Page 63 of High Notes & Hail Marys

He shrugs easily. “Got me. Sorry. I’m a big Miami fan. I would have never said anything, of course. But I did recognize you. It was a pleasure, Kai.”

He shakes your hand and, true to his promise, takes off for his vehicle. It’s a big, white F-350, which you figure must be useful for getting around in the woods in these parts.

“Who was that?” Steve demands. He enters the kitchen through the sliding back door, a waft of skunky smoke following him. On the patio, Brick is blasting Post Malone on an ancient boombox. Stetson and Eric are passing a joint back and forth.

“Power company,” you shrug.

“Bogus,” he comments. “Yo, Stets gotta call from Powder at the Tampa airport. His plane got delayed at the layover in Atlanta. He won’t be here ‘til after midnight.”

You groan. “Good thing he’s got the couch.”

Steve leans around you to grab a beer. “He said to settle in and start havin’ fun without him. Says we’ll really light it up tomorrow.”

You take a contemplative pull of your beer. It fizzles golden down your throat, cool and bitter. Outside, Eric curses a blue streak as he tries toignite the grill. There’s enough steaks in the fridge to feed an army, enough booze in the larder to drown in, and the river is a cool seventy-two degrees, just begging for some night-swimming.

“Yeah,” you agree. “Havin’ fun sounds just about right.”

***

You don’t check your messages until you arrive back in Miami. It extends the bubble of the getaway for a few hours, plus you have over a thousand notifications that you want to delay dealing with. You don’t mess with it until you have unpacked your car and gotten into your condo. The air is set low, the way you like, and the place is impeccably clean and stocked with food. You really, really appreciate your housekeeper.

Your body has new tan lines from your swim shorts and flip-flops, and your nose is even a little sunburned. You ate too much, drank too much, and smoked too much, but that’s the beauty in being on the off-season and done with your annual Association-mandated piss test. You are scratching your belly idly, thinking about how your trainer is going to razz you and make you do extra crunches tomorrow, when you open your notifications and the torrent hits you.

TMZ:PHOTOS! The Train Takes Cabin Weekend With Bros (Minus Sterling)

TrainspottersDigest:Ten Takeaways From THOSE Cabin Pics

TheDISH Daily:Who Are Kai’s Friends? A #CabinSix Deep Dive

SportsToday:BREAKING! The Train Takes a 420 Weekend Getaway--Is Trouble Afoot?

Your heart sinks into your asshole. Feeling the blood drain from your face, you click on that last headline. Sports Today is a notorious rag, and the “journalism” doesn't disappoint.

The celebrity-NFA crossover world was rocked Tuesday when an anonymous tipster sent TMZ.com photographs of a Nature Coast cabin where Kaius “The Train” Reinhart and several of his college friends were kicking back, enjoying a mini-reunion. The six men all attended the University of Alabama and graduated with the Class of 2019.

The “Cabin Six” rented a three-bedroom, 1,415-square foot Airbnb in Crystal River. The rental was made in Reinhart’s name, and he occupied the primary bedroom of the residence. Reports say that the men planned to enjoy the clear waters of the springs, catch up with one another… and partake of illicit drugs? At least three of Reinhart’s friends were spotted toking up, despite the fact that recreational marijuana is illegal in the state of Florida. Reinhart himself was not seen indulging, but experts have questioned whether the NFA will look into the matter further.

Also notable was the fact that Reinhart’s boyfriend, superstar Sterling Grayson, was not in attendance. Grayson was busy on the other side of the world, performing a four-night residency in Singapore. Given Reinhart’s predilection for same-sex lovers, one has to question what Grayson was thinking, letting his paramour stay in close quarters with a pack of strapping young men all week. This story is developing. Check back for more details.

The men in question:

?Steven Foster:Reinhart’s freshman-year roommate. A Georgia boy like Reinhart, Foster works in business consulting. His girlfriend, Andrea “Andi” Whitton, is a former Miss Alabama.

?Brant “Brick” Childress:Childress was known as the “party animal” of his social set. A Sigma Chi pledge, he existed on the fringes of the group until graduation, as reports say that he used to be closest to his frat brothers. Childress works as a lobbyist in Atlanta.

?Aldous “Stetson” Stockard:An Alabama native, currently a programmer working in Tuscaloosa.

?Eric McDavie:Formerly of Mississippi, currently lives in Northport, AL and is an associate at Baker, Davis, & DeMostra Law Firm.

?Huxton “Powder” Mayfield III:A scion of the Mayfield agricultural dynasty, the man called “Powder” (for his pale complexion and light hair)is perhaps the most old-money of the “Cabin Six.” Mayfield’s roots run deep in Alabama, but he currently resides in New York City.

The article has pictures of all your friends, along with photos of the cabin. Special attention was given to your room—you recognize theRide a Gatorsign and the deer head. There’s a fuzzy shot of Steve, Brick, and Eric passing the joint. It must have been taken through one of the back windows. You bite your tongue hard enough to taste blood.

The fucking energy audit.

As if summoned by some invisible string being tugged up I-95, your phone rings. The caller ID says that it’s Steve.

“I saw it,” you say by way of greeting. “Man, I’m so sorry…”

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