Authors: Mitchel Grace
“I’m
richer than you could ever hope to be. People love me. My name being in this
won’t even hinder me for a second. You, on the other hand, will lose your
entire business, and your name will be mud forever. How does that feel?”
“I
could show you, and if you don’t get out of here, then I will,” I threatened.
“Do
you think I’m scared of a piece of . . .” he managed to say before I punched
him.
When
he went down, I didn’t give him a chance to get up. I kicked him over and over
again. William had picked the wrong night to rub my nose in this. My fiancée
was gone, my clients had fired me, and my parents were getting a divorce.
Kicking someone who was writhing in pain seemed like the best release possible.
Unfortunately, a bouncer managed to restrain me, and the police were called. I
sat in jail all night. I figured that William would press charges, but much to
my surprise, the next morning a guard came to let me go.
“You’re
free to leave,” he said while unlocking my cell door.
“Seriously?”
I asked.
“Yeah.
The other guy isn’t pressing charges. We’ve got an officer who’s going to give
you a ride home. He’s waiting out front.”
I
walked out and got my belongings. Then I found the man who was supposed to take
me home. There was one problem, though. We were going the wrong way.
“Where
are you taking me?” I asked.
“You
pissed off the wrong person last night. I’ve been instructed to take you to a
certain location and let you out. Outside of that, I have no idea what’s in
store for you.”
“What
are you talking about?”
“Money
talks. Don’t ever make someone angry when they could buy you,” he simply said.
I
understood exactly what was going on after that statement. William wasn’t lying
when he said that this wouldn’t inconvenience him. He could buy anyone, even
the cops. I won’t lie. I was scared. What was going to happen when I got to my
destination? Would I be killed? Did William have
that
kind of pull in Miami?
We
arrived in a back alley where I was instructed to get out. The first thing I
saw was two men walking toward me with guns. I couldn’t run. I would be killed
if I did. William walked up behind them and addressed me.
“You
screwed with the wrong person, and now you’re about to pay for it, Eric. If you
move, these men will kill you, so take it like a man,” he said.
I
did as he said. It wasn’t like I had any other choice. I stood there until two
of the biggest men I had ever seen got to me. One of them punched me in the
gut. After I fell to the ground, they did exactly what I had done to William
the night before. They kicked me over and over again until bruises covered my
body and face. Then William walked over and kicked me a couple of times, too.
“If
I ever so much as see you again, I’ll kill you. Know that,” William said before
they walked away.
I
simply lay there for a few seconds. I didn’t want to move. My whole body was
aching. Eventually, I pulled myself up, though, and caught a cab back home.
What I saw when I walked in made things even worse. There was a
SportsCenter
exclusive on television, and the person being
interviewed was Emmitt. I could only fear what he was going to say.
“So
you’re saying that you had no idea your roommate was taking money?” a reporter
asked him.
“I
know it’s hard to believe, but I am. I was just a college kid, and I thought he
came from a rich family. When he said he would pay for some things, I assumed
he was just being a good friend. Plus, I needed help. I barely had enough for
food on most days. I had no idea that some booster was paying him or that he
was only my friend to get to more athletes so he could be an agent when he got
out of college,” Emmitt said while appearing to be on the edge of tears. I was
surprised. He was a good actor.
“I’m
sorry. I can see this has really affected you,” the interviewer said.
“It
has. I thought he was my best friend, but he was just using me. I’ve learned
from this. I’ve got to be more observant and pick who I surround myself with
more selectively.”
I
didn’t listen to any more. I cut the television off. It was clear what was
happening. I was being thrown under the bus while Emmitt and William were going
to walk out of this guilt free. I sat back on the couch and yelled out. I just
needed that release. Things literally couldn’t have been worse.
Another
phone call interrupted my pity party. It was Olivia this time.
“Hey,”
I simply said as I answered the phone.
“Are
you okay?”
“No,
I’m not. I’ve lost almost all of my clients, got into a fight, been put in
jail, and then been attacked by three men all in the last twenty-four hours.
