AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I touched Charles’s left shoulder. “Listen, my friend. This is the part of a movie where you give a talk to me that changes my life. This isn’t a movie. And I don’t need you to talk to me about anything. I know what happens next.”
“I can see that in your eyes, Atlas.”
“Good. So we don’t have to talk right now. Which is perfect. Because you need to go spend some time with that little girl that’s going to grow up and think of you as her grandfather. So you better keep that ticker of yours ticking. You got that?”
Charles’s eyes filled with tears. His face beamed with pride.
“Yeah, I get it,” I said. “I don’t have time to talk about it all.”
I walked around Charles and never felt so laser focused in my entire life.
From the hospital I drove to Tucker’s office.
My agent living near the beach, his office near the beach, making trades for players that altered their lives.
It’s not Tucker… don’t waste this on Tucker…
I opened Tucker’s office door.
He was mid-sentence on a call, took one look at my face, and he hung up.
He rushed from behind his desk.
“What happened, Atlas? Is the baby okay?”
“The baby is fine,” I said.
Tucker sighed and touched my chest. “Oh, that’s good. You had me nervous. That look on your… face…” Tucker swallowed hard. “What is it?”
“We’re going for a walk, Tucker. Then a drive. Then another walk. We have plans right now.”
“Atlas, what are you doing? Huh? What’s going through your head?”
I grabbed Tucker’s tie and pulled him toward me. “Whatever I say and do next, you’re going to support me. I’ve never asked for a thing from you, Tucker. Got that?”
“Oh, shit, Atlas. This is the Boston thing…”
“Let’s go,” I said.
I pulled at Tucker’s tie like it was a dog’s leash.
As I dragged him past the front desk of his fancy office space, his secretary jumped up.
“Mr. Tarmelo?” she asked.
“Sit down and relax,” I said to her. “Catch up on some shows.”
“It’s okay, Jess,” Tucker said. “Just cancel everything I have right now.”
Was it a little dramatic to drag Tucker out of his office the way I was?
Absolutely.
But then I remembered what Tucker’s fees were.
What he made from me as I skated on the ice and fought, took hits and got stitches and all that.
So, yeah, it was worth it.
