“Parker! You ready for the media this morning!?” Unlike me, Hud loved talking to the media. I think it was because defensive players didn’t really get into the spotlight, but any moment Hud could get in front of the cameras he took it, and hammed it up something awful.
Though, to be fair, he was like that all the time. Might have been part pig in a past life. “Yeah, Hud, I’m ready,” I said, letting my enthusiasm for the media show through in my tone. Unlike Hud, I had gone to the Coach Armstrong school of media relations, and preferred to stay out of the limelight even though, as the starting quarterback, it was thrust upon me whether I wanted it or not.
As bad boys went, though, I was only a little bad. Medium bad.
Hud came up to me and started punching me in the stomach, lightly at first, but even light for Hudson Asher was significant. “I. Said. Are. You. Ready. For. The. Media. This. Morning?” he said in between punches. “Come on, man, show me some love, the season is finally here!”
Now that got me going. “Yeah. Fucking pumped, man, let’s go win one this year, yeah?”
“You know it, brother. I’m right there with you. You make sure the offense got it, I’ll keep the defense on point and we’ll steamroll all the way to rings for everyone.”
I nodded. “Good plan.” I checked my watch and the big clock on the wall. “Shit, I gotta go, I’m up in a few minutes.”
“Right, right, ok, cool, catch me after your meetings and we’ll grab lunch.” Hud went to the door, opened it, and was halfway out before he leaned in again. “I’m so excited, man, this is gonna be a fucking awesome year. We gotta win one this time, bro.”
“I hear you. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Have fun with the vultures. Catch you later.” And then he was gone. I heard him singing some random dirty song down the hall. Now that he knew I was the only one living in this wing, Hud sang a lot louder in the halls, not worried about whether the coaches or some of the more conservative and older players would hear him.
Plus, Hud had more than decade’s worth professional football experience. As long as he didn’t break any rules or miss any meetings, and kept playing at a high level like he always did, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted around here.
I kinda envied Hud in that way. He was pretty much a big kid just living out his dream of playing in the pros. And of course he brought the pain to whatever team was lined up against him, but when the game was over, whatever the outcome, he was always happy-go-lucky and ready for the next thing.
Me, though, I held on to things a little longer than I should. OK, a lot longer. Still, it worked for me. Sometimes, though, I just wished I worked a little more like Hud did.
I got another knock on the door right then. Dawdling time was over. I crossed the room and opened the door to see a Patriots intern standing there. “Hey, Parker, press conference time, Coach Armstrong sent me to get you.”
I nodded and went with him to the media area. The team had several rooms that were wired for media access where we held press conferences and media availabilities.
Today everything was in the main room as we kicked off the season. “Coach is just finishing up, they’re about to announce you. Wait here a sec.”
The intern wandered off and I stood there outside the main media room, waiting for my turn.
“Parker!” I heard someone shout my name and I turned, a smile already on my face. I’d know that cocky voice anywhere.
“Drake, man, good to see you. Welcome to the season.”
Drake came up and gave me a huge hug. “Thanks, man, it’s so good to finally be here. We gonna burn the league up this year, yeah?”
“Yeah, man, can’t wait. You better be open, like all the time.”
Drake stepped back, almost mock offended, holding his hands out wide to his sides. Then he smiled wide, “As if the great Drake Rollins could be anything but open for business?”
“That’s not what I heard, man, I heard Lily got you locked down pretty hard.”
He smiled even wider, and came back in close, dropping his voice down. “No doubt, brother, but I gotta say, being locked down is the best feeling ever, when you got the right girl. I highly recommend it.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Drake I met just a few weeks ago, asking about bringing girls into the facility after hours.”
“I know, man, I know, but in my defense, instead of bringing the girls to our room I was just going to hers.”
“That’s right, she had a room here too. Nice move.”
“It’s more than that, though, dude.” He smiled wider than I had ever seen him before. “I love her, man, I can’t put it any other way. I’m totally in love with her.”
“Just make sure she knows that.”
“That’s my second job, man. Of course, football’s first, you know that.”
“I hear you. Where is your better half, anyway?”
Drake nodded to the media room. “Inside, man, she’s got a job to do too. I might get to see her after practice, but who knows.”