Dread fills my stomach, and I’m immediately somber. “It was a series of misunderstandings. They know that, right?”
“I explained it as best I could. But you’ve got some groveling in your future.”
I sigh. “Great. What do they want me to do?”
“Well,” Troy says, as he opens his phone, “Martin Sanderson said you’re going to be personally greeting his VIPs for the first month of the season, and he expects you to take any and all endorsement deals he sends our way. Oh, and he wants you at his beck and call for a couple of events this summer. The PR team worked nonstop getting footage removed from multiple sites, so you lucked out there.”
“Those aren’t too bad,” I say slowly. “I’m assuming the ones from Coach are worse, since you led with Mr. Sanderson’s things.”
Troy shrugs. “It’s hard to tell sometimes if he’s really mad about something, since he’s so damn grumpy, but I felt like I had to talk Coach off the damn ledge, man. He’s furious about you bringing a bad name to the team, as well as screwing up his professional relationship with the owner. He was relieved there’s no evidence online, but he’s even more upset about his niece’s spectacle. Says he blatantly told you not to let her drink.”
“I didn’tlether drink,” I say exasperatedly, throwing up my hands in frustration. “I don’t know how, or when, she got the booze. She ran off with a couple of friends. Was I supposed to chase after her? I figured since we both had told her not to drink, she wouldn’t.”
“Is the chick a teenager or something?” Max asks.
“No, Coach said she’s twenty-seven,” I reply.
“Jesus. You’d think a woman of that age wouldn’t get so shitfaced she embarrasses herself, her date, and everyone around her,” Max replies, disgust evident in his tone.
“Exactly!” I yell, only somewhat aware of how loud I’ve gotten. “I was only supposed to escort her and tell her not to drink. Oh, and he told me not to sleep with her. At least I didn’t do that.”
Troy coughs. “Lower your voice, Jamie. You’re getting really loud.”
“Sorry,” I say quietly. “What does Coach want me to do since I clearly didn’t do a good job babysitting his adult niece?”
“No one could have babysat her,” Max adds in. “The girl was pretty out of control from the moment I saw her. She was hanging onto any athlete she could find. I bet she was determined to go home with one, and she didn’t care which one.”
“She made a pass at me before we even got to the venue, and I shut that shit down immediately. I wasn’t interested, and I’ve got something going on with someone anyway.”
“Well, this is news to me,” Troy says, interest sparking in his eyes. “The entire time I’ve known you, I don’t think you’ve had a serious girlfriend.”
“Never met someone I thought was worth it,” I confess.
“Are you wanting advice and a strategy for going public? What do you need me to do?” Troy asks.
“Don’t do it, man,” Max says with an exaggerated cough. “Hide that shit as long as possible. The press absolutely ruined my last relationship.”
“I’m not announcing anything just yet. Gonna enjoy living in my little bubble for a while longer, and give her time to acclimate to what it will be like dating me. She’s not in our world, and I’m afraid it’ll spook her if she knows how much people will invade her space once they find out who she is.”
“I don’t get why women give up on relationships because of the press. Work schedules I understand. I can even sympathize with a woman hating that she can’t trust her man out of town. But the press? Such a minor thing,” Troy says. Max and I both glare at him.
“That’s because you didn’t make it big out of college,” I blurt out. Troy played football in college, and could have gone pro as a running back, if it weren’t for one play that completely blew out his knee, tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus. After over a year in recovery, his game wasn’t the same, and he gave up playing.
“Yeah, and you’re single,” Max pipes up. “It’s different when you’re in our shoes. No offense.”
“I guess,” Troy says, frowning. “To me, it seems like it’s worth it if you love someone.”
“No. It’s not as easy as that. We’re talking about every last bit of your life under a microscope. The press will look under every rock. They’ll interview people from your high school. Previous romantic partners. Anyone who has rubbed shoulders with you. They’ll camp out around the corner from your house, or sneak up to your window and try to snap a picture. They have no shame in trying to deliver anything that will bring people to their websites. Some will even unabashedly make things up.” I can feel my blood pressure increasing as I continue. “And I know what you’re going to say next. You’ll say that some women can handle it all. Well, I don’t want some women. I only want one,and I’m going to give her every last bit of freedom I can before she gets a miserable taste of what I live every day.”
“Damn, QB,” Max comments. “I’d hide her away too.”
Troy clears his throat. “No matter how much you prepare her, or how much time you give to hopefully let things die down, your girl may not handle it well, Jamie. You have to understand that.”
I nod sullenly. “I know. But it won’t be for lack of trying on my part. If, or when, I need you to step in, I’ll let you know. For now, the topic is tabled.”
“Can you at least tell me her name? I can run a background check, make sure she’s in it for the right reasons —” I throw up a hand, making Troy immediately stop.
“No. Absolutely not. I may not be good at a lot of things, Troy, but one thing I excel at is judging character. There will be no background check. I don’t want you butting in at all. I’m handling this my way.”
