Destiny (23 page)

“You
would be breaking up a family. That’s wrong on every level.”

“I
guess you’re right. I met with her today.”

“How
did that go?”

“She
said she was sorry. Olivia had decided to break up with Richard and call me
right before she found out she was pregnant. Richard embraced the idea of being
a dad, and she knew that I had a lot of promising things going on in Miami, so
she decided not to pursue her feelings for me. She gave him his dream of a life
with her and left me to my dreams.”

“As
she should have.”

“She
also said that she still loves me. We can’t be together right now, though. I
know that. Still, I can’t help but feel that this isn’t the end of our story.”

“Take
some advice from someone who has been on this earth a lot longer than you. Do
nothing, but be ready to do whatever it takes.”

“What
does that even mean?”

“It’s
simple. She has a family now, and you can’t break that up. You’re a better
person than that. If she doesn’t love Richard, though, it won’t last long. Go
about your life as if your chance with her is over. Live, and find someone who
makes you happy, but be ready to revisit all of this if the opportunity
presents itself and you aren’t happy with your own life by then.”

“How
will I even know when I can make a move?”

“I’ll
tell you. I live right across the road from her mother, and word travels fast
around here. When and if things go south for their family, I’ll call you. I’ve
got to tell you that all of this seems wrong, though. You do realize that your
whole plan will be contingent on someone else’s family falling apart, right?”

“I
know it’s wrong, but do you remember what you told me so long ago about always
being able to live with the wrong you do?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,
I can live with getting the girl I always should have been with, even if it’s
done the wrong way.”

“Don’t
forget the second part to what I taught you. Even if we can live with the guilt
and destruction that our actions cause, we also have to live with the
consequences. I would hate to see things go south for you and you not be able
to live with it.”

“I
don’t understand. What couldn’t I live with in that situation?”

“It’s
not just that situation. You’ve been doing the wrong thing in Miami for some questionable
but still decent reasons. What if that catches up to you? It could throw all of
your plans off. Then there’s Olivia. Let’s say that she did decide to leave him
for you one day. This isn’t high school. She’s a man’s wife now. People have
killed for love. You’ll be making a lifetime enemy and destroying a person, as
well as a family. Can you live with that, and even if you do, what kind of
position will it put you in?”

“What
should I do then? If I don’t count on being with her, then I’ve got nothing,
but if I do, I destroy people’s lives. As for Emmitt, I’ve been banking on that
being my future for the last two years. If I don’t follow through with our
plans, then I’m back at square one. Is that really something I want to do?”

“I
don’t have all the answers, Eric. It isn’t my job to tell you what you need to
do. That’s your decision. All I can do is prepare you for how bumpy the road
may get along the way. Are you prepared for all of that?”

“I
can live with all of it and take anything that might come.”

“Okay,
I support you one hundred percent in whatever you decide to do then. No matter
what, I’ll always side with you, but remember to cover all the angles before
you commit to any idea, no matter how right it seems.”

“Thank
you, Uncle Gary.”

Back
then,
I didn’t know how right he was to ask me to
question everything about my plans. I would do anything for Olivia and the life
I was working to build, but when I finally did get what I set out to find, the
results were going to leave me crushed under the weight of something that I
truly didn’t understand. I still had a lot to learn back then, and I was going
to learn all of it the hard way.

Chapter 23

An Old
Flame

April

It
was April, and the draft was coming up for Emmitt. The people of Miami weren’t
happy that he was leaving school a year early, but the National Championship Trophy
kept them satisfied. They had made money off him for three years, and it was
finally time for him to cash in with a big check. He had fallen just short of
winning the Heisman trophy, but despite that, a lot of experts had him pegged
as the first pick of the draft. True to his word, he made me his agent. I had a
lot of doubts when we first met, but I was actually representing what would
likely be the first pick in the draft. Then there was the fact that I had
gotten to know several other team members. I had landed two more players.
Marcus Wright was their star running back, and he had committed to me as his
agent. He was rated as a mid to late second round pick. My other client was
Derek Wild, and he played defensive end. Our hopes were almost as high for him
as they were for Emmitt. Life was looking bright, and I had almost forgotten
about Olivia. Okay, that’s not true, but I certainly had some good
distractions.

After
we were all ready to go to New York, we went out to a popular spot in Miami for
one last meal before the plane ride. I had everything planned out for when we
got to New York. I had reserved four hotel rooms for us at the same place, and
we had set it up so we would have adjoining tables at the draft. I thought I
had covered all the angles and nothing could possibly surprise me on this trip,
but something unexpected awaited me when we sat down to eat.

“I’ll
be your server. Do you guys
know . . .
” our waitress
asked before stopping in midsentence. She simply stared at me.

