“Yes?”
“The general manager’s office saw that video of you at the draft.”
“Listen, I was in-“
“Save it, I don’t care. In fact, I appreciate the passion. But the GM’s office thought this would be a good way to enhance our social media presence.” The way he said those last words could not have been laced with more complete disdain.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that as long as you’re on the team you’re going to be shadowed by a reporter from the Boston Globe. Daily interviews, videos, all that shit. I don’t like it, but there are a few things around here I can’t control.” He paused for a second. “And if you even think about repeating that to anyone, just remember, I have about 6 states worth of people who will happily bury your body in their backyards and never tell a soul about it.”
“I understand, Coach.”
“Good. I’m not thrilled with the idea, but the GM’s office said it was a requirement for signing you. And the last thing is, the reporter who’ll be following you around.”
“Yes?”
“The same one from that video. Lily Pearson. I’ll see you bright and early on Monday. And kid, you better make this worth my while.”
Coach Armstrong hung up, not waiting for an answer, leaving me holding the phone to my ear for a few seconds before I realized he was gone.
Shit.
Lily Pearson. The reporter from the draft. The girl from Cal. She was going to be following me around, keeping track of me.
I was gonna have to be really on my game from now on, no distractions whatsoever. This was my life and my future we were talking about.
So why couldn’t I get her out of my head?
CHAPTER 09 - LILY
It was like I was being exiled from home. Of course, I had only worked at the Boston Globe for a couple weeks now, and it had definitely been on the rockier side of things thus far, but all of a sudden I was moving out, not sure if I would ever get to come back.
There was no reason for me to work our of our main Boston office anymore, since I was going to be with the Patriots full time. I had gotten word that the team had provided me a room at the facility where I could stay.
On the one hand I was thrilled to be getting closer to the team, and there really wasn’t anything closer than living at the facility. At the same time, as I looked around the office, walking back to my desk after leaving Bill Thompson’s office, I knew I would miss this place.
I just hoped that I didn’t get fired before I could come work here again. There was always that distinct possibility. If my writing wasn’t up to standards, if the website didn’t blow up from my videos and interviews, I’d be in trouble.
Of course, if Drake Rollins didn’t play ball, we were sunk right from the start. I had assurances from the team that Drake knew what was going on, that he was willing to submit to interviews and have the process of his comeback documented on our website.
Frankly, I was shocked that the Patriots even gave him the time of day. I knew Coach Armstrong was huge rebel when it came to coaching moves - my father and had both cheered and yelled at his decisions since he had arrived in New England more than a decade ago.
Just think about seeing Drake again after all this time made my head swirl, and I was almost dizzy with emotions. He was all I had ever wanted in a man, but I had always stayed away from him - he always seemed more fixated on playing football and sleeping with as many hot girls as he could, wherever he went, and as much as I wanted him, I couldn’t get involved with that kind of guy, it just wasn’t me.
The Patriots were coming off a rough season plagued by minor scandals, but at the same time, Coach Armstrong’s reputation hadn’t really taken a hit.
They did need some help at wide receiver, and despite my Cal-focused bias, I was pretty sure that with good coaching, Drake Rollins could become one of the league’s breakout receivers.
The question was, did he want it bad enough? Results so far would suggest that he was more interested in booze and boobs. None of that stuff would fly anymore. Sure, if he was an established player with some great seasons behind him and a big juicy contract, he could get away with a high-flying lifestyle.
But an undrafted free agent? All 32 teams had passed on him 7 times each. Not only that, I heard from Bill that the Patriots had been the only team to even return Drake’s agent’s call about signing Drake after the job. The Patriots knew just how much power they had over Drake, and they would cut him in a heartbeat and not miss him ten seconds later.