in trouble sometimes. I know types like Zeke. He’s chasing a contract he’ll never get and feels like you could be a threat to that. I’ll deal with him. You just focus on doing what it takes to meet the requirements.”
I allowed myself to smile as hope flooded into me. “Really?”
“Really. Don’t you worry. Zeke will know you didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
I nodded. “Okay.” My smile grew. “What do we have to do?”
“Well, there’s the matter of the establishment fees, but keep that out of your mind for now. We can discuss your options when the time comes,” Wright began, and I appreciated his use of the word when as opposed to if. “You will need a coach. You put one on your application, but I didn’t see one at the game. Well, I saw your brother, but I don’t believe that’s who you put down.”
“No, he wasn’t able to make it on such short notice,” I quickly lied. I did have a coach in mind, but I hadn’t asked him yet. “The one listed on the application, Cal Carter, is our coach.”
“Great!” He clapped his hands. “One task down.”
I gave an awkward thumbs-up. As long as he agreed, it was. “What else?”
“Well, all teams seeking semi-pro status must prove that they’re up to the rigorous game schedule. You play weekly games now, but with shorter quarters, correct?”
I nodded. “Our game against the Vipers was full-length, but typically, we run twenty-minute quarters. Games come out to just about two hours in the rec league.”
“Things are much heavier in the semi-pros. It’s all of the same rules and regulations as the pros, so you’ll have to get used to that. You’ll prove this by playing a series of games against other semi-pro teams.” A creepy smile crawled across his face. “It will end in a rematch with the Vipers.”
That thought rocked me to my core. I’d be perfectly happy never standing in the same state as Zeke Matheson again, let alone on the same field. “Why?”
He held out his hands. “As the two semi-pro teams in the city, something of a rivalry will erupt. The board will need to be assured that you can handle that professionally.”
I wasn’t sure how true it was, but I didn’t push. I’d already been given so much fortune. It was bound to bottom out at some point. “Okay.”
“I’ll take care of the advertising.”
“Advertising?” I yelped.
Wright let out a haughty, heavy laugh. “Well, of course you don’t expect this thing not to be televised, do you? The grand rematch between the Black Widows and the Vipers as they fight for semi-pro status. It’ll pack the Vipers stadium!” There was a manic, wild look in his eyes that dissipated quickly when he cleared his throat. “It’s all for you, of course. You’ll want the masses there to witness your rise to glory. Trust me on this.”
The number of people that had already seen the Vipers destroy the Widows was painful to think about. Imagining the Vipers’ stadium packed with people to watch them run all over us made me physically ill. I wasn’t in any place to argue, but the beer in my hand definitely wasn’t going to be enough.
“Anything else?” I asked, desperate to move the conversation away from that topic.
Wright shrugged. “Nothing all that exciting. I’ll send you an email with the minor details. There’s weight class stuff, dietary requirements, drug and alcohol policies, the whole nine yards, but I assume the Black Widows are comfortably within those requirements already.” He clapped his hands together again. “Oh, this is going to be good, Quinn. I feel it.”
I thought I’d be more excited than nauseous. “Yeah.”
He stood up. “Good. I’ll get started making the arrangements on my end, and you get started with yours.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I walked him back over to the employee door and let him out. Before the door closed fully, he looked back over his shoulder at me.
“Good luck, Quinn. I’ll be rooting for you,” he said, and he left.
10
Zeke
I was glad for a day off to take my mind off of the nonsense of the past couple of weeks. It didn’t matter how much I tried to put it behind me, every time I thought about Quinn or the battle against the Black Widows, I got angry all over again. I was only able to flip out on a call with my brother, Daniel, twice before he told me to come over for dinner and not to mention