Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
~DANNY~
While Mac’s little talk with the Cromwell’s went better than expected my talk with Martin did not.
He fired me.
The fucker fired me because he said my credibility had been called into question for sleeping with the subject of my story.
That no one would ever trust me in the world of journalism again.
I wish I would have thought to remind him that the Cromwell’s paid our paper a handsome sum for the story to be written in the first place.
My girl was smart enough to bring that up, but I hadn’t been.
Instead, I had to pack my desk and get the fuck out of the paper.
I call Nick as soon as I’m in my car.
“Hey, man,” I say when he picks up. “I just met with Martin, and I’m sorry to say you’re going to have to find another work wife. I’ve been fired.”
He chuckles into the phone. “I kinda figured you would be after what I saw last night. August said he was going to have to bring it to his father’s attention, and I knew Cromwell would tell Martin.”
“Yeah, guess I should have stopped her or something.”
“Or something,” Nick says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You didn’t have to dry fuck her on the dance floor, that’s for sure.”
“Go big or go home,” I say, trying to find humor in the situation.
“Something like that.” He laughs. “So, no more job, huh?”
“Yeah, no more job.”
“You hated it there anyway,” he reminds me.
He’s right, I did. Ever since Martin took over for our former editor, Ivan, I’ve hated it there.
Martin was a little weasel who was only looking for his next buck.
So, losing this job isn’t the worst thing to have happened to me.
Plus, I have enough money saved up from swimming, endorsements, and my trust fund that I’ll be just fine.
I’m not worried, just embarrassed that my integrity was called into question.
I could sell Martin and the paper out and say we were paid for the story, which isn’t ethical either. But I would hate to do that to Nick, who does need the job.
“It is what it is. At least I still have Mac.”
“She still have her job?” he asks.
“Yeah, she just has to behave so they renew her contract, but she’ll be okay.”
“Good. I heard from August that they’re scrimmaging tonight. Would you want to come with me? I have to take pictures, and you could be my plus-one. Watch your girl kick ass and all.”
“Am I welcome there?”
“Yeah, August says it’s not personal, it’s just business.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I ask him, running a hand through my hair.
“It means he doesn’t care about the article or anything else right now.
The Blaze is good with you. You just can’t keep writing articles for them, which probably only pisses off Martin.
You and August are friends. He likes you and is okay with you coming.
Don’t be such a needy chick about it and come to the game. ”
I laugh. “Okay, fine. Thanks for clarifying.”
“You off to see your girl?”
“Nah, she has to get ready for the game and said I can’t come around because she doesn’t want to be distracted or some shit like that. Plus, she doesn’t want her coaches to be pissed at her, so I’m hanging solo for right now.”
“Cool. I’ll make sure I wait for you outside tonight, and you can get in with me and my press pass.”
“Do you really think that prick remembered to take my press pass from me?” I chuckle into the line.
“Dude don’t do it,” he warns. “Not worth it.”
“I’ll only use it if I have trouble getting in,” I say.
“Uh-huh. See you at six.”
We disconnect and I realize that I have more time than I’d like before she plays.
I don’t really welcome this distraction as I try and figure out what the next steps will be with my career.
I mean I don’t need a job right away, but I’ll want one eventually.
What does that even fuck look like anymore? I’m not sure.
Later that night, I meet up with Nick outside the Blaze stadium, and we make our way into the game.
August is standing in the box, eyes on the field.
I walk over to him. I owe him an apology, and there’s no time like the present.
He looks over at me like he knows why I came over while Nick hung back.
“I’m sorry I fucked things up,” I say. “I’m not sorry that I’m with her. I’ll never be sorry for that. But I betrayed you and you didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”
August holds his hand out and I take it, shaking it.
“Thanks, man. It’s all good. Dad is a little worried about the fallout with the media when people finally see the two of you together, but I’m not.
I wish it wouldn’t have gone down like this, but it is what it is, right?
Can’t change the past or unscramble the eggs.
We just gotta make sure we make some good eggs or some shit like that. ”
I laugh at his attempt at a metaphor. “Yeah, something like that.” I pat him on the back. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But I hope you know that you have a real spitfire of a girl there. She wreaked some real havoc in Dad’s office. He called her ballsy when she left.”
I grin, thinking of her. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”
“How did things go with your editor? Was Martin pissed?”
I shake my head. “I think he was happy he got to fire me,” I admit. “He never really liked me, and this gave him the ammunition to do what he’s been wanting to do for so long.”
“Prick,” August replies, shaking his head.
“Can you blame him, though? I mean, I did put my integrity into question. He had to do it. Didn’t stop the fucker from smiling the whole time.”
“Still, he’s a prick,” August replies. The fucker is enjoying this way too much.
“We cool, man?” I ask him.
“Yeah, of course.”
