I’d gone over to LS Investigations to speak with Jodi about Lena, but as luck would have it, I didn’t need to speak with my sister-in-law. Lena was already there.
I turned the dial to lower the rock music playing and asked, “Are you really afraid of heights?”
Finally, she turned to me with a wrinkle in her brow. “Huh?”
“Heights. You mentioned you’re afraid of them,” I reminded her. “Is that true?”
She parted her lips but quickly snapped them shut before she stared off for a moment.
“What is MMA?” she asked, avoiding my question.
“It stands for mixed martial arts.” I paused and smiled. “Why? Are you interested in learning to fight?”
She let out the cutest grunt before shaking her head. “Yeah, right.” She laughed. “So, you get into a cage with some guy that wants to take your head off for a living?”
“That’s more my part-time gig now. I have other endeavors.”
“Like managing fighters, right?”
I nodded. “My partner and I are looking to represent a range of athletes. But our roster so far is mainly fighters.”
She nodded. “Okay … so, MMA stands for mixed martial arts, but what does it mean?” She emphasized the last word.
“It’s a combination of different forms of martial arts and fighting styles,” I explained. “Boxing, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, and more.”
“How are you supposed to learn all of those different ways to fight?”
“It’s impossible to learn all of them.” I glanced over at her. “Most fighters grew up learning one specific fighting style. They get really good in whatever form and then incorporate a few others as they grow in the sport. That’s the shortened version of what typically happens,” I explained.
“Which martial art did you start in?”
“I didn’t start in martial arts,” I said. She leaned in closer, as if interested in learning more.
“I didn’t take up sports until high school. I started wrestling, and my talent for it became obvious early on.”
“Let me guess,” she interrupted, grinning. “You were Mr. All-State or whatever.”
With a chuckle, I nodded. “Junior and senior years in college.”
I’d earned a free ride on a wrestling scholarship and wrestled all four years.
“I knew it.” She snapped her fingers. “And you won a championship.”
The smile on my lips slipped, and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. The pain of the betrayal that caused me to lose the championship was still a sore spot.
“No. I didn’t win,” I said, my voice harsher than I anticipated.
When it grew quiet, I glanced over at Lena. I mentally kicked myself for letting my emotions get the best of me and responding the way I did.
“It was a tough loss, but I’ve won plenty of matches and fights since then. Lesson learned.”
“What was the lesson?” she asked.
“Never let ’em see you sweat.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“We’re here.” I turned into The Tavern’s parking lot. It was an American cuisine restaurant and bar with a southwestern feel. They had the best burgers in town.
