Destiny (24 page)

I
was surprised. Emmitt had shown that he was my friend before, but I had never
seen this kind of display. He was turning against a man who had given us
countless dollars and gifts.

“Well,
stick with him then. See where that takes you,” he snickered and walked away.

“Thanks
for that. I had him, though,” I said.

“I
know you did, but someone’s got to watch out for you occasionally, too. God
knows you do enough watching out for me in clubs. I still can’t believe you
broke that guy’s camera last week,” he said and laughed.

The
week before, Emmitt had been pictured in a very unsavory pose with a stripper.
It was the type of thing that wasn’t illegal, but it certainly would have brought
his already shaky image into question before the draft. I couldn’t allow that.

“Hey,
I had to do that. Do you have any idea what it would have been like when the
press got those pictures? Anyway, I’ve got a surprise for you guys. We’re going
to be having another guest on our flight,” I said.

“Who
is it?” Derrick asked.

“Chastity.”

“Who?”
Marcus asked.

“The
woman you guys just met.
My old friend.
Seriously, do
you guys listen to anything I say?” I joked.

“So
let me get this straight. We’re bringing women now?” Emmitt asked.

“I
guess. I’m bringing her anyway.”

“Why?
Didn’t you just meet this girl again?”

“Yeah,
but why waste time? I used to be really close with her, and she’s always wanted
to go to New York, so I figured why not? I know it sounds crazy, but . . .”

“It
doesn’t sound crazy at all. I’m just glad you stopped talking about that girl
from before. I’m on board. Let me ask you something, though. If we’re taking
women, can I invite Candice?”

“The
girl from last night? You just met her!”

“So
what? You just reunited with her.”

“I
can get another seat on the plane. Are you serious, though?”

“No
way. You know me. I don’t get attached, but see, this is why you’re my agent.
You can go with the flow when I call an audible. This is going to be fun. I can
tell already. Don’t think you’re going to be sitting in the room with your new
girlfriend while we’re there, though. We’re going to hit New York as hard as we
can and party like kings. By the time we’re done, we’ll own that town. Who
knows? Maybe I’ll even get lucky enough to get them to trade up for me.”

“I
wouldn’t count on that. Steve Quick has the quarterback job locked down up
there. We can dream, though.”

“Yeah,
right. Steve needs to get a little
quicker
at getting through his reads. I’m perfect for New York. Don’t try to avoid
what I was saying, though. You
are
coming out with us once we get there, right?”

“Do
you even have to ask? This is the beginning of something huge for me, too. I wouldn’t
miss one moment of it for the world.”

At
that moment, Chastity came out of the back and sat down by us.

“How
did it go?” I asked.

“He
doesn’t want to lose me. Like I said before, I’ve never taken any vacation
time, so I spun a story about being completely burned out. He was a little
upset about the short notice, but I’ve got time off,” she said.

“All
right, you get to keep your job, we’re about to be millionaires, and we all get
to enjoy the company of a
very
fine
lady on our trip,” Emmitt said.

“Hey,
watch it,” I joked.

“I
only speak the truth. I say it’s time for some celebratory shots. What do you
say?” Emmitt asked.

“I
agree. I’ll get us a round,” Chastity said and motioned to the waitress.

“I
like this girl already,” Emmitt said.

That
was the beginning of what would be one of the greatest experiences of my life. In
New York, we would find happiness, wealth, and even something that felt a lot
like love. I can’t say that I loved everything that happened between then and
now, but New York was the beginning of something so great. For the first time
since Olivia visited me nearly two summers before, I was truly happy.

Chapter 24

An
Unexpected Spark

After
our plane landed in New York, it was a mad house. So many people were already
fans of my clients, and everywhere we went, people wanted autographs. Any crazy
night out that Emmitt had planned would have to wait. We went back to the hotel
early. Once we got there and I showed Marcus and Derrick to their rooms, Emmitt
pulled me to the side.

“Man,
this is crazy. I knew the draft was going to be a big deal, but did you see
those people out there? I could barely move,” he said.

“I
know. You’ve got to get used to it. You’re kind of a big deal. Are you still
sure you want to go to New York in the draft? I can almost guarantee you that
it’s always going to be this way in the city.”

“You
know what? I think I could get used to it. Those people really loved me, and
not like back in Miami. They were crazy about me. Plus, I’m sure there are
plenty of exclusive clubs around here that a certain celebrity could spend his
nights at. His agent might want to get on finding out where those clubs are so
we can have a night to remember tomorrow,” Emmitt joked.

“I
think he can handle that. Get some rest tonight, though. I got you and Derrick
a spot on the morning sports show here. It’ll be a good opportunity for you to
show your character to GMs just before the draft.”

“What
about Marcus?”

“You
know the drill. He’s not rated as high as you guys. People aren’t as interested
in talking to him. He’s a hard worker, but he’s got no flash for the cameras.
I’ve got an interview set up for him that’s going to be printed in the paper
later on, but that’s the best I could do.”

