Straightening my back, I find every bit of courage I can muster. “I’m done having men, especially the ones in this family, dictate how my life or career goes. I’m damn good at my job. No, I’m great at it. I’ve turned this club around in a season, brought it back from the ashes and with the help of all our support staff and some great playing by the team, we’ve made it to the World Series. If I were a man and I’d been dating my secretary, she’d quit and either we’d carry on an affair or get married. No one would even be that scandalized by an inter-organization relationship, if I had a penis that is. Hell, so many of our relatives work here with their spouses and are overlooked every day. Yes, it’s not convenient and possibly not ethical that I was dating a player. But Hayes and I have never done anything wrong. We’ve never let our relationship cloud our work responsibilities or duties. So, no, I will not be giving my resignation. I deserve this job, I’ve worked damn hard for it, and I’m not going anywhere. You also can’t force me to, so get used to me. I’m going to be here for a very long time.”
My uncle’s mouth hangs open, the obvious shock all over his face. No one stands up to him, least of all his much younger niece who he was just trying to break with his cruel words. I stand there for a full two minutes, while he flounders and comes back with nothing, before smoothing my hair back and squaring my shoulders again.
“If there is nothing else, I have a press conference to get to.”
And I walk right out of his office. I’ve been doubting myself for far too long, letting the opinions of others dictate how I approached my life and my career. I’m not a scared little girl, trailing in her father’s footsteps. I’m my own woman, my own person, and I was born to do this job. It just took me a little while, and a lot of heartache, to realize that I am strong enough on my own. That I’ve done the work, focused my energies, and I can have whatever I want in whatever way I wanted it. Silently, I send up a little thank you to my grandfather, the real head of the Callahan family, for always believing in me. It’s allowed me, finally, to believe in myself.
Hayes is waiting for me just inside the vestibule that leads to the press room. As I peek through the small window on the door between us and a few dozen hungry reporters, waiting like sharks for blood, I see the table set with four chairs. Two for us, one for his agent, and another for the head PR rep for the Pistons.
“Are you nervous?” I ask him, biting my own lips as anxiety shoots through me.
His strong hand grasps mine. “Yes. But nerves don’t equal doubt. We’re doing the right thing. I’m not going back on what I said. I love you, Colleen.”
My heart practically melts. “I love you.”
It’s risky, the way our faces bend to each other, but I need his kiss right now. When our mouths meet, for the briefest, gentlest of caresses, it fills me with reassurance, hope, and love. We might be walking into the fire, but we’re not wrong in doing so. If I get this for the rest of my life, then I’ll face as many flames as they toss at us.
When the PR rep and Hayes’ agent join us a few minutes later, the four of us walk into the press room and sit down, TV mics crackling and iPhone cameras clicking. I feel the intensity of the lights, the stares, and then I steel my nerves against them. I’m a general manager, a kick-ass one, and these people will not break me.
Our PR rep does an introduction of the facts, stating the timeline of our relationship, and asks for only respectful and relevant questions.
That’s when the bloodbath starts.
Have you slept together on company property?
Did you reimburse Mr. Swindell for his extracurricular activities?
Are you signing on for another year with the Pistons in exchange for sexual favors?
Awful, over-exaggerated questions that no one has any business answering. My heart pumps wildly, shame burning my cheeks. I hope to God they can’t see the blush.
Hayes interrupts it all, raising a hand to silence them.
“Our relationship is none of your business. It’s not the public’s business. You know whose business it is, if they choose to make it so? The Pistons organization, and the league. If they want to a launch full scale investigations into our dating history, be my guest. You won’t find a thing, since there has been no favoring, nepotism, or otherwise unethical behavior. We’re simply two people who fell in love and happen to have jobs where that might not be the smartest decision. That one is on us, but I think the world can understand that we’re not in control of who we fall for. I’m sure you’ve all had a situation or two like that. So please, let those organizations do their jobs, and let us get back to ours. Colleen Callahan is the most competent, hardworking general manager I’ve ever seen. And I have a World Series to focus on. If there is anything else we want you to know about our relationship, we’ll come straight to you with that information. For now, drop it.”
The room is absolutely silent. I swear, you could hear a pin drop after Hayes stops talking. I’m so proud and relieved he stood up for us both, I could kiss him. But that would only cause another round of inappropriate yelling.
So I pick up the baton, ready to launch into my part of the press conference. “And now, if you’ll stop focusing on our love life, we have much more important matters to discuss. A week ago, Shane Giraldi was arrested on the premises for attacking his wife.”
I go on, detailing the actions being taken against him and what we’re doing to help both Hannah and a charity we’ve partnered with to help the victims of domestic abuse. This is what they should be focusing on, this matters.
When fingertips ghost against my knee under the table after I tell a particularly gruesome part of the tale from what we witnessed in the parking lot, along with my own assault months ago, I’m filled with pure love.
Because Hayes is going to be by my side from this day forward.
40
Hayes
In the end, I get to play in the World Series.
But only because I made my decision with the league and the Pistons before game one even started, and we all agreed there would be no more consequences since I’d chosen a certain option.
Which is how I find myself standing on my base, glove poised, ready to catch the final out of game six. New York has given us a run for our money in this series, but we’ve been the better team. We want it more, we’re the underdogs, and the way we’ve meshed as a brotherhood will never be forgotten.
I breathe in the scent of the ballpark, let the flashbulbs glare in my vision, allow the dull roar to pierce my ears. It’s the last time, hopefully, if we win the series tonight, I’ll be down on the diamond like this. In my uniform, the feel of my trusty old glove on my hand. No one knows, except for Charlie, that this will be my last game, my last season.
Win or lose, I’m hanging up my cleats in exchange for something much more important.
From somewhere up in the stadium, Colleen watches me. My heart flutters with the notion, and part of me wishes we’d met sooner, but then I wouldn’t have had my ten incredible years before her. There is something about having the woman you love watch you play the sport you love, so much so that I wish I got to experience it more. I guess that’s the catch twenty-two here, though if I’d met her sooner, I’d have had to make this decision a lot sooner.