Page 68 of Making the Call
“I’m sure we could find a use for them!” someone shouts out.
“Target practice for our accuracy?” someone from the crowd suggests.
“Sure, can’t use it as an online dating profile. Charlotte wouldn’t approve.”
“Hey, now,” I chastise and glare around the room. My social life shouldn’t be a team conversation. But hell, I just had to do an interview to set the record straight. “Not that I’ve had an online profile, but no, I don’t think she will.”
This causes more laughter from the room.
“Are you endorsing books now?” comes from the back of the room. Another guy thinks he’s a real joker. This time, it’s Darius Wittacker, our defensive end. His smile’s wide as he points to the photo in his hand. “Cuz, I gotta say, Coach… you’re damn sexy in this shot.” His eyebrows waggle, and the room erupts in laughter… again.
Geez… will this ever end?
Andre Adams, our starting quarterback, pipes in, “Maybe you could model for Calvin Klein, if the book deals don’t come through?”
I have to set the story straight. They’ll hear it soon enough, so I might as well fill them in on how my impromptu media shitstorm came to life. Maybe it will get them to back off.
“Nope.” I pop the ‘p’ at the end to make my point clear. “Sorry to disappoint. I’m not switching careers. D…” Shit, I almost outed her. “There’s not much to it. Charlotte’s personal assistant got the flu. I helped her out. Simple as that.”
Leaving little room for discussion, I look from person to person around the room. Once again, they remain quiet. To drive my point home, I state, “I can’t imagine any of you having a close friend in need and not helping them out, if you could.”
Nods can be seen around the room, but of course, some smartass can’t keep his mouth shut. He just has to get one last jab in about my newfound relationship. Fuck, it’s not like I was a monk. I just haven’t had anyone caught in the media’s attention.
“Hey, Coach, is dating a romance author all that it’s cracked up to be?”
Hell yes, it is. But there’s no way I’m publicly commenting about it. First, I have way too much respect for Dani to allow commentary in any way that can be construed as derogatory. Second, it’s none of their fucking business.
I level Jackson, our defensive lineman, who’s been known to always run his mouth, with a glare that tells him and everyone else in the room I won’t be commenting on my sex life, ever. “Romance authorsare hard-working individuals who put their heart and soul into their work. They probably work harder than you or I when it comes to effort into their job. Sure, it may not be physical, but they pore over every detail. So much more goes into writing a book than you’ll ever know. I’m not sure what you’reinsinuating,” I emphasize to drive my point home, “but I’m sure you mean that as a rhetorical question, right?”
I draw in a quick breath and wait for the expected jab to come my way, but as I look around the room, mouths snap shut. Apparently, they realize Jackson’s just had his ass handed to him and don’t want to get in line for a helping of their own.
As no one dares to speak another word about Danika, I bring us back to our original business at hand. “Last I checked, we’re due to have an offensive strategy meeting.” I look around the members of our D-Line. “Unless you’re wanting me to switch up the roster, I’d suggest we get down to business.”
“You heard what he said,” Tyrell calls to the room. “I want to see you running defensive drills in ten.”
With that, half the room empties, and we settle into our regularly scheduled meeting with the offense. We spend the next hour focusing on strategies to strengthen our game. We also talk about some of our pitfalls from last game as well as what we need to tighten up before next Sunday. Thankfully, no one has the nerve to mention Danika to me for the remainder of the afternoon.
