Page 5 of Waiting for Her

He shakes his head and leans back in his seat. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve never seen anyone work harder than you. At twenty-six, you’ve put in more time than most fifty-year-olds. But it’s more than that. You know more about Southern Michigan football than anyone I know. You know their program and you also understand what this move means for them. Grady Ryan is the youngest coach in the university’s history. It’s a D1 school. This is completely unheard of. Other coaches are pissed they weren’t even considered, and conspiracies about why he was offered the job are popping up everywhere you turn. Everyone in our industry is talking about it, rightfully so.”

He doesn’t need to tell me the things I already know.

He doesn’t realize, though, the entire reason I know so much about Southern Michigan State football is because of the person of interest himself.

“You also went to high school with him, if I remember correctly.”

My boss’s research is definitely correct.

I went to high school with Grady Ryan all right.

“Isn’t it a conflict of interest?”

Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

Iknowit is, for reasons I haven’t been fully honest with him, or anyone else on theSports Illuminatedstaff,about.

Grady Ryan was my first love.

My first everything.

“If we never allowed people to report on someone they once knew or have met along the way, we’d have a hard time finding good journalists. This business is smaller than you’d think.”

I should tell him Grady and I were far more than simple high school classmates. That I still dream of him at night and never fell out of love with him.

Not even Ava knows everything about my past with Grady. I only told her we were once friends.

“Six weeks. You’ll start in two weeks when pre-season practices begin and continue through the first two regular season games. Of course, you’ll still have a few other assignments to keep up with while you’re doing this story. You’re going to be the voice of the team. By our recommendation because of your vast knowledge of the Warriors’ program, their PR department wants you to tell his story. Get to know him on a personal level. Interview the athletes and rest of the staff. Show the world Grady Ryan is the perfect choice to replace Coach Bales, their words.”

My brain trips over the wordsget to know him on a personal leveland my palms start sweating.

What he doesn’t know is, Idoknow Grady on a personal level.

I take a deep breath through my nose and exhale because he’s right. This is huge. But I know I need to be honest with him and let him know when I broke up with Grady, I not only broke his heart, but mine as well. But I can’t let the words escape my mouth even though I know it’s wrong, I want this. Iwantto be placed in Grady’s life again.

“The university will provide you with accommodations in Lanphier so you’ll have easier access to the team.”

“What? That’s not… normal, is it?” No way does a universitypayfor a place for a reporter to live!

“They’re very serious about this story being done as tasteful as possible. It’s not as if they’re buying you a house, Bri. From my understanding, it’s only a townhome one of the board members owns that’s recently been vacated. You’ll be staying in it until the next renter takes over. You’ve said several times you aren’t committed to staying in Chicago right now. I assume you weren’t lying.”

“No, it wasn’t a lie. I can temporarily relocate. I…”

He raises an eyebrow at me. “You, what?

“My mom lives close to Lanphier. I don’t need to stay there, do I?”

“Whatever is easiest for you, I suppose. You understand this isn’t an 8 – 5 job. It will be easier if you’re within a few minutes of the stadium.”

I have my doubts this is typical, someone as young as me getting an exclusive interview—one that will be coveted by every sports reporter in the nation, not only our magazine.

“When you married Ava, I told you I didn’t want special treatment.”

He doesn’t even try to hide the fact he’s annoyed by my mentioning it. “And I’m not giving it to you. This assignment is yours, if you want it.”

An exclusive on one of the biggest stories in college football of the past decade? I’d be an idiot not to take it. I can be professional.

Hopefully Grady is willing to set our past aside.

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