by Lark Maren
It was still dark outside, and the gated community was barely awake. Most of the sprawling mansions were pitch-dark, and the only person I saw was a stray runner a little older than me. She was probably getting her workout in before her kids woke up. What I wouldn’t give to be going for a jog right now instead of heading off to pound rocks for the rest of the day.
Or to crawl back in bed with Ella. Maybe I was making my life more difficult than it needed to be by refusing that job. Maybe that’s why she was being so cold this morning. Maybe I wasn’t giving it a fair chance, my stubbornness once again sabotaging my chance at a better life.
We’d have to talk about it tonight. I was going to show up. There was absolutely nothing in the world that would stop me. I made up my mind then and there, I was never going to hear her doubt me again. I was never going to do anything to make her feel like I didn’t actually feel for her. As I pulled out onto the expressway, the sun crested the tops of the mountains and I breathed a sigh of relief. This blonde bombshell was washing away my burdens. For once in my life, everything was starting to make sense
Chapter Fifteen
Ella:
“I’ve been up for an hour,” I said to my mom on the phone. More like five hours, at least, that’s how long I’ve been trying to go back to sleep. It just wasn’t coming, though, no matter how much I flopped around. The smell of Tonya lingered on my sheets, and it only made my mind turn over faster and faster until I felt like the room was spinning. “I’m getting dressed now. What’s wrong?”
Something in my mother’s tone sounded off. We’d always had a very open relationship, more like sisters or best friends than mother and daughter. This morning, it sounded like she was hiding something from me. I guess I was guilty of the same, though.
“Nothing,” she said, then quickly pivoted the discussion. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
I actually had a really big day planned. With the first official Lady Cats game of the season coming up in less than a month, I had a lot of work to do to make sure our rebrand was a success. Our lawyer had already set the wheels in motion on filing for nonprofit status, and today I was going to meet up with the current management of the team so we could plan some events leading up to the first game to drum up some attention. Once that was in order, I needed to start a social media campaign. Everything was falling into place so neat and tidy. I knew I had a leg up thanks to all the resources my father had, but this vision was starting to turn into my own.
“Meetings,” I said, flipping through my closet, trying to find the perfect business casual look. Everything I had was either over the top or completely underwhelming. “Lots of exciting things happening here. I can’t wait til you get back so I can show you what’s going on with the team. I think I’ve finally found my stride, Mom.”
I expected her to cheer me on like she always did. Instead, she sighed like she was about to drop a bad news bomb on my head. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she said.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Is everything alright? Are you sick? Is someone dying?”
“I’m sorry, Ella,” she muttered. “I’m glad you’re finally finding your stride. I always figured you were going to follow in my footsteps. Work in the arts. I didn’t really expect you to turn out like your father.”
“Oh, I’m nowhere near Dad’s level,” I laughed. Hell, I couldn’t even figure out how to clothe my body so I didn’t look like a complete lunatic in the office. He was always so put together. Even if he was just wearing jeans and a polo shirt, he looked like money. Class. I desperately needed a wardrobe overhaul. Probably a new haircut too. Something sassy and a little shorter, something I could just rip a straightener through in the morning instead of having to go through my current two-hour hair routine. New business, new hair, new clothes, new life… maybe new girlfriend? Everything was changing. “I could only hope to be half the businessperson dad is.”
“Yeah,” she said, her voice still distant. “You want to talk to him?”
“Hey, baby girl,” he said, like he was trying to calm down a fawn caught in a trap. It was so weird. Both of them were acting bizarre. “I don’t have much time.”
“Dad? Are you dying?” I shouted.
“No, heavens no, this phone card is about spent. I just want you to know I love you, Ella. Everything your mom and I ever did was for you. These next couple weeks are going to be rough, but I promise everything is going to be alright. You just keep your eyes on the prize. Preston told me you’re making great progress with the team.”
I was puzzled by his cryptic statements, but they were on vacation. Maybe they were already drinking. “I am. So are you going to sign it all over to me or what?” I asked.
“That’s already been taken care of.”
“Thank you so much, Dad!” I said, jumping up and down with joy, nearly taking my head out on the door of my closet in the process. “I’m going shopping today, just so you know. Probably going to get an alert on your account. I need a lot of stuff.”
“Sure, sure. Don’t hold back. You earned it. I gotta go, cupcake. I love you.”
He hung up the phone and I pulled an armful of clothes out of my closet, tossing them onto the bed. I settled on a pinstriped button-down blouse and a pair of fitted wide legged jeans. I sat in front of my vanity, dabbing foundation under my eyes, trying to hide my lack of sleep. My phone chirped, and my heart skipped a beat as Tonya’s number popped up on the screen. She was thinking about me!
“What exactly is a community outreach liaison?” was all it said.
Immediately I forgot about the weird vibe I was getting from my parents. She was taking the bait. I jumped up and down, trying to get my overexcitement out of my system. I needed to play it cool. With her, I always needed to play it cool.
“You’re going to develop programs to help out the community. Events, scholarship funds, stuff like that.” You’re going to. I didn’t give her any other option.
