Page 51 of Recruited By the Billionaire

It was one of the local news channels. And it was breaking news. “Robert Marris and Commissioner Sperling sat down with our very own Margot Ridley this morning as fallout from the arrest of one of his associates continues to spell nothing but headaches for the expansion Admirals and the NFL. Here is a segment of that interview.

Everybody in the room looked from the TV to Robert, as if none of them had any idea he had given an interview to anyone, and then they quickly looked back at the TV. Frankie was especially floored. No wonder he didn’t feel a statement was necessary. He’d already given an entire interview!

“It was self-defense pure and simple,” said Robert as he and the Commissioner, a much older man, sat in front of the reporter. “We, the Admirals full organization, stand behind that conclusion one hundred percent.”

“Your organization stands behind Francesca Clark?”

“One hundred percent.”

But the reporter wanted more from Robert. “But do you personally, sir, beyond your organization, also stand behind Francesca Clark?” she asked him.

Robert didn’t skip a beat. “One hundred percent, yes,” he responded.

But the reporter seemed to want even more from Robert. “What is Francesca Clark to you, Mr. Marris?” she asked.

Frankie froze. What did their relationship have to do with it, she wondered. But she was mostly wondering how Robert would respond to such a question. Would he continue to keep their relationship under wraps? She figured he’d want to keep it even more so under wraps given all of the negative publicity she was generating. But a part of her was hoping and praying he wouldn’t keep her a secret any longer.

But before Robert could answer, Commissioner Sperling answered for him. “She works in his organization,” said the commissioner. “There’s nothing more to it than that. She’s been arrested, which is unfortunate, but the NFL intend to withhold any judgment until the facts come out. But everybody in this country is innocent until proven guilty.”

But the reporter smelled more. “What is she to you, Mr. Marris?” she asked again. “Isn’t there a personal relationship?”

The commissioner laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Yes,” said Robert.

Royce and Taymar grabbed each other by the arm. Was he claiming Frankie in front of those cameras? They held their collective breath. As did Jerry and Laine. What was Robert saying?

Frankie was shocked too. She, like everybody else in the room, was staring unblinkingly at the TV screen. Robert, however, was staring at her.

On that TV screen, the commissioner looked at Robert disapprovingly, as if he couldn’t believe that idiot just made him, the commissioner of the NFL, look idiotic! But the reporter pounced. “May I ask what exactly is the nature of your personal relationship with Francesca Clark, sir?” she asked Robert.

“Francesca is my lady,” Robert said plainly. “She’s the woman that l love.”

Royce and Taymar squeezed each other’s arms in quiet elation. Jerry, Laine, and each one of Robert’s aides and lawyers looked at Frankie as if they were seeing her for the first time. They could not believe Robert just claimed her just like that.

But the reporter wanted it perfectly clear. “To be clear,” she said, “are you telling the world today that Francesca Clark is your girlfriend, sir? Your one and only girlfriend, sir?”

There was a slight hesitation in Robert when she put it out there so boldly, but only for a half-second. “Yes,” he said. “She’s my girlfriend. The only one I have or care to have.”

As the reporter congratulated him, Frankie looked at him with shock in her eyes. “You didn’t have to say that, Robert.”

“Oh yes I did.”

“But why? They’ll use it against you.”

“Big time,” said Jerry.

“Why would you put yourself out like that?” asked Frankie, still confused.

“Because as soon as the state attorney’s office understand that you aren’t just an aide in my organization, butmylady,mygirlfriend, then things will start to move in our favor.”

Jerry smiled. “You rascal! Good point!”

“But why would it suddenly move in our favor?” asked Frankie. “Because I don’t understand why that would matter at all.”

“It matters,” said Jerry, “because it’s one thing to bring charges against an aide in an NFL organization. It’s something quite different to bring charges against the girlfriend of the owner of that NFL organization.”

Jerry could tell Frankie and her friends still didn’t understand the politics of it all.

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