Fight ME

Hot Mess

Howie sighed as he stared straight ahead. He liked California, but the traffic was such a pain in his ass. Not to mention the awkward silence that had filled his car, while he drove next to his newly acquired daughter.

"You can change the station if you want?" He tried to make conversation.

Maxine turned to look at the man driving, he was a stranger and she had no intentions of making conversation with him. "You don't have to talk. I know you don't want me and that's fine. I don't have a problem going back to the motel."

"I promised your mother I would watch after you and if she thinks it's dangerous for you to go back. Then we will keep you away. I'm sorry about your mom. I'm also sorry that I can't exactly take you with me...I live all the way in Florida and well, I need to prepare my wife with this news."

"Hey, don't feel bad on my account. You don't even have to tell her anything about me, as soon as my mom is out of her coma, we are going back home." She looked down at her hands.

Howie cleared his throat feeling bad about his decision. Then again, it wasn't exactly his fault. How could Kristine keep something like this from him? He would have taken responsibility for his actions. He swallowed hard as he tried to think of a reply for Maxine.

"Well until then I have a good friend you can stay with. I will make sure that he helps you get accommodated. Oh, and I'm going to tell my wife, because believe it or not this is a big deal for me. I never knew about you...and if I would have..."

"Don't even say it. Please. You didn't know about me and now I've gone without you for twenty years, I can do it for the rest of my life."

"Right!" He answered and looked back to see what was breathing on his neck. He'd forgotten about the big gray pit-bull sitting in his backseat. "So, what's the story with the dog?"

She smiled back at the dog. He found some familiarity in her features as she faced him. "This is Turbo. I found him in an alley one night. He was beaten really bad, must've been someone's fighter. I didn't have money so I tried my best to nurse him back to health myself. He turned out alright, he just has a limp."

Howie nodded, knowing he would never keep a stray dog. Especially, not a pit-bull, they were potentially dangerous and now that he thought about the dog breathing down his neck. He got nervous.

"That was kind of you. I would never pick up a stray, at least not to keep it in my home."

Maxine giggled. "I coulda guessed that. You seem like the uptight kind of guy. You probably own a little dog. One you put sweaters on and diamond collars."

"Actually, I don't own any pets at all."

"I should have known that."

They pulled up to a gated community and Howie cut his one sided conversation with his annoying daughter to let the security know he was there to see Nick Carter. "Thank you!" He rolled up the window and zoomed into the community.

"Did you say Nick Carter? Are you talking about Nick Carter the UFC fighter?"

Howie's eyebrows scrunched up and he wondered how she knew about Nick. He was forgetting that his friend was on the popular side, when he wasn't busy being a rundown loser.

"Yes that one exactly. He's one of my closest friends and I trust him. How do you know about him?"

Her eyes widened and she looked at Howie dumbfounded. "He's only Strikforce's two year in a row champion. Come on are you going to tell me you don't go see him?"

"Remember I'm in Florida."

"They fight all over the place."

"I don't like to see my good friend being beaten to a pulp. So, I avoid going." The car came to a halt and Turbo barked in Howie's ear, making him jump in his seat. 

 Maxine pursed her lips to keep from laughing, "Sorry! He gets excited, plus look at this place. It's like a mansion." She stepped out and looked around the place. She helped Turbo out and he bolted out into the bushes.

"Now I must warn you that Nick is going through a moment of being an asshole right now. He might not always be in his nicest or soberest behavior. Just lock yourself in your room; please don't try to help him. He's stubborn and rude sometimes. It's just a fair warning."

She faked a smile. "Thanks! I feel safe already!"

They walked up to the door and knocked. They waited for a few moments and then a skimpy blonde opened the door. She was wearing nothing but a t-shirt.

"Hello!" She grinned and turned back to holler at Nick. "You have company."

Nick walked over to the door with a beer in his hand and looked at Howie and then Maxine. "Sup!"

Maxine couldn't speak. She couldn't believe she was standing in front of one of her favorite fighters. Plus, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the famous Nick Carter abs. He was shirtless in some plaid pajama pants that hung loosely on his hips and he was barefoot.

"Drinking so early in the day it's not even noon. Anyways, Nick, meet Maxine; she's a big fan of yours. Now, I need you to do me a favor. Come on kid." Howie stormed in like it was his house and took Maxine by the hand and dragged her in with him. "You wait here."

Nick and Howie met up in the kitchen were Nick was busy taking out another beer from the fridge. 

"What's with the woman?" Howie asked, Nick answered with a loud burp. "You are a hot mess, man. Listen...something really crazy happened to me last night."

"Oh fuck! Did you cheat on Leigh with that young woman out there, because she's not bad looking. I mean..." Nick leaned around Howie and checked out Maxine that was hanging by the sliding glass doors, admiring the ocean view. "She's pretty hot!"

"That's my daughter, asshole!"

Nick choked on his mouthful of beer. "What?"

"Well, that's what Kristine says and I sorta believe her. I have a twenty year old daughter that I have to tell Leigh about. I'm not sure how she is going to take the news, so I can't just go home with her. Plus, I'm going back to Florida tomorrow night. Wait don't you have a fight today?"

"Yes, Mark is picking me up in a few hours. Wait...you have a daughter?"

"Yes he does and you should stop drinking." They both looked up when they heard Maxine's voice. "How are you supposed to throw any punches if you are going to be half drunk?"

Nick glared at Howie and then at Maxine. "I've done it before!" He retorted.

"Now I know why you lost those few fights then."

Howie cleared his throat. "See! I think you guys are going to get along just fine." He looked at his watch and realized it was already noon and Leigh would be questioning his disappearance again. He had a lot of explaining to do the night before; he didn't want to have to be doing that during a wedding. "So, I'm going to leave you here and um...I'll come by before I leave tomorrow."

"That's fine!" She let out a sigh.

Howie started for the door and Nick followed him in a rush. "Wait a minute, that's not fair that you come and dump your responsibility on me. What am I supposed to do with this chic? She seems like a pain in the ass already?" The door swung open and in rushed Turbo almost knocking Nick over.

"Oh yeah, forgot to tell you she has a dog! "Howie grinned. "Thanks Nick!" He rushed outside to hop into his car.

"HOWARD! D? D?" Nick slammed the door shut and turned around. The skimpy blonde was giving him the eye. Maxine had a wide smile and Turbo was already chewing on one of his shoes.

"Fuck!"