Page 118 of Mad Rivals
My father’s right about one thing.
Bradleys always win. Maybe the younger generation has some advantages there, but I count this as my first win.
Now to figure out how the hell to win back Kennedy.
CHAPTER 51: Madden Bradley
Golfing
I remember Kennedy saying how taxing it is to go back and forth between two cities, and now I’m experiencing the same thing.
I’m back in San Diego after leveraging what I know against my father, and it feels like I’m battling between those two sides of my personality again.
I had to get back here. With training camp starting next week, this is the last week where I’m free for a while. That means workouts, meetings, endorsements, and sponsorships.
Take today, for example. I’m in my jersey, standing to the side while Clay films his part in the local anti-bullying spot we agreed to.
“Respect the game.” That’s my line.
“Respect the team.” That’s Clay’s line.
There are other local celebrities, too, and the final one ends with, “Respect each other.”
It’s a great message for kids, especially in today’s atmosphere. I’m really trying to be present in the moment, but I’m waiting on that call from Paul letting me know it’s done.
I haven’t gotten it yet.
I have a feeling they’ll wait until the very last possible second, and then I’ll be scrambling to get everything done, get back to San Diego, execute the next part of my plan, and be ready in time for training camp.
It’s cutting it down to the wire, and I’m waiting on other calls, too. I’m distracted.
As shown by the fact that I need to say my line twelve times before the crew is happy with it.
I’m all over the place. A hot mess, as my youngest sister might call me. But I’m doing all this for a reason. I have a bigger purpose in mind.
Tonight Clay and I have an appearance at a bar, and tomorrow I’m running a 5K for charity.
There’s little time to accomplish my other tasks, in particular any tasks related to Bradley Group, which is why I’ve started moving people around and getting people into place. The company won’t be mine until the ink is on the paperwork, but we’re close enough, and I have enough authority where I sit now to start shifting things around—like, for example, bringing a few employees from Chicago out to San Diego to start training them on how things work out here.
I’m putting a lot of trust in John to run this office, and I’m not sure whether that’ll be for one year, five, or more.
I head back to Chicago on Saturday in anticipation of what to expect on Sunday, and sure enough, it’s around noon on Sunday when I get the call from Paul.
“The company is yours when you’re ready to sign the paperwork.”
It took the full five days for them to extract whatever traces my father had left of illegal activity in the company, and maybe I’ll never fully trust that it’s all gone…which is why one of my first orders of business is to have a separate law company go over everything to ensure we’re squeaky clean.
And once the ink is dry, I’m the official president and CEO of Bradley Group.
I need to get back to San Diego. Stat.
Training camp starts tomorrow, and I can’t miss a second of that. I have things to do to prepare for it, too. Life is kind ofcrazy right now…yet nothing eclipses the priority of the current task at hand.
I push the button of the doorbell as nerves crawl up my spine.
I’ve faced three-hundred-pound linebackers who I was less nervous to go up against.
The fact that I’m the CEO now won’t be announced for a while, but I don’t care. I just needed the credentials to get started on executing the next part of my plan.
