Chapter 4

Conner walked out of the training room and into his coach’s office. He had been in the middle of a training session when the coach sent for him. Knowing the old man, he could predict the conversation, but he went just the same. As he pushed the door, Daniel stood and looked up at him. The man was much shorter than his six feet five inches and it always made him smile to have the older man look up at him.

“Conner,” he said, “sit down.”

Conner sat and folded his hands.

“What’s up to, coach?” he asked.

“I’m just going to come right out and say it” Daniel replied. “You’re not looking good in the press.”

Conner shook his head. He hadn’t expected that, and he didn’t know why his coach would even be interested. Initially, he thought Daniel wanted to talk about sponsorships or even his poor play the night before, but this was a complete surprise.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, “my behavior in the press?”

“Yeah,” Daniel replied while throwing a magazine towards him. It featured him and a line-up of the women he was being accused of sleeping with and then ditching. As he looked at the pictures, he knew he slept with at least five of the six.

“Oh,” he replied. “You know these tabloids can’t be trusted.”

“That’s the third time this has happened,” his coach said. “What’s the matter with you, can’t you just date one woman at a time?”

“That’s an unfair request,” he said. “I have all right to date whoever I want, whenever I want.”

“Well, you need to at least try to keep your private life private if you don’t want it affecting your career,” Daniel said.

Conner looked up at Daniel when he said those words. Daniel looked back at him with a stone-face and he knew the older man wasn’t joking.

“What are you really saying?” he asked.

“I’m saying you need to get your act together Conner,” Daniel replied. “The management is sick of their players coming off as dogs in the media. You’ll lose your endorsements and probably lose your sponsorship contracts.”

“That wasn’t a stipulation in any of my contracts,” he replied. “Why are you guys trying to mess with me? I play ball, but don’t forget I earned that Law degree that hangs on my wall.”

“It’s not about what’s in the contract,” the coach replied. “It’s about you wanting to stay here in Cali or being traded for some team up North.”

Conner couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The last thing he needed today was to have his coach egging him about his personal life.

“I’m going to get back to my training,” he said as he stood to go.

“Before you go,” his coach said, “think about it. You can have all these women and lose out on your career, or you can take it easy and get everything you ever wanted.”

Conner didn’t respond. Instead, he walked out of the room and into the locker room to clear his head. He was angry, and he wanted to punch something, but he didn’t need more heat from his coach for destroying equipment.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Stanley, his friend and one of his team-mates asked, coming into the room.

“Same old bullshit,” he replied.

“What?” Stanley asked.

“The coach wants me to get out of the tabloids,” he replied.

Stanley laughed, and Conner wondered if he could punch him.

“Come on, man, it’s something we all go through,” Stanley said. “You just have to try to be private and get these girls to maybe sign a non-disclosure.”

“Easy for you to say. You’ve got a wife,” he replied.

“Yeah, man but I have something you’ve never seemed to learn,” Stanley replied.

“What’s that?” he asked. “A better three-point shot?”

“Self-control, man,” Stanley replied ignoring his comment. “What you need is self-control or you might end up losing everything you’ve worked for.”

“What?” he asked. “I didn’t decide to play pro-ball for self-control.”

“Yeah, but you need it now, don’t you?” Stanley replied. “I’ve seen people’s careers go in the pit for less than this.”

Conner knew Stanley was right. It was easy to get people to be happy for him when he’s in the light but if things went south, he’d be lucky if anyone is there to call for him. Men greater than him had been brought down by bad press and he didn’t want to lose out for something so trivial. The only thing he had in his life right now was basketball and if he lost out on that, he wasn’t sure what he would do. 

“I get you,” he said, “but hey, if all I have to do is get these girls to stop talking in the media, I’ll be fine.”

Stanley was quiet, and Conner wondered what he was thinking. He had come up with Stanley through the college leagues and they had formed a tentative friendship. Still, it was the closest friendship he had formed with anyone since leaving his hometown.

“Would it be so bad to maybe settle down with one girl?” Stanley asked.

