Tapout (The Submission Fighter Book 3) (2 page)

Alice was shocked. She had no idea that her aunt would ever become involved in her love life, let alone from afar. “What?! No, Aunt Lisa. He's not hurting me. How did you even know I was dating him? Do you even know what MMA is?”

It was a fair question. In all of Aunt Lisa’s expertise, professional fighting was certainly not in her wheelhouse.

“Alice, don’t be naive. It’s all over the news.” Lisa’s voice was sarcastic and taunting.

“Wait, what news?” Alice knew that there were reporters who had taken her picture, especially at the end of the last match. She also knew that there were gossip columnists who loved to report on human interest pieces like this, but Micah was still a relative unknown. No way could Lisa have found this out so easily.

Before she could get an answer, Lisa shut the door on the conversation altogether. “Listen Allie, I have to run. Your uncle just got in for lunch. Please call if something happens with the case.”

With a click. It was over. Alice calmly placed her phone back into her short’s pockets and wiped the sweat from underneath her eyes and cheek. She wasn’t going to let her aunt’s lack of interest in Alice’s life outside the stolen ring and her love interests bother her. Instead, Alice was going to forge ahead as she always did—without her blood family.

Chapter 2: Black, White, and Read All Over

The Tick Tock Diner seemed to be buzzing with energy, especially considering it was only lunch. Normally, a mid-day shift like this would be spent folding napkins, assisting the dishwasher in cleaning silverware, or chatting with regulars. But today, nearly every table was full with faces Alice did not recognize.

Pete, her boss’s son, seemed to have anticipated it. As soon as she walked in, he greeted her by tossing her an extra apron from the stash and asking her to begin work early despite having arrived a half hour before she was scheduled. She reluctantly agreed, as she followed him back towards the kitchen.

“Busy day, huh? Is there something going on? A fair or a conference?” Alice had seen the occasional event come through that drove in visitors, but Steubenville was relatively quiet in the summer. Most traveled out of town instead of in.

“Yeah, I don’t really know. I have been working since the breakfast shift, and the tables have been full since then. I asked around, but no one has a real reason for being here. Just wanted a bite to eat, I guess.” Pete seemed frazzled by the influx of customers. While he spoke to Alice, he was grabbing hot, finished plates left and right and tossing them quickly at the servers as they approached the window. He reminded her of an octopus dancing in the sea with how he was using his arms to manage two areas.

As she walked to the locker area, he stopped his plate spinning routine and followed her back. The two were alone in the cramped corner—something that Alice had feared would happen. She positioned herself in a spot where she could slip out through the hallway and back to the kitchen if need be. Using her handheld mirror while she placed her strawberry blonde hair up in a high ponytail, she could also spy who was in the kitchen in case she needed immediate help.

The relationship between Pete and Alice had always been a bit rocky. Ever since she started waitressing, she had suspected that Pete had developed a crush on her. It was all innocent until the night she met Micah. Caroline’s boyfriend had invited the two girls and Pete to an MMA match where she eventually ran into Micah. Not really knowing where their relationship was going (or even if it was one), she continued to tag along with Pete, Jace, and Caroline. And while she was honest about her intentions, she knew that she had played a part in leading on Pete.

Then, one evening, a staggering Pete attempted to force himself on her. She fought back, just enough to get him to leave her alone for the evening. But Alice was left bruised—both emotionally and physically. She attempted to push it out of her mind, to forget it ever happened. But the reality lingered as Pete took his anger out on her work. Nearly a month later, Alice still could feel the weight of his hands around her arm and the smell of his breath upon her cheek.

It was not until Micah found out that matters went from bad to worse. Her knight in black armor took it upon himself to defend her honor. The punch to Pete knocked everything right and everything wrong at the same time. It had made Alice feel Pete’s presence even more, and she was left to wonder if he would still attempt to take his embarrassment out on her.

