A petite young woman toward the back of the room shouted to be heard. “Where’s DeMarcus Guinn now?”
Jaclyn smiled. The question made it seem as though DeMarcus was a fugitive from the law. “He’s practicing with the team. They’re getting ready for tomorrow night’s Wizards game.”
A lanky young man in the front left corner of the room stood. “How did this rumor get started?”
Jaclyn shrugged. “How does any rumor get started? That’s something we’re looking into now.”
An older man with a ruddy complexion used the back of Andrea’s chair to push himself to his feet. “Ms. Jones, how will this rumor affect your season?”
Jaclyn didn’t see a link between the Monarchs’ season and DeMarcus not being addicted to drugs, but this sports reporter apparently did. “As you know, Coach Guinn has given us our first winning record in three seasons, and we have realistic hopes of making it to the play-offs.”
An older woman in the center of the room waved her hands frantically. “How will this rumor affect your relationship?”
Jaclyn chose to misunderstand the reporter’s angle. “Coach Guinn and I have a strong working relationship. The rumor won’t have any affect on it.”
The older woman persisted. “How will it affect your personal relationship?”
Jaclyn gave the reporter a steely stare. “My personal relationships aren’t open for public discussion.” She again scanned the room. “We have time for one last question.”
Andrea stood in response to the invitation. Jaclyn blinked. Considering she’d promised the reporter an exclusive interview later that afternoon, she hadn’t thought Andrea would have any questions for the press conference.
She faced the other woman. “Yes, Andrea?”
Andrea held her pen poised above her reporter’s notebook. “Ms. Jones, what do you think Franklin Jones’s reaction would be to this situation?”
Jaclyn’s eyes stung at the thought of her grandfather and the shambles she’d made of his legacy. Troy stepped closer, putting his hand on the back of Jaclyn’s shoulder.
She blinked several times and cleared her throat before leaning closer to the mic. “My grandfather would be devastated that someone was spreading lies against a member of his team, especially a lie involving drugs. He helped found this franchise to be a positive presence in the community. That’s what we’ve been for the past fifty-five years, and that’s what we’ll continue to be for many decades to come.”
“Why would you not tell Jackie that Gerry was blackmailing you?” Troy stood in DeMarcus’s doorway, one shoulder propped against the threshold. The media executive looked like he’d just finished a hard Gentlemen’s Quarterly photo session. His tie was askew and he’d rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows.
DeMarcus dropped the Washington Wizards scouting reports he’d been trying to study onto his desk and sat back in his chair. “Because I’m an idiot.”
Troy crossed into his office. “You won’t get an argument from me. But what were you thinking, really?”
DeMarcus rubbed his eyes with the fingers of his right hand. How many times was he going to have to explain just how big of a fool he’d been? “Jack has enough problems to deal with. I thought I could handle this one on my own.”
Troy lowered himself into one of the guest chairs in front of DeMarcus’s desk. “But you were wrong.”
DeMarcus didn’t have much patience left. Troy’s line of questioning was working the last of it. “Spectacularly wrong. What’s your point?”
“My point is, you tried to play the Lone Ranger and face the bad guys by yourself. If Andy hadn’t contacted me this morning, the situation would have gotten worse.”
DeMarcus had never seen Troy so serious. He acted as though DeMarcus had personally wronged him. “Jack already gave me this lecture.” And so had my father.
“And now you’re hearing it from me.” Troy balanced his elbows on the arms of the chair. “The team is depending on Jackie to keep us in the Empire. If Gerry succeeds in moving the Monarchs out of Brooklyn, a lot of us will be out of a job.”
It was hard to hear the negative impact his actions—or inactions—had on other people. “I’m sorry.”
Troy sighed, a mixture of exasperation and irritation. “Just don’t go off on your own again. The front office needs at least the same level of communication you use on the court.”
DeMarcus stared at the surface of his desk. Instead of the clutter of papers, he saw again Jaclyn’s face as she told him good-bye. “Trust me, Troy. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Troy settled back into the chair. “This is more than a job. This place is like a family.”
“I can tell. It shows in the way people care about each other and talk to each other.” DeMarcus shook off his melancholy. “How did the press conference go?
”