"He should thank me."
Damien turned suddenly, still laughing.
His gym bag slid across the counter.
The corner of the bag struck Dominic's coffee mug.
The mug tipped.
Hot black coffee spilled across Dominic's book and forearm.
The diner went silent.
Dominic didn't move.
He slowly pulled his arm away.
He looked at the soaked paperback.
Then at the puddle spreading across the table.
He took a napkin.
Then another.
He began wiping the table.
Damien watched him.
At first, there was no reaction.
Then a grin appeared.
"Oops."
Dominic kept wiping.
"My bad, old man."
Nothing.
"Next time, don't sit so close to the splash zone."
Dominic finally spoke.
"It's fine."
He continued cleaning.
"Just watch where you throw your gear."
His voice was quiet.
Not angry.
Not frightened.
Just factual.
Damien stopped smiling.
Something about the man's tone bothered him.
There was no fear.
No nervous laugh.
No apology.
No attempt to impress him.
Damien was accustomed to people changing their behavior when he entered a room.
They noticed his size.
His tattoos.
His reputation.
His undefeated record.
Dominic hadn't even looked impressed.
Damien walked toward the booth.
Sarah immediately stepped between them.
"Damien, leave it."
"I'm talking to him."
"He said it's fine."
Damien leaned over the table.
"You got something to say to me?"
Dominic looked up.
His eyes were pale blue.
Cold.
Calm.
Unusually attentive.
"No."
"Then why did you tell me to watch what I'm doing?"
"Because you should."
Leon chuckled.
Brad whispered, "Come on, man."
But Damien wasn't listening.
He was staring at Dominic.
"You know who I am?"
"No."
That answer hit harder than an insult.
Damien's jaw tightened.
"I'm Damien Cole."
Dominic nodded.
"Good for you."
Leon nearly choked.
Sarah turned away, hiding a smile.
Damien's face reddened.
Dominic stood.
He dropped a twenty-dollar bill onto the table.
"Keep the change."
He picked up his ruined book.
Then he walked toward the door.
Damien stared after him.
"Hey!"
Dominic kept walking.
"I didn't dismiss you!"
Dominic opened the door.
Cold rain swept into the diner.
He stepped outside.
Damien stood frozen for a second.
Nobody walked away from him.
Nobody.
He pushed past Sarah.
"Damien!" she shouted.
But the door slammed behind him.
Outside, Dominic crossed the parking lot.
His boots splashed through puddles.
He could hear Damien approaching behind him.
"Hey, flannel!"
Dominic stopped.
Closed his eyes.
Took one slow breath.
For years, he had trained himself to recognize the moment when a situation changed.
This was one of those moments.
He turned.
Damien stood twenty feet away.
His fists were clenched.
His face was full of anger.
"You're going to walk away from me?"
Dominic shook his head.
"I'm going to my truck."
"You think you're tough?"
"No."
"Then prove it."
Dominic looked at him.
Rain ran down the brim of his cap.
"Son, you're looking for a fight because you need to prove something to yourself."
Damien laughed.
"You're scared."
Dominic's expression didn't change.
"I am giving you one opportunity to go back inside."
Damien stepped closer.
"I'm going to put you to sleep."
Dominic sighed.
"Don't."
Damien swung.
The punch was fast.
Professional.
Powerful.
But Dominic wasn't where Damien expected him to be.
The older man stepped inside the arc of the punch.
His movement was so small that Leon almost missed it.
Dominic redirected Damien's arm.
A quick shift of balance.
A precise disruption of his stance.
Damien's foot slipped on the wet pavement.
He crashed into a puddle.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then Damien screamed.
"You lucky bastard!"
He charged again.
This time he attempted a takedown.
Dominic pivoted.
Damien flew past him.
The older man controlled his descent, turned him, and pinned him to the pavement before Damien could recover.
Dominic's technique wasn't flashy.
It didn't look like sport.
There was no flourish.
No unnecessary movement.
It was frightening precisely because there was nothing wasted.
Damien struggled.
Dominic tightened the hold.
"Stop."
Damien fought harder.
"Stop."
The pressure increased.
Pain shot through Damien's shoulder.
His confidence disappeared.
He tapped the ground.
"Okay!"
Dominic released him immediately.
Damien rolled onto his back, gasping.
Dominic stood.
"You should have listened."