Page 171 of On Merit Alone
A murmur of soft laughter and confused commentary filteredthroughout the room. But, like he’d done this before, Ira just waited for an opening to continue speaking. “First of all, for anyone attending who didn’t sign up for basketball talk, please feel free to exit. I wasn’t expecting my company until after the event.”
I shook my head.His company? What the hell, I?
“To everyone else, The Mountaineer Organization included. Please stay.”
“Mr. King!” a reporter shouted from below. “We’re here about the Free Agency! Please comment on that.”
“Free what?” I hissed, looking over to Iris—who just shrugged, and his mother—who did the same.
“Yes, I know why you’re here. I invited you, remember?”
“Yeah! Wait your turn!”
“Yeah!”
Ira took a deep breath. “Normally this sort of thing isn’t really my style. I would have rather quietly made my statement to a small press and handled my business alone, with the people who mean the most to me. But recently, something very important to me has been put in jeopardy, and I don’t like waiting for the other shoe to drop before I make my moves.”
Okay…
I looked to my two allies for any indication that they knew what the hell he was talking about. Their faces were as blank as any of my guesses.
“Since I started in the NBA, I’ve come to the end of a contract three other times, and recently, I came to my fourth. After I got the opportunity to come back home, I swore to myself I wouldn’t move again. And wasn’t planning on it. I was actually contemplating retirement for a while earlier in the season,” Ira continued after a brief stint of surprised murmuring about the room. “But it turns out I’m not retiring.”
Something in my chest loosened. He was going to play. Thank God he was going to play. Though nothing he chose would keep mefrom him if he wanted me, I was still relieved he wasn’t giving up the game, our game, so soon.
“But whatareyou doing?” a reporter asked. “This is the first time you’ve been in free agency since leaving New York. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Ira’s mouth tipped up, but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was almost a tortured expression that had me taking a protective step in his direction. What was he feeling? I still didn't understand. Iris’s hand at my elbow stopped me from going up there and wrapping my arms around him, putting an end to this whole thing.
“You’re right,” Ira said. “Since I signed onto the Defenders, I’ve never been a free agent. I’ve never been open to other contracts… until now.”
Silence.
And then an eruption of commotion from not only the press below him but everyone in the room. Suddenly, it wasn’t just us and the reporter he had brought in front of the stage, but Ryan was beside me and the rest of Ira’s organization close at his heels, demanding some sort of explanation for this.
“Where will you go?”
“Do you have any prospects?”
“Have you had any offers?”
“When will you decide?”
The questions came from all directions; it was a wonder how he stayed calm up there, patiently waiting for an opening to speak.
“I knew he would do something idiotic,” Ryan spat from beside me. But I couldn’t quite focus on the words, not when my heart was pounding so wildly I thought it might climb up my throat.
He was leaving?
He was leaving.
Ira was leaving… me.
I stepped back, but a strong arm banded behind my back. Ryan’swarm voice came over me reassuringly. “I wouldn’t run just yet. I believe I know where he’s going with this now.”
I must’ve looked stricken as I whipped my gaze up to him. Ryan just nodded a gesture up to the stage where I was met with a staring Ira.
A sea of people were vying for his attention, and it was me he gave it to.
