were right.
It’s her.
It’s not much.
Adrienne: Happy Thanksgiving
But I’ll take it.
It’s the opening I’ve been waiting for and wanting for months.
Me: Mac and Cheese or Yams?
Adrienne: Ham
Me: Still on your meat kick?
Adrienne: I’m like a carnivore now.
Fuck me.
Does she realize how sexy she is without even trying?
Me: I miss you, beautiful.
Adrienne: LOL, you said that already.
She was watching.
Thirty-Five
JETT
After the game, I go back to the hotel and plan for a night of Thanksgiving room service and to catch up on some episodes of The Mandalorian. Many of my teammates are probably in the hotel bar or out at a local club celebrating, but I’m not in the mood. It’s too late to catch a flight out to my ranch, and it makes little sense to go there, anyway. Thanksgiving is just not the same since my mother’s death. For me, it’s just another day. The only good thing about today is that Adrienne reached out to me. No, wait, that’s a great thing.
I check in with Bryan before I settle in for the night.
“Good game.”
“Yeah, Rivera looked good out there after halftime.”
“Don’t worry so much. He can’t play another full season. His back is too unpredictable.”
“She sent me a text today,” I say like an excited schoolboy.
“That’s progress.”
“I think so too. So tell me, how is she?”
“She’s fine. She works, she comes home, she studies, and then she gets up and does the same thing all over again.”
“What about the ex?”
“Haven’t seen a peep from him.”
“He works at her hospital though.”
“He works for the corporation that owns Mercy West. He doesn’t even work in the same building. They never see each other.”
“Can he sabotage her getting a permanent position there?”
“He’s a financial grunt. He has no actual power. He can’t do anything to her. If they want her to offer her a position, they will, and there’s nothing he can do about it. And before you ask, there is no way you can force them to offer her a job after her residency is completed. You have no leverage in that world so fall back.”
“Fine, but what’s the deal with her friend Owen. Did you find anything out about him?”
“I’m not a private investigator, Jett.”
“All I asked was a for a basic internet search on the dude. Come on, I know you did it.”
“He’s a doctor like she is. They went to medical school together. He’s a resident at Mercy West too, but in the surgical unit.”
“Oh, like Grey’s Anatomy.”
“Yeah, except for real.”
“So, he’s smart.”
“Duh, he’s a doctor.”
“Does he have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
That fucker.
“Can we get him one?”
“You need some sleep, Jett. We’re not government operatives. I can’t just put someone on him like Jason Bourne or 007.”
“These aren’t the answers I was looking for. You’re making too much sense. I’m hanging up now.”
“Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, crap, are you with your family right now?”
“Yep, we’re about to play a round of Spades.”
Shit.
“I’m sorry, man. Go be with your family.”
“See you when you get back.”
“Later, man.”
A call comes in on my cell about fifteen minutes into my show and my tasty Hotel St. Germain Thanksgiving dinner; I’m surprised to see that it’s my father. We rarely call each other and we definitely don’t do pleasantries on holidays, so I imagine there must be a good reason for his call. That’s the only reason why I pick it up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jett.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. I wanted to congratulate you on the win today and to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Thanks?”
“And I saw the segment the network did on you before the game. Congratulations on winning the Spirit Award. That’s a tremendous deal and a major accomplishment. I was real proud, son.”
“Were you?” I say with contempt.
“Yes.”
There’s a loaded silence between us, and then he speaks again.
“How’s the shoulder doing?”
“It’s getting better.”
“Do you think you’ll get to play at the end of the season? Looks like you guys might get to play in the postseason.”
“Why do you ask? Did you brag to buddies at work that I would play?”
He sighs. “Son, I wish you wouldn’t be so angry with me. I’m just trying my best to have a decent conversation with you.”
“And you know what I wish? I wish mom was still alive.”
“You can’t still blame me for your mother’s illness, Jett.”
“I’m going to win the Super Bowl this year or the next, and mom’s going to miss it. She will never see me at my best.”
“You were her crowning achievement, Son. She always saw you at your very best. I wish she was here too