“I don’t know anything about that. U don’t know me well enough if u think I’m a good face to slap on your business.”
“I think ur the perfect face to slap on the business.” She was everything that embodied the Lady Cats. Fierce. Tough. Hard working. No quit. She did whatever it took to lead her team to victory, all while supporting herself and her family. It was Pittsburgh pride in a nutshell.
“We’ll talk about it tonight,” she messaged back. I was winning all across the board. Maybe my cold shoulder tactics were just what I needed. Or maybe she was just having that bad a day on the construction site. As much as I was infatuated with the tough cookie manual labor bad girl side of her, I knew she was capable of much greater things. To be able to give her those things was the ultimate fantasy fulfillment for me. It was as if I finally had a goal in life, finally had a vision, and it didn’t all hinge on taking from my parents.
Except the shopping spree. I was totally going to take full advantage of that. A couple nice new things for me, a couple shiny gifts for Tonya; it took everything in me not to just go rescue her from work and drag her along for the trip. I knew that was overstepping, though. Easy does it. We could talk about the future tonight.
That and a lot of other things. I sprayed my sheets down with lavender mist as I made my bed and fluffed the pillows. I hoped she came here right after practice all sweaty and dirty, and I could take her in the shower. Take her in the bed. Take her all over the house. The next ten hours were going to be brutal. I needed to get my mind focused though. Business meeting. Shopping. Maybe I could bring her flowers at practice?
Again, that was way overstepping. One day, soon, though.
I pulled out my Louis Vuitton Voyage from the dust bag. I loved this gorgeous handbag, and now I could officially use it. Big enough to fit my laptop, my file folders, everything I needed to run a business. It was no longer just for show. No longer just a thing I had for the sake of having. Maybe I could find a matching one for Tonya. She didn’t seem like a handbag kind of woman, but nobody w
ould ever complain about this buttery Italian leather.
“Any word about school for Areal yet?” she messaged. “Not trying to rush u.”
Her sister. How could I have forgotten? They were a package deal. If I wanted Tonya, I needed to make sure everyone was taken care of. For the first time in my life, I beamed with importance. I was going to save the day. I was going to rescue my damsel in distress, and save her family from a life of misery. It was my destiny.
Chapter Sixteen
Tonya:
“Did you get everything you needed?” I asked Areal. “Sheets, blankets, pillows, all that stuff? Socks?” I really would’ve preferred to be at the apartment when she came to get her stuff, not just so I could make sure she had everything, but so I could hug her. Look her in the eye and make sure she was alright. The last day had been a whirlwind, and sure I was heavily preoccupied with Ella and avoiding my responsibilities, but I needed to be there for Areal now more than ever. I needed to make sure she knew she could come home at any time she wanted and we could go back to normal. I hoped Ella would come through on the school thing because I was sure that alone would be enough for me to win a ‘sister of the year’ award. Mae would have no more leverage and I could get her out of our lives once and for all.
She chuckled, and I knew the answer. She didn’t need any of that stuff at Mae’s house. They already had it. If not, she could go buy more. Easy as that. I knew. I lived it. When she came and ‘adopted’ me, I barely had a shirt on my back.
“Do you want to come have dinner with us tomorrow?” she asked. “We’re going for sushi.”
“Yes, definitely,” I said. I still hadn’t talked to Phil about taking my job back, and aside from practice my evenings were free for the time being. It was a weird feeling. Like something was missing if I wasn’t constantly in motion, constantly fighting for survival. I was trying to embrace the idea of taking a day job with Ella for the team. I knew it was probably the best opportunity I’d ever be offered in my life, but the red flags were everywhere. Not just the fact that my feelings were complicated for her, but the fact that what if her vision for the team actually didn’t work out? She had never seen a day of hardship. She was eternally optimistic. That was cute when it came to our relationship, but when it came down to my finances I wasn’t sure if I could just put my trust in her and her family. “I might bring somebody.”
“What?” Areal asked. “You have a girlfriend?”
“Not a girlfriend. Just somebody I want you to meet.”
“I told you me moving out would be a good thing. See, sis, now you can focus on a real relationship. Not just the revolving door that was your bedroom.” I cringed. I always tried to be discreet, but apparently she was a lot more astute than I wanted to admit.
“You know I’d drop everything in a heartbeat if you needed me.”
“Not going to. You do you, Tonya. And I’m gonna sit here on my brand-new laptop next to the pool and do me.” I couldn’t blame her. Looked like we’d both upgraded our lives in the last week. It was different with me and Ella, though, right?
“School first,” I said. “I want report cards.”
“I’ll text you the login stuff so you can see my grades and talk to my teachers.”
“Fields! Lunch is over!” a voice boomed from afar. The sound of heavy machinery started whirring all around me, and I tossed the empty box of leftovers Ella had packed for me in the trash can, swaggering back to my station. I felt like a spoiled brat for once in my life. No worries. No cares. No impending doom. I wasn’t just Tonya the sign twirler. I was about to be a community liaison. I wasn’t failing my sister, I was letting go of the reins just momentarily until the rest of the puzzle pieces fit together.
