Love y Lucha

Part 3

Rita checked her face in the reflection from her rearview mirror. Grabbing her purse, she got out of the car and made her way through the YMCA parking lot towards the gym. She had arrived late for a number of reasons, one being she had struggled to wrench herself away from the office, another so she could survey the full scope of the crowd. She had to admit she was surprised at how many cars filled the lot.

The worker selling tickets at the door eyed her skeptically while another could hardly hide his amusement. "I can help you get backstage," he told her, waving the raffle ticket that stood for her admission in front of her face. She plucked it from his stubborn fingers and strode towards the racket emanating from the closed double doors to the gym.

The true extent of the noise washed over her like a wave as she stepped inside. While the crowd wasn't huge, they were ravenous fans, a mix of men and kids, with the occasional matriarch fanning herself idly as she stared towards the ring. Rita found an empty seat at the end of a row of kids all wearing matching lucha masks and craned her neck to watch the action taking place in the ring.

Two men, one in red, one in yellow, were entangled in each other's grip as more luchadores, one of them El Jaguar, egged them on from just outside the ropes. The man in red broke free, grabbing the other by his throat. The ensnared luchador froze before flailing helplessly as he was lifted into the air and slammed onto the mat. His assailant ran to the ropes, mounting them in two swift steps before catapulting himself off the top rope and slamming into his laid out opponent, locking one arm over the man's shoulder in a pin.

The crowd chanted excitedly, "Uno, dos--"

A roar of cheers erupted as the pinned man suddenly broke free, rolling away to hit the outstretched hand of El Jaguar, who bounded into the ring as his nearly defeated partner rolled to safety.

Rita watched with interest as all hell broke loose. El Jaguar and the man in red grappled with each other while their team members jumped from the ring and fought among the front row. One lucky member of the audience was knocked from his seat. He leapt up excitedly as one of the luchadores grabbed his empty chair and slammed it into the back of another luchador.

The crowd, already in a frenzy, cheered as El Jaguar bounded up the corner of the ring with cat-like ease before backflipping from the top and expertly hooking his leg over his opponent's shoulder to slam him into the mat.

He hovered over the fallen man as everyone chanted, "Uno, dos, tres!"

The audience had reached peak excitement and Rita couldn't help but crack a smile. She had to admit she was not only impressed by the crowd the event had drawn, but with the show itself.

Music blared from the speakers as the defeated luchadores scrambled one way and the victorious ones began to come in Rita's direction. The kids beside her squeezed over to touch hands with the winners, shoving Rita out into the aisle as El Jaguar approached. He slapped hands with each of them before flattening a palm against Rita's back to guide her backstage.

Towels were tossed to each of them and Rita gripped hers nervously as she followed El Jaguar through the hall bustling with other shirtless men. A few women who had found their way backstage eyed her coolly.

"Ms. Hernandez, how nice of you to come," El Jaguar said, toweling sweat from his glistening brown skin. "But I'm afraid people shouldn't see us together until I win you fair and square."

"First of all," Rita said, frowning. "No one is 'winning' me. And you told me to come."

"Paco León told you." El Jaguar opened the door to a small room that was serving double duty as a supply closet and a dressing room. A mirror was propped in the corner and a few folding chairs occupied by duffel bags of clothing lined the wall. Two unmasked luchadores left swiftly when they saw Rita behind El Jaguar, flashing her smiles as they exited, closing the door behind them.