What’s worse is that Chastity left me. I asked her to marry me just a few
minutes before all of this happened. I don’t know if I can take this anymore,
Olivia.”
“Come
home.”
“I
am home. Besides, it doesn’t matter where I go. My life is pretty much over.”
“No,
it isn’t. Your aunt and uncle are really worried about you. I know they would
love to see you. It might not feel like it because you’ve been gone for so
long, but this will always be your real home. There are people here who will
love you, no matter what you’ve done. I know. I’m one of them. Come home.”
“I
think that’s a good idea.”
“Great.
I’ll talk to you soon, right?”
“You’ll
be the first person I come see.”
“Eric,
even if the rest of the world hates you a little right now, I just want you to
know that I’m proud of you. You made something of yourself, and I know in my
heart that you’ll pick yourself up from this and do it again. I still believe
in you.”
“Thank
you for that. I needed to hear someone say that right now.”
After
I was off the phone, I packed a bag to go home. I had been searching for relief
the night before, and that had landed me in a cell. The only real relief I was
going to find was in Green Bay. There was only one person I wanted to talk to
after something like that, and it was the girl who would always be my best
friend.
A
Stroke of Luck
When
my plane landed in Green Bay, the first thing I did was call Olivia. No one
else even knew I was there, so it made sense.
“Hello,”
she said.
“Hey,
I’m here. I know it’s late, but is there any way we could meet?”
“I’m
not so sure if that’s a good idea right now. I just got Phillip in bed, and I
don’t think Richard is going to like it very much if I leave in the middle of
the night. Can I meet you in the morning after I drop Phillip off for school?”
“Sure.
Where do you want to meet?”
“You
can come to my house. Going out in public when you’ve been all over the news
for the last two days probably isn’t a good idea. Do you know where the house
is?”
“Mike
told me where you lived a few years ago. I’ll be there.
Olivia,
thanks for taking the time to talk to me about this. I feel like I’m going
crazy.”
“You’re
going to be fine. You got me through my dad dying, so the least I can do is get
you through this. That’s what friends are for, right?”
Yeah
. . . friends, I thought. It wasn’t like we were anything more than that, but I
had never thought of Olivia as a simple friend. I had only pretended to feel
that way to keep Chastity and Richard happy. It gave me a way to keep Olivia in
my life without causing problems for anybody. Hearing that friend word still
hurt on some level.
After
we were done talking, I caught a cab to my aunt and uncle’s house. I felt a
little odd about showing up unannounced, but I knew they would welcome me with
open arms. As I got out of the cab, I saw my uncle taking the garbage out. He
immediately smiled at the sight of me.
“So
the prodigal son returns,” he said.
“You
don’t mind, do you? I really don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“As
long as I’m around, this will always be your home. What happened to your face,
though?”
“That’s
a long story. It would probably be better to tell it inside.”
We went
into the house, and my aunt greeted me with a hug. She was immediately drawn to
the same thing that my uncle was. Just why did I look like someone had beaten
the crap out of me?
“All
right, I’m going to detail my last forty-eight hours for you guys. As you know,
my mom and dad got out of prison, but that wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
They’re getting a divorce. Before I found that out, I asked Chastity to marry
me. She said yes, but my past caught up to me, and my clients dropped me like a
bad habit. If that wasn’t bad enough, Chastity left me after she found out what
I used to do,” I said.
“What
do you mean she left you? Where did she go?” Aunt Kristen asked.
“I
don’t know. I didn’t follow her. I begged her to stay, but it was obvious that
she wanted to be away from me. I’m not the person she thought I was.”
“Why
didn’t you tell her about this before?” Uncle Gary asked.
“I
always meant to, but there was never a good time. In truth, I think I was too
scared that she would leave me when she found out how I got my start. I can see
now that my fear was justified. It gets even worse, though. After she left, I
went across the road to a bar. I ran into a guy named William who used to give
Emmitt and me money. You probably know his name from the reports. He tried to
steal some of my clients when I first got started, so he taunted me about what
was happening. Rich guys like him will be okay. I, on the other hand, was
screwed, and he enjoyed that a little too much. I punched him and kicked him
while he was down. To make a long story short, I ended up in jail. When I got
out, William and two men were waiting on me. That’s where the bruises came
from. I think the worst part was when I got home. I had to look at Emmitt’s
lying face on television. I can’t believe he’s claiming ignorance on this whole
thing.”
