“Gotta tell you, son, it’s an honor to meet your new girlfriend, but is it really worth calling a meeting on a Saturday afternoon?” Coach asks.
“This isn’t just some girlfriend. I have a feeling there’s a lot more to this story.” Connor looks at me suspiciously.
“Let’s all sit down. I’ll make this brief so we can get ready for the party tonight.” I help Ari into her seat and take her hand back in mine. We are united in this, and everyone needs to see how serious I am.
“Right, so thanks for coming in today. I’ll get to the point. Ari and I have a son that’s almost four.” I watch Connor’s face fall and Bella and coach look at one another with shock. “I don’t want to go into the dirty details, but Ari was my college girlfriend. We had a huge misunderstanding and broke up. I found out about Davis around the end of April. I wanted to tell you guys the story and see how you want to proceed. They are going to be in my life and the public will find out soon.”
“Well, if you can give me more details, we can take a spin to make it less scandalous. I think we should hold back until asked about it, but I’ll have a statement ready. A lot of athletes have a child out of wedlock so it won’t be front page news.”
“Jesus Bella, don’t make it sound so slimy. This isn’t just about a kid out of wedlock. There’s so much more to this story and I’ll let Ari answer your questions.”
“Listen, I hate to break it to you, but it won’t affect us as an organization. It’s going to hurt you and Ari personally more than anything. People will speak out and accuse her of coming forward now because of your fame. These same people will turn around and call you a dead-beat dad for abandoning your own kid for your career. It will affect you, but like I said, it won’t affect the team.”
“You’re fucking kidding me? I came to you today for support and that’s what you’ve got to tell me?” I slam my free hand on the table and Ari squeezes my other tightly.
“I’ve got people to handle your personal press statements and put together an image re-build if necessary.” Connor takes out his phone and starts typing. “Believe it or not, it’s a part of my fee to be a cleaner.”
“There’s nothing to fucking clean. Ari and I were in love and we were manipulated into breaking up. I’m the asshole in this situation because when she tried to talk to me, I pushed her away. She has been a single parent for all this time and done a tremendous job. Now that I know about him, he will be a fixture in my life forever. Don’t see why me being a dad would need to rebuild my image.”
“Reed, calm down. I can understand why they feel this way. This is personal to us and they are on the outside looking in. I agree with Bella. Let’s put together a blanket statement and see how this plays out. You already said we’re not hiding. So now we just wait and see if people react or not. I know you’re a football star, but I’m no one special. The biggest concern is Davis so we need to concentrate on his safety here.” Ari says softly.
“She’s right, let’s just get a few facts down and then Connor and I can combine a statement if needed. There are far worse things that we could be talking about. At least you’re not married and coming forward with a love child. People go ape shit over that.” Bella smiles slightly trying to break up the tension.
“Coach? You’re quiet over there. What do you think?”
“I’m shocked as shit but happy for you. My kids are the best thing I have ever done in my life. No Super Bowl ring, winning season, broken records, or VIP trophies will ever feel as good as holding my kids for the first time. We’ll get this straightened out. You’ll be back on the field, and now you’ll have a number one fan. Guess this Father’s Day takes on a whole new meaning, huh?”
“Yeah, for the first time since losing my dad, I’m looking forward to Sunday.”
Unbelievably beautiful. That’s the only way to describe Ari tonight. Her dress is tight in all the right places and the strappy sandals she’s wearing are going to look great wrapped around my waist. I watch her flit around my kitchen changing out her purse. She has been quiet since we got here. I purposely gave her the condensed tour leaving out the back of the house. She didn’t say anything when I unloaded our bags in my bedroom. Her only comment was that it was a big place for one person. I agreed with her, but now this house isn’t going to be for just me.