Chapter Five
Nate
I leaned against the comfortable headrest of my seat in Zeke’s private jet, closing my eyes as I chewed gum to combat the occasional changes in pressure.I’ve got to get one of these,I thought idly, cracking my eyelids open just enough to see the bar and mini-refrigerator near the door. First class was nice, but today my flight was luxurious since I had this entire plane all to myself for the round trip flight to Lexington, Kentucky.
When I told Riker and Zeke the news, they had been thrilled for me. Zeke even insisted upon sending me to the interview in private-jet style. I accepted, of course, but I didn’t feel nearly as excited about the job offer as they did. An accusatory finger inside my head kept reminding me - you lied to Mack.
I sunk further into the plush seat as though I could relax the thoughts away. It wasn’ttoomuch of a lie anymore, was it? Tammy and I had made up over lunch yesterday. We sat down, got everything off our chests, and learned that neither of us had the full story. At least Tammy didn’t see me as a total jerk anymore, but our friendly reconciliation wasn’t exactly the same thing as getting engaged - okay, it wasn’t the same thing at all.So why are you trying to kid yourself.
Somehow, I doubted Mack would see it that way, either. After all, a liewasa lie, but he never needed to find out the truth. I had absolutely no intention of getting caught. And I wasn’t about to let my relationship status ruin my bright future.
I raised the window shade and looked out over the puffy grayish-white clouds that obscured the ground below us. It was time to polish my elevator sales pitch before I came face to face with Mack. So, I considered what I had written on my resume.
Years had passed since I needed to apply for a job, but I knew that employment was all about selling yourself. In this situation, I was the product, and I needed to put a twist on a couple of details to maximize my appeal. Being a popular sports figure among the fans was a start, but Mack was a smart businessman, and he would want more proof that I had the proper skills for the job.
Reaching inside my briefcase, I located a pen and paper and started making notes, creating a few talking points to present to Mack.
Thankfully, I did have my real estate license. A few years ago, a real estate broker, Clinton Morrison, who made a hefty sum buying and selling valuable property in the Hamptons had approached me about working for him part-time. Mostly, he was just asking to use my name. I agreed and accompanied him to show face to a few clients interested in using his agency to sell their home. Or I would go with Clinton to show a mansion or a piece of commercial property to interested buyers. It had been fun and given me something to do when I was in the Hamptons in the spring and early summer before football season started.And you did make a few extra bucks…
After jotting down a few notes, I was feeling more confident about my upcoming interview - Mack would probably just forget that I told him I was engaged after we started talking seriously about my qualifications.Hold that thought,I told myself as I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped toward the bar to mix something that would drive away the remains of my lingering anxiety. Of course, there was a bottle of Crown Royal in the cabinet and several cans of Coke Cola in the fridge - Zeke’s favorite drink. So I mixed a stiff one for myself.
By the time I debarked the plane, I had a nice buzz that put me right to sleep when I arrived at the Lexington Hilton.
The next morning, I got up early and took my time donning one of the suits I had worn when attending parties or doing TV interviews while on the team. Then at eleven o’clock sharp, the Colonel’s limo wheeled up to whisk me off to Lexington Stadium. Instead of pulling up at the main entrance to the office suite, the driver continued around to the back of the stadium and stopped at the entrance the groundskeeping crew used.
“Mack is waiting just inside to take you up to his office in the private elevator.” The driver gave me a sideways glance, obviously recognizing me, and undoubtedly been briefed to keep his mouth shut about the identity of his passenger. Grinning sheepishly, he opened my door and nodded toward the entrance. “How’s your knee, Nate?”
I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up as I lowered my head and walked briskly away from the limo toward the wide double doors.
The driver was correct. Mack was standing just inside and quickly closed the door behind me, extending his palm. “Nice to see you my friend. How’s the healing process going.”
“I’m feeling pretty good, Mack. And I’m excited to be here. Seeing this place is definitely a blast from the past.” I shook his hand and followed him inside the wood paneled elevator.
“Not the too distant past… I’m hoping you’ll find it home again.” Mack’s eyes sparkled with excitement and expectation as he spoke.
“Honestly, I haven’t missed this place too much, yet… But I wasn’t looking forward to a few months from now when season opened, thinking about everyone working out, learning new plays while the only form of working out for me would be mostly physical therapy.”
When we reached the top floor of the office suite, I smelled fresh paint and glanced around. “Looks like you’ve been doing some remodeling.”
“Yep. Since Harris cleared out his office a few days ago, I decided to give the place a fresh look,” Mack explained, gesturing for me to take the chair positioned in front of his massive desk. After a few more exchanges of pleasantries - no mention of a fiancee,thank God- Mack flipped open the file folder in front of him, removing the application I had filled out online and the resume that I had attached to the return email. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m well aware of our experience with the team. As I mentioned on the phone, the fans love you and the coaches, office staff and even the public relations department have nothing but good things to say about you. So, let’s talk about your other work related skills.”
I removed the notes I had written the day before on the plane, explaining I had a real estate license and had worked occasionally for a friend in the Hamptons who was a broker. “So, yeah, I’ve made a few hundred thousand bucks dabbling in real estate.”
“I’m not surprised, your work ethic combined with your degree in business administration has proven to be a winning combination for you… not to mention your athletic skills.” Mack chuckled. “And your handsome face. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly you guys cash in on your celebrity status.”
“So, I guess you’ve seen some of my ads on TV?”
Mack tapped his pen on the desk. “Yep, they’re hard to miss. However, if we work out a deal, your contract will prohibit you from doing commercials for other brands. We want you all to ourselves.”
I wasn’t expecting this stipulation, and the idea of the restrictions was definitely not giving me a warm fuzzy feeling. But, I wasn’t in a place to argue. So I played along just like I had before with the fiancee thing. “Sure, no problem. Sometimes the folks making those commercials can be a real pain in the ass to work with.”
“Excellent! Now, I just have a few more questions we need to discuss. There are no right answers…” Mack lowered his voice as if someone hiding in the walls was listening in. “I was told by HR I had to ask these questions. But, frankly, I really don’t give a hot damn what the Colonels’ Human Resources Department has to say about my interviewing procedures… So, here goes. What do you feel previous managers of the team lacked, and what would you do to improve on their performance?”
I kept my answers short and to the point, making sure I mentioned the importance of loyalty and ethics since I would always be in the public’s eye and, therefore subject to rumors and innuendo.
“Excellent,” he said again. “I couldn’t have said it any better.” Then Mack shuffled my resume and application together and closed the file folder. “You’ll be hearing from me sometime next week with a definitive answer. I have two more interviews, but really… Well, they are more or less just formalities… You know, HR mandated.” Mack slid back his chair and stood, offering his hand. “Oh, by the way,” he added, “how’s your fiancee?”
Damn it!I was hoping upon hope Mack had forgotten all about that. “She’s doing great!” I explained with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. “She’s been pretty busy planning weddings, our wedding, and all that.”
