It was the cycle of sports. One of the many cycles of sports.
I was just starting to settle in, and finally put away my phone, after promising my father by text that I would take more photos when play actually began, but for right now I had to get ready to go and do, you know, my job and all, when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.
Oh shit. Right.
Of course, the sideline was primarily for TV reporters, with their cameras and their on-field and on-sidelines interviews. Which, of course, meant ESPN would be here.
Which meant Annie Ross would be here.
“Lily Pearson!” Annie’s shrill voice rang out from behind me, and I stopped reaching into my bag to pull out my notebook. “You made it!”
My knuckles whitened as I gripped them together tight, willing myself to relax and put a smile on my face before I turned to face Annie Ross, an assistant dabbing makeup on her face, no doubt getting her camera-ready for one of her many on-air hits before, during, and after the game.
The Globe didn’t really do live coverage of events beyond the occasional live blogging, so I had no need to be all made up that way. Still, it might be nice once in a while to have someone else doing your makeup for a change.
Ugh. Don’t be jealous, Lily, don’t be jealous. Annie Ross is not worth it. TV is not better than print. Readers still count, damnit!
“Annie. Hi.” I made a big show of frowning. “Oh, we can talk some other time if you’re busy.” Or never, that would work too.
She laughed. “Oh this?” she said, waving the assistant away. “This is just part of the job, you know how it is.”
“I really don’t,” I said, as sarcastically as I could muster. I started to turn away, but Annie stepped toward me.
“How’s Drake?”
That was a loaded question, but I could answer the regular part on the surface just fine. “He knows this is a big game, he’s gotta put it all out there if he wants to make a good case for why he should be on the roster in a couple weeks.”
Annie nodded. “I’ve been reading all your work on him, it’s been very good.”
Her compliments just rang so hollow to me and I couldn’t take it anymore. I stepped closer to her and spoke, my voice low. “Cut the crap, Annie, I know what you did.”
“Why, Lily Pearson, what do you mean? What did I do?”
“The lie you spread about me and Bill Thompson.”
“That wasn’t me, honey! Why would I do that?”
“You tell me, Annie, you’ve had it out for me for years now, and I’ve never been able to figure out why!”
Annie’s smile was beatific, like she was a super villain gleefully explaining her evil plan to James Bond as he was about to be killed by one of the villain’s dastardly henchmen or wily and deadly contraptions. Like sharks with laser beams. “Of course you know why I’ve had it out for you, you little bitch. You know why I started that rumor about you!”
“What? Tell me! I’m asking you, Annie, why?”
“Because, you’ve always been better than me!” Annie roared, making the people around us look up for the first time. “I should never have been outshined by someone like you! Not me! I’m Annie Ross, and I’m better than that! I’m on ESPN!”
I stood up straight and took out my notebook from my bag, making a big show of writing something down. “Glad I had this on me, Annie,” I smiled as I turned the notebook around and showed it to her. It read ‘Annie Ross worked for ESPN.’
“Nice try, but you got the tense wrong. Didn’t they teach you any grammar at Cal?”
“Oh they did. And they also taught me a lot about public speaking.”
Annie’s face clouded as she tried to figure out what I meant. “I don’t understand.”
I pointed to Annie’s lapel. “Your mic was on, Annie. ESPN’s got a really high quality recording of you admitting to starting a slanderous rumor about me. They probably won’t be too thrilled with it.”
I had the foresight to pull out my phone right then as Annie’s face went whiter than I would have thought possible. “And I have a recording just in case.” I tapped a couple times on the screen and took a picture of her.
“Smile!”
And then it was time for the game to start.
CHAPTER 24 - DRAKE