Open Door Marriage (32 page)

* * *

Dallas entered the locker room, which was void of its normal bantering and laughter. In the background, the sounds of the sports commentator picking apart the elements of the game they had just played punctuated their sad performance. He took a seat on his bench and leaned his head against the wall.

“
Wonderboy
’
s lost a bit of his shine,
”
Morrison taunted.

“
Hey, lay off him,
”
Smith said.
“
Unlike some people, he
’
s not a glory hog. All of us play a part in this.
”

Morrison slammed a towel into the hamper.
“
You act like we lost!
”

“
It wasn
’
t a solid win,
”
Dallas said, scanning his teammates, who all became silent.

“
I
’
ll take any kind of win we can get,
”
Morrison countered.

“
And that
’
s the problem,
”
Dallas shot back, getting to his feet.
“
I
’
ve always,
always
played a team game. Always gave everyone a chance to step up. That
’
s how the Bulls won their championships, even with a different set of players on the roster each time. They weren
’
t just better individual players, they were better
team
players.
”

“
So don
’
t lay this at his feet,
”
Steve added, maneuvering until he stood next to Dallas.
“
We all played a part. And if we don
’
t get it in gear, we
’
ll be getting our asses served like some schoolyard bitches.
”

“
I couldn
’
t have said it better myself,
”
Coach Kimbrough said, coming to stand in the center of the room.
“
You know how ruthless the media can be. You
know
that.
”
He looked to Eaves.
“
And Dallas supported you publicly during those alimony and paternity suits. Dallas gave you the best possible advice: man up and take responsibility when the DNA test proved those kids were yours.
”

His gaze flickered to Collins.
“
And when you got pulled over for DUI, who was the first to get the media to stop pestering the team for a statement against you? And you,
”
he gestured to Michaels.
“
When your dumb ass got busted for having a roach in the car, who was the first one to speak to the press on your behalf?
”

Michaels grimaced and turned back to his area.

“
Now Dallas needs our support,
”
Coach said, sweeping a blue-eyed gaze across the players in the room.
“
What happens between consenting adults is legal. So show a little respect. He might have been off his game tonight, but then again, so were you. Practice tomorrow is at twelve. Denver is playing one hell of an offensive game these days.
”

“
Sorry, man,
”
Morrison mumbled to Dallas, extending his hand.

“
No worries, man.
”
Dallas gave him a shoulder-to-shoulder touch then looked to Coach Kimbrough.
“
Thanks again, Coach.
”

“
No thanks needed. I came to tell you that your agent
’
s waiting in my office.
”

Dallas heard the chorus of groans from his teammates as they went back to their respective places. A surprise visit from an agent was never a good thing.

Chapter 34

8:28 p.m.

Dallas showered and dressed in a suit
—
a requirement for all players if they didn
’
t want to be fined or suspended for violating the NBA
’
s dress code. He entered the office where Katie Walsh, and Coach Kimbrough were having a friendly chat. Today, Katie wore a black power suit draped over her slender frame, and had on a pair of owl-rimmed glasses that were a compliment to her angular face and bright blue eyes.

Katie had presented him with a handmade business card way back when they were in grammar school. An avid basketball and baseball fan, she had said,
“
I
’
m going to get a degree in business and learn all about sports management. I
’
ll be your agent when you become an NBA star.
”

She was the only one besides his mother who even remotely believed he would ever amount to anything in the sport. Even his high school coach had told him that he should focus on his grades if he wanted to get into college. Pops had said the same thing. But it only made Dallas want it all the more. He had practiced day in and day out. Even when he wasn
’
t playing, he spent his time imagining himself shooting, dribbling, and playing in a championship game. He kept his focus on the finish line, and he was offered both academic and basketball scholarships. He took the academic one so he wouldn
’
t be under the restrictions that other sports players found themselves. When his mother became ill, he went on to the NBA.

Katie had showed up at his parent
’
s house during the celebration, laid down an autograph she
’
d gotten from him in grammar school and said,
“
I
’
m ready to take that job I asked for.
”
Though more experienced agents came his way, he chose Katie.
“
Do your thing, woman,
”
he told her. And she was still doing her thing.

“
What
’
s up, Katie?
”
Dallas asked from the door.

She swiveled her chair in his direction and smiled.
“
Well, there
’
s good news and then there
’
s something else.
”

He leaned against the door.
“
Is it something I need to take in on a full stomach?
”

“
Dallas, you
’
ll take everything on a full stomach,
”
she teased with an even wider smile.
“
How about Eddie V
’
s?
”

“
You want to meet there?
”

She shook her head, her auburn curls following with every movement.
“
My husband dropped me off. I wanted to ride in your new Buick.
”

“
Didn
’
t you get one?
”
he protested, nodding a goodbye to the coach as he held the door for Katie to pass him.

“
Yes, but yours has all the bells and whistles.
”

Dallas raised an eyebrow.
“
You
’
re full of shit, you know that, right?
”

Katie roared with laughter.

