MMA Meets MBA

Mark broke in. "That being said, it's time for you to incorporate, protect your assets and lessen your liabilities. Here is the lawyer I want you to see, you have a four o'clock appointment, Alice will be with you. You don't have to use him, that's up to you, but listen to his advice."

"You got a good paycheck last night, time for me to actually earn my money and set you up a portfolio. Call me when you're ready to discuss it."

He had to leave, citing another client.

...............................................

Four months later she had her next match, with the number five ranked fighter. Manny wanted to slow down, not rush into a fight they weren't prepared for. Betty grumbled, the impatience of youth kicking in, but she listened. Mark had a talk with her.

"Patience is a hard learned virtue, Betty, but you've got to start looking past these fights. You're only twenty four, you have your whole life ahead of you. I assume at some point you'll want to start a family and a new career. Remember to keep the long term in mind."

She often wondered about Mark. He was thirty two, unmarried, the only woman he seemed close to was Alice. She wasn't at all sure what the relationship was, just that they were very close.

"What about you, Mark? When are you going to marry and sire a bunch of future tycoons?"

It was hard to pinpoint the expression on his face. Sadness, some anger, but mostly loss.

"I tried that once. Didn't work out, come to find out we had different goals in life."

She put her hand on his arm instinctively.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

He smiled sadly.

"Thanks, but it doesn't matter now. It's in the past."

In the meantime, Alice was earning her money.

She got her on the local morning shows, talking about her career. Thanks to her careful coaching,

she came off personable, friendly, a joy to interview. Betty thought it was all fake and was surprised at how Alice reacted.

"Fake? Baby if you were fake the audience would know it in a heartbeat. That's the real you out there. Please, don't change. If you feel jaded or tired, tell me. We'll take a break."

"Sorry, Alice. This is all still new to me."

Alice took her hand and looked her in the eye.

"Don't apologize for what you feel. Please, always be open with me, we'll get along much better. You don't know much about me, but at one time I handled some pretty big names. I saw a few go from being decent human beings to cartoons, doing absolutely anything if it helped their careers, including doing harm to others. It made them less than human in my opinion. It's one of the reasons I quit, even though I loved it, and moved back here."

She changed the subject and asked about Mark. Alice smiled, seems like they spent part of every time they were together discussing him. Alice said little about his private life now, it was up to him if he wanted to share, but she did give Betty a little history now and then.

"Alice, was Mark ever married?"

Alice chose her words carefully.

"Yes he was. It ended badly, and he never discusses it. It's made it hard for him to get close to anyone now. They've been divorced for three years, and as far as I know he hasn't had a serious relationship since. He dates a lot, he is handsome and rich, and I'm sure he probably gets laid a lot, but they never last more than a few weeks. Why the questions?"

Betty blushed.

"No reason. Just curious about who I work with."

Alice smiled as she watched her face.

"She has a crush on him, it's as plain as the nose on her face. I hope they don't end up hurting each other, they're my two favorite people in the world. Maybe I should say something." swirled through her head.

"What about you, Betty. Anybody in your life right now?"

"Yes, you, Mark, Manny, and my family. I'm in training right now and don't have time for a relationship. Besides, I'm like Mark, my last relationship ended badly, and I don't want to rush into anything."

"Good thinking."

................................................

Her next fight came. She had worked hard, studied her opponent, watched a copy of every fight she had been in. Spotted weaknesses, spotted things to watch for.

She was confident, relaxed, upbeat. And she almost got her ass kicked.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who studied opponents. Neither could gain an advantage.

It was a hard fought match, but in the end it was declared a draw. Betty was extremely disappointed.

As usual, Alice and Candy were beside her in the dressing room, prepping her for the interview. Mark made an unexpected appearance.

"Good fight Betty, even if you didn't win. The upside is you didn't lose. Remember, be upbeat, be gracious, don't appear petulant. Remember, be professional."

He surprised her by kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear "if you can't outfight them, out charm them".