So far, she hadn’t found much to be afraid of. She attempted positivity at every turn, attempting to smooth the huge folds between the employer and the employee. While Alice realized that Pete would never forget, she had hoped he would let go. And for the most part, he had seemed to do that. Slowly, he had begun talking to her again. He had allowed schedule changes and was flexible about her hours. Instead of putting her to task doing dirty work, he trusted her again to pick up her shifts like the pro-waitress she really was.

Still, being in the locker area with him left her feeling vulnerable and unguarded. The hairs on the back of her neck instinctively rose at the root.

He sat down on a white plastic chair across from her; his legs folded one on top of the other. He stared at her, as she twisted the knot of her hair. His voice, slow and twangy, broke through: “Listen, Alice. I’m real sorry about everything.”

Alice took two steps back. The last thing she was expecting from him was an apology. She staggered, as she replied, “There’s nothing to apologize for. We both did wrong. I just want to get back on a good foot.”

“No, I really do need to apologize. I was an ass, a real big one. I shouldn’t have put you in that position that night, and I should not have disrespected you. You told me it straight, and I was too stubborn to listen.” His voice was firm, as if he had practiced his speech many times before.

“And I’m sorry about the punch. I really am. I did not ask Micah to do that.” Alice wasn’t sure what she should apologize for herself, but she did feel obligated to own up for Micah’s actions.

Pete held up his hand to stop her. “Yeah. I thought you didn’t have much to do with it. He seems like he does what he wants and thinks about it later.”

“That would be him.” Alice was unsure if she was agreeing on an insult or if she was just admitting to her boyfriend’s character flaw. Either way, it did not excuse his violence.

“Let’s just start over. I want us to be okay.” Pete stood up and offered his hand out to her. She looked at it hesitantly and then shook it firmly as she stared into his blue eyes. “After all,” he continued still holding onto her grip, “if you get us that much publicity every time you’re out and about with him, I can’t stay mad.”

With that, Pete dropped her hand and walked out of the room confidently. Alice watched as he went back into the kitchen to bark orders at the other waitresses checking in for the lunch shift. She sat down in the chair he had abandoned and pondered his last sentence. What did he mean by “publicity?” What “publicity?” Where was this all coming from? She was at a total loss.

Alice touched up the final bits of her lipstick and tucked some strands of hair in place. As she stood, she smoothed out the wrinkles in her shorts and tied the black apron loosely around her waist. It was time to claim her domain.

Pete gathered the three waitresses together in a huddle. Caroline was there, as Alice had expected. She was sporting her usual uniform—dark makeup, a dirty t-shirt, shorts, and a piss poor attitude. She chomped spastically on a piece of gum, as Pete assigned Caroline her tables and Alice was given the coveted spot up at the front servicing the bar area. 

“Why is she getting special treatment? The bar countertops are my space.” Caroline’s hands were on her tiny hips, as she eyed down Pete and Alice as if they were in on the conspiracy together. Pete brushed her off, ignoring her question altogether as he reviewed the lunch specials and handed out break times. The small group broke, and each headed out to their respected areas.

Alice settled into the bar area quickly. Working this area gave her time to chit-chat with regulars and be a bit more social than if she was running from booth to booth. She could see why Caroline, who hated breaking a sweat doing anything outside the bedroom, loved this territory. Each of the customers Alice served was friendlier than the next.

One customer in particular seemed especially perky, yet needy that day. Whenever Alice had a second, he would jostle for her attention. He requested more napkins, needed some water, wanted to know what food she recommended, and asked to see a menu the second time. She was more than happy to oblige.

However, when he begun to ask her questions, Alice couldn’t help but become a bit suspicious. Sure, a customer would occasionally ask her about her personal life. The really flirty ones would even go so far as to ask her information about her boyfriends (despite not having one until recently). Others would ask about her accent or where her family was located. In either case, she was fine giving a vague answer and moving about her day.

But the man seemed to only pile it on. First, he asked her how long she had been working at the Tick Tock. It was pretty innocent, so she answered truthfully. On her second round, it was more along the lines of “Why do you like being a waitress?” and “What do you do in your free time?” When he finally approached the relationship question, every bit of her screamed that there was something more sinister going on.

