“I’ll see you later then, Joey.”
“We’re lucky to have you here, sir.” He gives me a broad smile.
“I appreciate that. I’m excited to be here.” I nod, then exit the car.
“Hey, buddy.” Scott leans in for a one-armed side hug.
“Hey, Scott.” I give him a few sturdy taps on the back.
“Liam, how was the ride in?” Tom asks, reaching for my hand to shake.
“Faster than I thought it would be.” I chuckle.
“Depends on what time of day you head out, but now the traffic isn’t too bad. When you head this way on game days, make sure you check the traffic reports.” He smirks.
“I’m always early to the field anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.” I turn to Coach. “Good to see you, Coach.”
“Pitz.” He nods with a smile. “We’re ready to get the ball rolling.”
“So, let me give you a rundown of what we’re doing today. We’re going to meet with the owners, some members of the management team, and staff. Then we’ll give you a tour of the facility and take you down to the trainers so they can get your vitals and baseline numbers, if you’re okay with getting started today. Lunch will be brought into our meeting with management, so I hope you’re hungry.” Tom glances over his shoulder at Scott, then back to me and smiles.
“I can always eat. And it sounds like a full day, but I’m ready to get started.”
“Excellent. Mr. Grant is looking forward to meeting you and spending some time with you today. You’ve spoken on the phone, right?”
“Yes, he called me after I signed my contract. Same day I spoke with you actually.”
I look around as we walk. There are photos of past and present players lining the hallway in a mural-type display. Trophy cases with playoff awards reflect the dynasty of this organization, and—I’ll be honest—I have chills right now. This is one of the oldest teams in the league, kept within the same family, and they wanted me.
“Right.” Tom breaks my thoughts. “Here we are then.”
He opens a glass door, and I notice about ten people sitting around an oblong table. Most of them are men, but there are three women also. One of them is sitting next to James Grant, the owner, and the other two are sitting to the left of him. The woman closest to him is wearing team gear, like one of the medical staff would wear, but she resembles the older woman, so I’m guessing there is a connection. And she’s kind of glaring at me, clearly not impressed. The other woman has her head down, and her hair hangs around her, so I can’t see her face.
James stands and walks toward us, hand out in greeting. “Liam Pitz. It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re looking forward to watching you take our team to the show this year.” He chuckles, but he’s not kidding. “Good to see you too, Scott.”
“Sir, Mr. Grant, thank you for the opportunity. I’m excited to be here.” I shake his hand and smile, nodding at some of the others around the table.
“Call me James. We’re a pretty laid-back bunch. Let me introduce you to my family first. Then we’ll get to the rest of the suits,” he says with a smile.
I glance to the women, now guessing these ladies are members of his family.
Scott is already talking to some of the guys at the table, so I follow behind James without him.
“This gorgeous lady is my wife, Kate.” He wraps an arm around her when she stands to shake my hand.
“Liam, it’s so nice to meet you finally. I’ve been hearing all about you these last few weeks.” She has a smile that lights up a room and looks vaguely familiar.
“Thank you, Mrs. Grant. Hopefully, the chatter will die down now that I’m here.”
“Like my husband said, we’re a laid-back family. Call me Kate,” she says, taking her seat.
James walks to the other two ladies. “This is my oldest daughter, Presley. She’s the lead physician on staff, so she’ll be taking you down later for your intake numbers.”
Presley doesn’t stand. I wonder if it’s me or if she’s like this with all the players.
She doesn’t even fully turn her body.
She just looks at me from where she’s seated, one ankle crossed over the opposite knee, pen poised mid-air, like I’ve interrupted something more important.