She did just that. Once again she had the crowd on her side, and did photos with her opponent and the winner of the main event with children from a group home in the city they were in.

..............................................

It was a somber group at the post fight meeting the next Monday. The rankings had come out, and both Betty and her opponent dropped a spot.

She was disappointed, but they all cheered her up.

"You're still a top ranked fighter, honey" said Alice, "and your popularity is increasing. How long until your next fight?"

She deferred to Manny. He shrugged.

"Don't know yet, we're negotiating now with the number four in three months, but it's still up in the air. If that falls through the number eight ranked wants a rematch. It won't get her closer to the title, but it'll keep her name out there and bring in some money."

"Can you spare her for about a week, if she trains on her own while she's gone?"

Mark wondered what Alice was up to.

Manny frowned, thinking. "Yeah, if it's not too close to the fight. Why?"

Alice smiled that smile Mark loved so much. This had to be good.

"I got a message from an old friend on the coast. One of the shows he's involved with is doing a storyline featuring MMA fighters. He wants her to do a cameo."

Betty sat up. "I don't think that's a good idea. I have no experience with acting. I'd look like a fool."

Alice actually laughed.

"Honey, honey, what do you think you do when you're on a post fight interview? Don't worry, I've seen the script, you only have about ten lines. You could probably shoot your part in one or two days, be back home before you know it. Think about the exposure. As your manager, publicist, and friend, I strongly advise you to do this. The exposure will do you a world of good."

Almost as an afterthought, she added "oh, you'll get paid, too. A tidy sum. Let me know by tomorrow, if you don't want it, he's going to try to get someone else."

Betty looked at Mark.

"What do you think?"

"I think you should do it. Who knows what doors could open up on account of this."

"Will you and Alice be with me?"

He seemed surprised.

"Alice will, of course. If it's important to you, I'll try to."

In the end they all went. Manny even got a bit part as her trainer. She was surprisingly good, a natural. The producer praised her, saying he would keep her in mind.

The show, a cop drama about the death of an MMA fighter, aired between her fight with the number eight, a knockout, and her match with the number three.

Alice was bringing her along slowly, knowing the danger of exposing her too much too soon.

................................................

As her star rose, so did attention from others.

She was surprised when one of the top managers in the business stopped by her table while she and Alice were having lunch.

He congratulated her on her victories and her TV appearance, then hit with what he really wanted.

"Are you happy with your management? What about your trainer? If you sign with me, I could take you places, help your career. You know I have three champions and four top fives under contract. I could do for you what I did for them. We could make a lot of money together."

Alice stiffened, but before she could speak Betty grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"Thank you so much for your offer, but I won't train with anyone but Manny, and I love my manager. Tell me, do you have contacts in the film and TV industry? Do you think I got that show by accident? My VERY WELL CONNECTED Manager did that for me. Good to talk to you."

She turned and resumed her conversation with Alice. The man was not used to being dismissed and stood for a few seconds before he colored and strode off. Alice laughed when he left.

"MY goodness, Betty, aren't you the little bitch! Think you were hard enough on him?"

She giggled before she got serious.

"I don't like the things I hear about him. He pushes fighters too hard. I hear a lot of them use steroids. We're not as well regulated as other sports, so it may be possible. Besides, I don't love him, I love you. And Mark. You're part of my family now."

She stopped as Alice teared up, thinking she had gone too far.

"Thank you Betty. I've never had a baby sister until now. Why do you think I work so hard for you? It's not business, it's love. Give me a hug."

They hugged and cried for a few seconds.

Betty smiled. "Well sis, I'm guessing as much as you love me, there's something else on your mind. What is it?"

Alice smiled back.

"I want you to consider something. You know, every year, just before Christmas, there is a national adoption telethon on one of the major networks. I've been contacted about you participating because of your work with St. Agnes.

It's a worthy cause, and the exposure would be tremendous for you. Interested?"

"Am I ever. What do I have to do?"

"I'll handle it. I'm thinking about some print ads in some major magazines leading up to the telethon. I'll have the details later."

