Troy refocused on the conversation. “I wanted you to hear the news from me rather than the media.”
Faith shifted in her armchair. “I’m so sorry about your job. What will you do now?”
Troy shrugged, more to ease the pressure in his chest than to pretend a casual attitude. He’d loved his job. He loved being a part of a team, even if he wasn’t on the court anymore. “I’m going to prove Gerry’s involvement with the blog.”
“Are you sure you should do that?” Constance looked around the room as though searching for someone to support her. “I mean, trying to identify the Insider’s already gotten you into trouble.”
Troy chuckled without humor. “So what more do I have to lose?”
“And I’m going to help him.” Andrea’s eyes sparkled. “At the very least, maybe I can talk him out of appearing on TV again.”
Troy smiled. “I appreciate that.”
“The team will help, too.” Serge rested his forearms on his lap. “After all, you took the risk trying to help us.”
Constance wrung her hands. “I’ll do whatever I can. Maybe I’ll see something or hear something that will give us a clue.”
Tiffany put her small palm over her mother’s nervous hands. The little girl looked worried as she leaned closer to capture Constance’s attention. Her smile shook a little. “My mommy said that’s crazy.”
Troy swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn’t expected their offers to help him. He was used to dealing with problems on his own.
He watched Constance smooth her daughter’s hair. “Thank you both. But please don’t do anything that will jeopardize your job.”
Constance lifted Tiffany onto her lap. “I’ll be careful. Do you know who my new boss will be?”
Troy hesitated. The words didn’t come easily. “Gerry’s going to fill in until they hire someone else.”
Serge snorted. “Gerry? We’re doomed.”
Troy agreed. It seemed the Monarchs co-owner was right where he’d wanted to be. Had Gerald been lucky or had this been part of his plan?
11
“They fired you?”
Troy winced. He held the telephone receiver away from his head. Still, his sister’s shriek reverberated against his eardrum. “Careful, sis. I think all the dogs in the neighborhood heard you.”
“Don’t take that irritated tone with me. I told you to let Jackie handle this.”
Judging by Michelle’s autocratic tone, she’d forgotten—again—that she was the younger sibling. Troy slumped back into the black leather armchair in his living room but kept a safe distance between his ear and his cordless phone. “Shelley, no one likes to hear ‘I told you so.’”
She harrumphed into the phone. “You need to hear it. What are you going to do now?”
“Look for another job.” No way was Troy going to tell his bossy younger sibling he was going to continue looking for the Monarchs Insider. She wouldn’t understand.
Troy’s television was on mute. ESPN’s SportsCenter was replaying clips from his interview. Again. They also announced that he’d been fired after his “outburst.” Great. He looked away from the TV and focused on his sister’s words.
“Why don’t you come home to D.C.? The Wizards are here. And the Redskins, the Nationals, the Capitals—”
“We have a lot of sports teams here, too, Shel.” Troy stared out the picture window of his twentieth-floor condominium. He absently noted the nighttime view. The lights from other buildings in the background. The streetlights glowing on the billboards.
“You have family here.” Michelle tried a cajoling tone.
Return home to lick his wounds? He couldn’t do that. Besides, he had unfinished business in New York.
He wasn’t looking forward to telling his parents he’d been fired, either. He’d collected three straight failures: basketball, his marriage, and now his job. It didn’t matter that none of these failures was his fault. His parents would still count them against him.
“I’m going to look for another job here first.” Troy sensed the wheels of Michelle’s mind turning. He was uneasy with her silence. His sister always knew when he wasn’t telling her everything. What was she piecing together now?