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Nearly everyone accepted that I hadn’t cheated, and the initial scandal disappeared.
But no one has forgotten.
Ronnie’s allegations are going to stir everything up again. The media is going to wonder and question whether the investigator was wrong. The angry fans who believe I lost that championship game on purpose are going to have a field day.
My contract negotiations are going to suffer. I’m not good enough in tight spots for teams to be willing to take a chance on a scandal-ridden player. Rumors are like poison and they’re going to spread quickly if we don’t put a stopper on them.
“We’re back,” Cam says.
“I’ve already put out an emphatic denial,” Judy says. “We need to put pressure on Ronnie to release his proof. If he can’t back up his claims, this will die down fast. Can you think of anything you’ve texted in the last three years that could be taken out of context?”
“No.”
“Is there anything in your text messages that could be embarrassing?” she asks.
“Like?”
“Sexting with a girlfriend. Complaining about your mother. Talking trash about a coach. Something you don’t want the world to see?”
I wish I were sexting with Ellie, but I’m not. I would never complain about my mother. And who would I talk trash about my coach to? “I paid attention when you took me as a client, and I’ve been careful ever since. My text messages are boring.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Cam says in direct contradiction to Judy. “Jordan won’t let your text messages go public.”
Jordan is my attorney. He protects my interests extremely well. Our relationship is mostly cordial, but I trust him to do his job.
“We might want to leak his text messages. We need to control the narrative,” Judy says. Judy isn’t a pessimist exactly, but it’s her job to be ready for scandal, and she always has a plan.
“There isn’t anything.”
“Will you talk to Annabelle? One on one?” she asks.
She knows I hate interviews. I sort of like talking to the media before a game, and post-game press conferences are fine—especially when we win. But interviews where the interviewer is trying to get a juicy story aren’t fun.
“Okay,” I say as I exhale. “I want it pre-taped. And I’ll only do it if we have full approval over the footage they use.” I don’t trust myself not to slip and make a stupid comment.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Cam replies.
He loves interviews. The opportunity to talk about the players he represents is like a gift to him. If I could let him take this one for me, I would. Unfortunately, people are more inclined to believe me when I’m the one doing the talking.
When we finally hang up, I get back to my workout.
By the time I’m finished, my body is exhausted but my mind is running in circles. I have the urge to call Ellie…which, let’s face it, is crazy. We did not go on a date, and we had a single hookup. I would be foolish to pretend one night of excellent sex was something it isn’t.
I have a career to focus on.
Judy and Cam work their collective magic, and twenty-four hours later I find myself in the same room as Annabelle Singer.
Annabelle went from being a sideline guru to the face of sports reporting in about five minutes. She’s ambitious and driven, and she has a reputation for being relentless. She’s also the person to talk to when you want your story heard—like Oprah, but on ESPN. It’s rumored she turns down more interviews than she accepts, so it’s a coup to just sit down with her.
“It’s great to see you,” she says, making a beeline toward me as soon as she walks into the room. I knew her back in my college football days, and fame hasn’t muted her intensity. I resist the urge to step backward. “I was hoping you’d reach out.”
“Didn’t have much choice after your little conversation with Ronnie.”
She grins and pats me on the cheek. The move is too brisk to be patronizing, but I still hate it. “Everyone who is anyone sits down with me at some point,” she says.
She used to interview me all the time on the field, but somehow I’ve escaped this. Until now. “Not everyone has to defend themselves from cheating allegations.”
“If it wasn’t cheating, it’d be something else. No one likes a celebrity without a story. You don’t want to be boring.” She makes boring sound like a grotesque disease.
