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“Everyone wants to know what that arrogant bastard is going to do next year. His contract is up, and he hasn’t announced where he’s going to play. And he always lets that asshole, Tex McGuire, break the big news. He never calls on me or acknowledges me when we’re all gathered after games, no matter how persistent I am. He’s a misogynist pig.”
“Yes, you’ve mentioned that before,” I said, glancing over at Maddox, who was listening attentively, as well.
“So, I found out where he was before the press conference. And maybe I snuck into the men’s bathroom when I saw him go in there. I mean, so what!” she shouted. “We all pee, right? It’s not fair that all the male reporters get the benefit of catching him off guard while I’m in the women’s bathroom with who? There are no quarterbacks in that bathroom.”
A small laugh escaped Maddox’s lips, and I covered my smile. “That’s true.”
“So, I caught him off guard. I mean, it’s not like I saw his package. He hadn’t unzipped. But obviously, he’s got issues there because he freaked out on me for being in there.”
“Did he lay a fucking hand on you?” Maddox hissed.
“No, no, nothing like that. But he shouted about no one giving him a fucking second to himself.Guess what, genius?You’re the GOAT of the NFL. You don’t get a second to yourself. That’s the deal.”
“Did you say that?” I asked, because Brinkley was like a dog with a bone when she wanted something.
“I did. And then I just asked him to tell me if he had decided who he was going to play for. He’s the hottest free agent on the market. It’s the story everyone wants to break. And my asshole boss wants this story.At all costs.Those were his exact words.”
“And did he answer you?”
“He did not. He pointed his finger in my face and said something like,shame on you.I shouted the same thing back at him as he stormed out of the bathroom. And then he goes and has me banned from the conference. Security literally escorted me out of the building.”
“No!” I gasped. “That’s horrible.”
“It’s not even the worst part.”
“What happened?” Maddox asked, his tone hard, but I could hear the concern.
And that was when it happened. Brinkley started crying. I could only think of three times in my life that I’d seen my sister cry. One was when my mother washed her favorite white cashmere sweater with Hugh’s red football socks. The next was when we found out that our aunt Beth had passed away from cancer. And the last time was when we’d found out that our father also had cancer, which was now in remission.
“Brinks,” I said, my heart aching for her.
“He called me out publicly in the press conference and said I crossed a line. He actually said my name on national television. And my boss just called to tell me I needed to take an unpaid leave. It’s the same thing as being fired, but he’s keeping the door openin caseI recover from this because he knows I’m good at my job.”
“Hey. You’ve said for so long that you’re tired of working for him and you’d rather be a freelance reporter. You’re an amazing journalist, Brinks. This is your time to take that leap.”
It was quiet on the other end, aside from a few sniffs, and then she cleared her throat. “That’s true. I do have a lot of money saved up, and I wouldn’t need to pay this high rent and stay in the city. I can come rent a place back home for a few months until I figure it out.”
“Yes. That sounds like a great plan. You can build your freelance business.”
“I like the sound of that. But I am not living in Hugh and Lila’s casita, and I’m sure as hell not tucking tail and living with Mom and Dad. I need my own place. I’ll find a cute house, and I can work from home, too,” she said, her voice sounding upbeat now, like she had a plan and was going to be okay.
“Hey, we just had the floors redone on that rental house that Georgia was living in, and I was going to have a few more renovations done to it, but it’s yours for as long as you need if you want it,” Maddox said, stroking my hair. “And it’s already furnished.”
I smirked at him because I’d recently learned that none of that furniture had belonged to him. He had purchased it all for me so I wouldn’t have to wait.
“Really? You haven’t rented it out?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I figured we’d just offer it to family that came into town,” he said.
“Well, I insist on paying rent. That’s the only way I’ll agree to move in. I don’t need a handout, even if I was just publicly humiliated.”
“You fucking Reynoldses and your pride about handouts is exhausting. Fine. Rent is one dollar a month. Don’t be late. We’ll kick your ass to the curb.”
My boyfriend tried to keep his voice even, but I heard the humor.
“Deal. And I’ll make you guys dinner whenever you want.”
“You don’t cook,” I reminded her.
