Knuckle Up

Chances

“Why would you hand out my address to Jared?” Don’t get me wrong. I like hanging out with Jared. I just don’t like having people intrude on my privacy. Jared is a nice guy and I do admit to crushing on him but there was absolutely no way I was going to approach these feelings.

Coach Mason stared at me for a solid minute before he excused himself from his fighters. “The poor man looked desperate,” He didn’t even blink or tried to divert from the question.

“He’s my boss,” I reinformed him since it didn’t seem to get through to him.

“Yes, I know and I am also aware that he cares a lot about you,”

I shut my eyes to calm down the raging beast inside of me. “Are you trying to set me up with my boss?” I asked and reopened my eyes.

Coach Mason’s snippy smile gave me all the answers I was looking for.

“Look, coach,” I rested my hands on my hips to make a point with my wide, steady stance. “I respect you but with high regards I need you to back off. There are dating services and this ain’t it,” I am addicted to my privacy and having people wanting to mingle in wasn’t cutting it.

“I wouldn’t have to act like a dating service if you actually gave those sites a chance,” I don’t what my single life had to do with anyone. I was finally free and living on my own which wasn’t a bad thing. For the first time in a very long time, I can finally focus on myself.

“Stop,” I remarked making my voice stern. “I don’t need anyone to play matchmaker and I’ve never given the impression that I was unhappy or looking for a relationship,” I clarified feeling like I have to start setting boundaries.

“You haven’t either given the impression that you are happy,” He noted.

I shrugged. “That has nothing to do with wanting a relationship,” It had everything to do with the fact that I am insecure about myself and listening to the voices of my father and ex-boyfriend when they told me no one will love me. A commitment was the least of my worries.

“I am just worried about you not having any friends and it’s obvious that Jared cares about you on a deeper level than just seeing you as someone working for him,”

I ignored the part of Jared caring about me because I care about him on the same level. “That’s because I don’t want any friends,” I don’t like people because when they say they are your friend—they don’t mean it. They don’t love you. Respect you or care about you as they pretend. They never have your back or have your interests at heart.

I didn’t easily discuss my private life with anyone because of the eye rolls or how they make me feel like I am a nuisance when I do speak about it. A friend once called my life s**t and pathetic. She accused me of being jealous of her success because I didn’t react to her excitement as she wanted me to.

“I don’t need friends to make me happy. All they really do is stab you in the back and call you toxic when you aren’t living at their level,” I will never trust anyone besides myself. “Please stay out of my life,” I respectively begged coach Mason.

He nodded. “I only care about you, Sabrina,”

“I know but there have to be boundaries,” I sensed he wanted to say something but he decided against it.

“I understand,”

“Good, maybe we can discuss my next fight,” I got down to the business as I needed the money to get through these few weeks.

I know I was dragging coach Mason’s reputation down with me by competing in the underground but I wouldn’t have gotten this far without his help.

His smile returned. “I kind of hoped you would say that,” He reached for something in his pocket and brought out a business card with details scribbled on the back. “We got invited to an amateur fight,”

I frowned when I read the details and recognized the EFC logo in the right-hand corner of the card. “An EFC fight?” I was invited to a fight in a legal competition.

Coach Mason nodded. “I told them I would first discuss it with you,”

“I am not even registered,” Jared can probably arrange everything I was going to need to enter the match but I was curious as to how I got invited.

“It’s not a problem,” Coach Mason assured me and if I had to guess—I would guess that he is thinking of Jared as well as helping me out. “It’s an opening fight where you will be facing whoever wants to kick your butt,” He explained.

EFC has always been on the lookout for fighters and it is without a doubt strange of them to invite me to one of their fights. “What’s the catch?” I asked—my trust issues reflected.

Coach Mason shook his head. “No, catch,” He reassured me.

I didn’t believe him. There had to be some kind of catch. “Why are we going legal now? Do I even get paid?” I asked.

“Three grand and they approached us. They heard of you and wanted to know if Athena is real,”

So, they have no idea what I am capable of or even if I made the cut to fight one of their pro-fighters. This can get interesting. “How much time do I have to get ready?”

Coach Mason looked baffled and it was clear that he thought I would turn their offer down. “Two weeks,”

Two weeks to get my butt into shape and to learn the rules of the cage of what I can and cannot do to my opponent. “Do you think it is enough time?” I queried.

The end of his lips twitched. “Yeah, I have faith in you to kick ass,”

I stared at the business card again and wondered if I was ready to do this. “What happens now? Do I stay out of the underground for a while?”

“They aren’t signing you. It’s only a friendly match to promote their name and fighters,”

I control the urge to smirk. “What if I kick their so-called champion’s butt? Do I get a chance to sign with them or are they going to pretend that it was nothing?”

Coach Mason was also having a difficult time hiding his grin. “I don’t know what is going to happen but I am pretty sure they are not ready for what is about to come if you agree to meet their assigned fighter for a brawl,”

“I am going to need all the practice I can get if I want to win and humiliate their pro,” I said and handed the business card back over to him.

“That’s not going to be a problem. I will work with you every day as I’ve always had but we need to work on the rules and maybe figure out under what name you will be fighting,”

I smiled at him. “They invited Athena—so, it will be Athena who will be fighting,” My surname might just spark a few remarks that I wasn’t ready for as if yet.

“Does that mean I can call them back and tell them we accept the invite?” He asked with hope blazing in his eyes.

I gave a jerk of my head to signal him that I accepted the challenge. I’ve been made to challenge myself no matter how bizarre the challenge might seem. They keep me on my toes and make me stronger.

He stared at me wordlessly. “Aren’t you going to call them before they find someone else in my place?” I asked him.

“I am just curious to know what changed your mind or shouldn’t I ask?”

I smiled. “Let’s just say somebody I know is as stubborn as me and they see a side of me that I’ve been neglecting and I just thought it was time to follow my own ambition,” Jared has finally got me to consider giving myself a chance. I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions and believe it was going to be easy to face a pro-fighter who has been receiving the best training for years.

I might just get my ass kicked for even trying but I had to see for myself if I had what it takes to join the big leagues. In the underground, I took the risks because I could but now, I was going to be put to the test and I was ready for whatever was coming my way.

“You know. You are going to need an agent,” Coach Mason began and surprisingly I smiled.

“Only if I make chaos,” I will only reach that level of confidence when I prove to myself that I have what it takes to reach the top. Athena knows how to fight without borders but what is going to happen when I get placed in a cage and I have to face my opponent with nowhere else to go but through them?