That earns you a sympathetic grimace. “Everyone’s worried about you, Ster. Desiree wanted me to text her when I got here to make sure you were holding up.”
The sound of your public relations executive’s name is enough to send a shiver down your spine. “Desiree is going to need a 300% raise by the time this shit-show is over. She has the worst job in the world right now.”
“I doubt that she thinks that. It’s not like you DUI’d and crashed into somebody’s house or went on a bender and assaulted a police officer. We all know that this situation is a bunch of BS. You’re great to work for, Ster. I know Desiree thinks so. We all do. We’ve just got to ride it out.”
You squeeze your eyes closed against a particularly bright and hot jolt of pain between your brows. “That’s what I’m doing. Working. Riding it out.”
Maeve purses her lips and stands up again.
“I’m guessing there’s no real food in the house?” she asks.
“What does it matter? It’s not like you cook.”
She peers in the refrigerator anyway. Your groceries get delivered twice a week when you are in town, and your housekeeper puts them away. She doesn’t get further than the bottles of Pellegrino arranged in neat lines on the left-side middle shelf.
“It’s dinnertime,” she announces. “What am I ordering? ‘Nothing’ isn’t an option.”
You pull a bit at the place where your hair tie meets the crown of your head, trying to alleviate the soreness. “I honestly don’t care.”
“Let’s do STK,” she suggests. “I know you like the lobster linguini.”
You frown, making your signature blur on the last insert you signed. “No pasta tonight. Just the chicken breast, no jus, and a side of asparagus.”
“So, you want the linguini!” It’s as if you didn’t speak at all. “And definitely the cheesecake.Iwant the cheesecake, and I can’t eat the whole thing. So we’re going to split.”
“Maeve…”
“You’ve been hitting the gym twice a day most days,” she interrupts. “You scaled back your diet when tour ended, because you aren’t on stage dancing for three hours a night anymore. Okay; understandable. But you are still working out like a fiend. And, if I had to guess, you probably haven’t had more than your morning green smoothie today. Am I right?”
You don’t answer. (She’s correct.)
She pauses in the middle of punching the order into her phone. “Somebody has to take care of you, Sterling. Me, the rest of the team, your mom, Kai…” She shakes her head. “We’re here for you. But you have to try to take care of yourself, too.”
The concern in her voice is not doing wonders for your headache. The path of least resistance is just going along with it. Reluctantly, you push the markers and the inserts away. They’ll still be there when your alarm goes off at 5:45 tomorrow morning.
“There’s too much crap up here to eat around,” you say, trying not to let the weariness overpower your voice. “I’ll set the table in the dining room.”
Chapter Two
THIS CONTRACTis betweenKAIUS XAVIER REINHART, hereinafter “Player,” andMIAMI CYCLONES FOOTBALL CLUB, LTD., hereinafter “Club,” operating under the name of theMIAMI CYCLONESas a member of the National Football Association, hereinafter “Association.” In consideration of the promises made by each to the other, Player and Club agree as follows:
TERM.This contract covers 5 football season(s), and will begin on the date of execution and end on February 28, 2030, unless extended, terminated, or renewed as specified elsewhere in this contract.
EMPLOYMENT AND SERVICES.Club employs Player as a skilled football player. Player accepts such employment. He agrees to give his best efforts and loyalty to the Club, and to conduct himself on and off the field with appropriate recognition of the fact that the success of professional football depends largely on public respect for and approval of those associated with the game…
[...]
COMPENSATION.For performance of Player’s services and all other promises of Player, Club will pay Player a salary as follows: $85,000,000 over five years, of which $45,000,000 is guaranteed. The salary will be structured as per thetable below, to be paid out in biweekly amounts. This is in addition to earned performance bonuses, necessary traveling expenses and reasonable room and board, and other sums agreed to under the NFA Players’ Union collective bargaining agreement…
2025: $5,500,000
2026: $13,500,000
2027: $13,500,000
2028: $22,500,000
2029: $30,000,000
