“Was that really necessary?” Tyler asked me, his eyes narrowed.  

“I warned you.” I shrugged. “You insisted on sparring.” 

“Well, I didn’t think you’d take it as seriously as a regulated match!” He said, getting back up to his feet. 

“I didn’t, trust me.” I smiled, stepping out of the ring. 

“Well, I was.” He laughed. 

“I know. And that’s why I’m up for a championship fight and you’re spending all your time screwing around in my gym.” I nudged his shoulder and laughed. 

“Yeah, yeah.” He sighed. “There’s that monster ego again.”

We both walked toward the service counter of my gym where I grabbed us two post work out shakes from the fridge. We sat on the counter and drank them. 

“Please tell me you’re going home after this.” Tyler said to me. 

“Nope. 45 minutes for lunch and then I have another session.” I answered, sipping my drink. 

“Come on, Gage! You need a break. You’re going to push your body to the limit.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” I asked. “I need to go to my limit to win this fight.”

Tyler had been my best friend since grade school. We met in the fourth grade. He lived only a few blocks away from me so his house had become my second home in our younger years. 

And, boy, what a difference those few blocks made. I lived out in the cuts, in a part of our town that seemed forgotten. Abandoned buildings, houses chipped with paint, and an influx of crime because the police never bothered with a quick response time in that part of town. 

And then there was Tyler's house, so close to mine but sitting on the edge of idealistic suburbia. Two stories, garden in the front yard, play-set in the back. He was an only child and it showed in the fact that he always got the latest games, toys, electronics. 

You’d think that’d make him a spoiled little brat, but it didn’t. His parents were good people and they brought him up to be decent too. He had a good heart, he was kind, he made all the right decisions in life. 

Which was more than could be said of me. 

“You need to take a break. Seriously, man, isn’t part of training also resting?” Tyler asked.

“I rest. I get my full 8 hours of sleep.” I grinned at him. “Do you want to come to lunch with me?” I asked. 

“Can’t. Shirley is picking me up and we’re going to her parents barbecue.” 

“So much fun.” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. 

I wasn’t a fan of Shirley. She grew up in the same privileged environment that Tyler had, only it really did make her a spoiled brat. That chick hated my freaking guts too. She’d love it if Tyler wrote me off forever but I know that’s something he’ll never do. 

“Can you at least try to not be an ass when she gets here?” Tyler pleaded. “You know it makes my life damn hard when my two favorite people can’t get along.” 

“Alright, fine, as long as she doesn’t say anything stupid neither will I.” 

He sighed. “Guess that’s the best I can hope for.” 

I shrugged. “I don’t even know what you’re doing with that girl, anyway.” I told him. “You could have any chick in this town and yet you attach yourself to the most annoying one.”

“I love her, man. I don’t need anyone else. You’ll understand one day, when you get out of this fuck-anything-that-moves phase.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” I told him. 

Then, as if on cue, two blonde girls started walking toward us. 

“Hey, Gage.” The first girl smiled at me. “What are you about to do?” 

She was here every day and knew damn well this was the usual time I left to eat lunch. But I played along. 

“Just headed to lunch.” 

“Can I join you?” She asked in a flirty manner, her friend rolling her eyes behind her. 

“Sorry, Tracy. I’m just heading home for lunch today.” I lied. 

“I’m down for that.” She answered quickly. 

Shit, she was not shy at all. We all knew what that meant. She had basically told me she was down for an afternoon fuck in front of both her best friend and mine. 

“Gotta pass.” I said. 

The disappointment on her face was palpable. “Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then.” She tried to respond casually. 

“Yeah, see ya.” 

Tracy and her friend made their way to the door. Tyler nudged me. 

“Dude, what the hell? I thought you said Tracy was hot. What was that about?”

“She is. But she’s also a stage-five clinger.” 

Me and Tracy had been having a friends-with-benefits thing for the last few months. From the very beginning, I was clear with all girls and guys (though there were more women than men) I messed around with that I was in no way looking for a relationship. Anything I did with them, it was just casual and for fun. 

Most people understood this and were at a point in their lives where that was all they were looking for, too. But every once in awhile a girl like Tracy came along who seemed incapable of understanding. 

“I decided I had to cut her loose last week.” I told Tyler. “She always acts like she's just down for sex but then afterwards it’s all ‘can I stay the night, I’m tired’ and ‘I’ve just never met a guy as amazing as you.’ I’m not looking to hurt the damn girl, but I can’t have that shit.” 

Tyler scoffed. “Why not? She’s sexy, she’s nice, she’s in the gym every damn day so she understands your obsession. She seems like the perfect girl for you.” 

