Chapter 16 - FLOOR ACCESS
Marcus Hale used the credential.
That surprised Maya.
She saw him before warmups.
Not cageside.
Not leaning over the barrier.
Not talking to her coaches.
He stood near the tunnel with a paper cup of coffee and the expression of a man trying very hard not to inspect everything.
Maya walked over.
“You used it.”
Marcus looked at the badge clipped to his jacket.
“Apparently.”
“You know this gets you closer than row twelve.”
“I noticed.”
“You could stand by the cage.”
“I could.”
Maya waited.
Marcus drank his coffee.
She smiled.
“You're learning.”
“Don't ruin it.”
Her new coach, Elena Ruiz, approached carrying wraps.
“Five minutes.”
Maya nodded.
Marcus stepped back.
No advice.
No last-second speech.
No reminder about keeping her right hand up.
Nothing.
Maya noticed that too.
Before she turned away, she asked:
“You're not going to say anything?”
Marcus looked at her.
“You want me to?”
She thought about it.
Then shook her head.
“No.”
“Then no.”
Maya walked toward the locker room.
Marcus watched her go.
That was the agreement now.
Not written.
Not spoken.
But real.
Access did not equal authority.
Twenty minutes later, Maya's opponent missed weight.
By four pounds.
Dana Ruiz found Maya near the locker room.
“We need a decision.”
Marcus heard it from ten feet away.
His body reacted before his mind did.
Four pounds mattered.
Size mattered.
Risk mattered.
He started forward.
Then stopped.
Maya looked at Dana.
“What are my options?”
“Take the fight with a percentage of her purse.”
“Or?”
“We cancel.”
“And development status?”
“Unaffected.”
Maya nodded.
“Give me five minutes.”
Dana walked away.
Marcus stayed where he was.
Maya turned.
“You have an opinion.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
Marcus hesitated.
“You asked.”
“I did.”
“I'd cancel.”
Maya nodded slowly.
“Why?”
“Because she missed by four pounds and you're not being paid enough to pretend that's nothing.”
Maya almost smiled.
“That sounds like Dad.”
“It is Dad.”
She looked toward the locker room.
Then back at him.
“I'm taking it.”
Marcus felt the old instinct rise.
Protect.
Argue.
Convince.
He let it pass.
“Okay.”
Maya studied his face.
“That's it?”
“You asked what I'd do.”
“You're not mad?”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
“Fair.”
Marcus nodded toward the cage.
“Your fight.”
Maya walked away.
She won by decision.
Afterward Marcus didn't tell her she had been right.
Because that wasn't the lesson.
May you like
The lesson was that she had chosen.
And he had survived not choosing for her.
