Page 159 of When Wrecked Meets Ruined
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said, leveling me with a look before I climbed into my truck.
I couldn’t figure out if he was worried about Evie or me, but I didn’t bother asking. I had a full day ahead of me, so I didn’t have time to sit around and debate it.
I drove to the football complex at my alma mater. I trained with the players and coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays in the summer. On the other days, I worked out with a personal trainer. I also did yoga and Pilates and ate chef-made meals.
Brody called me a ‘special snowflake.’ Fuck him. My body was my temple, and I had to treat it right. My entire career depended on staying fit and healthy.
I swiped my card and pushed through the front door as my phone rang. Troy. “What have you got for me?” I put in my AirPods and strode down the hallway, my footsteps silent on the maroon carpet.
“I got you a four-year extension worth a hundred million. So don’t get greedy.”
Jesus. Never thought I’d see that kind of money in my lifetime. Troy was my agent now, and he did right by me. Unlike some of the other agents, he wasn’t a shark. But now that he’d taken on me and two of my teammates as clients, he was making a name for himself.
“Nike is looking to match the offer you got from Adidas.”
“No shit,” I said as I passed the NFL mural that had a few new additions since I’d graduated. One of which was me. Jamal and Nico were up there too. I tapped my fist against the NFL logo like I’d done hundreds of times before. Old habits die hard, and I was still superstitious.
“We’re looking at a five-year contract. Twenty million. I think I can get more.”
Holy shit. “I trust you. Do whatever you need to do.”
“I’m on it. Leave it with me.” In the background, I heard him typing on a keyboard. “How’s Texas?”
“Same as always. Hot as balls.” I passed through the locker room that still smelled like sweaty balls despite a fresh coat of veneer on the mahogany. I took a deep breath. Smells like home.
I knocked twice on Walker’s office door and walked in without waiting for an invitation. He rounded his desk and bumped my fist. “You just can’t stay away from us, can you?”
“You can’t get rid of me.”
“Is that Walker?” Troy asked.
“Sure is. The Bobcats' very own defensive coordinator. Pretty sure it was nepotism that got him the job.” Austin Armacost was the head coach now, and although I knew Walker deserved the job and had gotten it on his own merits, I couldn’t resist the chance to give him shit.
Walker gave me the finger. “You’re still an asshole.” He jerked his chin at my phone. “Who are you talking to?”
“My agent.”
Walker scoffed. “Why can’t you just say Troy?”
“Because I’m still an asshole. I’ll catch you later, Jerry Maguire,” I told Troy.
“Show me the money! See you, Flash. Be good, stay out of trouble, and I’ll keep growing your retirement fund.”
“And lining your own pockets too.”
“You’re a full-time job. Whatever I make, it’s because I’ve earned it.”
I snorted as I cut the call and dropped my bag in Walker’s office. I took a closer look at my friend and noted the purple shadows under his eyes. “You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”
He sat on the edge of his desk and lifted his ball cap, pushing his hand through his hair before replacing it. “That feels about right.”
“The baby’s still not sleeping?”
“He sleeps plenty. During the day.”
I chuckled. Walker had two kids now. Both boys. He and Leah got back together in our senior year of college and married right after graduation. Guess I’d been wrong about them. They’d worked through their issues, and now they were happy, in love, and building a family. What more could you ask for?
I checked the schedule taped to the wall. Today was a two-hour weights and sprints session followed by ‘skills and drills.’
