“You know what the problem is, Becker?” he finally says, his voice low. “It’s not just what you did. It’showyou did it. People no longer see you as a player. They see you as a problem to be managed. And I’m tired of having to put band-aids on your image every time you open your mouth.”
I feel the urge to respond, but Nate cuts me off.
“Coach, let me say something, okay? We talked to the PR department. They’re trying to find a way to limit the damage. And that idea I mentioned earlier is on the table.”
“Ah, here it comes,” I mumble. “The brilliant idea.”
Coach Heart crosses his arms. “Two options, Becker. The first: we suspend you. Contract frozen. End of story.”
“Great, and the second?”
“The second,” Nate continues, “is that you stay on leave… but you participate in a media project that the club is sponsoring for a charity foundation.”
I look between the two of them. “A media project?”
The coach inhales. He doesn’t look thrilled by the idea. “A TV show. It’s calledLove Goals.”
Oh, I see.
I smile, incredulous. “Are youfucking kidding me? The problem is all the gossip about me, and you want to put me on a TV show?”
Nate scratches his forehead. “It’s for charity. It helps kids and sports schools. Valentine’s Day, lighthearted, positive stuff. You need it to project a different image.”
I burst out laughing. “I can donate to charity myself. There’s no way I’m participating in something like that.”
Heart slams his fist on the desk. “Don’t be ridiculous. You don't have all the funds they're going to raise. Either this or you’re out!”
The sound echoes in my gut.
“Out?”
“You heard me. The club can no longer afford to defend you. Either you agree to be seen as a human being with a shred of heart, or you can find another team. And right now, I guarantee no one would take you.”
I put a hand to my face, exasperated. “Coach, I can’t do a show about love. I can’t even handle a relationship with my washing machine.”
“You better learn,” he snaps. “You have six months to do it.”
“Six months?”
“It airs in January, when everyone is waiting for Valentine’s Day.”
“Jesus Christ… and what am I supposed to do for that long off the team?”
Nate tries to lighten the mood. “Look, it’s not as bad as it sounds. You could spin it as a redemption arc. And besides—”
“—and besides what? I become the poster boy for eternal love? No thanks. Love is a short-term contract, and I never sign for more than a year.”
Heart stares at me. “I don’t care if you believe in love. You need a woman. A stable, and for heaven's sake, lasting relationship. You need to stop getting caught with just anyone.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Well, technically it would be worse if you were dead, at least this way we can still use you for charity.”
I look at him, incredulous. “Is that a threat or an attempt at dark humor?”