“That’s not for me, man” he replied, letting the thought out of his mind as quickly as possible. “That’s much more work than dating all the women I can get.”

Relationships weren’t something he was interested in and if he wanted a family eventually, he would do it the unconventional way. He didn’t want anyone depending on him and he didn’t need to depend on anyone. Being the lone wolf suited him.

“You say that” Stanley replied, “but man, everyone eventually needs someone.”

“I’m actually good,” Conner replied. “Why to settle for someone when I can have anyone?”

“That’s not the same thing. You know that, right?” Stanley asked. “Anyone is not the same as no-one.”

“I’m not like you” Conner replied. “Settling down isn’t something I’ve ever seen myself doing. Least of all now when I can have all the women I want. That would be a total waste of my talents.”

“Been there” Stanley replied while walking out, “but I trust you know what’s best for yourself.”

Conner wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what. He had purposely done all he could to avoid inviting people into his life and he had never envisioned needing anyone. He sat there for a few more minutes and then decided to go home. He didn’t feel any drive to continue training. Neither did he want to stay there and have his mind wander to places it shouldn’t be. He drove home as the sun was beginning to set and as he parked, he saw his new neighbor walking out of her house. Once again, he was struck by her beauty. She looked much more beautiful with the sun rays dancing across her face and he suddenly felt the urge to say something. The last time he had seen her three days ago, she had been disheveled but cute. Now, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

“Where are you heading?” he shouted across the hedge.

She looked over at him with concealed suspicion, but he didn’t allow it to faze him.

“I’m having dinner with Paige,” she replied.

He rolled his eyes. If he knew anything, they’d spend the entire night gossiping about him.

“Hey,” he said, willing her to come closer, “don’t believe what they say about me, okay?”

A small smile lingered on her lips.

“Things like what?” she asked.

“You know, they might say I’m the most handsome guy on the planet,” he replied, “but I’m technically just the most handsome man they’ve ever seen.”

She laughed, and he was stunned by the way her face lit up. It was a genuine little laugh. He had seldom seen anyone laugh with such abandon, and it was refreshing.

“I’m sure that’s what they’ll say” she replied. “I’ll try to remain objective.”

“Thank you” he replied. “By the way, how did it go with your parents?”

She looked a bit surprised that he had remembered her telling him that.

“It was good,” she replied, pushing her hair behind her ear.

He suddenly felt the urge to reach up and touch the golden locks.

“Yeah, did they like the place?” he asked.

He didn’t know why he was prolonging the conversation, but his day was bleak and she was like sunshine on a dark rainy day.

“Yeah, they love it,” she replied. “They think it could be better but it’s good enough for now.”

“Sounds like a tough evaluation,” he replied.

“You have no idea,” she replied. “It was a grueling process, but I came out of it on top.”

It was his turn to laugh as she mocked their lingo. They stood there for another moment of silence and then she glanced back towards Paige’s house.

“Look, there’s a community potluck on Saturday,” he said. “I don’t usually go but if you agree to be my company, I’d put in an appearance.”

She gave him a quizzical look.

“What makes you think I want to be seen with the playboy?” she asked.

“Well, I mean you’re standing here talking to me,” he said. “If anyone were to walk by, you’d be seen with the community playboy.”

She laughed.

“I’ll think about it” she replied. “I have your number, if I think it’s a good idea, I’ll call.”

“Sounds fair to me,” he replied.

“I got to go now,” she said. “Try not to get locked out tonight.”

He smiled and watched her as she walked away. She was so different from the women he usually met and very different from any woman who had ever come into his life. The main difference was that she didn’t seem to know of him or his reputation and she didn’t try to extort money or fame from him. It was refreshing to meet someone like that, but it was also a little off-putting. He wanted her, but she didn’t seem to share the same sentiments. He wasn’t willing to work to get her, but he decided that it would happen eventually. When he walked into his house, it suddenly felt lonelier than it ever had. The feeling of loneliness had become a problem recently, and he had tried to drown it out by having all these women around. Tonight, he would try to figure out what he could do to stop all these women in his life from going to the press. There had to be some legalities he could use to silence them.