Page 65 of Broken Play
THIRTY-FOUR
SUTTON
Coffee on the stove and a Denver Football mug beside it. When is this guy going to let go? He plays for the Armadillos now. And a note.
Take time to rejuvenate. There's a sauna
in the basement by the workout room.
Make yourself at home.
Ten
He must like his nickname. Ten. He's a perfect ten; that's why he likes it. What if his number were two? I laugh aloud, thinking about what he would say. "A two? Hell no. I'm a ten." And he would be correct. There's nothing about Greyson O'Ryan that doesn't get ten stars.
After finding another mug, I pour my coffee into one that has "Football Is Life" written on it.
What should I do? Sit on the porch? Explore?
Walking around the house, I see Greyson has photosfrom when he was a kid. There's one of him, J.D., and his parents celebrating a victory at a diner. I look more closely and see it's Andy's, the same restaurant we went to last week.
In the trophy room, there's a large painting of him made from paint splatters. He's in his Denver uniform, and when I touch the frame to adjust it, it opens, startling me. Behind it is a sketch of him and his mom. He's taller than her, but she holds him tightly around the waist, beaming as she looks up at him. Why is this hidden? It's obviously something sacred to him.
Sadness washes over me for both of us, and I feel bad for invading his privacy, so I close the frame back against the wall.
The sauna is calling my name, and after thirty minutes, I'm convinced I'm boneless. My feet carry me as far as the bench press, and I have to sit down and let the air-conditioning cool me off. All around his workout room are pictures of his father and J.D. as well as his team photos from Little League through his time playing at Denver. This sparks an idea. I text Marlon, requesting a team photo right away. And I ask my brother to send one of every marketing trinket to my house—it's about time Greyson realizes he plays for the Austin Armadillos.
A few minutes later, I receive a call from ACE saying that Paulina needs me. Her grandparents have been in an accident.
Me: Thanks for the car service. I'm home now. Can you give me Birdie's phone number?
Ten: Sure. Why?
Me: I want to see if she'll help me make a peach pie.
Ten: I love your pie. Sending.
When Birdie arrives,Paulina is in my arms sobbing. Her grandparents have been hospitalized in Poland. They're the only family she has left.
Paulina sniffles, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "You're... you're Birdie. Oh my God, my friends won't believe this." She jumps up and down with blurry eyes.
Calm and casual, like she's not one of the world's biggest pop stars, she says, "And you must be the tennis prodigy Sutton's been telling me about."
I haven't mentioned Paulina, other than maybe that I'm still coaching two teenagers, but Birdie is well-rehearsed and knows how to make other people feel good. Birdie is a paradox—she has ten million or more followers, yet even on the red carpet, she likes to blend in and doesn't want anyone to make a fuss over her. At least that's what Greyson has told me.
"Coach told you about me?" Paulina's eyebrows rise expectantly.
"She did. Would you like to meet two famous quarterbacks?" she asks, a sly curve to her lips making her look like she's sharing an inside joke with the room. I get the feeling she already knows exactly how this will play out.
With Paulina's worry temporarily eclipsed by excitement, she says, "I already know one! He's so hot!" Her wordstumble out in a breathless rush, two octaves higher than usual, all her teenage nerves on display. "He talked to me while Coach Sutton played tennis."
"Oh, he did?" Birdie asks, her tone casual. As she glances at me, her chin dipping just enough to make me squirm, there's no doubt she's taking mental notes of every shift in my face.
I force a smile, trying to play it off. "Greyson will talk to a wall." Paulina scrunches up her entire face, not happy about being compared to a wall. "I didn't mean it badly. He's just outgoing and..."
"Charming. He's like a prince. A football prince. Do you like him, Coach Sutton?"
"I'm his boss, Paulina. We're friends." My gaze crosses to Birdie's. "He brought Noelle here to play tennis with me."
