Short Stop to Love

by A. M. Williams

  In past weeks, scandal has surrounded Glass. While the doping allegations are false, the media scrutiny hasn’t died off. We here in the newsroom wonder if this scrutiny has lent itself to his game play the last few days. Glass is notoriously private, so we can only speculate on the frustration the unwanted attention brings. You’d never know it by his treatment of the media. He’s continued to be polite and to the point with all questions asked of him.

  However, there is a definite edge to his playing in the last few games. We approached the manager, Ross Bailey, for comment. All he had to say was, “Glass is a true professional. No matter what happens in his personal or professional life, he’s going to do what he’s got to do. He’s a solid player and he’s shown that this week.” When pressed for more, Bailey clammed up and we got a glimpse of the temper for which the fiery redhead is infamous for.

  When we asked Glass about his game play, he deflected again, saying, “We had a good run this week in Philadelphia. As a team, we’ve played well, had some hits, few errors, and helped each other out. That’s what we need to ensure we continue to play well as we go to Toronto.”

  All this is well and good, but we have to wonder: will it continue?

  Glass Fire

  Though Seattle is losing, Jeremy Glass certainly isn’t. The three-game series against Toronto has been tough on Seattle. They’re struggling at bat and with making plays on the field. Multiple errors helped Seattle lose the momentum they had coming out of Philadelphia.

  However, one player hasn’t slowed down. Jeremy Glass is still making plays and runs. As he and his teammates head home, Glass has shown why he’s touted as one of the best, if not the best, in Major League play. We still haven’t gotten a comment from him about his play, but we’re hopeful in the coming weeks we’ll be able to get something from him, especially if the streak continues.

  At the rate he’s going, the Seattle native could surpass Jeter as the greatest shortstop of all time. Wouldn’t that be quite the feather in his cap for Glass?

  Jeremy sighed as he threw the paper down, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows of his apartment. He arrived home early that morning and was disgusted to see the continued media scrutiny of him not only with the doping, but also with his game play. He had to agree with them, he had played well the previous week. He played the way he should all the time, but, he knew this was a fluke and he was about to hit the downturn.

  He needed the break he was guaranteed the following day and planned to see Keri. He looked forward to seeing her so he could get a few hugs from her and the opportunity to see her face-to-face.

  He heard the ding of the elevator. His heart rate sped up and he smiled as he turned to it. Though it was still early, Keri was there for breakfast before she went to work.

  “Good morning!” Keri chirped as she stepped into Jeremy’s waiting arms.

  He sighed in contentment as he hugged her close. He didn’t realize how much he missed her until he saw her again. He pulled back, tilted Keri’s face up, kissed her lightly. Keri sighed as their lips touched, then pouted as he pulled away from her.

  “That’s all you get. Ms. Burnam left out a selection of food for us this morning.”

  He took Keri’s hand and led her to the breakfast bar where there was an impressive spread. Keri pulled a cover off one of the dishes and laughed. “Bacon!”

  “Yes, bacon, my lovely carnivore.”

  She loaded her plate down and Jeremy followed close behind.

  They ate in silence for several minutes before Keri broke it.

  “How are you? I saw the articles this morning.”

  “I’m doing okay, I guess. It’s starting to get to me though. I’m beginning to wish it was the postseason already.”

  Keri frowned. “Do you think it’ll get better anytime soon?”

  “I don’t know. Allison is listening for anything about the scandal and any other rumblings. All she’s told me is to play ball and keep my nose clean.”

  “Do you have any idea what’s going on with Andrew?”

  Trust Keri to get straight to the heart of the matter. “Not a single one. I think he’s biding his time, figuring out what to do next. Whether that involves me or not, I don’t know.”

  They lapsed into silence again. Jeremy cleared his throat and tentatively said, “I want to run something by you.”

  Keri’s silverware clanked on her plate and she paled. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. Allison and I were just talking and we have an idea that might help change the tone of the media blitz.”

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “What do you think about being interviewed at the shelter and having some photos taken while we’re there?”

  Keri was silent before saying, “Why do you want to do that? I thought one of the reasons you liked going was because no one knew you went.”

  “Yes, that’s part of it. I’m fortunate the director will work with me and I’ve been left alone, but I think doing an interview about this will help show we’re just a normal couple. We volunteer and help people, give back, go on regular dates.”

  Keri said nothing and Jeremy’s hands felt sweaty. He thought she’d go for the idea, but her lack of reaction said the opposite.

  “If you think it’s a good idea and the shelter is on board with it, then I think we should do it. It’ll give us a chance to tell our story on our terms and control the narrative.”

  Jeremy smiled. “Okay, I can work with that. Allison talked to Ms. Morris last week to feel it out. She and the board are for it. It’ll also bring them positive publicity.”

  “Let’s do it then.”

  Jeremy leaned over and kissed her. “I have a good feeling about this.”

  Keri smiled in return. “Me too.”

  “But…what about future volunteering?”