“Hey,
honey. Are you all right?” Emmitt asked while snapping his fingers.

“Chastity,
what are you doing in a place like this?” I asked.

It
was my old girlfriend from high school. She had tried to get in touch with me
through my sister a few times right after I got home, but I wasn’t looking to
date anyone back then. Seeing her again felt right in that moment, though.

“I
work here. What’s wrong with this place anyway?” Chastity asked.

“Nothing.
We both came from rich families. I just didn’t expect to see you working a
normal job. You don’t happen to have a break coming up soon, do you?”

“I
can take one.”

“Hold
up. Do you want to let us in on what’s going on?” Emmitt asked.

“This
is Chastity. We knew each other when we were kids. We haven’t seen each other in
years.”

“How
about I get you guys another waitress, and Eric and I can talk somewhere
privately?”

“That’s
fine with us,” Emmitt said in confusion. The only woman I had ever mentioned to
him was Olivia.

After
Chastity had taken her break and gotten someone to cover our table, she
directed me to a back room where we sat. It was awkward to see her again, but
at the same time, it wasn’t unpleasant at all. She had grown up
very
nicely. I hadn’t remembered her
being this beautiful. Back
then,
I was so obsessed
with the idea of Olivia that I never really saw Chastity as she was. I had
struck gold with Olivia, but this girl was definitely in the same league. She
was gorgeous, and as far as I remembered, she was one of the nicest people I
had ever met.

“Well,
say something. I haven’t seen you in almost five years. I tried to get in touch
with you dozens of times, you know,” she said.

“I’m
sorry. I’m just stunned by how great you look. You look even better than I
remember. I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch with you before now. I was going
through some things back then, and I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. By the
time everything was resolved, you weren’t exactly looking for me anymore. Let’s
not talk about that, though. What are you doing here?”

“I’m
a little offended, Eric. First you don’t try to find me after you get home, and
now you think it’s baffling that I’m a server.”

“I
didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that your dad is rich. I always pegged
you as the Ivy League girl with a future as a lawyer or something.”

“I
was, but we can’t all be perfect. I think for a while I was just a reflection
of what people told me to be, but during my first year of college, I had an
epiphany. I didn’t want to be a reflection of what my parents, friends, or even
my church members wanted to see. I desired a different path. I wanted to be
good, but I realized that I wasn’t perfect. Fancy schools and friends weren’t
what I was looking for, so I quit. When I did, my father cut me off. I’ve been
doing this ever since while I figure out what I really want to do.”

“And
what is that?”

“I
don’t know. I’m still searching. Right now, I’m just happy here. Now, let me
ask you a question. The three men you’re with are very well known. What are you
doing around Emmitt Brown?”

“My
sister didn’t tell you?”

“Tell
me what?”

“He’s
my roommate. He has been since freshman year. I went to school for business,
and he’s going to let me represent him in the draft. Marcus and Derrick are
football players, too. In a few days, my new career will start, and so will
theirs.”

“That’s
impressive. I feel like we’ve wasted so much time over the last three years when
we could have been getting to know each other again. Let me ask you something.
You said that you were going through some things when you got back into town.
What were they?”

“I
met a girl in Wisconsin, and it got serious. When I came back, I missed her
more than I can express. I think my heart was broken. I even considered
quitting college and going back to her, but I stuck it out.”

“How
did things end up with her?”

“She’s
married with a child.”

“Oh,
well, that’s definitely final.”

“I
would say so. I’ve got to get back out there to my clients soon, but let me ask
you something. I might be out of line here, but I want to know . . .”

“Yes.”

“You
don’t even know what I was going to ask, do you?”

“I
think so. I missed you after you left. I know that we’re nothing to each other
now, but it took a long time to get over you. Ask me your question, but I’m
pretty sure the answer is yes.”

“Chastity,
I wasn’t the guy you deserved back when we were teenagers, but I am now. Do you
want to give me another shot after the draft is over? I should be back in town
next week.”

“I
would love that. It’s great to see you, Eric.”

Before
I walked away, a thought occurred to me. Couldn’t she just come with us? Sure,
that seemed kind of fast, and I was still hung up on Olivia, but I needed a
distraction from that fact. As far as distractions go, Chastity looked like a
really good one. Plus, I did want to be better for her than I used to be. For
the first time, I thought that I wanted to pursue a real relationship with
someone who wasn’t Olivia.

“What
is it? I can see that you’re thinking about something,” Chastity said.

“I
just had an idea. It’s probably stupid. Never mind,” I said and started to walk
again.

“Wait
a minute. What is it?”

“You
can say no, and I hope you don’t think I’m weird for asking, but why don’t you
come with us?”

“I
don’t know, Eric.”