“Well,
was it worth it?” Uncle Gary asked.
“What
are you talking about?”
“A
long time ago, I told you that being a man is about meeting the consequences
for your actions head on. I also told you that you should never do the wrong
thing unless you know you can live with those consequences. Was the payout
worth it?”
“Not
even close. I’ve lost everyone except for Marcus, and I’m sure he’s going to
drop me soon.”
“Don’t
throw a pity party. You made millions off this, and you don’t know that he’s
going to drop you.”
“Your
uncle is right. Have you tried to call him?” Aunt Kristen asked.
“Not
yet. I was thinking about meeting with him while I’m in town. Maybe if we talk
face to face, it’ll change his mind about me. I can’t blame him if he drops me,
though. I probably would in his shoes. You’re both right, though. I did gain a
lot out of this. I just don’t know if it was all worth it. I lost Olivia
because I left to go back to Miami. Then I lost Chastity because of my past. It
gave me money, but what good is that with no future?”
“You
have a future. I’m not so sure that losing Chastity wasn’t a good thing,” my
aunt said.
“Why
would you say that?”
“Because
you deserve a woman who will stand with you through the worst of times and not
just the best. You never lost Olivia either. She would still be there for you.
You two just aren’t what you once were, and that’s okay. You still have us,
too. We love you. Everyone here loves you. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done
very well for yourself. You’ve had more success than any of us could hope to
have, and you still have a lot of people who care about you. Look at this as a
learning experience that’s going to get you where you’re supposed to be one
day.”
“You’re
right, of course. I’ve had a rough day. Do you mind if I go up to my room and
get some sleep?”
“Go
ahead,” she said and hugged me.
I walked
to my room and laid my bags down. Then I immediately flopped down on the bed. I
was so tired. It wasn’t only that my body needed rest. My mind was shot, too. A
person can only take so much, and the last two days had been more than I ever
thought I could handle. I was still there, though, and the next morning, I was
determined to make the only mistake I could never regret. I was surer about the
only thing I wanted than ever before. I wasn’t just going over to Olivia’s to
talk. I was going there to tell her I still loved her. I had taken so many
chances for money and Chastity, but this was the only chance I ever wanted. It
was time to take it. Before I could close my eyes, my uncle walked into the
room.
“Eric,
I just want you to know that I’m proud of you. No matter what any person or
report says
,
I know what kind of man you’ve become.
You made mistakes when you were younger, but they’ve made you who you are
today. Don’t ever regret them or dwell on it. Just learn and move on. That’s
all you can do,” he said.
“Thank
you. You have no idea how much that means to me right now. It felt like the
whole world was against me for a while there.”
“No
one here is against you. Besides, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of the cash left
from all the deals you’ve been a part of. That’s not what life is about, but
you’ve got a future ahead of you, thanks to that. Well, goodnight. You should
go see Olivia tomorrow sometime.”
I
thought it was odd that my uncle was suggesting that, but he wasn’t wrong.
Olivia was the best thing about that place. It was a no-brainer that I would
see her. Still, what was he hiding? I remembered when I was twenty-one and he
pushed us to be friends. Why did he want us to be close? Before that, he acted
like I should keep my distance from her because she was married. Just what had
changed?
“I’m
meeting with her in the morning. I didn’t want to answer anyone’s calls after
everything happened, but I couldn’t resist answering her. I guess I still have
a soft spot for her. Maybe it’ll always be that way.”
“Not
everyone has a storybook ending, but some people just fit together. I think you
and she always will, and you probably always should,” he said before walking
out of the room.
I
thought his last comment was a little odd, but I shrugged it off. It was past
time to get some sleep. I drifted away.