  Jeremy winced. “I probably won’t be able to go back for a while.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  Jeremy sighed. “I have to be. I’ll try to see if there’s something else I can do that won’t make me as visible maybe.”

  “If you can’t go, I won’t either.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but there’s a good chance I could cause a stir too and I don’t want people not getting their food because I’m there or a photographer posing as someone in need and taking a meal away from someone who needs it.”

  “So, we’ll figure something out together?”

  “Together, I like that,” Keri said with a smile.

  They lapsed into silence and finished their breakfast. After they worked to clear the dishes, Keri joined Jeremy at the sink washing dishes.

  "You never struck me as the domestic type," she joked, pulling his attention to her.

  He glanced over at her and smiled. "There's a lot about me you don't know. Growing up, my mother always said she had three dishwashers."

  Keri's brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what Jeremy meant. She hadn't been in Brenda’s kitchen, but she was sure the woman only had one dishwasher. Jeremy continued, "Troy, me, and Emily."

  She laughed as understanding finally dawned. "Are you saying you washed dishes growing up?"

  Jeremy nodded as he turned back to the sink. "I did. We all rotated through a set of chores. So, if Troy ever tries to convince you I'm not domestic, don't believe him. We've all done our tour of duty at home."

  Keri smiled as she moved further into the kitchen. She grabbed the towel that was hanging from the handle of the oven and stood next to Jeremy, pulling the dishes from the drying rack and drying them. They worked in tandem for several minutes, neither speaking until the water was drained and everything was put away.

  Jeremy’s mouth opened, but he snapped it shut when his phone beeped. He pulled it out and sucked in a breath. His mouth set into a thin line.

  “What? What is it?” Keri asked, worried at Jeremy’s facial expression.

  Jeremy cleared his throat. “Another a
rticle has been posted.”

  “Okay, what’s it about?”

  “You.”

  “Wha…what?”

  Keri stepped back and bumped into the counter behind her. She grasped it like a lifeline.

  “Do you want me to read it to you?”

  Keri nodded, her mouth dry. She couldn’t think what about her was interesting enough to print.

  Jeremy visibly swallowed and huffed before he started to read.

  Appearances Can be Deceiving: Glass Girlfriend Not What She Seems?

  A little birdie told us to dig into Jeremy Glass’s girlfriend Keri Robson. We were assured what we'd find would be very interesting and raise some eyebrows. We have to say, this source was right. With a little digging, we were able to find out quite a bit about Ms. Robson.

  From what we’ve been able to discover, Ms. Robson is a Seattle native—a little digging led us to a few articles from her high school—but, that’s it. Besides her work at Next Page Publishing, what else is there to Ms. Robson? We can’t find any information on her family. That seemed odd, so we dug a little deeper.

  Our sources indicate that Ms. Robson ran away from home when she was a teenager. We can’t find any information from that time. We were able to track a classmate of hers from high school down who commented, “Yeah, Keri didn’t live with her family. I’m not too sure where she stayed or whatever, but she finished out high school without any support from her family.”

  Digging further, we found out she was awarded a full-ride scholarship to WSU-Seattle. We chatted with a local restaurant owner who employed her during her four years at the school said she was “a hard worker, always willing to takeover shifts. She worked every holiday, with no complaints.”

  This is all well and good; we’re all for someone working hard to rise above, which is what it seems like Ms. Robson has done. But, we have to ask: how did Mr. Glass and Ms. Robson meet? It seems unlikely that ran into each other by accident, which makes us wonder if there isn’t another reason for their relationship.

  Keep your ears to the ground and let us know what you find out.

  Keri couldn’t breathe. A knot sat in her chest as Jeremy’s voice faded. The steady drip of water from the faucet was the only sound in the room.

  She cleared her throat. “Are they implying what I think they are? That I’m a…gold-digger?”

  Jeremy didn’t respond. He was typing furiously on his phone. He placed it down on the counter and stepped to her. His hands fell onto her shoulders. “What do you need? What do you want?”

  “I want that story to go away!” she snapped.

  “Allison is working on it. What else?”

  “I just…can they print that?”

  “They can, but I’ll have Allison double-check that they aren’t breaking laws. I think if they printed something from your records, then they’d be in a heap of trouble.”

  Keri worried her lip. “It doesn’t look like they did that. I think they just did some searching at the urging of someone and printed that.”

  “So, we’re back to my question: what do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. I mean…what can we do?”

  “We can see what Allison has to say about everything and we go from there. Maybe issue a statement.”

  “What do you think about the article?”

  “The one just published? I think that—”

  “Not that article. The one we’re doing tomorrow. Do you think it could help?”

  She looked into his eyes, searching them for answers to her questions.

  “It could. I can’t say for sure; no one can.”

  “So we should go forward with it? It can help?”

  “Are you sure you want to?”

  “Well, what would not doing it accomplish?” she asked as she slipped her arms around his waist.

  “Nothing. That’s easy to answer.”

