Colton physically shook away the nasty thoughts, striving to start the day with positivity. He was home with his gorgeous, big-dicked boyfriend next to him in bed. Nothing and no one could take that away.
Colton smiled at the thought, then stopped short…what the hell was all that buzzing?
As he opened his eyes, Dean grumbled into the pillow next to him. “Colt, please turn off your phone.”
Colton realized his phone was vibrating non-stop on the nightstand, which jerked him out of his sleep stupor. He snatched his phone off the table, opening it to find hundreds, maybe thousands of notifications.
Apparently, Colton’s acceptance speech had gone viral…posted, liked, and shared across all social media platforms. His own social media was flooded with messages of support and praise for his speech. Every news outlet and sports program was discussing his speech and, more importantly, the actions of the Commissioner and Board.
Sales of his jersey had skyrocketed overnight.
There was also a text from Coach Shepherd, letting him know there were several requests for interviews and a press conference. Colton’s head swam from the sheer volume of activity bursting from his phone.
The public outcry was immediate and deafening. Countless news and TV personalities, celebrities, and even politicians spoke out against the Commissioner and the actions of the Board, some even going so far as to call for the dismissal of the Commissioner, which made Colton laugh.
And then, Taylor took it to another level. She used her own social media to blast the Commissioner, calling his actions "cowardly and unsportsmanlike."
She had enough followers to populate a European nation. And when she posted her dislike for the situation and encouraged herlegions of fans to voice their opinions, they went total scorched earth on the league.
If this was something the Commissioner and Board figured would just ‘die down and go away’, they were sorely mistaken. With the public support behind Colton, and Taylor’s constant calls for justice, this situation was snowballing way out of control, and the league was beginning to feel the pressure.
As the day wore on, Colton began feeling more and more stressed. This was the part of being a pro sports figure that he hated. All he wanted to do was play the sport he loved, be the best athlete he could be, and inspire kids to be the hall-of-famers of the future.
Although the spotlight of negativity wasn’t shining directly on him, being embroiled in the controversy was taking a toll on his mental health. As he sat on the roof by the pool, doing his best to breathe normally and stay calm, a text pinged on his phone…a message from Coach Shepherd…
Coach: Colton, you’re going to be getting a call from the Commissioner very soon. Be ready.
Colton dropped his phone into his lap.What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Perfect. Just fucking perfect. The last thing he needed was to have an awkward phone conversation with the Commissioner. What the fuck did he want anyway? Hadn’t he done enough?
And what the hell did Coach Shepherd mean by ‘be ready’? What kind of cryptic bullshit was that?
Was this it? Had he caused too much trouble, so much that the league wanted nothing more to do with him? And the Commissioner was calling to cut him loose?
No. That couldn’t happen…could it? The Commissioner didn’t have the authority to cut someone from a team, did he?
Colton’s mind whirled. He closed his eyes, working to regain his composure and steady his breathing. Just as his mind began to settle, his phone rang in his hand and he shuddered.
With as much bravery as he could muster, he answered the call.
“Hello.”
“Colton. It’s Commissioner Goddard. How are you today?”
Colton rolled his eyes. “Well, I’ve had better days, sir. But I’m doing just fine.”
The Commissioner chuckled. “You and me both, son. You and me both.” He took a breath and sighed. “Colton. I am so very sorry for what we did to you.”
Colton felt a slight smile cross his lips. “Thank you, sir. I-”
“Colton, please. Let me finish,” the Commissioner pleaded.
“Alright, sir. Go on.”
There was another audible deep breath before he continued. “You had a stellar year. There was no one else even close to deserving that award this year. And I, we, had to ruin it for you. During your speech, you said something that really cut me to my core. You said, ‘this award means nothing, if you can’t share it with the person you love.’” Colton heard a slight sob from the Commissioner. “When you said that, I thought back to when I won that award. And if someone had told me I couldn’t bring my sweet wife with me to the celebration, God rest her soul, I would have been furious. Let’s just say that you handled the situation a whole lot better than I would have. For so many players, winning the MVP is the highlight of their career. We robbed you of a great moment in your life that you can never get back. And for that, I am so very sorry. But I am fairly confident that this is the first of many MVP awards for you.” He uttered a light chuckle.
Although he was still pissed at the man, Colton involuntarily chuckled too. “Well, let’s hope so. I do still have a few more good years left in me.”
