Page 2 of Protecting Player #73
He stares at me for a few minutes before reluctantly responding, “I’ll see what I can do.”
That’s as good as it’ll get, I guess.
Left alone in the conference room, I sit back and close my eyes, wondering what the hell I’ve done to myself over the last few years. I’ve been miserable, and it’s fucking up my game and my life. The problem is, I don’t understand why I’m so lost.
My older brother, T.J., got married and divorced in the same year, so it’s not some kind of jealousy. My younger brother, T.C., plays the field harder than I, and I bust his balls about it. I’ve been with the Portland Settlers since the beginning of my career; it’s everything I ever dreamed of. We’ve won the Victory Bowl six times and are contenders to bring it home again this year, so I’m not sure if the issue is me or the routine I’ve set for myself.
Marriage and babies never held any appeal for me. Neither has monogamy. I think the longest relationship I’ve had was with my hermit crab, Frank, who was with me for six years before he died last winter. He was a drunken night purchase that at first, I regretted, but slowly grew to love the little guy and took the time to learn the best way to care for him. He was the most well-cared-for crab on the West Coast.
Giving anyone as much time as I did Frank feels like something I’m incapable of.
My parents would love to see me settled down and in a loving relationship. I even tried early in my career but learned quickly that the woman was only with me for clout. She didn’t give a shitabout me. I had a knee injury that kept me out of play for eight weeks, and that’s when she showed her true colors.
Now, when I meet women, I don’t reveal who I am, and I leave before they can ask more questions than I’m willing to answer. It’s my tried-and-true way that won’t be changing anytime soon. I have no desire to settle down with a wife and kids. Not now, not in the future.
Chapter 2
Brea
“Hey, guys, Brea here!” I give a casual wave to the camera. “Today is the day. Today, I officially start my job here with the Portland Settlers as their new social media manager and content creator.” Turning slowly, I span the inside of the stadium so that viewers can see the field behind me. “I haven’t met the team yet, but I’d love to know if you have questions for any of the players or coaching staff. I’ll be doing short interviews with each player during practices over the summer before the regular season begins, and since you’re the ones who are most invested in the team, I think it’d be fun to see what you’d like to know.” Blowing a kiss, I sign off from the short live stream on the team's ReelShotz account.
“So?” I glance up at my sister, Alex, sitting at the front of the stadium, watching the live stream to gauge interest and interaction.
“It was a good start. Views are already picking up, and I think if you stay consistent on posting, it’s going to be a smash.”
Blowing out the nervous breath I’d been holding, my eyes roam the venue I grew up cheering in. We’ve always been afootball family, holding season tickets, and working here now is a dream come true.
“I’m going to do a locker room tour tomorrow after practice begins so I don’t accidentally flash anyone.” I giggle. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened on a live stream, but I’m trying to avoid it. I don’t want to get the team's account shadow-banned right off the bat.
“Well, in all fairness, I don’t think many of the guys would mind. Especially the single ones.”
Immediately, I blush at Alex’s remark. There’s one player I’ve had the worst crush on since I was a teenager and hormones reared their ugly heads. Witnessing him so exposed would give me naughty dreams for years to come.
“I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble.” I wag a finger at her, and she laughs.
“Fine, fine, but it’d be good for you to see a little male flesh. Can’t be a virgin forever, little sis!” she singsongs, and my face flames.
“Would you be quiet!” I hiss as we race up the stadium steps like we’re kids again. “People could hear you.”
It’s no secret to my closest friends and family that I haven’t had sex. I’ve never had a boyfriend; my crush on the Settlers’ player has teetered on the edge of obsessive. But he’s unavailable, and the likelihood of him acknowledging my existence is probably zero.
“Ohhhh, poor baby Brea, a virgin forever!” Alex dramatically places the back of her hand to her forehead and sways like some fourteenth-century countess in the face of a handsome man.
“You’re ridiculous.”
She shrugs at me and answers her phone as it rings, wandering a little bit away, meaning it must be a client. My sister is the best sports agent on the West Coast. Sure, I could be biased, but I believe it’s true.
To be honest, Alex is the kind of woman girls look up to. She’s smart, beautiful, has an amazing job, and the type of confidence I would never possess. Some days, the green-eyed monster rears its head, and I hate her for a split second, but most days, I just want to be taken as seriously as she is, but my appearance is a chief reason why I’m not.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved wearing flowy dresses, interweaving fabric with tiny hair braids, wearing rings on multiple fingers, bangles on my wrists, and layering more than one necklace around my throat.
Some people have told me that my obsession with the Bohemian style is childish. Others think it’s cute. Often, people try to take advantage of me because I look young and immature, not realizing I’m quite intelligent. I was always ahead of the curve in any math subject, reading at the college level in middle school, and while I knew what I wanted to do when I grew older, I was pressured to choose a more academic field of study.
That never held my interest. In high school, I quickly fell in love with social media and how influencers could make a living from it. I didn’t want to be one of them, but I liked the idea of working in that environment, so when I attended college, I majored in marketing and minored in social media management. I made the Dean’s list year after year and graduated with highest distinction and a 4.0 GPA. Being underestimated for so long made college effortless on my part.
After graduating in May, Alex quickly tossed my name out to the Settlers as a media management option. They hesitated for months until their star player got into trouble, and my name was brought up again. The hiring team began looking at my social media presence and the assistance I’d given to a few small businesses in the Portland area simply to get my name out there. To build a brand for myself. I helped the three clientsbuild their online presence, boost sales, and provided them with informational packets to keep up the momentum.
When I was hired last month, it was on the condition that I would boost the team’s social media page on ReelShotz. I’d been tasked with gaining twenty thousand new followers before I even met the team.