“He’s
not going to be happy about that.”

“I
know, but it really was all I could do. I had to practically beg just to get
that done. He’s been a little overshadowed by you since this whole process
began. He’s good at what he does, though. No matter when he goes, he’ll show
that. Then I’ll make sure he cashes in on his next contract.”

“Just
make sure you can explain this to him.”

“I’m
sorry to interrupt, but aren’t you forgetting something?” Chastity asked as she
walked up.

“What
do you mean?” I asked.

“Well,
you’ve shown everyone where their room is except for me.”

“It
was a last minute thing, and I wasn’t able to get another room in this place.
Honestly, I doubt they even have another room. They’re usually pretty booked. I
had planned for you to stay with me. I’ll sleep on the couch, if there’s a
problem with me being in the bedroom.”

She
gave me a hard look that was instantly familiar. When we were teenagers, I must
have tried to sleep with her a dozen times, but every time, she saw right
through me. I was always shot down, but right before I was, I received a look
that clearly said
you idiot
.

“All
right, I’m out of here. It looks like you two have a lot to talk about. Good
luck with that, by the way,” Emmitt said and quickly walked away.

“Seriously,
Eric? After all these years, you’re still up to the same tricks,” she said
playfully.

“You
know me better than that. I wasn’t trying anything. Sure, I would have five
years ago, but a lot has changed. I’ve matured.”

“Is
that so? That’s a shame then.”

“Wait.
A shame?”

“Yeah.
It’s a little funny to think about how hard you tried back then. I probably
should have thrown you a bone at some point. I was thinking about making up for
that on this trip, but since you’ve matured so much, I guess you can just take
the couch.”

“Hold
on a second. Are you actually serious?”

“No,
but it’s still so fun to tease you. I just couldn’t resist,” she said with a
cute smile.

“Wow.
I guess things haven’t changed at all,” I said while reflecting back on how we
used to act.

“I
like that. I can’t say if we’re going to be picking up where we left off before
you moved, but I like what us talking reminds me of. Life was simpler then.
I’ve missed you.”

“I
missed you, too. Come on. It’s getting late. Let me show you to your room and
myself to a couch,” I said and walked with her to our room.

After
we were inside and all the lights were off, I started to feel uneasy. I had an
idea, but it seemed a little wrong. My whole plan in life had centered on
Olivia. She was married now, though. I had been happy with Chastity, hadn’t I?
Sure, it wasn’t the same kind of happiness I had with Olivia, but was that just
because I was always looking back at what I used to have? I thought I might have
a shot at being just as happy with the woman in the next room. I didn’t think
about what I was doing anymore. I simply got up off that couch and walked into
the bedroom. In the darkened room, I saw her eyes open, but she didn’t speak.
Chastity was waiting to see what I was going to do. I lay down beside her and
gently stroked her hand. I moved it up her arms and to her cheek. Then I placed
my thumb on her lips. She took it in her mouth and bit down in the slightest way.
As her teeth gently glided off my thumb, I pulled it away and took her in my
arms. Then I kissed her in the same way as we used to. It was missing something
just like back then, but she quickly transitioned our kiss into one of deep
passion. This was what we had been missing so many years ago. As I slid my
hands down to her hips, Chastity suddenly pulled away.

“Slow
down for a minute,” she said while taking a breath.

“I
should have known,” I joked.

“This
is fast, isn’t it? I mean
,
I just met you again. Shouldn’t
we give this some time?”

“If
that’s what you want, then I’m willing to wait. I’ve got to tell you, though, I
don’t think anything we could do together would be wrong.”

“Can
I tell you why I didn’t want to have sex with you when we were younger?”

“Yeah,
but I thought I already knew. Didn’t it have to do with our religion?”

“That
was part of it. I would have made an exception for someone I thought was going
to be there for me in the end, though. You always tried so hard to get into bed
with me, and it was cute, but it also made me wonder if you cared about me for
any other reason. There was a distance between us a lot of the time, and I
never understood it. I wasn’t going to give myself to someone who didn’t give
all of themselves to me.”

“I’m
sorry. I was always thinking about a girl I met in Wisconsin when we were
together. I thought that she was my destiny, but she wasn’t. When I left to
live with my uncle, I reunited with her. I was so heartbroken when I came back
home that I couldn’t even call you. The only person I wanted was
her
. Now she’s married, so none of that matters.”

“There
are serious problems with what you just said. You can move on now because she’s
not an option. What does that make me? Am I just some second choice to you?”

“Of
course not. She couldn’t wait on me to come back. Olivia married someone else
while I was away. Here you are, though. You waited. I was so blinded by my
infatuation with her that I didn’t see the great girl standing right in front
of me. You’re not my second choice. You’re the one who was always right for me,
but I was too stupid to see that. I’m sorry
for ever
treating you like you were second. You should have meant more to me back then,
and I promise that you will now. We can wait however long you want. When the
time does come, I promise that I’ll be there when the sun rises and every other
morning after that, as long as you’ll have me,” I said and got up.

