Chapter 20
Twenty
L eslie
“Run it again. I don’t care how many times we have to run it, you’ll run this play until you figure out how to get out of your own way. I’ve got all day.”
They were finally on their own turf. The new field had been completed and the team was having practice for the first time. They’d opted to go with artificial turf and the bleachers would be in before the game next week.
Sandy stood on one side of him, Randy on the other, and they started doing the snake and snapping their fingers while singing, “Run this play. Get out of your way. I’ve got all day.”
“I don’t have all day for you two,” Leslie growled.
“We’re just singing your latest hit,” Randy said, throwing in a very goofy attempt at the running man.
“What you should be singing about is how to fix this damn hole in our offensive line because if we lose again next week, there goes my year-one plan, Brother Randy.”
Leslie had taken their one and only loss last week hard.
He absolutely knew there would be growing pains taking over the new team, but they’d won their first four games with a comfortable lead.
Last week, however, his offensive line had fallen apart and his quarterback had been sacked twice. He wasn’t having that.
The twins quit dancing, looked at each other, and then started doing this weird shimmy thing on either side of him. “Yes, Coach.”
“Coach! Have you seen this?”
Damontae brought his phone over and handed it to Leslie.
“What am I looking at?”
Randy and Sandy crowded in and they tried to shade the phone so they could see.
“It’s on Instagram and TikTok live and they’re doing stunts. They’ve got their crowdfunding link up and if they get to certain levels, they’ll keep doing more difficult stunts.”
“Aw, how cute,” Randy said and Leslie elbowed him. “What? They aren’t going to catch us after the calendars and the concessions in Kansas City.”
They’d really hit the jackpot with the charity calendar.
He’d gotten twelve of his former NFL pals to send him shots and so each month featured different Greenvale players and the NFL player.
It helped that one of Leslie’s pals at the network shared early pics with the morning show and a deluge of pre-orders had come in.
Sandy was trying to keep on top of the printer to make sure they could meet demand.
It also helped that the players had gone all out.
Some were in formal dress with tuxedos and sports cars, others shirtless with kittens and puppies, all the sprinkles of awesome that would ensure its success.
“They’ve already got fifteen thousand dollars raised. They’re also doing dance routines for each ten thousand raised. Coach Judd said if they get to fifty thousand in the first twelve hours, he’ll dance.”
God, Leslie would love to see that. Watching Joe’s YouTube channel was his secret obsession. If Joe ever found out how many times he’d watched certain videos on there, he’d probably question the claim he’d made the night before.
Leslie would have been fist-pumping thrilled after their late-night session, but he still couldn’t believe Joe was really going all in.
He worried about Joe leaving for the weekend.
It was different for Leslie; he could meet his NFL and network obligations knowing full well his place was at Greenvale, and he was happy about that.
But what if the job offers came pouring in for Joe?
He was younger, still in great shape, could still do his sport/art.
Leslie was physically done, a situation that was getting more real each day.
He’d met with his doctor over video conference the day before and his doctor had confirmed it was time, that he couldn’t put off the knee replacements any longer.
He was young for a full replacement, but the tweak he’d done the previous week put bone-on-bone and the doctor feared he’d fracture it if he didn’t take care of it now.
They were going to schedule it after the first of the year, before he needed to start working on the next year’s team.
He was forbidden from running, so it was definitely time to get the pool back in order.
Leslie didn’t have the body he’d had when he was playing, but he hadn’t let himself go.
He liked being in shape, but wasn’t willing to work as hard as he’d need to for an eight pack… or even four or six…or those V lines…
Which led his thoughts back to Joe.
His cheeks got red just thinking about what they’d done the night before.
Leslie wasn’t a total prude when it came to sex even though he’d been raised under pretty conservative beliefs about sex and relationships.
He had a vivid imagination and desires like a lot of people, but the act was often hard for him.
He worried so much it affected his performance, but not with Joe.
Joe had this way of talking him through everything that didn’t feel weird or forced, it felt natural. Like his own personal sex coach.
