Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
He got everyone’s attention, including the media who attended the practice session.
“Hey Brian, what’s the problem? You injure yourself last night? Where’ve you been?” Kevin Moroni fired the questions at him.
Brian shook his head. The trainer trotted over, brow furrowed.
Brian figured the same questions were on his mind as he headed back into the trainer’s room.
He hoisted himself onto the training table.
The door burst open and team trainer Mike Lavola rushed to the table, grabbing Brian’s ankles and talking at the same time.
“Where the hell have you been? What’s wrong? Show me.” Mike looked up and Brian pointed toward his own head.
“Nothing you can do for me.” He flashed his grin as he watched the man’s mouth open and no words come out.
“Listen, do me a favor and don’t say anything. Make something up to satisfy the media—a flu or something. But there really is nothing wrong with me—at least not physically,” Brian said.
“You want to see a shrink or something?” Mike’s tone reinforced the disbelief in his words. “I don’t believe this. You’re the most together, tough-minded player I ever came across…Is it your little girl? Is she all right?” Mike’s brows furrowed deeper. Brian forced a casual tone.
“I’m sure I’ll handle it. I promise. No shrink. But in the meantime, you need to help me keep the coach and the other guys, not to mention the media, off my back. I can’t listen to another speech about how perfect I’m supposed to be.” Brian tried to keep the disgust from his voice.
Mike stood in front of him, tape frozen in mid-wrap. Brian watched the comprehension dawn on his face as he let out a sigh of relief.
When he finished getting wrapped, Brian trotted out to the gym to hoots and hollers and some intermittent applause and backslapping as if he’d been gone for a month instead of being an hour and a half late.
The teasing was so good-natured that he couldn’t help mentally lambasting himself for his lapse.
The last thing he wanted to do was let them down.
“You okay now?” was all the coach said after a short consultation with Mike. Lord only knows what he told the coach, but Brian felt a swell of appreciation for the man’s confidence.
“Let’s play. You bastards are celebrating a little early in the season here.” Brian pushed his way through the huddle of men to a mixture of laughter and epithets.
“Us celebrating? I think it’s you who went out and got yourself a woman last night,” Jason Alley said amid more laughter and hoots.
Brian couldn’t help his head from snapping around to look at his teammate.
He hoped the frozen grin on his face looked more genuine than it felt.
He didn’t say anything as the team took the floor.
But Brian caught Dave McCall’s eye before the ball was thrown up and Brian was not smiling then.
The practice scrimmage was noisy. The coach had them play three twelve-minute sessions because they had a two-day layoff before the next game.
The pace was fast, the mood light, and the play hard.
It was just the way Brian liked it. He generally controlled the intensity with his own example, and today was no exception.
Right from the tap-off he threw himself into the scrimmage with zest like old times, casting off all other thoughts or problems. He immersed himself in the world of basketball with its simple rules, attainable goals and easy thrills.
There was nothing to beat the black and white of competitive sports; someone wins, someone else loses.
And Brian was very good at being on the winning side.
In the opening minutes he set the tone with a diving lunge to interrupt a pass to an opposing player. Getting quick control of the ball, he bolted down the floor way ahead of the field and dunked it to the appreciative whistles of his teammates.
“Now who wants to accuse me of a late night celebration?” He yelled as the others caught up with him and took the ball for the inbounds pass. There was unanimous denial as he flashed his grin. He felt much better.
The practice got more intense from then until the final buzzer.
Everyone headed immediately to the locker room, sweating and breathing hard.
Everyone except Brian. He stayed to do his usual practice shooting and not even the coach gave him a second glance.
No one lingered except Dave McCall and the media.
The media inundated Dave with questions as the coach slipped past. Brian was glad his friend was taking the press today instead of him.
He filled a rack with balls and brought it out to the three-point arc and began his ritual.
He squared up, sighted the basket, found the seams of the ball, then lifted his arms and flicked his wrist for a flawless release.
He made five out of his first six shots and headed to retrieve the balls. He stopped to wait for Mike to finish up and come out to rebound for him when Dave came over.
“Hey, want a rebounder? I could use some practice.”
“You’re not shitting. Grab those balls and we’ll see if we can improve your passing.
” Brian smiled, pleased with this rare treat.
Dave didn’t often stay anymore the way he used to before he was married.
