Free Sweet Submission: Jenny and Max Complete Series Plus Bonus Short Story by Eden Greenwood

chair, clearly out of his element. With his new status of celebrity MMA fighter, Max knew it was part of his job to go on shows like this to promote his upcoming fight. It was in his contract after all. He tolerated it well, and usually came off as gentle and charming, if not a little guarded. His agent had instructed him to be more open, and Max had promised to try tonight.
    “Beer, wine, champagne?” a young, brunette page asked me.
    “Sparkling water?” I said, hopefully.
    “We have that,” she said, nodding, then scurried away.
    I clutched the cross pendant that hung around my neck and said a little prayer for Max.
    “In five,” the director said through the TV, then started the countdown.
    Max straightened up and smiled when the cameras started rolling.
    “We’re back with Max McCall,” Adam Williams said. “So, Max we’ve talked a lot about your fighting career, but that’s not all you’re about, right? You’re a family man.”
    “That’s right,” Max said, then cleared his throat. “I have a beautiful wife, Jenny, and an amazing stepdaughter, Lily.”
    “It sounds like you and your wife have a great relationship,” Adam said. “What advice would you give the men out there, how can they keep their ladies happy?”
    Max drummed his fingers against the arms of the chair. He was starting to sweat through his makeup. “Just, um-“ he started.
    “Come on, baby,” I whispered.
    Max took a deep breath, regaining his composure. “What works for me is to remember that my wife is my spiritual partner. God is central to our marriage, and keeps our relationship strong.”
    “Yes,” I said, victoriously, thinking that was a brilliant answer.
    Adam seemed surprised. “God, huh? You’re a religious man?”
    Max nodded. He looked uncomfortable again from talking about matters as personal as faith on national television. “Yes, I’d say I am.”
    My breath caught in my chest. After we’d relocated to California, we’d encountered many secularists, especially in the entertainment industry. It wasn’t like back home where we could talk about our beliefs openly. Though people were nice here, as soon as we mentioned something about God, they seemed to silently judge us.
    “Jesus was a pacifist, am I right?” Adam asked.
    “In a way,” Max said.
    Adam cracked his knuckles, preparing to take Max to task. “So, all the beating people up, is that kosher in your religion?”
    This got a tremendous response from the crowd. They cheered their host. Adam smiled with a ‘gotcha’ look in his eye. Max waited for the cheering to die down before he responded.
    “MMA fighting is about so much more than beating each other up,” Max said. “It’s a sport of skill and strategy. It draws on traditions that are centuries old. Look, it might look bad to you. You may wonder, how can they take punches like that? But MMA fighters aren’t like average people. They’re tough, tougher than nails. They can take it, trust me.”
    Silence fell over the studio, and a second later, the crowd erupted in cheers. Max smiled humbly at the adoration. Adam raised his hand, trying to control the crowd.
    “Gotcha,” I said under my breath.
    When the interview ended, I waited eagerly for Max to make his way backstage. When I saw him, I jumped into his arms and kissed his lips.
    “Max, you were great out there,” I said. “You’re starting to get good at this.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Max said. He rubbed his lips, and a thick layer of beige makeup smeared across his fingers. “I’m ready to get this stuff off.”
    The makeup artist came in and starting removing Max’s makeup with cotton pads. I waited on the couch, looking forward to going home and eating the ice cream we had in the freezer. Publicity days were long, relentless, and often left me feeling exhausted. If it was this bad for me, then I wondered how it was for Max.
    Mark, Max’s agent, entered the room with a cellphone pressed against his