Robbie's Scheme

by Justin Haines

  He reaches his fist out to give Robbie some props, but Robbie ignores it and decides to press the point with Teddy. He takes a step out from his chair so his face is merely a few inches from Teddy’s.

  “Look, she makes me happy. Do either of you have a problem with her tagging along to make me happy?”

  Robbie can see the conflict in Teddy’s eyes and hears the air inhaling through his nostrils as he contemplates Robbie’s statement. Wisely, Teddy decides to pick another battle. He offers a meek smile before finally turning his head away from Robbie’s.

  Jalen raises his hand for Theo to high-five on his way out of the room, but it’s ignored along with his grin. Teddy leaves the office without saying another word.

  Robbie interprets it as a sign of submission and decides to enjoy this moment. With Teddy gone, his eyes are again looking out at the East River. With a smile on his face, Robbie places his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath in to puff out his chest. This is a good moment and one he knows he’ll want to remember.

  Jalen’s more hesitant to believe Theo’s accepting this without a fight. He considers following him out of the room to leave Robbie alone but decides to enjoy the moment while he can. Once Theo’s well out of sight, Jalen kicks his feet up on the desk and joins Robbie in smiling. His war with Theo was lost long ago, but it’s nice to celebrate the occasional victorious skirmish. Hopefully, the arrival of this mystery woman brings more defeats for Theo.

  “Does Ben know you’ll be trying for a happy ending in his box?”

  Chapter Seven

  “Look at these bums out there! George is trying to buy himself a championship but the big paychecks make his guys fat and lazy. We’re the little engine that could, the young upstart ready for our turn in the spotlight.”

  “You think you’ve got a chance in this series?” Jalen asks, growing sick of Ben’s jeers. The game’s barely begun, but he already has a headache, and it’s not from the stadium’s crowd noise.

  “Please,” Ben sneers in response. “It’s David versus Goliath. Derek Lang’s our slingshot, making David sure to win yet again.”

  “I hear Derek Lang’s going to be playing for us next season. You not able to offer him a better contract?”

  Robbie inhales sharply as he braces for Ben’s incoming tirade. So much for Jalen getting his fandom out of his system around the office. No wonder sports enthusiasts are referred to as fanatics. There isn’t nearly this much bickering at the ballet or opera, where Robbie’s more comfortable.

  “This is what I’m talking about,” Ben yells as he throws a handful of peanuts in the air. He probably meant to throw them in the direction of the field, but no one can tell from their scattershot landing. “George is trying to buy the whole damn game. Derek’s been with us since he was an eighteen-year-old kid. We’ve developed him, we’ve nurtured him, we’ve marketed him. Hell, we’ve made him what he is today. Now, his first chance to leave, he’s repaying all of our generosity by jumping ship to the highest bidder.”

  “Wouldn’t you do the same?” Robbie laughs at his joke to try and lighten the mood in the luxury box. He shoots Jalen a dirty look, one he’s learning from Teddy, to shut him up from antagonizing Ben any further.

  It has mixed results. Jalen complies by taking a long gulp from his beer and ripping a chunk from his soft pretzel. But Maya seizes the momentary lull to jump into the conversation.

  “He’s been playing for you guys for well below market value for years. Can you really blame him for wanting to maximize his earnings with only a few years left in his prime? It’s not like you’re going to pay him when his back is too sore to hit the ball anymore.”

  The sound of a woman’s voice surprises most of the men in the luxury box. They’re more accustomed to the wives congregating around the bar and buffet, away from the seats with a prime view of the diamond. It takes Ben a second to even realize the comment is addressed to him.

  “We pay him the most his union wants us to pay him,” Ben says dismissively.

  “What do you mean? He asked for a lot more in arbitration and you guys got lucky. How is that his union’s fault?” Jalen asks before a glare from Robbie reminds him to keep quiet.

  “What we need to do is lock these greedy players out until they accept a new contract. And we need to force new revenue sharing measures down George’s throat. The game can’t survive this way.”