“The perfect girl for me is the one who can be out of my house at 2am and isn’t going to ask me to call her the next day. Come on, Ty, you know I have no time. There’s only one woman on my mind right now. She’s hot as hell, got a golden shine, and has ‘MMA CHAMPION’ written across her backside. I’m not going to let anything or anyone distract me from my goals.”

“Yeah? And what’s going to happen when you actually get there, Gage?” Tyler asked me. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean, the fight is coming up quickly. What if you win?” 

“I will win.” I corrected him. 

“Okay, so what happens when you win? You’re going to have everything you ever wanted and nobody to share it with. That trophy isn’t going to fulfill you, Gage.” 

“Yeah, it will.” I insisted cockily though, honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel. 

Before Tyler had time to answer, his girlfriend Shirley walked in the door with a sour look on her face. 

“Hey there, Shirl!” I said in an overenthusiastic tone that bordered on facetious. 

“Hi, Gage.” She said coldly before turning to Tyler and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Are you ready to go?” She asked. 

“Yeah, let me grab my bag.” He walked toward the back of the gym where the lockers were located, leaving me and Shirley standing together uncomfortably. 

“So, excited for Tyler’s parents anniversary party?” I attempted to make small talk. 

“Yeah, actually, I am- Wait! You’re going?” She asked, the displeasure was immediately noticeable. 

“Yeah, of course I am.” 

How could she not realize I would be there? Tyler’s parents were practically my parents. Because, well, let’s be honest my own never acted like much of parents. 

Tyler’s parents did everything for me when I was younger. Bought me clothes and school supplies when mine were worn out. They hosted birthday parties for me because my parents never remembered. They were even the ones who enrolled me in martial arts alongside Tyler. And when it quickly became obvious that I had a serious talent for it, they continued to push me to go as far as I can. 

I can thank them for all the success I have today. I’m eternally grateful for their support. It didn’t exactly negate all the hell I went through growing up, but it sure helped. I wouldn’t be here without them. 

Tyler walked up behind me and Shirley instantly dug into him. 

“You didn’t tell me he was going to be at the anniversary party!” She snapped. 

“Uh, I thought you knew. It’s their 30th anniversary, you know they splurged and invited everyone. Why wouldn’t Gage be coming?” 

Behind Tyler’s back, I gave her a cocky I-told-you-so smile. 

Shirley didn’t say a word. She turned around in a huff, walking back out to the car and slamming the door of the gym behind her. 

“Ugh.” Tyler groaned. “Fantastic way to start out our day. I’ll see you later, man.” He said to me as he headed out the door. 

“Good luck!” I called out to him as he left. 

To be fair, Shirley wasn’t all bad. She just really had it out for me and that was something I wasn’t able to ignore so I always gave her a hard time. I’m not sure what she even really hates about me. I guess she has this idea that I’m a womanizer… Ha, a bisexual womanizer, yeah right.

Though I don’t know if she even knows I’m bi, I don’t know if Tyler has ever told her. And, like I said, I tend to sleep with a lot more women because that’s what is available.

But I’m not a womanizer. I’m just promiscuous and not looking for anything serious. Can't say I’m proud of it, but that’s where I’m at in my life right now.

I looked around the gym, looking for the bright green shirt that all my employees had to wear. It wasn’t hard to find one, I saw Charlie was out on the floor cleaning equipment. 

“Charlie!” I hollered out before motioning him over. He came quickly. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“I’m leaving for an hour, keep an eye on the front, alright?” 

“Sure thing.” He said, heading behind the counter. 

All my employees knew that if I was training in front, they didn’t have to keep a watchful eye on the counter because if anyone came in, I’d handle it. So they’d clean or make themselves productive out on the floor while I was around. 

I made it a point to be a present face in my gym. Not to talk myself up, but I’d become a small town hero of sorts. Every time I had a fight it really felt like the whole community was rallying up behind me. 

So I feel like I owe a lot to the people here. The least I can do is be here at the gym to encourage people, to be active in my classes. And there’s nothing like the look of a little dudes face when his MMA hero is helping him train to fight. The kids classes were probably my favorite part. 

As I went to grab my wallet and keys from my locker in the back, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text from Tyler. 

“Dude, come outside RIGHT NOW.” 

Uh oh. Did Shirley finally lose her damn mind? Was she making a scene in my parking lot? I couldn’t have that shit. 

I grabbed my keys and headed toward the front door, expecting to hear a commotion. But it was quiet when I got out there and the lot was emptier than usual. I actually had to look around before I saw Tyler standing beside his car. Shirley was inside, looking miffed but not making a scene. And Tyler was talking to some guy with shaggy brown hair.

I made my way over to him. “Hey, man, what’s going on?” I asked, walking up from behind the man he was talking to. 

“Dude, look who I ran into.” 

Then he turned around and I was staring into a face that I never expected to see again. 

He gave a hesitant smile. “Hi, Gage.”