She began to watch him closely. She had been on the shift for nearly three hours, and he had been at his spot the whole time. It was not unusual to have a regular sit around for an extended period of time. But for an out-of-towner, this was something brand new for Alice. He ordered coffee; then an appetizer. His main meal came out an hour later. Then, he stuck around and ordered dessert after dessert. And with each plate delivery, he began to eye his waitress more boldly and ask more pointed questions.

Alice placed a piece of carrot cake in front of the man, as he bent over a small white notepad, furiously writing away with a small, golf sized pencil. She tried to eye what he was doing, but he kept his arm protectively around it. What she could see, however, was the fold of an old newspaper sticking out from under his brown coat. The pages of which had been tabbed and folded over.

After some time, the man went off to the bathroom. Curious and anxious, Alice picked up after him, including swiftly grabbing the newspaper he was concealing. She took the stack to the back of the kitchen where she unfolded the paper on the countertop of the silver metal prep table.

It didn’t take long for her to understand the man’s true intentions. On the front page of the
Steubenville Wire
was a picture of her boyfriend Micah after his victory at the quarterfinals. But he wasn’t alone. Instead of showing him in action or his hand being lifted in triumph, the shot was something completely different. It showed Micah, covered in blood and sweat, with his arms tiredly draped over Alice’s tiny body. Her face was concealed by Micah kissing her passionately. The headline read: “Local Fighter Brings Romance to the Ring.”

The article attached to the image was brief, but what it said made Alice’s senses tingle. Something was not right:

Micah Anderson, 28, has been rising in rank as a contender for MMA national and international titles. Best known for his powerful blows, his quick takedowns, and his ability to defeat some of the top fighters on a local stage, he has always been thought of as the resident bad boy. However, Anderson has gained a new claim to fame: “Ring Romeo.”

After defeating his opponent in an amazing comeback, tap-out victory in the quarterfinal of the Breakthrough Invitational, Micah did not stick around to hear his name announced. Instead, the lovesick Lothario ran out of the ring to passionately embrace a woman standing in the front row of the enamored crowd.

The object of his affection is believed to be another local woman by the name of Alice Cross who works at the Tick Tock Diner. Insider sources say that she has been dating him for the last several months and is the main reason for his sudden rise to MMA stardom. Another source believes that Cross may be behind Anderson changing his coaching team so suddenly due to a conflict of interest.

Anderson will fight at the semi-final rounds of the Invitational in Chicago, IL against legendary fighter Tom
á
s Alredo. The match will be aired live on SSN channels. While eyes may be on the match, we know others will be scanning the room for Anderson’s real life Juliet.

Alice crumbled the article and its glossy, intimate image in her hands. While part of her was glad to be done with the sneaking around and the hidden romance that had plagued their relationship with issues, she still couldn’t help but feel exposed. Micah finding her in the crowd that evening was one of the best moments of her life, and now it wasn’t just hers; it would be shared by everyone with a newspaper or access to the Internet.

Frustrated, she tossed the ball of newspaper into the trash with a slam. As she turned around to return back to her shift, she spotted Caroline leaning against the brick wall of the kitchen. A devious grin stretched across her taut and tan face.

“Can’t handle the fame, eh?” She raised her hand, pointing out the trash bin where Alice’s paper laid at the top of the stack.

“Excuse me? Are you talking to me?” The last thing she wanted was to even tolerate Caroline’s snarky attitude. Yet, she approached her roommate and former friend, unafraid of what would happen if she got too close.

“You wanted this, Alice. You wanted to snag yourself a celebrity, and it looks like you got one. I would call you lucky, but I know luck had nothing to do with this.” Caroline’s eyes scanned Alice’s body slowly, implying way more with the way she sneered.

Alice shoved past her, uncaring of what the likes of Caroline had to say. As she walked out the door and back into the dining area, she could hear Caroline calling after her, “He’ll get bored with you. You’re just another piece of side trash wannabe. You’ll see. You’re nothing to him.”