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I’ve been waitingfor my sister for ten minutes by the time she slides next to me into the back of my SUV. You can always count on Scarlet to be what she’d consider fashionably late, and it’s only gotten worse since she found out she’s pregnant. Like she needs extra time to make sure the baby bump approves of her wardrobe choices too.
We were supposed to have left ten minutes ago. “You’re late.” I look up from the contract I’m reviewing one last time before our meeting. Scarlet and I have been working on this deal for three months, and today, we’ll finally put it to bed.
Scarlet rolls her eyes and offers a good morning to my driver, Luka, before she takes the iPad out of my hand and closes it, then sets it down on the briefcase by my feet. “You ready for this, Maximus?”
Why are siblings such assholes?
I’ve hated my name since the damn Gladiator movie came out years ago, and all eight of my siblings know it. Doesn’t stop them from using it though. Especially when I’m in a shit fucking mood.
Scarlet sits next to me on the leather seat, rubbing her bump absentmindedly while she smiles like this is the greatest day of her life.
I guess for her it is.
“Ready to get this over with...? Yes. Ready for the pain in the ass I think this is going to be...? No.”
Yesterday, I was the General Manager and President of Operations for the Philadelphia Kings football team in addition to being the CEO of King Corp. A position I inherited when our dad died unexpectedly six years ago, making me the youngest to ever hold those titles. My first move was to bring on my former college coach, Joe Sinclair, as the team’s new head coach, and together, we’ve built an even better Kings team than Dad left behind.
Now, in less than five years, our team has won two championships, and the entire organization is running at peak performance. Scarlet and I have worked tirelessly alongside Becket and our little sister Lenny to maintain our family’s legacy.
Adding the Philadelphia Revolution to our holdings is the next step in expanding our sports empire. Everything has been decided by lawyers and looked over by my brothers and sisters, who are all equal shareholders.
Equal to each other, but thanks to Dad, not to me.
He was a bit of a patriarchal dick and wanted me to have controlling interest since I was the oldest of his kids. He knew by making me his number two, when and if the time came, I’d be the person promoted to CEO of King Corp.
To be the man in charge, like I’d been groomed to be my entire life.
Our great-grandfather had it written into the company bylaws that there always had to be a Kingston as the acting president, and that position not only gave me final say in the company business but also controlling interest in King Corp.
It also placed me at the top of our family empire. But at the end of this meeting, Scarlet will be stepping into what is now my old position with the Kings, and I’ll be the new President of Operations for the Revolution.
When we started looking into this acquisition for King Corp., it was with Scarlet in mind as the new president of the Revolution. I never imagined I’d leave the Kings. But once we found out she was pregnant, we agreed it wasn’t the right move for her. It wasn’t fair to ask her to step into this position, knowing that she would only have a few months before my niece was due. Scarlet would never have felt comfortable taking the maternity leave she deserves that soon after starting with the new team.
The answer was obvious.
Scarlet can run the Kings with her eyes closed and hands tied.
We grew up with that team. It’s been in our family for over sixty years.
Nobody will ever know it the way the Kingston family does, and Scarlet has been the driving force of the organization for years.
She was born to run the Kings.
It also gives me the chance to grow our family’s legacy.
To do something my father never did.
To prove myself.
It was easy to take the Kings to the next level of football. They were already a great organization when I took over. The Revolution is struggling. Bringing them up to the level of the other great hockey teams out there won’t be easy. But I’ve never been scared of hard work.
I want King Corp. to be synonymous with Philly Sports.
Scarlet reaches over and places her hand on my arm to get my attention. “Are you having regrets, Max?”
“No. This is the right move.” Excitement wars with concern as I lay my hand over hers and squeeze to reassure her. “Just wondering what kind of shit show we’re walking into.”
The two stadiums that house the football and hockey teams are across the street from each other in the Center City district, but that’s where the similarities end. We pull up to the front doors of the large brick complex, and I take note of the worn-down building and parking lot that’s in disarray. Definitely time for an update.
