Page 8 of Personal Foul
Chapter Three
Rush
Stepping off the elevator the next morning, I adjust my gym bag on my shoulder as I stroll through the lobby of the apartment building.
“Good morning, Mr. Rush,” Antonio greets me from behind the desk. His accent is thick, rolling off his tongue.
“Morning, Antonio.”
“Uh, sir, I just want to prepare you. The men have cameras; they are outside the door waiting for you to come out.”
Even through his broken English, I can make out the panic in his words. I pause in the middle of the lobby, noticing the crowd forming outside the revolving doors.
“I tell them they can’t come inside and to leave.” His eyes flash from mine out the windows spanning from the floor to the ceiling.
Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I’m about to pull up Jairo’s contact information when a call comes through from him. I swipe the screen to answer, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.
“Boss, it looks like your little Rocky moment yesterday has garnered some attention.”
Grunting, I wave to Antonio and mouth “thank you” to him as I approach the front of the lobby.
“I wasn’t expecting this shit.”
“Did you think Colson Rush getting in a fight with a thief in the middle of broad daylight wouldn’t spread? People are all up in arms, fearing the best three-point shooter messed up his shooting hand.”
“Well, I kind of hoped it wouldn’t. Luckily, I’m fine.”
“Tell me about your hopes and dreams later. I’m parked in front of the building right now. I’ll meet you at the door. Keep your head down and do me a favor, will ya?”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t get into a fight with any of these paps. They are pushy fuckers, and I know they’ll test you.”
“If they get in my space, don’t count on it.”
Rolling my eyes, I disconnect the call and pocket my phone. Keeping my head down, I avoid the flashing lights and the shouts of my name, making a beeline to the SUV as Jairo insists they keep their distance.
I don’t bother checking the news on my phone the entire way to practice. It’s clear word got out about what happened, and it’s best if I meet with Coach Carr having a clear head.
This is my first time practicing with the team since moving to Miami. The last thing I want, or need, is to be starting the season off on a bad foot. Last night with Sydney was great. Fuck, even the thought of her has images from last night filtering through my mind. I need to stay focused though. I’m here to win games and take my team to the championship, that’s it.
A few minutes later, Jairo pulls up to the back of the arena near the staff entrance. Thankfully, I’m not met with the same crowd I had outside my apartment, finding only a few players and staff coming and going from the practice gym.
“Well, if it isn’t Mayweather himself.” The words come from behind me as I turn to see Jaxsen Wild walking toward me. He’s dressed in a pair of black joggers and a T-shirt, a black Miami Blaze cap covering his head.
Jaxsen Wild was the leading scorer last season and a force to be reckoned with in the league. He’s made a name for himself for having both a hot hand and a hot temper, so to hear him making jokes about what happened, the irony isn’t lost on me.
He reaches his hand out, clapping me on the shoulder. “Good to see ya, bro.”
“Thanks, man. Good to see you. Glad to be here! I take it you heard about what happened?”
“Yeah, TMZ broke the story. I’m sure Coach will be looking out, wanting to talk to you.”He glances down at my hand. It’s still a little banged up and sore, but I’m not about to let it hold me back.
“Yeah…shit happened so quick, man. I walked up on this woman getting assaulted; the guy was trying to steal her purse. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her, ya know? Just wish it hadn’t gone down like it did, especially with so many people around.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Something tells me Coach will be cool with it.”
“I hope so,” I say, as I hear my name being shouted from down the hall behind me.
