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I know I’m all good and this is just routine, but anytime you get called into Doc’s office, it’s enough to have the nerves start.
“Yeah, get in there and see if there’s any brain inside that head,” Tarek, my buddy, yells at me as he heads into the showers.
“No point them even looking in yours, we all know it’s empty.” The uproar of cheers in the room tells me that I won that battle. Truth be known, he would have said it to try to make me less apprehensive about walking into Doc’s room and being ruled out for the next game. Every player’s worst nightmare is being benched for any amount of time.
Coach is sitting in the office alone with the head trainer.
“What happened out there, Brandon—besides the fucking team who are supposed to have your back misreading the play? You’re normally all over the players around you.” I was expecting this, but I haven’t worked out what to reply yet. So, I answer as honestly as I can without sounding like an idiot.
“Don’t know, Coach, just one of those shitstorms where everything fell apart in the play.” He just nods at me and then leaves us to the evaluation. I pass with flying colors. Now I’m ready to start thinking about my next set of plays—this timeoffthe field—to get through the weekend’s challenge.
How can you be excited and dreading something at the same time? I don’t know why I’m worrying. It will be a nonevent again. It always is.
Walking out of the shower, towel around my waist, the guys are all discussing their plans for the night out on the town.
Lonigan slaps me on the shoulder as I walk past him standing in front of his cubicle. “So, homeboy, tell us the places to find all the hot chicks tonight. Better still take us there and be our wingman. The hometown hero! They can’t hit on you because you’re the old married man, but we will be happy to comfort them in their disappointment.”
“Sorry, champ, busy all weekend. You’ll have to try your luck on your own tonight before you’re back on the plane in the morning.” Grabbing my boxers out of my bag, I drag them up my legs under the towel. I’m not one of those guys who happily walks around naked.
“Who says I’m heading home tomorrow?” Lonigan says, his voice sly. “Thought I might stay a few days and meet up with some friends.”
My head whips around way too fast, to glare at him, which is probably not the best idea since it’s already been shaken around tonight in the game.
“Don’t even think about it,” I snap. “Besides, I already know they don’t have plans with you. Plus, you know the rules—friends from a distance!” Lonigan, the asshole, knows he’s riling me up. Ever since he met Xavier and Nat in college, he’s taken it upon himself to insinuate he’s as close to Nat as I am. But luckily, he worked out very early in the game that she is off limits to him. And any other prick on this team who thinks they can try their luck. I actually have no right to be jealous or warn him off, but I do anyway. She’s too good for him.
“Steady there, big boy, I was just joking. I spoke to her last night, and I know she’s busy all weekend. It was funny watching you almost choke on your own spit, though.” His loud chuckle resonates through the room, and on the inside, I’m not even close to laughing. The uncontrollable rage is hitting the top of the scale, and I need to pull it back without him registering how much he is pissing me off.
“Whatever,” I growl and continue getting dressed.
Tonight’s just been a shitshow and the only good thing that came out of it was the win we walked away with. Everything else I want to just wipe away and start again tomorrow.
“You heading back to the room?” Tarek asks as he zips up his bag.
“Yeah, figured a quiet night with some room service is what the body needs. Why?” I ask, finally tying up my last shoe.
“Can you take my bag back with you? Not sure what time I’ll be home.” He smirks as he hands it over to me.
“Don’t break curfew, son, and remember, no glove, no love.” I drop my voice lower, trying to portray the father figure.
“Yes, Pop. And don’t worry, I never let this big boy anywhere without a raincoat to protect him when it gets a bit damp.” Tarek swivels his hips in front of both me and Rhett.
“You’re disgusting, you know that, right?” Rhett just starts shaking his head at him.
“I try my best, old man!” Tarek yells over his shoulder as he starts walking out with the rest of the guys getting ready to hit the town.
“What did we do wrong with raising that one?” I slip in that last comment, and we both laugh.
“Nothing, he was a lost cause from the first day as a rookie.”
“So true, buddy, now let’s get some food into us and hit the sack. I’m sure you want to call your wife before getting some sleep.” We walk out to meet one of the town cars that the team manager always has lined up to take us wherever we want, including just back to the hotel.
“Yeah, she’ll already be in bed waiting for me.”
“Whoa, too much information, man.”
“Idiot, she’ll be waiting to go to sleep after feeding Rhett Junior and trying to catch some shut-eye before he wakes for the next feed. You wait, man, when it’s your time, you’ll understand. Sleep trumps everything when you have a newborn in the house.”
The car pulls away from the curb.