* * * * *
The
next morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. It was my mom. I
hadn’t answered any of her calls before, and she was concerned. To make a long
story short, I ended up talking to my mom and dad within the first few minutes
of being awake. I explained everything that was going on and told them not to
worry. I was fine now. I just needed to get out of Miami for a while.
I
got ready and started to walk out the door to go see Olivia. I got a text
message that stopped me, though. It was from Marcus.
“Hey,
I need to talk to you,” he said.
“I’m
in town. Can we meet?” I asked.
“Yeah.
Meet me at the team facility in thirty minutes.”
I
quickly texted Olivia and told her what was going on. I didn’t want to be late,
but I didn’t have a choice. My last client wanted to meet with me. If I lost him,
I had absolutely nothing. I drove over to the team facility and found Marcus
waiting on me. He was early, too. As I got out, he nodded for me to get into
the car with him.
“Let
me explain everything,” I said as I got into the car.
“It
better be good. My new deal should be done by now,” he said.
“Wait
a minute. You’re not going to fire me like everyone else?”
“Why
would I? I knew what went on at that university. I might not have taken any
money myself, but I knew what you did before you were my agent. I didn’t choose
you because I thought you were perfect. I asked you to represent me because I
knew you would always have my back. So far, you always have. You even flew my
wife into Green Bay when I had no money. What kind of person would I be if I
wasn’t there for you when it mattered?”
“Thank
you, Marcus. I roomed with Emmitt, and he was the first person to drop me. I
guess I just figured if he would do that, then everyone else would.”
“I
saw him on ESPN blaming you for everything. We both know that’s bull, though.
He was in as deep as you were. Now, I know things are rough for you, but I
didn’t want to talk about the scandal around you and Miami. I want an update on
my contract talks. I want to be in Green Bay, and I don’t understand why a deal
isn’t done. I had 1,400 rushing yards last year. That should earn me a spot for
a while.”
“They
offered a five year forty million dollar deal six days ago. I think you deserve
fifty, though. I’m making them sweat. We’ll get what we want.”
“I
don’t need fifty. Honestly, I don’t know if we can get that, as pushed as they
are for cap space this year. You need a win right now, Eric, and so do I. I
need to know that my future is here. Do me a favor, and call them as soon as I
drop you back off. Tell them that I’m sitting outside of the facility, and I’ll
sign a five year forty-two million dollar deal. That way, we get to save a
little face in the negotiation process, and they basically get what they want.”
“Why
wouldn’t you want more if you could get it?”
“Because
it’s not about that. I came from nothing, and I live simply. A lot of these
fools go broke right after they get out of the game, but not me. All I care
about is if I get to spoil my wife every day of our lives. She’s the only
person I ever spend money on. I still have more than I need from my rookie
contract. Forty-two million will set me up for life. It’ll give you 4.2 million
over the next five years, too. I have a feeling you could use that right about
now.”
“You’re
right. I’ll make the call,” I said as we pulled back into the facility.
As
I was getting out, I couldn’t help but turn back toward Marcus. In college, I
had thought much more of Emmitt and Derrick. They had both found success, but
there was something about how Marcus approached life that I admired. You could
tell that he gave everything he had when he was on the field, and when he was
off the field, he gave all of himself to the woman he loved. Where he was
drafted or how much money he had didn’t define him. The way he approached life
and relationships did.
“I
respect you, Marcus. I wish I were more like you. You just became my favorite
football player,” I joked.
“You
mean I wasn’t always,” he joked back.
“I’ll
let you in on a little secret. I hate football. This was just a job for me, but
seeing the way you’ve succeeded here makes it a joy. Thanks.”
“I’ll
let you in on a secret, too. I don’t even like football. It was a way to please
my dad and then a way to get into college. Now, it helps me take care of the
people I love. That’s what it all comes down to. Speaking of that, who do you
love, Eric?”
“I
don’t know. Chastity left me when all of this happened, so I guess I’m back to
square one on that front.”
“Figure
that one out, and all this scandal business or splitting hairs on a contract
will become background noise. Make that call for me, and then concentrate on you
for a while. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”