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“You need to put me out on the field so you can get back more money,” I say.
Tony chuckles. “Now you’re thinking the long game. Hey, I’ll be there in about an hour.”
“What? Why?”
“Cutter, we have to go to the gym together. I’ll handle all the introductions. We can record a few videos. You know? I’m bringing two guys with me. College kids. Good experience for them.”
“What the hell is this, Tony? I’m cutting promos now?”
“It’s not exactly… but, sure. Look, Cutter, my man, you have a bad reputation now. We need to rehab it, along with your body. See what I did there?”
“Tony, I’m not doing promos or interviews. I’m going to go swim, stretch and figure this thing out. On my own.”
“Whoa,” Tony says. “On your own? You’re going to just show up? With nobody?”
“That was the point of coming here, right? Small town. Nobody is supposed to know me. I don’t need banners flown for me. I can just show up, swim, and leave.”
“You’re not swimming alone, Cutter. You do know we have at least two physical therapists joining you. This is serious stuff.”
I grit my teeth. Hard.
I’ve done enough injury rehabbing in my career, I know most of the moves by now. And the thing with the pool… it’s just for swimming. It’s very easy impact exercise. It allows me to move more than I normally would. I can stretch, swim… actually swim and get a decent workout.
“When is this all going to die down?” I ask.
“Soon, Cutter,” Tony says. “I still say we bring in the old lady you saved and get her story. The grandson too.”
“No,” I say. “Leave them alone, Tony. Bad enough they’re social media famous as it is.”
“Well, then it looks bad on you.”
“Tony.”
“Okay, I’ll lay off.”
“Don’t lay off,” I say. “Put your blinker on, get off at the next exit and turn around. You want to help me? Go back to your office and make some calls.”
“Cutter, that’s a terrible idea.”
“If you show up here, I won’t show up at the pool.”
I’m not happy at how babyish that sounds.
“You do need some sense of visibility, Cutter,” Tony says. “I know it seems odd when you’re supposed to be hiding. We need good videos of you. We need to build your image up.”
“That’s a hard pass for me, Tony. I’m not making a promotional video of myself. Everyone knows the truth.”
“Do they?”
I fall silent.
I made the mistake last night of searching my name…
It didn’t go well. The online hate is real. Which I don’t get at all. Or maybe I do. I don’t know. Everyone can say and do whatever they want online, even if they don’t mean it.
“Cutter, you there?”
“Do not show up,” I say. “I’m going to do what I have to do here. For myself. That’s the only story anyone needs.”