The telethon was filmed in New York, coinciding with her next bout in Madison Square Garden five days before. Alice confirmed her attendance with the producers, wrangled a meeting, and laid out her ideas. They were on board immediately if she could pull it off.

It was a publicity success. Ad agencies around the world wished they had thought of it. Alice got several very lucrative offers of employment out of it.

Starting in September, magazines like GQ, Cosmo, Better Homes and Garden, Time, and just about every major magazine began running full page ads, with a professional athlete, music star, or actor in them. They got permission, and they were a variant on the "Got Milk" campaign that had been so successful.

It would be the star, surrounded by children from various agencies who needed parents, all holding glasses of milk with the famous milk mustache.

The caption read "GOT LOVE?" and contained a plea for people to consider adoption. There was also a flyer saying for every successful adoption that was a result of these ads, a local dairy would donate a specified amount of milk to homes and orphanages. Betty was the very first celebrity to be featured, along with some of the children from St. Agnes.

She and Alice ended up doing interviews on the national morning shows the week before the show.

Alice did manage to plug the upcoming fight. The Garden donated a thousand tickets to various orphanages and group homes.

.................................................

Betty had never fought in a venue as large as the Garden. It felt like everyone in New York was there to watch the fights. She got a slight case of the jitters.

"It doesn't matter how big the audience space is, the ring is exactly the same size as always. Live inside the ring, focus on why you're there, and you'll be fine." Manny told her as he massaged her shoulders and put her through her warmup routines.

She was third on the bill. Atlantic City was giving six to four odds in favor of her rival. The woman wasn't quite as big as Betty, but was incredibly fast. They had a plan for that.

"Get her against the fence, cut down on her room to maneuver, and go inside, but do it quick! She'll think you're gonna stay outside on her, use your reach. That's exactly what I want you to do for two rounds, then go in and give it everything you got, before she has time to adjust. Got it?"

She nodded to Manny, her mouthpiece already in.

Damn that girl was fast! At one time she would have sworn there were two of her in the ring, she seemed to be everywhere. Betty gave as good as she got, staying with the fight plan, dancing in and out, jabbing, kicking, grappling a little when the opportunity was right. At the start of round three they were dead even.

"Now is the time, baby. Go in on her and stay in. Keep her on the fence, don't let her loose. Time to bring it home." Manny was right in her face, making sure he had her undivided attention.

It might have been luck, karma, or just plain hard work and planning, but it went exactly the way Manny wanted. She gave her a short kick that rocked her against the cage, closed, and never let her out. Her opponent had no chance to use her speed pinned against the fence, and Betty took full advantage. The referee stopped the fight after two minutes in, her opponent was out on her feet. Technical knockout, two minutes thirty seconds into the third. The crowd went wild.

Betty was estatic. She kissed Manny, her opponent, hugged the referee.

Alice and Mark were standing by the ring when she left. She kissed and hugged Alice. Mark surprised her by picking her up and twirling her around. Had he always been that strong? When he put her down she grabbed his face and kissed him, for about a minute and a half. It was a tossup who was more surprised. The whole thing was flashing across the jumbotron, and the crowd ate it up.

Alice grabbed her and she and Manny hustled her into the dressing room. They were laughing the whole way while Betty glowed.

"Well, hon, I guess you stated your intentions."

laughed Alice as she helped her change into a nice dress. Candy was there, laughing while she teased her hair.

"I didn't mean to! It just happened. Think he's mad at me?"

Alice stroked her cheek.

"Oh, baby, did he try to push you away? I don't think so. In fact, you're the one who backed off. If it was up to him, your lips would probably still be locked. Be careful with him, he's still a little fragile. But go for it! You two would be good for each other."

The post interview went well. She even got a plug in about the upcoming telethon when they asked her what her plans were for the new future.

"We'll be watching" laughed the commentator doing the interview, "and judging by the way you kissed your boyfriend, you're going to have a very Merry Christmas".

