ten, fifteen more minutes. And it should smell better in here than outside, yeah. This side of the city's got kind of a distinct aroma to it. Lot of car fumes.">

She stood back up and nodded to the fridge. <"Thirsty? We've got Red Bull, Red Bull...and Red Bull.">

Angel took in another big whiff of the scent as Carmen popped open the over, letting her small duffel bag slip off her arm and drop to the floor. <You're teasing me now, aren't you? Fifteen minutes is way too long, and I'm not a patient woman!> She grinned at Carmen, and started to glance around the apartment, checking the place out.

She shook her head at them mention of the Red Bull though. <I try to avoid energy drinks, Carmen. How about just water? You've got that, right?>

There wasn't terribly much to see in Carmen's apartment from the kitchen, but that was only because she'd moved so much stuff out of the way. to make room for their little arena. Even still, there was some decoration left - a few family pictures on the wall, and Carmen's silver medal above the fireplace, on prominent display. A few magazines were laid out on a nearby table, including what may or may not be an AFW swimsuit calender.

<"I don't either, to be honest."> She fished around and found an unopened bottle of water at the back. <"It's a sponsor thing, they send me a free crate of the stuff every other month, and I keep trying to get rid of it. Plus, I was so busy getting the food together I forgot you might actually want to drink something, too. Water, it is."> She tossed it over to Angel and closed the door with her bare foot, sliding back over to the stove for a final check.

<"And I'm a little insulted."> She popped back up and leaned on the chair, looking down at Angel with a lazy smile. <"You think fifteen minute is enough to get me down, twice? Most women can't even manage it once if I give them the full twenty."> She looked off to the side, noticing the bag, and renewing the hope that Angel would be wearing something a little more...interesting.

Angel snatched the bottle out of midair as it was thrown to her, twisting it open and taking a brief sip from it. <Pour it down the drain, girl. That stuff isn't good for you, and it tastes awful too.>

She went and took a seat, leaning back as she watched Carmen checking the food, taking another drink of the water, and grinned up at the boxer as she smiled down at her. <Did you forget who you're dealing with, girl? You don't get to be champion if you can't take down little girls like you quick enough, you know!> She kept a teasing voice, setting her bottle down and then folding her arms over her chest, following Carmen's gaze towards her back, then back up at the woman. <But maybe I'll be nice, and go easy on you, huh? I wouldn't want to beat you so bad you don't feel like eating afters, after all!>

Ah, Angel had a little trash talk in her. Most of her wrestling opponents were a bit low on that sort of thing, and it had been a good while since she heard that sort of talk come out in her own language. Brought back memories. Good ones.

<"Little girls like me?"> Carmen finished up at the stove and turned Angel's way, looking down at her and getting close - very close. She was still smiling. There wasn't any malice in her voice. But there was a clear competitive energy on top of the clear sexual one. Fighting a champion was a rare treat, one that Carmen had only had the pleasure of savoring once. She'd gone too long without the taste. She was starving for it.

<"From where I'm standing, I'm not the little one, here."> She ran a teasing finger down Angel's chest, just for a few second, before draw it back and highlighting the height difference.<"And I'm very aware who I'm dealing with. You've taken on some of the best...wrestlers. But I think you'll find I'm a little different."> She motioned to the living. <"I've got goosebumps. Let's get started.">