“Good,” I tell him, giving him a fist bump. I know some people think he’s a spoiled rich kid, but I see him differently than that. I know what it’s like to have expectations because of who your father is. And poor August is trying to work in the same industry as his dad. That can’t be easy.
The game gets underway and it’s a rough one.
The girls are having trouble getting anything going.
But thankfully, the defense is on fire. They’re keeping the Pride from scoring.
Mac keeps running hard at the ball, trying to get a foot on it so that she can try to score a goal, but it’s not working.
She’s getting pushed around quite a bit.
She keeps on shaking her head, and she’s running her mouth to the other team.
Every once in a while, she appears on the large screen, and I can see the anger all over her face.
She’s working hard—too hard, for not having scored yet.
“Why are we scrimmaging in season? It doesn’t seem like a good idea,” I say to August.
He sighs and shakes his head. “Dad and their owner got to talking and thought it would be a good idea. It doesn’t count for anything. If someone gets hurt, it’ll be bad for either team’s season, but apparently this is a good idea.”
I’m not sure I agree with Maxwell Cromwell’s decision, and it sounds like August doesn’t either. So at least my confusion on this game isn’t just my own. I’m surprised the girls were so willing to do it, but I guess they don’t have much choice.
Mac is fighting hard to get through the Pride defense, and I wonder if they’re being so hard on them because they are the “other Florida team,” as some members of the media have called them. She finally gets tired of it and gives the girls a good shove after the play has stopped.
The stadium, which is mostly Pride fans, goes nuts. They’re calling for her to get a card. She’s just shaking her head and is bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. The ref walks over to her and talks to her. She’s just shaking her head, and then he goes into his pocket.
“Fuck, he’s carding her,” I hear August say.
“No,” I murmur. Mac has been hustling her ass off. I hate to see it end in a card.
And he pulls out a red. The stadium erupts, and so does the Blaze’s bench.
The team is going nuts on the field too.
Coach Watts throws the clipboard down and starts walking onto the field.
Andie is doing her best to hold him back, but it’s not working.
Thankfully, Jase goes over and is able to help keep him back.
Mac is just standing there dumbfounded, shaking her head.
The ref starts to speak. “Since this is a scrimmage, this is a soft red. Meaning the player must leave the field, but it will not impact her for future games.”
Mac’s face is shown on the jumbotron, and you can see the defeat in her blue eyes.
Her shoulders are slumped as she makes her way over to the bench to join her team.
One of the managers hands her a towel, and it immediately goes over her head, hiding her face from all the prying eyes looking her way.
I want to rush onto the field and pull her into my arms. Take care of her and tell her that it’s alright, but I can’t.
“That’s the best outcome we could have hoped for from that play,” August says, shaking his head. “She was going to get a card. She kept doing it over and over again. The fans were clamoring for it, and for whatever reason, these refs are playing into it. But at least it’s a soft red.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I’m guessing it doesn’t mean she won’t beat herself up any less because of it, though.”
August shoots me a sympathetic look. “Probably not, but at least that means she’ll get to play in our next game.” Otherwise, that card could have meant that she would be out for a game or two.”
I nod, understanding what he’s saying. But it doesn’t make me feel any better about it, because I know she’s hurting.
It’s been a rough day for both of us. She has no idea how bad it is for me, because I haven’t told her yet.
I wanted her to be able to focus on her game.
There will be time to tell her that I was fired from my job later.
I’ll have a lot more free time to explain all of that to her.
The game wraps up, and I couldn’t be happier that on today of all days, I will be permitted to go to her and touch her.
Hold onto her and tell her it’s okay. That she played good and hard.
But when I run those words through my head, they sound trite.
I probably won’t say any of them. I just want to hold her at this point.
“You know, man, I think your article may have helped. The stands are a bit more packed, and I’m seeing more Blaze apparel. We’re playing the Pride, so it’s hard to say that doesn’t play a role in it, but…”
“Good, I hope I helped. At least I can say I did some good in my journalism career.”
“You really think it’s over?” August shoots me a look of concern.
I sigh. “I don’t know. If anyone asks, I’d have to tell them why I left the Tampa Bay Times, and it would come up. And if they called Martin to see what happened, he’d be more than happy to tell them all about it.” I can’t blame him. I’ve gotta take responsibility for it.
“Want me to see if I can help you get something?” he offers.
My head snaps over. “Are you talking about with the team?”
He chuckles. “No, I’m not an idiot. My dad would never go for it. But I could find you something else.”
“You don’t have to do that, man,” I reply.
“Oh, I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”
We bump fists and then he says, “Come on, let’s go see your girl. She could probably use a hug right about now.”
I look down at the field and see her talking to Cassie. Her head is hung low, and I don’t even see a smile on her beautiful face.
“Yeah, let’s go.”