She went bright red, and everyone saw it on the jumbotron. There were a lot of cheers and whistles. Mark chose that exact moment to appear by her side. Without thinking he leaned down and gave her a light kiss. He looked over at the commentator.

"Yes, I believe it will be a Merry Christmas for all, don't you think so, dear?"

He looked at Betty and she got even redder, but she held his hand tightly as they left.

There were pictures, autographs to sign, hands to shake. Mark faded into the background while Alice orchestrated everything. She didn't see Mark until the next day, during the post fight meeting.

Manny went first.

"She'll be ranked two, definitely. The next fight will be a title shot, I'm sure. I'll have to set it up with her people, and it will probably be five to six months before it happens. The champ has a match with what was the number one contender in January. I figure May at the earliest, giving us plenty of time to train."

Alice jumped in.

"Good. The producer who used you in the crime drama has a movie coming up. He's interested in Betty for a prominent bit part. It's a romance by a best selling writer. It could be start of her second career, after the fighting days are over.

No more than three weeks. Can you do it?"

Betty was overwhelmed, things were happening so fast.

Mark added his input.

"You should do it, Betty. Good actresses make a lot more than good fighters, and again, you don't have to get hit to earn your money. You got a really good paycheck this time. It's time to diversify your holdings. With real estate in the slump it is now, there are some very good opportunities out there. I've found a set of four duplex apartments that are being foreclosed on. You can get them for about half what they're actually worth. You can comfortably pay half down, and with a minimum of repairs and improvements, they will be at full occupancy in no time. The rent would handle the payments with a little left over.Say the word and I'll make it happen."

Bettina Burke, landlord. She didn't know if she liked it or not, but the more Mark explained it to her, the better it sounded. She wouldn't actually be involved, a management agency would handle it all.

Her dad was impressed. He was even more impressed when she bought him a new truck, a small Ford. His old car was worn out, and she knew he liked trucks. He had tears in his eyes when he tried to make her return it.

"Save it dad. I live here and don't pay anything. Consider it past payment for room and board. I did it because I love you, and believe me, I can afford it. Now, take me for a ride."

For about a month afterwards he bragged to the neighborhood about the successful daughter who didn't have anything better to do than buy her old man a truck.

She and Mark started dating. Lunches, dinner. He took her to the opera and she was enthralled. She took him to a rock concert and he surprised her by dancing in the aisles with her. Despite some steamy goodnight kisses, they had not yet become intimate. Both felt they had to be sure, before committing.

He told her about his ex wife, how she refused to have children after they had agreed before marriage to start a family in two years. How she became bored and cheated, looking to trade up. The divorce was bitter. Despite the prenup, she tried to take almost everything. The sad fact was she was more wealthy than he, and the judge dismissed her attempts out of hand, ruling that the prenup stand, and granting the divorce.

"She still calls, about once a month, at the office. She doesn't have my private numbers any longer. Says she regrets everything, wants to start over. Begs for another chance. I try to be polite as possible, but every time I decline. What's done is done. I'm pretty much over it now, so I hope she finds what she needs. It just isn't me."

This pleased her immensely.

She told him about her last romantic episode.

He was a boxer at the same gym. He was personable, attractive, Hispanic. They dated seriously, she even gave him her virginity. He turned out to be controlling and extremely jealous. If she even said hello to another man he would try to start a fight. Actually beat a couple people, ended up in jail overnight and got sued once. When she told him it was over he attacked her. She didn't expect it and got hurt pretty bad before instincts and training took over, and she beat him up. Had to get a restraining order, and a few of her father's cop buddies suggested to him strongly he respect that.

He stormed the gym, screaming. Bad move, in a room full of fighters.

They escorted him out, after trying to pound some sense into him. He got expelled from the gym and his trainer dropped him. Last she heard, he was working as an enforcer for a gang he joined. He was currently on trial for assault with intent to kill, most likely looking at two to four years.

Mark was appalled, then grinned.

"well, I ended up with a broken heart for awhile, he ended up with a broken jaw. I'm not the jealous type, as long as you understand if you're mine, you're mine. I don't like promise breakers."