I
wanted to believe those words. The thought of Chastity being the real person I
was meant for was comforting. It meant that I hadn’t lost someone important. I
had just overlooked my destiny. I don’t know if that was true, but I do know
that I meant it when I said it, regardless of what followed.

After
I had gotten back to the couch and lay down, I heard footsteps coming toward me.
I turned to see Chastity. She reached her hand down and pulled me up. Then she
kissed me. As she led me to the bedroom, Chastity said something that stuck
with me.

“Love
me in the morning, no matter what changes.”

“I
always will,” I said and pulled her down to the bed.

It
was a night that I wanted so much when I was young, and it didn’t disappoint.
We were older, wiser, and the time spent apart had left us with a longing for
what had been. It was exquisite, and for the first time in months, I was truly
happy beyond words.

* * * * *

The
following morning, I woke up in a position that I hadn’t been in for quite some
time. Since I visited Wisconsin back in the summer, I hadn’t been able to be
intimate with anyone. It was strange. I had gone from a party animal who was
doing anything and everything to forget what I was losing to a man who went out
just enough to keep his clients satisfied. I never even thought about the
prospect of anything close to a girlfriend. Here I was, though. I was lying
beside a woman who looked absolutely perfect in every way. She was the woman my
parents had wanted me to end up with and the one most of my friends always
thought was too good for me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek.
As she slowly stirred, I heard a knock at the door that interrupted our
romantic morning.

“Well,
that kind of ruins the mood,” I said.

“Don’t
worry. I’ll still be here after you get back,” Chastity said and kissed me.

Once
again, a knock interrupted us. I got up and grabbed my clothes. When I opened
the door, I could tell that something was up. Emmitt, Marcus, and Derrick were
all waiting on me in the hall.

“I
don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, but wasn’t there something you were
supposed to do today?” Emmitt asked.

“Oh,
crap! The interviews. Give me five minutes,” I said and shut the door.

“What’s
going on?” Chastity asked as I ran into the bathroom to try to do something
with my hair.

“I
overslept. I’ve got to get those guys to their press events.”

“How
long is that going to take?”

“I’m
not sure. Here, use this to get something to eat if I don’t get back before
lunch. I probably won’t. For that matter, you should make a day out of it on
me,” I said while throwing a credit card down on the counter.

“Wow.
This
isn’t the morning I was expecting
at all.”

“What
do you mean?”

“You’ve
got to admit that you leaving so quickly is a little weird.”

“I’m
sorry. I’ve just got to do this. I’ll be back by at least tonight, and we can
get some dinner. If you want to come along, you can. I just have to go in the next
two minutes.”

“That’s
okay. I understand. Are you sure you want me using your money, though? You’ve
already spent enough on me.”

“What’s
mine is yours. Besides, I’m going to have more money than I can spend after
tomorrow night. Dine well, and see all the tourist’s spots, if you want. For
that matter, go on a little shopping trip. We’re together now, and if I spoil
clients, then you can bet I’m going to spoil the woman I love,” I said as I
straightened my tie and grabbed my shoes.

“Love,
huh?” Chastity asked with a smile.

“Well,
yeah. I could wait a few months to say it, but why waste the time? We’ve known
each other since we were kids, and I know you had to feel something amazing
between us last night. I love you, Chastity, and I want this to be real.”

“I
do, too,” she said and gave me a goodbye kiss.

After
I walked out the door, Emmitt and Derrick gave me odd looks. Emmitt raised one
eyebrow as if to ask what had happened? He knew that I hadn’t overslept for
no
reason. I was always on time.

“We’ll
talk about it later. We need to go right now,” I said.

“Okay,
but I’ve got to tell you that you might be jumping into things too quickly,”
Derrick said.

“What
do you mean? I’m not jumping into anything. I care about the woman. What’s so
bad about that?”

“Aren’t
you the one who’s always telling us not to let anyone get too close to us
before the draft?”

“That’s
true. I seem to recall a lot of talks about how family members and friends were
going to show up with their hands out. I also remember you saying that any
woman talking about a serious relationship days before you become a millionaire
is trouble walking,” Emmitt said.

“What’s
your point?” I asked.

“You’re
managing three high-profile athletes. You’re going to be rich tomorrow, too.
Think about it. You gave her a free trip to New York, you’re about to be the
richest man she knows, and to top it all off, I bet you did something really
dumb like leave her a bunch of cash so she could enjoy herself while we’re out.”

“You’re
wrong. It wasn’t her idea to come. I invited her. Plus, I’m not the richest man
she knows. That would be her dad.
Although, he
has
cut her off, and I
did
leave her with my credit card.
Maybe you have a point,” I said nervously.