Leslie laughed out loud and then realized his coaching staff were all staring at him.
“We gotta do something. If they win—”
“They’re not going to win,” Leslie said. But he was having a hard time not whipping out his credit card to make a donation in order to see Joe dance. Would it count if he used his own funds for the cheerleaders and not football? God, he was a mess.
“Hey, how about we do an all-sport Olympics?” Damontae asked. “Like a series of events like push-ups, races, tug-of-war, an obstacle course… We get sponsors and the money goes to the winner’s team for each event.”
“Sounds great. Really great, actually. Damontae, would you be willing to work with Sandy to get it set up?” Leslie asked.
Because as much as he wanted to win the fundraising challenge, he wanted his damn team to win their game next week.
He was trying to have perspective about the trip he had to take this weekend…
he didn’t have any more focus to give to fundraising.
He’d had to learn how to delegate when he took his first coaching job, and now that knowledge would serve him well.
“Sure, Coach. Whatever you need.”
They shook hands. “Sandy will handle the sponsors, won’t you, Brother Sandy?”
Sandy blinked. “Suuuure, Brother Leslie. I’ll get right on that as soon as you give me some ideas.”
They shared a look and Sandy appeared to want to say more.
“If there’s nothing else? Can we get back to getting this team ready for next week?”
Randy frowned at him too, but Leslie didn’t have time for any more distractions. He moved away from them on the sidelines to watch his special teams working out, and his phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Hello?”
“Coach Payton? It’s Malcolm Darling, Time magazine. We had an appointment today. Is this a good time?”
Leslie chuckled. “As good a time as any, I suppose.” More distractions .
“Great. I wanted to check in first and see how things are going with the team? Great start to your season but a rough week last week.”
Leslie pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah. When you’ve got a young team, you have those off nights. These kids have been giving their all despite all of the chaos on campus and we just couldn’t score last week.”
“Your quarterback particularly suffered from the lack of offensive coverage. Was he injured?”
“Brandon is fine, thank you for asking. We had our trainer do the concussion protocol with him during the game and after and the next day and he’s fine, no worries. He’ll start next week against Baker University.”
“That’s good to hear. I wonder if seeing him get hit like that brought back any memories for you.”
Leslie’s hearing hollowed out. It had brought him back.
His last game as a starter for the 49ers.
He’d been hit so hard by two defensive tackles from the Steelers it knocked him out of his cleats, knocked his helmet off.
He’d had his bell rung for sure, but he’d stayed in and finished the game.
It wasn’t until after the game that he started vomiting.
Sandy had taken him from the stadium to his personal physician, who confirmed his suspicion that he had a serious concussion.
He let the team know and he spent the next month recuperating in Hawaii…
and deciding his career was over. He’d been sad, but he’d also been relieved.
It hadn’t been much of a choice. He either quit or he was most assuredly going to end up like his father, which was unacceptable.
He couldn’t let his family go through that again.
“Yeah, I had my share of hard hits. We’re focusing our practice time on correcting this weakness.”
“Excellent. And how is the cheer/football rivalry going? I heard from President Payton’s office that the teams are in tight competition but so far it appears football is in the lead.”
That damned publicist. Well, at least he was doing his job.
“Yes, sir. It’s been fun seeing the teams join in the fun, but I’m pretty confident we’ll win.
The campaign will run through the end of football season and then we’ll crown the winner for the first season.
The kids will keep working throughout the year. ”
“And how’s the repair process coming?”
“Good. We’re finally on our new turf. The team is excited.”
“And the cheerleaders will be performing a pretty spectacular halftime next week from what I understand.”
“That I hadn’t heard,” Leslie said with a laugh. He could only guess at what Joe had in store.
“Let’s talk a little about your personal life. You’ve been out for a long time—”
“Since my second year in the NFL.”
“Right. But no serious relationships? No Mr. Payton in the wings? Is part of your decision to return to Ayre Valley a desire for a social life and perhaps dating?”