I rocked my head back at the same time Lenny stepped away from the door, allowing me to see Greyson standing behind him. My defenses alerted at the bass he had in his voice.
“What the hell is it to you?”
He raised his eyebrows and a contrite expression covered his face. “Nothing,” he answered, shrugging. “I just don’t think she has the experience you need.”
“Kid, opinions are like assholes. Everybody’s got one.”
“I just meant—”
“Yeah, whatever. Don’t you have a class to teach?” I turned my head, looking up at the clock.
“I’m going,” he mumbled before walking off.
“The hell is that about?”
Lenny laughed. “You know he was angling for the head trainer position since you hired him.”
“And he fucking knew that position wasn’t available to him.” I’d made that clear since the day he started. Greyson might’ve been able to take on some aspects of my training, but he lacked the overall skill I needed in a trainer. His performance against Syd minutes before proved it. I needed a grappler and Syd had swiftly taken down a man twice her size without breaking a sweat.
“Anyway, man, I got a call back from Rodriguez’s people.” Lenny began, changing the topic. “They’re really interested in pursuing this fight. From the sponsor calls we’re getting you could easily walk away from this fight banking at least two million. That’s even if you don’t win.”
“Why the hell would you tell me the amount for losing?” I turned sharply toward Lenny, glaring at him.
He held up his hands. “I’m just saying, even if you don’t win this fight that’s still a nice number to walk away with.”
“What the fuck ever,” I said. Before I could say anything else my phone rang, and I lifted it from my desk.
PITA.
“Fuck off, very much,” I grumbled, hitting the ignore button and tossing my phone, facedown onto the desk.
“You’re going to have to buy another one of those soon if you keep tossing it around like that,” Lenny warned, tilting his head in the direction of the phone.
“Hey, Lenny, the next time you want to warn me about something, remember I don’t give a shit.”
He laughed as he turned for the door taking my comments in stride.
“What are you thinking about this Rodriguez fight?” he questioned while standing in the doorway. “Should I give them the go ahead or not?”
I lifted my gaze and stared out at the rest of my gym. Some of the instructors for the day had already begun trickling in along with a few of our students. Parting my lips, I went to tell Lenny yes, to give them the green light but what came out was, “I need to discuss it with my trainer, first.”
I ignored the shocked whistle he let out.
It’d been two years since I’d made that statement, but Syd’s comments about me taking on too many fights lately replayed in my mind. I wasn’t fully convinced she knew her stuff yet, but she might’ve been on the mark about me overextending myself.
“All right, I’ll put Rodriguez’s people off with a ‘maybe’ for now.”
I nodded, not really giving a fuck either way. Rodriguez and his people could wait.
Len left and I was about to get started on the paperwork I needed to do when my phone buzzed again.
“For fuck’s sake Pit,” I groaned as I turned the phone over, but suddenly stopped. This wasn’t Pit calling yet again.
“Shouldn’t you be cutting some broad open and inserting saline balloons into her tits?”
Jacob chuckled on the other end. It was a sound I hadn’t heard in… maybe ever.
“That’s not quite how I’d describe my job.”
