The start of football training camp also signaled that the start of both basketball and hockey seasons was right around the corner. It also signaled that baseball, NASCAR, and soccer were winding down. It was one of my busier times of the year.
“One of my athletes was traded last week. He’s heading to Virginia to start training camp with the Rebels. The wife is staying behind to sell the house and stuff. I’m meeting with her and the realtor. I’m researching pediatricians for a player who’s coming in next week.”
He stared at me with admiration. “Look at my shorty out here like Olivia Pope, being the fixer.”
I roared with laughter. “You’re so crazy. I’m really gonna miss you.” I wrapped my arms around his middle.
He kissed the top of my head. “I’m gonna miss you, too. But I’m hoping these two weeks will pass quickly. Let’s pray so I can get in here.”
I gave him my hands then we bowed our heads, and Jaxxon began to pray.
I really didn’t like being without Jaxxon. I didn’t like waking up to cold, empty sheets. I didn’t like being in the house alone. I didn’t like any of it.
“I hate this,” I told myself as I stood in our walk-in closet, sniffing some of his clothes. “You’re insane.” I chastised myself, but that didn’t stop me from taking a big inhale of his things.
Once I was finally dressed for the day, I drove to theEngineered Excellenceoffices. Player liaisons didn’t spend much time in the building, though we had offices there. Ours was a “field” job. You couldn’t take clients to visit potential homes, schools, doctor offices, or barber shops from inside the office. You needed to be out there. I spent a lot of my time vetting vendors and service providers to see if they were worthy of being recommended to my players or their families. I had to see places in person.
But Paris, Adam, and I had been called into the office. I knew that wasn’t good. The only time the entire staff got called into the office was when the shit was about to hit the fan. Typically, it took a major fuck-up from a player for us to get called in. Usually, there was going to be a press conference or a major announcement, and we would all be given instructions on how to handle the fallout.
I got to work super early. There was no way I wanted to be sliding into the conference room once Ayana Truesdale or one of her trusted colleagues started speaking.
I slipped into my office and had barely put my purse down when a text came through.
Paris:
We’ve been waiting for you to get here! Meet us in that office nobody uses next to the copy room.
Me:
OMW
I slipped inside the office a few minutes later. Adam was sitting at the desk. Paris sat in one of the chairs facing it. I took the empty seat.
“What’s going on?”
“Phoenix Avondale was arrested last night,” Adam said. Phoenix was his client.
My eyes ballooned. “What? Isn’t he supposed to be at training camp?”
“He never reported.”
“Wow. What happened? I was just at a prayer kickback with him.”
“A prayer kickback?” Paris frowned her face. “Those two words don’t even go together, Skyy. What the hell is a prayer kickback?”
“You don’t know that every year before the start of the season, the Coyotes quarterback, Travis Woodson, invites players to his house for food and prayer?” Adam asked Paris. “He’s done it every year that he’s been in the league, and he’s been in the league for eight years. I’m sure some of your players attend.”
Paris rolled her eyes. “I’d be surprised if any of my players even know Jesus. I feel like I get assigned all the heathens.”
I chuckled but still managed to bring us back around to the point. “What did he get arrested for?”
“Oh, yeah.” Adam came back to the matter at hand. “He was having one of his Wednesday night orgies at The Excelsior Grand, and one of the paid escorts drowned in the in-room hot tub.”
“What?” I shrieked. “His Wednesday night orgy? Is this a regular thing?”
Paris eyed me. “I didn’t know that Travis Woodson hosted a Holy Ghost Ho-Down every year, and Skyy didn’t know that Phoenix Avondale hosts an orgy on Wednesday nights.”
“Is he suspected of . . . unaliving her? The escort, I mean,” I questioned.