“I
knew it was a bad idea. I just thought I would ask. I’ve never been to New York,
and I remembered that you hadn’t either when we met each other. You always
talked about going, so I thought I should invite you.”

“How
would that even work if I did go? I mean
,
I’ve got a
job here.”

“I
don’t know. Can you take some time off?”

“Not
on such short notice.”

“Then
it depends. How attached are you to this job? You can come with me today. I’ll
book another seat for the jet right now, or you can stay here, and I’ll see you
when I get back. I’m sure we’ll go again some day.”

“I
think it’s time for me to take a chance. I’ll let my boss know that I’m
leaving. I’ll probably be fired on the spot, but I haven’t taken a day off
since I started here, so maybe he’ll have a heart. If not, this is a once in a
lifetime opportunity. How often are you going to get the chance to go to New
York with four celebrities?” she joked.

“Hey,
I am
not
a celebrity. I’m pretty sure
the other guys will appreciate that kind of talk, though, especially Emmitt.”

“I’ll
stop talking that way then. It’s not like Emmitt Brown needs a bigger ego. He’s
one client you need to get under control.”

“So
you’ve heard about him?”

“I
think everyone has. He’s got a reputation for two things. One is being the best
player in this region. The other is for being pictured doing something
controversial every week. You might have your hands full with that one.”

“Oh,
believe me
. I know. I can keep him
under control, though. He’s not so bad once you get to know him. Trust me.”

“Are
you sure it won’t be weird for me to come?”

“I’m
positive.”

“Okay,
then I’m going to talk to my boss. How long do we have before the plane
leaves?”

“A
couple of hours.”

“I’ll
need to swing by my place to get some things before we go. Do we have time for
that?”

“We
do, but why don’t you let me get you some new things in New York?”

“I
couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“I
insist. You were perfect for me back in high school, and everyone knew it but
me. You deserved it all, and I didn’t give you anything. I’m different now,
though. Let me make up for old times.”

“Okay,
if you’re sure.”

“I
am.”

“I
really didn’t expect this today. I don’t even know how to react. It almost
seems irresponsible to go with you when we just reunited. What does any of this
mean?”

“I
don’t know, but we’ll find out. Just go with it, and don’t question it too
much. The best things in life are discovered that way,” I said and got out my
phone.

As
she went to talk to her boss, I made the arrangements for another first class
seat. I normally wouldn’t have dreamed of buying someone a first class ticket
on a whim, but I had saved so much money with Olivia and our dream life in
mind. Now that was gone, or at least put on hold for a long time. I had the
money to burn, and I was about to gain a lot more in a few days. It was time to
enjoy life a little, and I hadn’t met anyone I could enjoy it with until Chastity.
It was the right thing to do. I needed her then. Even now, I don’t question my
decision to bring her with me.

When
I got back to the table with my guys, I noticed that we had a visitor. It was
William. I had learned two things about him over the last three years. One was
that he was incredibly rich and intelligent. The other was that he was a snake
in the grass just waiting to get his. William would often pay players to go to
the university, but then he would ask to represent them later on. In other
words, he was giving these guys money on the front end and getting it all back
and more on the back end. It was a good way to support the university without
actually having to dish anything out in the long run. I wasn’t about to let
that happen on my dime, though.

“William,
what are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m
just talking to these young men about their futures. No offense, Eric, but we
both know they need experienced representation. I can get them the deals they
deserve while you’re simply a rookie,” he said in his usually frank way.

“Well,
no offense to you either, but I think you need to stick to restaurants, clubs,
and funding the university’s football program behind the scenes. I’ve got the
know how to do this, and all you’ve got is money. When I’m done with these
guys, they’re going to have more cash than they can spend.”

“You
need to remember who put a roof over these boy’s heads over the last few
years,” he said in a threatening tone.

“And
you better remember who got your precious team two bowl wins, a conference
title, and a national championship. I would say they earned every penny and
more. Now, if any of these men want to leave, they can go with you freely. We
have contracts, but I’ll burn them if they really want to leave. I don’t think
they’re dumb enough to go with a snake like you, though.”

“Listen
here, you little shit! I have enough money and power to have you killed and
dumped in the deepest part of the ocean, and I’m willing to use that kind of
power to get these kids whatever they want. The real question is what you even
have to offer. They would be fools not to consider me.”

“Eric
has a lot to offer. He’s already been a part of dozens of backdoor deals on my
behalf. He’s the type of guy who will go to bat for you, even if it’s not
entirely legal. At the same time, he’s the type of friend who will be at the
club with you at three in the morning just to watch your back. He takes this
job seriously, and that’s why I’m sticking with him. I would rather have a
friend watch my back than someone who only cares about dollar signs,” Emmitt
said.