Twenty minutes later, they walked into the restaurant. A few fans approached him for autographs before the host situated them at a private table toward the rear. As he was settling into his seat, Dallas asked,
“
Were you checking out my ass again?
”

“
I
’
m a woman before I
’
m your agent,
”
she countered.
“
I can appreciate a pair of cheeks that looks as good as yours.
”

Dallas gave her a playful tap on her shoulder.
“
Ooooooh, I
’
m telling your mother.
”

Katie smiled at him over the rim of her wineglass.
“
Hell, even she says you have the best cheeks on the team.
”

As they feasted on appetizers, he said,
“
Give it to me straight, Kate.
”

“
I swear you think you
’
re a poet, don
’
t you?
”

He playfully popped his collar.
“
I have been known to spit a verse or two.
”

“
Yes, indeed.
”
She released a drained sigh, a sure sign that she had more on her mind than just his writing skills.
“
Dallas, your endorsement deals are coming under fire. McDonald
’
s is a little shaky right now.
”

“
What the hell?
”
he asked around a mouthful of bruschetta.
“
I haven
’
t committed any felonies.
”

“
Shelley called me to see what is going on with you. He said the higher ups are having an issue.
”

“
And?
”

“
Women
—
and that
’
s the audience McDonald
’
s is going for in their new healthy focus commercials
—
are really up in arms about all of this.
”

“
But I
’
ve ended the relationship with Tori,
”
Dallas protested.
“
And I wasn
’
t sleeping with her anyway!
”

“
It would have been better for your public image if you had ended it with Alicia.
”

“
That
’
s bullshit!
”
he snapped.
“
They
’
re going to terminate because of that?
”

“
They might try. They
’
re a family-friendly company.
”

Dallas leaned back in his chair.
“
What about the others?
”

“
Since you just signed with Nike a few days ago, and they shelled out forty million dollars, they might not cause as much of a stir. The publicity alone is keeping them in the public eye. Men are their target. Some of them, except those hard asses in the Bible belt, are feeling that whole threesome thing.
”

“
It wasn
’
t a threesome!
”
he protested with a groan.

Katie flushed bright red.
“
Yeah, okay.
”

“
Katie!
”

“
Hold up,
”
she said, pulling something out of her attaché case.
“
They didn
’
t kick Tiger Woods to the curb, so you
’
ll be fine.
”
She flipped to a page of handwritten notes.
“
Sprite hasn
’
t said anything, and we
’
re getting close to off-season. The execs can let the current commercials play out. By the time the season starts again, this will all be forgotten.
”

Dallas leaned back in the seat and waited.

“
Spalding
’
s not shaking you down either.
”
She flipped to another page.
“
Avery autographed basketballs are going for three hundred dollars on eBay. People who collect sports memorabilia are keeping your name at the top of the list.
”

“
Okay, so it sounds like we might lose McDonald
’
s,
”
he said.
“
You could
’
ve told me that over the phone.
”

Katie looked away and focused on the group of women who had their undivided attention on Dallas.
“
I wanted to talk to you about something else,
”
she said.
“
Your lifestyle
—
”
Katie held up a hand when he opened his mouth.
“
Your
former
lifestyle,
”
she corrected,
“
might pose a problem when we try to negotiate new contracts or when it
’
s time to renew old ones. I have a feeling that with everything going on lately, endorsement contracts will get a little tighter on moral clauses. And that would mean that they
’
ll close their wallets and walk away from any kind of relationship that offends the moral majority.
”

Dallas pushed his plate to the side. He realized exactly what she was saying.
The league became more concerned about its image since it had taken a beating following the Pacers-Pistons brawl, infamously named the Malice in the Palace. That game, which started between two players after a blatant foul, spilled into the stands, and eventually led to a few fan and player arrests, as well as nine players being suspended without pay for a total of 146 games and the loss of about eleven million dollars.

“
So what I
’
m saying is keep your dick in your pants when it comes to other women
—
or be a hell of a lot more discreet than your boys Tiger and Kobe.
”
She made headway on her meal.
“
If you stay with Alicia, you should marry her to get everyone off your back.
”

“
You don
’
t think I
’
ve tried?
”
he snapped.

Katie frowned and gave him a questioning look.

“
To get Alicia to marry me.
”

“
Seriously?
”

“
She says she
’
s done her time.
”
Dallas growled.
“
She sees being married as a prison sentence.
”

“
Aw, Dallas!
”
Katie said, placing her hand on top of his.
“
Is that what she said?
”

“
No, but that
’
s what she meant.
”
And that still hurt like hell.

He had shown Alicia, time and again, how much she meant to him. She loved the new house; she was even reluctant to furnish it because she enjoyed the beauty of their sparse surroundings.

“
Dallas, you know I
’
ve been with you since day one
...”
Katie said, halting when the waitress brought dessert.

He nodded, bracing himself and hoping she didn
’
t say something that hit too close to home. The waitress smiled and left the table then Katie continued with,
“
What is it about this particular woman that
’
s so special?
”

Dallas pushed back at her solemn tone and expression.
“
When I look at her, I don
’
t see age or anything like that. I see class. I see style. I see a woman who has a calm and peace about her that I want for myself. It was easy to get to the love part because we
’
re not wading through a river of game-playing bullshit like I had to do with other women. Even Tori. Alicia doesn
’
t want me for my money. Not at all.
”

Katie placed her spoon on the edge of her dish and dabbed a napkin at the corners of her lips.
“
Speaking of Tori, I received a release from her publicist today. They need you to sign it so that she can appear on some reality show about exes, wives and girlfriends of ballers.
”