Page 2 of Keeping Busy
“But she put more into you, than for you to fall apart when you need to hold it together the most. You’re 32 years old, Busy. You’ve got what? Four, maybe five years left in this league. Finish out on a high note, Baby. Let’s get this money, and make sure you have enough to retire and live comfortably on. Let’s repair your image, so that you can put on one of those expensive ass suits that you love to buy, and sit in front of the camera talking about football, instead of being out there on the field punishing your body playing it. Okay?”
I nodded my head in the affirmative. “Okay.”
We both looked at Sydnie.
“Okay.” She said. “Here’s what we’re doing to repair your image.”
Sydnie went through a list, which included me being highly visible for the last week of the youth camp that I sponsored in Chicago each summer. She talked about her plans to have me do a few PSAs about violence against women, and make a donation to a women’s shelter. I was definitely with that. We talked about the upcoming charity event for violence against women that I was expected to chair, and about me being the face of a campaign for “black and missing” women and children.
“That brings me to my next point, Maddox.” Sydnie told me. “I would like to see you ‘settle down’.”
There were air quotes used around the phrase “settle down.”
“In what way?”
“I think it would be good if we brought in a woman that could appear strategically on your arm at events, and in the media. You know, someone…”
“Black?” True asked.
“I was gonna say high profile.” I commented.
Sydnie was slow to speak. “Black would be great. Since you were votedFootballLife’sSexiest Defensive Player two years ago, women have loved you. Black women in particular. They’re some of your biggest supporters and fans, Maddox. You’re a good-looking single guy that they can fantasize about, but polling shows that as a group they won’t support you if they feel that you don’t support them. i.e.: dating outside of your race. Shenanigans with women who are...outside of your race are completely frowned upon.”
“They didn’t need a poll for that.” True said. “Any black woman will tell you, getting in all of this legal trouble behind some white woman and her foolishness makes us feel like…”
“I got what I deserved. I know.” And I did know. How many times had my grandmother ridden my ass about staying the hell away from white women and their foolishness? Truth be told, white women weren’t even my preference. Still, when Ainsley approached me at that party, I entertained her, instead of blowing her off.
“So,” Sydnie continued. “This woman would just be there to, you know, show the world that you’re a good guy - a good ‘partner’, if you will. She’ll smile, and look at you adoringly. You’ll hold on to her arm when you two walk, open car doors for her. You know? Just basically take control of the narrative of who you are as a person off the field, instead of letting Ainsley control it. She has a five day head-start, but unless she can produce some video or other receipts to back up her claims, I think she’s running out of steam.”
“Unless you got her pregnant. Is there any chance that you got her pregnant, Busy?” True eyed me.
“Nah. I mean, she was smashing dude in my house, she could be pregnant. Who the hell knows? And she could pretend that it’s mine, and drag this thing out for 9 months, but once the baby comes, it won’t be mine.”
“We’ll deal with that if it comes up.” Sydnie said, typing furiously into her phone. “But for now, is there any woman that you know who would be willing to help you out in this capacity? She doesn’t need to have celebrity status, you have your own celebrity, Maddox. You’re a household name. I think the most important thing, is that the candidate be believable. She needs to be pretty, and sophisticated, and...”
“Level-headed.” That was True. “We don’t need any hot heads making the situation worse than it already is.”
“True.” Sydnie agreed, “and if she could have a good background - nothing in her past that could embarrass or ignite another firestorm, that would be fabulous.”
“How long are we talking?” True asked.
Sydnie looked up from her phone. “I’m thinking, at least through the season. Could be longer. I feel most comfortable saying let’s play it by ear.”
“I don’t have anybody off the top of my head.” I said, slowly. I mean, of course I knew women. Plenty of them. And I knew women who would certainly be down for pretending to be my lady for an indefinite amount of time, but it would take time to weed through the contenders. I wasn’t interested in rushing into this situation with just anybody. “Let me think about it.”
“Don’t think too long, Maddox. I would like to see you have things in place in time for Jennifer Zuriela’s charity event.”
“This Friday?” I asked.
“It would be great if this young lady was your date to that. We need to get a lot of mileage out of this before you head into training camp. Then we’ll pick back up again when you get out.”
“Basically, you need to have somebody by tomorrow, at the latest.” True eyed me. “That’s not a lot of time if we have to - provide somebody.”
I chuckled at her choice of words. “You mean make some kind of ‘mutually beneficial’ arrangement, True? Yeah. Nah, I can’t give you a name or anything at the moment, but I would prefer not to have to use a ‘professional’.”
“Why you gotta say it like that? I’m not gonna hire you no prostitute.”
“I know.” I assured her. “Because we won’t be hiring anybody. I have friends. I can make this happen.”
