“It’s good to enjoy a victory now and then, Oliver, but around here we don’t celebrate quite on that level.”
“Then things around here are gonna change a little bit, my man. I know all that Patriot Way nonsense that everyone spews around here, but it’s time we had a little fun! It’s time we celebrated a little more. It’s time we celebrated me.”
“Oh yeah? One victory and you’re sure this’ll be a streak for the ages?”
“You know it, you know it. I can feel it in my bones, it’s gonna be all wins from here on out. With Olly at the helm, the Patriots can’t lose.”
“You know, Oliver, quarterbacks aren’t always the best. It’s a team game out there - everyone has to work together in order to secure the victory.”
Oliver nodded his head vigorously. “But guys like playing for a winner. Winning brings a special kind of motivation.” He looked at me with an evil smirk. “And to the victor, goes the spoils.”
“What kind of spoils did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I’ve got my eye on some around here. And I don’t just mean your starting job, but throw that in there too.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Yeah, I figured you didn’t. I heard a lot about you, Lance Parker, that you’re some kind of football robot or something, ain’t got eyes for nothing else besides the game.” He hooked around, like he was about to tell me a secret. “And that,” he started, softer this time, “is why I think you don’t play as well as you could. Too much focus, man! Not enough living, not enough enjoying yourself!”
“Thanks for the advice, Oliver.”
“Free of charge, my man, free of charge. You’re gonna have a lot of time to think about that while you watch me start from here on out.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I plan on playing again this year.”
“Yeah, maybe in garbage time when Coach Armstrong wants to make sure the face of the franchise don’t get hurt. ‘Cause that’s me.” Again that smile.
“I think this conversation is over, Oliver.”
He looked up at the clock on the wall and nodded. “You right, you right. I gotta go meet up with some reporters anyway, promised them an exclusive or two. Might even get a little time with that Calloway tonight.”
I stopped cold. “Calloway?”
“Yeah I’ve been working on her a little bit, and I think she’s finally coming around. I got Morris to assign her to me for this past game and I’m thinking about making that assignment permanent.”
“She works with me.”
Oliver folded his arms under his chest. “She works with the starting quarterback, Lance. Up till now everyone around here has been still thinking of you as the starter, but I promise you this - after today that’s gonna start to change. Calloway might find herself assigned to me on a more regular basis from here on out.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Get the fuck out of here, Oliver.”
“Walk over here and make me, Parker.”
He had me over a proverbial barrel. I couldn’t just walk over to him, not without my crutches, and not without giving him way too much time to respond. Fights among players happened all the time, but I never got into them, despite how much I wanted to right now. “Fuck you.”
“So he does have emotions after all? All because I brought up the tasty Miss Calloway, I see. Interesting, very interesting.”
“This isn’t over, Oliver. I’m going to start again this year.”
“We’ll see about that. Alright, you enjoy your evening…lying in bed alone, I guess.” Oliver turned and headed toward the door, stopping and looking back at me before he opened it. “Oh yeah, and Lance?”
“What?”
“Thanks for all the advice. Big help, man. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Then he was gone. I lay back in my bed, not surprised that Oliver was twisting the knife in my back, but definitely surprised at how fast it had happened and how deep he was twisting it.
I needed to get out of here. I didn’t know what to do.
There was a knock at the door and I whipped my head around, gathering my energy in case Oliver came back. Injured or not, I was gonna wipe the smug smile off that bastard’s fucking face.
It was Charlotte, looking gorgeous as ever. I nodded and she came in, and as soon as I saw her I could feel myself relax. She had such an amazing effect on me, as soon as she came into the room things looked up, like there was hope again.
“Hey, Lance,” she said, “I was just coming to the station outside and I saw Oliver coming out.” She looked at me and I could see her demeanor change, like she was scared. “Everything, uh, OK?”
I looked down and realized my hands were clenched into fists so tight my knuckles were turning white. “Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Oliver was here, and that guy…well, that guy and I don’t get along at all.”