  “I don’t see the harm in still doing it. Its publication will probably help with the fallout from this.”

  “If you’re sure, then yeah, we can go ahead with it.”

  Keri smiled. “I want to know who talked to them though. Who gave them the idea?”

  “I’ll make sure Allison looks into it.”

  Keri breathed a sigh of relief. A plan meant things weren’t out of control yet. She could work with a plan. She tilted her head up, puckering her lips. With a chuckle, Jeremy dipped his head to hers, giving her a light peck.

  Joann: I just saw the article. How are you?

  Keri: Better than I was earlier at least.

  Joann: I’ve tried to dig a little to see if I can find out who it was.

  Keri: Don’t do anything that could make you lose your job.

  Joann: I won’t.

  Joann: I heard through the grapevine that you and Jeremy are giving an interview?

  Keri: Yeah.

  Joann: Because of today’s article?

  Keri: Partially. He wants to try and change the tone of the recent articles.

  Joann: How is that going to happen?

  Keri: Reporter is meeting us at the shelter. She’ll follow us around, take some photos.

  Joann: That does sound like a great way to change the narrative of everything.

  Keri: I hope so. I hate to see Jeremy so tense.

  Joann: What about you?

  Keri: What about me?

  Joann: How do you feel about this? I mean, this affects you too. Today’s article showed that.

  Keri: I’m okay. Well, as okay as I can be.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Keri

  A smartly dressed female reporter smiled at Keri and Jeremy as they joined her just inside the shelter.

  “Hey guys. I’m Carol Raintree and this is Jimmy Oscar, our photographer. I’ve already spoken with the director and she’s agreed to let us use her office for the interview before we tour the facility and take pictures.”

  They followed Carol to the director’s office, settling into two armchairs. The interview was quicker and easier than Keri expected. Carol engaged them in conversation, asking about their time at the shelter before they started dating, and continued to ask about their relationship. Jimmy took several photos throughout the interview, but Keri forgot he was there most of the time.

  They then embarked on a tour of the facility. They discussed each area and its uses, making sure to also speak with patrons who were using them. Keri was pleased to see Carol and Jimmy interacting with everyone like normal. That told her a lot about the type of people they were.

  When it came time to prep the food for the evening, Carol rolled her sleeves up and jumped in, asking questions while she helped. She even helped them serve and took time to speak with several regulars throughout the evening.

  As the interview drew to a close, Keri was pleased with how things turned out and knew Carol would write a knockout article. She couldn’t wait to see the impact it would have on the shelter.

  Giving Back to the Community: The hidden side of Jeremy Glass and Keri Robson

  On fire on the baseball field, Jeremy Glass is playing what is arguably his best season yet. However, his success on the diamond is being overshadowed by scandal and intrigue in Seattle.

  Recent news stories speculated that Glass was doping and selling illegal steroids to teammates and has been for several years. Through rigorous testing, Glass has proved he is not on drugs and that these allegations are false. Only a few weeks after the story initially broke, Glass’ teammate Andrew Lennox was revealed as the one behind these allegations. Because of the false claims and proof of sabotage, he was released from his contract with Seattle early, making him a free agent.

  In addition, Lennox is facing some hefty charges for defamation, libel, and slander from Glass. Lennox’s camp has been silent these last few weeks, refusing to comment on the false report or the pending charges. Several photos have been released of Lennox, however, and they don’t paint a pretty picture. The once virile first baseman for Seattle now looks less than health
y. We have to wonder what toll recent events have taken on him.

  This isn’t the only scandal surrounding Glass. He was pictured early in the preseason with a blonde who was later identified as his ex-girlfriend from high school, Heather Brandrick. It was discovered that particular photo was orchestrated by Ms. Brandrick to present their relationship in a false light.

  Today, I had the opportunity to sit down with Glass and Robson to discuss the recent stories and set the record straight. I’ll admit, when I was first approached about the article, I was shocked. Glass is notorious for protecting his privacy, only granting interviews when absolutely necessary. He usually pre-approves his questions, but I was given carte blanche for this. How could I say no?

  My first shock came with our meeting place: the local homeless shelter off Washington Street. This was just the first surprise of many. Glass revealed he was an active volunteer at not only this shelter, but several others in the city and has been for several years. “I had a rough start in life and when I was old enough to understand how lucky I was, I wanted to give back to the community. Giving money is one way to do this, but I wanted to be more hands-on. That’s where my volunteering comes into play. I don’t get the chance to drop by as often as I’d like, but I have an understanding with each place I volunteer, but this is the way I like to give back to the community,” Glass said with a smile when questioned about his philanthropy. “The team requires certain charity efforts, which I gladly participate in, but volunteering at these shelters is my personal way of giving back.”

  It is through this volunteering that he first became acquainted with Ms. Robson. “We met a little over a year ago,” Ms. Robson told me. “We kind of hit it off and formed a friendship. It was nice to have a friendly face to work alongside each week.”