Page 5 of Personal Foul

“This is a very sports-oriented city,” the general manger added. “The Cardinals. The Blues. St. Louis City soccer. People want football, and they want a great franchise paring. Like Ryan and Gonzales. Manning and Clark. Mahomes and Kelce. You get the picture. I agree with Coach Sigworth, I think you could have something great with Crewifyou both mesh, which is why we want you working with him to see if this hunch pays off.”

“Of course,” Kaiden said quickly. “I want to prove myself.”

One of the owners slapped the table. “Good. Pace will work with you on fixing your image, so follow his directions. Kiss babies and play with dogs. Feed the damn homeless. I look forward to seeing you and Crew on the field.”

Unexpectedly, he thought of Romilly and her little dog. The beautiful brunette held a wide-eyed innocence that had caught him by surprise. Something popped into his mind, something he hadn’t thought of before.

“What if I got a steady girlfriend?”

“A jersey chaser isn’t going to help,” Coach Sigworth said, shaking his head.

“That’s not what I had in mind,” Kaiden replied. “I meant a down-home kind of woman. The girl-next-door type to go along with the all-American boy. Someone from St. Louis, to help me fit into my new home. I could take her on dates, have her come to the games. Help me feed the hungry and kiss the babies.”

Like one big wave, everyone turned toward Pace, waiting to hear his opinion.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Pace said. “Let them think you might have come to St. Louis for her. People love romance.Luckily, your offenses aren’t so horrendous that there’s not a way to bounce back. I suspect it won’t be long until this past year is forgotten.”

“Excellent,” the general manager replied, rapping his knuckles on the table. “We have a plan, and you, Kaiden, have work to do.”

“Understood, sir,” Kaiden said.

Everyone stood, and he followed suit. Coach Sigworth walked around the wide table and held out his hand. Kaiden shook it firmly.

“Take the weekend to settle in and report at theLou Fusz Athletic Training Center Monday morning at eight,” he ordered.

“All right,” Kaiden said. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

“Better not,” he said then they all piled out of the conference room, leaving him behind with his Bobby and Pace.

“Do you happen to have someone in mind for your girlfriend?” Pace asked. “Or do I have to find one for you?”

“No, I have someone in mind. She’s very sweet.”

“All of us must work together. You do what you do best, Bobby. I’ll take point on Kaiden’s image makeover, and Kaiden, think about a charity that speaks to you. I don’t want you to visit sick children in the hospital if that’s not you. Come up with something unique that fits your personality.”

“I’ll have to think about that.”

Pace handed over a business card. “Text me at that number so I’ll have yours. I’ll be touching base a lot.”

Kaiden nodded. Pace turned and left the room, leaving him and Bobby.

“Don’t blow this,” Bobby warned.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Bobby let out a huff of breath. “What do you want me to add to the contract if they decide to buy it?”

“Nothing,” he said. “If they offer to buy my contract out, even if they want to decrease my salary, then take the deal. I don’t care. I just want to play football.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” Kaiden stressed. “This means too much for me to get it fucked in negotiations. They want humble pie, and I can eat the whole fucking dish.”

Bobby nodded his head. “Okay. I’ll text you if anything happens.”

“Thanks,” Kaiden said. They shook hands and that left him all by himself, still a little shaken that he could lose everything. First things first, and his first goal was to secure his soon-to-be-girlfriend.

Chapter Three

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