“I think that it’s going to be a great playoff season for the Blaze and I’m excited with what we are building here. I can’t imagine leaving it. I’ll take any questions that you all may have now.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot my father standing in the doorway. He heard the whole thing. Just like he was supposed to. And while I know he’s angry right now, he’s a smart businessman who will not be confronting me in front of the press. He’ll wait until they leave.
I field a few questions about the new team, most of which I just say “no comment” to because I truly have no comment. I will not be building the team, so how can I comment on it? I wantto make sure that Drew has as much time as he needs to really think through some of these questions, not me.
Once the press has been dismissed, I notice that a few of them use the opportunity to take a few shots of the girl practicing in the background before packing it up and leaving.
That’s when Maxwell pounces.
“Just what did you think you were doing with this little dog and pony show? You know you are going to have to write a retraction, right?” Dad steps into the space behind the podium by me and Drew. “Nice touch, though, doing it out here. I like it.”
I just nod and say, “Thank you.”
Drew clears his throat, turning to our dad. “Dad, we would like to talk to you about an alternative for the new team. I would really like the chance to run a new team. I think that I could do it. I thinkIwould be the natural first choice for it. Not August. No offense to August, but he’s got a team that he’s working on. I want to be able to build rosters and handle the new sponsorships. You got to build the Marlins and then you handed them to me when you thought I was ready. Why don’t you take back the team that is in good working order, and I’ll start something from the ground up. Besides, the Blaze family really likes August. He should be staying here with them,” he adds for good measure.
It’s my turn to say my part and help him see this is a solid business move. “Dad, no one wanted to hurt you by doing this. We just wanted to calm some nerves that some of the players are feeling about you saying that I am leaving. This is a critical time for this team, like it or not. The playoffs are here in two weeks. We need them focused, not scared about what is going to change or who is going to take over. That is why I did this. To give them,” I gesture over to where the girls are still practicing, “some closure. So that we can be focused on the right thing.”
“And you wanted to make sure that your little girlfriend, Hendrix, that goalkeeper that you can’t seem to keep your hands off of, was content in knowing that you were not leaving her. Isn’t that right, August?” he bellows.
Fuck. I’m pretty sure the whole team just heard that. Because of course the microphone was not turned off, and it echoed all over the place.
“She has nothing to do with this. This is aboutme,” I say stabbing myself in the chest with my finger for emphasis. “And whatIwant for a change. And yes, I want Hendrix and I want to stay with this team.”
I look over and see practice is no longer happening on the field beside me. Instead, everyone is looking over here at us. I want to search for Hendrix and see how she’s doing but I can’t. I have to keep my eyes focused on my father.
“Dad, please. Will you just hear us out?” Drew asks, motioning for Maxwell to follow him into the conference room. “I think that I would be good at this, Dad.”
I can hear the pleading in his voice, and I hope that this turns out the way it should.
He sighs and looks over at Drew. “You never showed interest in building new teams the way that August did.”
He says it like it explains everything.
“Well, I’ve wanted to,” Drew says, shrugging. “And this may not have been your preferred way to do this, but I think it was needed. Like August said, we were just trying to make sure that the girls felt secure going into playoffs. And we’re not little boys anymore, Dad. You can’t just give us teams and then take them away. The lawyers shouldn’t be letting you do business that way.”
Dad just sighs and struts into the conference room. I know that means that we’ve caught him. And that we might have won this round.
Chapter Thirty-Five
~HENDRIX~
“And you wanted to make sure that your little girlfriend, Hendrix, that goalkeeper that you can’t seem to keep your hands off of, was content in knowing that you were not leaving her. Isn’t that right, August?” Maxwell Cromwell bellows.
And the whole practice field hears it.
I swear that man just lives to make my life messy and complicated.
All eyes on the field snap over in my direction. I want to crawl into a hole and die right now. We literally just talked about everyone finding out. Now that they have, I’m not sure I’m okay with it.
I look for Mac and Cassie’s eyes on the field and see that they are carefully making their way over to me.
“Alright, alright, let’s get this practice back on track. We need to do some running now. Let’s get some laps in and clear our heads,” Coach Watts says, clapping his hands, attempting to get the focus of this practice back. “We’re going to run a property,” he announces and everyone groans.
This means that we have to run around the perimeter of the Blaze property, which includes the practice field area andaround the outside of the stadium. It sucks and sometimes in favor of goalie training, I do not have to run like this. However, with the look on Coach Watts’ face, I can tell that it’s not happening, and I will be running with the rest of the team.
I pause for a moment and hope that he calls me to side, not to talk about this but to ask that Jase take me for some goalie training.
“Hendrix, you are running too,” he confirms, watching me carefully.
