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the circumstances surrounding us meeting.
    By the time Diego becomes bored with the park Jake and I are basically talked out. We say our goodbyes keeping it friendly and nothing more. Something tells me I will be seeing a lot more of this bartender MMA guy. I’m not sure that’s a good thing or not.

 
     
    Chapter Four

    The Warning
     
     
    The Next Afternoon in Town…
    “Hey little man.”
    My head whips around at the sound of his voice.
    “Jake¸ how are you?”
    “I’m good. Just getting ready for a fight Thursday night.”
    “Thursday? I didn’t think you guys fought on other days than weekends.”
    “This isn’t actually a sanctioned fight.”
    “What do you mean by that?” I ask him.
    “Fighters who are not on the circuit have a difficult time getting paying fights; or any fights for that matter. If you don’t fight it’s impossible to stay on top of your game. So I’m fighting some other guys from Crossfire. Everyone is trying to get noticed and a shot at either fighting a Surge fighter or even becoming a Surge fighter.”
    “But I saw you on TV; you had to be good to be on TV.”
    “Yeah I also lost that fight…badly. I was with Cold Steel and that was a do or die fight and I just about died and I lost my ride. I was good. When I turned pro my record was 16-1-1 but two years after turning pro my record was an abysmal 0-1-11. Why I got even that many fights I’ll never know. I think maybe people enjoyed my ass kicking. I guess I’m a sexy loser. So, are you going to come or not?”
    It’ll be a welcome distraction. “Of course I’ll come.”
    “I wanna come.” Diego says.
    I’m just about to tell him no when Jake does it for me.
    “Sorry little man, but this is not a safe place for anyone under five feet tall.”
    Diego looks pointedly at me and I know exactly what he’s thinking.
    “Sorry honey but I’m five and a half feet tall. I get to go. You want to join us for coffee or something?” I ask Jake.
    “Sure, why not.”
    “How come you fight with people?” Diego asks after Jake gets seated.
    “It’s what I do for a living.” Jake says. “You could say it’s my job.”
    “So you like to hurt people then?” Diego asks.
    “Diego don’t ask so many questions.” I instruct him.
    “No it’s okay.” Jake says. “I don’t do it to hurt people I-”
    “So it doesn’t hurt you when you get punched or kicked then?”
    “Actually sometimes it hurts quite a bit.”
    “Then why do you like to hurt people?”
    “It’s actually a contest.” He explains. “Like a game. A bunch of us like to play the game to see who the best player is.”
    “So there’s a bunch of people who like to hurt other people then?”
    Diego just can’t seem to get his head wrapped around this concept of fighting as a contest.
    And I can’t get my head wrapped around the fact that the sexiest man I have ever encountered is sitting across from me talking to my kid. But I really don’t care about wrapping my head around him I’d much rather wrap my legs around… I can’t finish that thought with my son sitting next to me.
    “Do you have a stage name?” Diego asks.
    “The Punisher.” Jake replies.
    “That’s a movie.” Diego exclaims. “With Sylvester Stallone. Are you a vigilante like him?”
    “No little man, I’m just a fighter who fights with other fighters.”
    “I don’t think I want to be a fighter mom.” My curious son concludes.
    “I think that’s a good idea sweetie.”
    Over the course of the hour that Jake sits with us I’m grateful my son is here. I’m still feeling a little flustered from the drugs and I’m not really in a very talkative mood. Fortunately he carries the conversation.  I can’t help but sneak looks as often as I can get away with. As my eyes settle on his moving lips as he talks to Diego I can’t help but wonder what they would feel like on mine. Is he a rough, aggressive kisser, or a smoothly talented one? The man has a passion for fighting. In