Brian darted out to the three-point line, pivoted, caught the crisp pass and shot the ball in one smooth motion for a swish through the hoop.
He ran from corner to corner and they repeated the process, covering the entire arc.
He started on his third time around when Dave called time.
Only a few reporters were left watching and Brian nodded as he and Dave headed to the bleachers for a break. Kevin Moroni was still there and he handed Brian a large cup of ice water. Brian took a long gulp.
“Hey, where’s mine?” Dave asked with a grin. Kevin laughed.
“You can have what’s left when he’s done,” Kevin said.
Brian laughed into the cup, spilling some water. Dave grabbed the cup from him.
“Give me that before you spill the whole damned thing. That’s all I ever get is your leftovers.”
Kevin and Brian both laughed as Dave drained the last drops from the cup.
“Leftover everything from water to women,” Dave said. He crushed the cup with his massive hand and threw it on the floor.
“That’s right. Brian introduced you to your wife,” Kevin said. “How’s that going anyway? You haven’t been married long.”
“It’s going fine. What kind of article you writing here? A piece on the love life of a basketball player? Ask him the questions.” Dave nodded in Brian’s direction and slapped his back.
“Not me. Why do you think I introduced you to Linda? I knew she was trouble. I stay away from that,” Brian said.
“I thought you had a live-in girl—Susan was her name?” Kevin asked Brian.
“Ancient history,” Dave said.
Brian didn’t like the glint of mischief in his friend’s eyes.
“Wait a second, Kevin. You here for a basketball interview or what? Cause my love life is about as interesting as a blank page.” Brian stood up to get ready to hit the showers and gave Dave a warning glance.
“Yah, yah, yah. I get the picture. But I recall your ex-babe Susan was quite a stunner. Why don’t you throw your leftovers my way?” Kevin looked at Brian.
Brian shook his head with his grin in place and determined to put an end to the problem.
“What is your problem today? Coming to Celtics practice to find a woman? You gotta be fucking desperate.” Brian ripped the pen and notebook from Kevin’s hands and wrote Susan’s cell phone number in it.
“I am as a matter of fact. I just broke up with a girl myself.” Kevin looked at the notebook.
“Too bad, Kev. We’ll have to take you out hunting like old times.” Dave grinned and punched the reporter’s arm.
“You are going nowhere. You’re married.” Brian took pleasure in pointing at Dave’s ring finger, shaking his head.
“Fuck you. My wife trusts me since I stopped hanging out with you.”
“Shows how much she knows.”
“I don’t need you guys to help me, not much anyway.” Kevin chuckled and looked at Brian. “But if you can spare one more number, I’ll take the number of that gorgeous brunette you left the CMH golf tourney party with, Roxanne Monet. What a…”
“What makes you think I have her number?” Brian interrupted.
“What are you playing coy for, Brian? Give him the number.” Dave challenged him.
Brian stared him down.
“I know you have her number—or maybe she has your number. You seeing her?” Kevin looked at Brian for an answer.
“Yes. Now I’m hitting the showers. You missed your chance for an exclusive interview.” Brian started toward the door. Kevin and Dave got up to follow him.
“That’s okay. I only had one question to ask,” Kevin said. Brian stopped at the gym door and turned, leaning against it.
“Shit.”
“Why were you late today?”
“I don’t know. Ask the trainer.” Brian pushed himself off the door and turning, pushed it open and walked through toward the locker room.
“Don’t give me that official bullshit. What’s the matter with you? Is your daughter okay? Is having her in the hospital disrupting your concentration? It’s understandable…”
“Yeah. She’ll be all right. She’s getting the best medical treatment.” He felt guilty that Lindy’s condition wasn’t the reason for his recent lapse. He had to see Lindy again soon.
“If you’d come to the game in Washington last night you’d know what’s wrong with him,” Dave said and followed Brian into the locker room. Brian let out a long breath.
“It’s a fucking good thing Kevin’s a friend or I’d whip your fucking ass right now,” Brian said to Dave, who only laughed in return.
“I didn’t say anything he didn’t already know. You got something to hide all of a sudden?” Dave stopped smiling and looked at Brian as they both stripped down and headed for the showers.
“No. Not particularly, but I don’t market my private life for public consumption.” Brian turned on the water and welcomed the warm spray on his straining muscles.