  The topic seems to come out of nowhere and Robbie hopes one of the sycophants hanging around Ben will answer instead of any member of his party. After all, what do any of them know about the intricacies of baseball labor negotiations or payroll management.

  Unfortunately, he knows luck isn’t on his side when he watches Maya lean forward in her seat and turn her shoulders to face Ben directly.

  “This way is giving you a chance at winning a championship,” says Maya.

  She doesn’t notice Robbie trying to subtly motion for her to stop. Or, Robbie worries, maybe she just doesn’t care.

  “I hate to admit it, but we’re lucky to be here. It’s not sustainable. If George steals Derek from us, he knows he can come back next year. Meanwhile, Milwaukee may as well accept no playoff trips for the next five years. Losing him could force us into a fire sale and full rebuild. And that will hurt all of baseball. How am I supposed to convince the governor to fund my new stadium if the team isn’t competitive and attracting any fans?”

  “How’s the stadium battle going?” Robbie asks in an effort to change the subject away from Ben’s contentious small market opinions. He doesn’t like that Maya stays on the edge of her seat, her eyes still locked on Ben.

  “Ah, it’s going. The governor wants to help us, but there’s only so much he can do. His own party’s against it.”

  “Why would his party split with him on this?” Maya interrupts.

  No part of her is intimidated by Ben’s wealth or power, which is a large part of why Robbie likes her. But right now, he’s finding it infuriating as she interrupts their host with comments that will surely antagonize him into an argument.

  On her part, Maya’s curiosity prompts the question. She isn’t familiar with Wisconsin state politics and isn’t sure if this could be a big potential scoop or if it’s public knowledge around the state. Either way, she’s strongly against any government helping a billionaire build a new stadium when he already has a perfectly serviceable one, and she wants to hear Ben’s point of view on the subject.

  “The man’s smart enough to know he’ll be remembered as the man who lost baseball. If that happens, it’ll never come back to our state. Now, we just need the mayor to get on board.”

  “Didn’t the mayor give a press conference on the details of his proposal to build a new stadium?” Maya asks as she racks her brain. The press conference was on in the background of the newsroom a few days ago. She tries to envision the chyron at the bottom of the screen. “Isn’t he offering to fund over half of your new stadium? That sounds pretty supportive to me.”

  “That’s his public posturing. His actual deal comes with way too many strings attached. He wants us to play downtown to help revitalize the urban core. Plus, he expects me to split concession and ticket revenues with him. The man’s out of his mind.”

  “Isn’t he offering the stadium to you rent-free?”

  Maya asks, legitimately trying to remember the details of the mayor’s proposal. “Splitting profits seems like a pretty fair deal to me.”

  “It’s a robbery,” Ben corrects her. “We’ll never play downtown. There’s too much public transit to bring people to the games. I can make way more money from a parking garage if we build it outside of town. Plus, I own more land around there for surrounding restaurants and apartment buildings. We can build something special, a true entertainment hub for the region. I just need to apply a little more political pressure.”

  “Do you have a plan for that?” Theo asks.

  Robbie’s head spins around at Teddy’s first words since entering the luxury box. Robb
ie didn’t expect Teddy to be a problem, he’s been busy focusing his glare on Maya and Jalen. He only has so many eyeballs to go around.

  “Well, winning this series would go a long way. The league’s also going to be releasing a study on the viability of a team moving to Las Vegas or Portland. That’ll help me. No one wants to see a champion leave town.”

  “I often find visualizing my success and writing down the steps to achieve it as an effective strategy,” Theo says. “If you have some time in your schedule, we could arrange a meeting to help you win funding for this stadium.”

  “Is it the taxpayers’ responsibility to make you more money?”

  Robbie’s no longer sure if he’s upset at Maya for pushing this debate or grateful for her cutting off the start of Teddy’s POTCH recruitment pitch. He grabs his water bottle and chugs it all down, knowing all of the nervous sweating this conversation’s causing will make him dehydrated.

  “It’s their responsibility if they don’t want to lose baseball forever. People like to think of themselves as major league cities. Losing us would be a major blow to that image.”