And I sure as shit wasn’t going to quit the football team. I finally had the space to give my sport the attention it deserved. I could finally train the way I wanted to without having to run around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to shuffle an impossible schedule. And tonight, when I was tired from a long day of work and practice, I could slide into those soft sheets with my equally soft woman and sleep without a care in the world.
My walkie-talkie hissed and I manned my station, my usual disgruntled frown replaced with a knowing smile. Knowing soon, I could toss this sign over the bridge and call it a day. That was going to be the best day of my life.
Chapter Seventeen
Ella:
We stood in the elevator, waiting for it to reach the top floor of the office building, Savannah, Lindsay, and I. This was going to be our first official meeting, and my palms were sweating as I gripped the carrier full of coffees in my hands. I had never been in charge of anything in my whole life, but I didn’t want these two to think I was incapable. I wanted them to have faith in me to guide their team to a better place. It wasn’t just my future on the line anymore. I was making careers and helping the community.
“This is it,” I said, as the elevator stopped on the top floor. That probably sounded really stupid. Of course this was it. I led the way past the receptionist, who suddenly looked extremely busy the moment we approached. She was probably afraid I was here to spy for my dad. I didn’t care what she did. We were only using this office space until I could find one of our own.
“I’m not gonna lie, this place kind of gives me the creeps,” Lindsay said. “Every time I come here I get yelled at.”
“I promise, I’m not going to yell at anyone.” I swung open the glass door to my father’s corner office and set the coffee down on the desk. “If anything, you guys need to yell at me. Keep me on track. Tell me if I’m overstepping. My name might be on the paperwork, but you guys are the shining stars here. Besides, as soon as we can lock down our own location, I promise you’ll never have to come all the way up here again.”
“This is all really exciting to us, Ella, I hope you know,” Savannah said, sitting down in front of the desk and opening up her laptop. “I’ve been with the Lady Cats since I was a freshman in college. Back then we just played for fun. We played because we loved the sport. Nobody was interested in women’s football unless it was to tell us we shouldn’t be playing it. People thought we were disgusting or just plain crazy. They didn’t like the thought of us invading something that was meant for men only. Back then, we couldn’t even play in local parks without protestors showing up, calling us every name in the book, throwing eggs at our cars, at us. It was an ugly time.”
I could only imagine the pain she felt in the last thirty-five years. Sure the city was a lot more progressive now, and things seemed to get better every day, but I appreciated women like Savannah, like my mother, the women who fought for us to work and live and thrive in places that were once good old boys clubs.
“Things kind of shifted in the early nineties,” she said, taking a sip from her coffee as she shifted in her seat. “Our quarterback, Trina Tucker, was a pretty well-known exotic dancer at the time. Hell of an athlete. Smartest girl I’ve ever met. She was dancing to put herself through law school, classic story, and she was completely open about it. Owned that life. She brought a lot of attention to the team and our little ragtag league. People came to see her play, but they ended up falling in love with the sport. And you know how it goes when something starts to get popular.”
“People figure out how to monetize it. They see dollar signs,” I said.
“There was a huge boom for a while. The publicity was fun. Playing for packed stadiums really boosted everyone’s morale. The women’s football league embraced us, the city embraced us; we were local celebrities for a minute. The money was pretty great too, I’m not going to lie. Getting paid to do something you love, it’s the American dream.”
It sounded exactly like my vision for the team. I wanted every woman who played for the Lady Cats to be able to support their families doing things they loved. I wanted to give them careers.
“What happened?” I asked. I had been over the financials a few times, and starting in 2003, things had started going downhil
l rapidly. The once thriving business had been tits up for almost fifteen years now, without really any explanation.
“The people who bought the team didn’t realize how much time and money it actually takes to keep athletes in performing condition. They weren’t willing to bring in the doctors or trainers we needed. They weren’t willing to pay athletes who needed time off for injuries, and when someone tried to file a workman’s comp claim we found out the organizers hadn’t been paying their taxes at all. Trina actually spearheaded a lawsuit against them on our behalf, and everyone was well taken care of, but after that we were kind of considered pariahs. We’ve been tossed from owner to owner and left to our own devices. It sucks because right now we have a team of some of the most talented and dedicated athletes I’ve ever worked with. We might have been a spectacle in the nineties, but this team…” She trailed off, staring wistfully into space. It all made perfect sense. I guess I hadn’t done enough homework on the team’s history, but none of that mattered now.
“Things are going to change, Savannah. I promise. We’re going to give this team the shot in the arm it needs and deserves.”
“I’ve been trying,” Lindsay said, sadly. “I had big plans. No offense, but your dad was really quick to shoot me down on every level.”
“Everything you did was amazing,” I assured her. “Your work was not in vain. I think we can go ahead and use most of this stuff, to be honest.” I knew from the first day I met her she was good at what she did. After going through her records, I was blown away by her plans. “My dad has no say in what happens from here on out. This is all mine. All ours.”
“I’m sorry I told everyone about the cupcake thing,” she said, reaching for her coffee. “I was frustrated. I was trying to paint a picture. I shouldn’t have thrown you under the bus.”
