MAX
But this was different.
Channing was being a brat.
Something must have really got to him.
And I just stormed out the damn house…
Max felt frustrated that he hadn’t been more patient and attempted to work through things with Channing. Perhaps he should have stayed, but on the other hand Max knew that this could have ended up making things even worse.
‘I should have stayed,’ Max muttered. ‘I’m his Daddy for God’s sake…’
But Max of all people knew that sometimes you just need your own space to work through something.
With this in mind, Max decided that he wouldn’t message Channing to check in on him. If something was bugging Channing, then it was probably sensible to give him the time and space he needed to work it out for himself.
This might not have been a foolproof plan, but it was the best that Max had in that moment. Anyway, it wasn’t as if Max didn’t have his own worries to work through…
Judd fucking Trax.
This is all down to him showing up.
All the messages too…
Max gritted his teeth and took the last gulp of his beer, only to find it replaced with a fresh bottle by the cute bartender.
‘Thanks,’ Max said, his mind focused on Judd and what a total asshole he was.
Gradually, Max was coming to the realization that Judd’s role in this may have been more sinister than he’d first imagined.
Max had no proof, but it began to cross his mind that it was Judd who had spiked his drink. And if that was true, then there was a very good chance that it was Judd who had taken Max’s car after he abandoned it after the crash.
Max didn’t know what to think.
All Max knew was that he had to meet Judd to hash things out.
Max took his cellphone out of his pocket and after checking for any new messages from Channing, he began to type out a message.
You wanted to meet me one on one? Let’s fucking do it. We need to sort this out. I don’t care what you think this is all about, I just want to put an end to it. Max.
Max hit send and then sent a follow-up message with his location. It felt like the right thing to have done. The longer Max had allowed this thing with Judd to drag on, the worse the situation had become. The culmination of course being when Judd showed up and creeped Channing out.
Whatever happened when Judd arrived, Max was determined to take it in his stride. As angry as he was with Channing in that moment, Max knew that sorting things out with Judd would go a long way to making both himself and Channing happy again.
But one thing remained unclear.
What did Judd really want?
And how far was he willing to go to get it?
* * *
‘Sorry, same again?’ the bartender enquired, noticing that an increasingly impatient Max was done with his beer and casting his eyes toward the bar’s entrance.
‘No, not right now,’ Max replied, his voice firm and even. ‘Maybe in a bit.’
‘Hey, no worries,’ the bartender said, smiling and walking over toward a large stack of empty glasses that needed putting into the large glass cleaner. ‘Just give me a shout when you’re ready.’
Max nodded.
It was nice to be in a bar with friendly but not overly-insistent bar staff. But Max wasn’t going to even contemplate having a good time until Judd had arrived. The fact that an hour had passed since Max messaged Judd wasn’t good.
Max felt on edge.
Each time the The Lion's Roar door swung open, Max reflexively went into business mode. Of course, Max figured that this was some kind of power play from Judd. By keeping Max waiting, Judd was probably trying to show just how in control of the situation he was.
Asshole.
The longer he keeps me waiting, the worse it will be.
Judd is about to learn a very harsh lesson…
Max took a quick glance at his cellphone. In part, in case Judd had messaged to cancel the meeting. But Max couldn’t deny that he was also checking to see whether or not Channing had been in contact.
Sadly, there was nothing from Channing.
Maybe this was a good thing. The last thing Max needed was to get involved in an emotional message exchange with Channing as he waited for Judd Trax to show up.
The longer the wait was, the more stressed Max became. So much so in fact, that Max found his mind wandering back to the day that he quit college.
There had been a very clear choice that day.
Max could have stuck around and fought to keep his place and improve his grades. The alternative was of course to walk away in search of unrestricted fun and adventure on the road.
Max chose the latter option, and the rest was history. But Max couldn’t help wondering how his life would have turned out had he stayed on campus, graduated, and stuck it out with Channing too.
Suddenly, the years of living simply for pleasure seemed like wasted years to Max.
Yes, the parties had been excellent.
And there had been a ton of very cute guys along the way.
But what did Max have to show for it now barring some increasingly hazy old memories?
My life was becoming a fucking mess.
Channing helped change that.
Why wasn’t I more patient with him back at the apartment?
With still no sign of Judd, Max was almost at the point of getting up and leaving. Max could leave Judd to play his silly games and instead get back to Channing… the boy he loved.
However just as this was beginning to feel like the right choice to make, Max looked up and saw Judd enter the bar. Judd wasn’t alone either.
Following closely behind Judd were two guys, both big and with the kind of slightly mangled faces you’d associate with down and out heavies.
This situation wasn’t going to run as smoothly as Max had hoped, that much was becoming clearer by the second…
‘I thought I said come alone?’ Max growled, not impressed by Judd’s henchmen.
