Page 4 of Roughing the Player
Chapter 2
Eleanor
“ELEANOR?CAN YOU STEP INTO MY OFFICE?” Marty Chenovsky, my boss at Platinum Sports Agency.
“Be right there.” Not knowing how long it will be, I grab my coffee and iPad and head to his corner suite, wondering what assignment he has for me.
As soon as I step into his office, I shut the door. Marty’s fanatical about keeping his discussions private. No need to have prying ears hear whatever he’s got to say.
Over his half-moon glasses, he pins his gaze on me while I take a seat. “How long have you been here, Eleanor?”
Odd question. He hired me, after all. But I’ll play along. “Just over a year.” During that time, I’ve kept him informed about up and coming college jocks, worked on endorsement deals for his clients, and anything else he throws at me. So far I’ve come through with flying colors, but then, failure is not an option.
“You’ve done good work for me.” He seems relaxed, but I can tell he’s got something up his sleeve. His pleasant smile gives him away.
“Thank you.”
“Which is why I believe you’re the right person for this job.”
I’ve witnessed his modus operandi loads of times before. So I know what comes next. Now that he’s buttered me up, he’s moving in for the kill.
“You’ve heard of Brock Parker.”
My breath cuts short. My heart skips a beat. But I can’t let Marty know how the mention of Brock’s name affects me if I want to keep my job. So I dial back the panic and pin on a smile. “Yes, of course. San Diego Missionaries first-string quarterback.”
“Not anymore, he isn’t. He’s been traded to the Outlaws.”
“The Chicago Outlaws?”
He stares at me like I’m the prize idiot at the county fair. “Yes, of course. What other Outlaws are there in professional football?”
“None.” Fighting to regain control of my breathing, I stare down at my iPad and hit a few keys to give the illusion I’m taking notes. “Is he coming here as backup?” I can’t imagine him playing as the number one quarterback, not when the Outlaws have Ty Mathews who took them to the Super Bowl.
“Officially, yes. Unofficially, no.”
I glance up. “What does that mean?”
“This is for your ears only. Do you understand, Eleanor?” His gaze drills into me.
“Yes, of course.”
“Ty Mathews needs shoulder surgery. He’ll be out of commission the entire season which means the Outlaws need a seasoned quarterback. That’s why they traded for Brock.”
“Who did they trade for him?”
“Pedro Santiago. He’ll be San Diego’s number one.”
“Ouch.” Brock’s gotta be hurting from that decision.
“Yeah, exactly. Which is why he needs to be handled with kid gloves when he gets here.”
And I’m the chump assigned to the job. But, hey, that’s why they pay me the big bucks. “So what do you want me to do?”
“For starters, meet him at O’Hare tomorrow morning. I’ll have my assistant email you the details. He’ll need you to drive him to training camp.”
“Okay.” That doesn’t seem so bad. Wait. “You said for starters. What else would you like me to do?”
“Caught that, did you?”