‘You don’t call the shots,’ Judd replied. ‘Shouldn’t that be obvious by now?’
Judd sneered and flexed his tattoo-covered arms. He was thirty-eight, a few years younger than Max. Not only that, but with his grey eyes and greasy black hair he always gave off serious bad-news vibes.
Max was beginning to curse the day he ever befriended Judd.
‘Who says I don’t call the shots?’ Max countered, not wanting to give Judd an inch. ‘as far as I can tell, you’re the desperate one. Messaging me. Approaching my guy in a bar. You know what, screw it. You can keep my car. Whatever. I’m out.’
Max was making his play.
He wanted to show Judd just how little he thought of him. And by being so dismissive, Max felt like he had Judd right where he wanted him.
What Max wasn’t counting on though was the presence of Judd’s two sidemen. As Max got up from his barstool to leave, the two burly men stepped directly into his path.
‘I don’t think so, asshole,’ Judd said, a sneer on his face as he watched his two associates do his dirty work for him. ‘You’re staying until I’m done with you.’
‘You’ve got ten seconds to tell me what this is really about,’ Max said. ‘Don’t mess with me, Judd. This needs to stop.’
Max waited for Judd to speak.
Don’t blink.
Don’t show a single sign of weakness or doubt.
Judd hasn’t got anything over me…
‘Well?’ Max barked, his patience running low. ‘Are you going to speak or…’
‘Here’s how it’s going to go down,’ Judd said, a hint of a smile on his face. ‘I’ve got images of you asleep at the wheel. I’ve got your car. I’ve got evidence that you drove under the influence and ran from the scene.’
‘Asshole!’ Max said, momentarily losing his composure.
‘There’s a big drag race coming up,’ Judd continued, unperturbed. ‘You’re going to enter. And you’re going to lose. This will make me a shit-ton of money and in exchange I won’t forward all of my incriminating evidence to the police. How does that sound?’
Max felt enraged.
This was totally out of line and crossing so many barriers of honor and conduct. Respect and trust was big in the drag racing community. In fact, it was one of the things that Max loved most of all about racing.
But Judd was attempting to undermine every single aspect of what made drag racing such a vibrant, incredible community. Max was truly appalled.
‘You think you can blackmail me?’ Max said, his voice full of barely concealed rage. ‘Max Manchester doesn’t lose races on purpose. And I certainly don’t take orders from slimy, good for nothing pieces of crap like you, Judd.’
‘You’ll lose the race, or take your chances with a jail sentence,’ Judd replied, not looking like he was in the mood for backing down. ‘How will your corporate boyfriend react to that? And who will protect him when your locked up?’
The threat to Channing was the last straw for Max.
In a flurry of explosive action, Max took a swing at Judd and narrowly missed his chin. The two henchmen began to rain down punches on Max, and he knew that he had his work cut out from the second that the first heavy right-cross landed on the side of his head.
The scuffle was brief, but brutal.
No sooner than had it started, but the The Lion's Roar doormen were over and breaking things up. Clearly, it was apparent who the bad guys in the situation were and Judd and his men left without too much pressure from the doormen.
But Judd didn’t leave without one final parting shot…
‘You’ll race and you’ll lose,’ Judd squealed. ‘You work for me now, Manchester!’
Max staggered over toward the bar. He felt dazed and disoriented. The punches that landed from Judd’s henchmen had been heavy, concussive blows. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.
What… the…
There’s no way I can race.
But… Channing… the police… I…
Max managed to take a seat at the bar and immediately put his head in his hands to try and focus his mind. Max was angry. He was hurting too. It didn’t feel good to take several shots to the head, but equally it was a blow to his pride at having the fight stopped by the doormen.
‘Ready for that new drink now?’ the bar man enquired, a look of friendly sympathy on his face.
‘You know what, I think I am,’ Max replied, seeing the funny side of the situation. ‘And bring it with a shot of your best God damn whiskey on the side too.’
‘No problemo,’ the bartender said, already ahead of the game and pouring out a generous shot. ‘This one’s on the house.’
As the liquor hit the back of Max’s throat, he took a moment to consider the magnitude of the situation. This was a problem that he wasn’t going to hustle his way out of.
Judd may have been a slimy piece of crap, but it was clear that he meant every word he was saying.
Max had a choice. He could stay and fight for what he believed in and do what was right. Or he could take the first bus out of town and never have to deal with Judd and his blackmail again.
This felt like a big moment.
Max wasn’t getting any younger, and the choice he made in this moment could shape how the rest of his life looked.
It was time for Max to decide upon exactly the type of man- and what kind of Daddy - he wanted to be.