  “With the league’s revenue-sharing you made a nice profit last year. Why not reinvest it in the community?” Jalen asks absentmindedly. He’s trying to focus on the game and is only half paying attention to the conversation. He doesn’t notice how contentious it’s becoming or that Robbie looks like he’s about to start pulling his hair out.

  “Because I shouldn’t have to. It’s my money. And I should have more of it, not less. George is being greedy by hoarding so much with the New York market.”

  “But he reinvests it in his team,” Jalen says. “It’s why we always have a winner.”

  “George buys his wins. The rest of us try to build our teams the right way.”

  “Is the right way extorting the public?” Maya asks.

  Robbie can’t believe his ears. He throws his empty water bottle onto the ground and stands up from his seat to find a real drink. He knows Teddy won’t approve, but right now, he’s more worried about Ben figuring out how Maya won access to his personal box.

  “The right way is more difficult. We need the support of our community if they don’t want to lose us. Plenty of other communities are offering that support.”

  “The only way a community can show their support is if their politicians fund a stadium you demand all the profits from?”

  “That’s right. I expect them to put the proper pressure on their elected officials. Likewise, I expect them to put that pressure on the players to accept whatever labor deal we offer them to end a lockout.”

  “Will there be a lockout this year?”

  “Of course. These players are getting too greedy and the big markets are winning too much. The game needs a better competitive balance.”

  Maya shakes her head at Ben’s greed and gets up from her seat. She marches straight out of the luxury box without looking back at the field. She’s seen enough baseball for one night. She’s seen enough of the behind-the-scenes for a lifetime.

  Watching her leave, Robbie knows he won’t have a chance to enjoy a drink. He glances back at Ben and realizes nothing he says will matter right now; the result of the game will dictate Ben’s mood. So, he decides to run after Maya. At least her feelings are still salvageable.

  Bursting out of the luxury box, he spots Maya only a few steps from the escalator. She’s walking remarkably fast, forcing Robbie into a jog as he yells out for her. She hears him right before stepping onto the escalator and turns around. The look on her face freezes Robbie in his tracks. He suddenly wonders if it would be better to give her some space.

  “Why do you put up with that?” Maya yells. “How can you sit through it?”

  “Come on, you know me,” Robbie pleads. “You know I don’t believe anything he’s saying. But I need men like that to give me their money so I can support my actual beliefs and take action.”

  “But why do you make men like that more money? The greedy bastard has far more than he deserves.”

  “If I don’t take money from scumbags, I wouldn’t be in a position to help so many people who need real help, not empty words from corrupt politicians.”

  “Some politicians are good. They bring real change.”

  Robbie shakes his head. “Trust me, they’re all the same. I know it firsthand — it’s not one bad apple, it’s the whole bunch.”

  “I can’t believe that man. He’s shameless in his greed.”

  Maya’s expression is starting to soften, giving Robbie the courage to close the distance between them. He wraps his arms around her in a gentle embrace and tries to offer a soothing voice.

  “Sometimes that’s better than hiding it.”

  “But he is hiding it. He’s not making any of those comments to his fans or the politicians. You only hear it because he feels comfortable around you.”

  “That’s not true. Everyone knows it. Nothing he said isn’t an open secret.”

  “So it’s okay to talk about?”

  The look in Maya’s eyes makes Robbie hesitate. He’s not sure where she’s going with this, but she’s starting to smile, and he wants to keep making Maya happy. He nods his head and returns her smile, letting her know it’s okay to talk about.

  The smile disappears from Maya’s lips. A far more serious expression replaces it as she shakes Robbie’s arms off of her and takes a step away.

  “If I were to publish something about his comments, can I tell my editor you’re an anonymous source confirming there will ‘of course’ be a lockout this year because of players and big markets’ greed?”

  He doesn’t like the path she’s heading down and matches her serious expression. “Maya, my career depends on these relationships.”

  “That’s why you’ll be anonymous. I’ll only tell my editor you’re a source if he demands to know how I know this information before we publish it. Nobody else. And he isn’t likely to.”

  “You heard it all with your own ears. Why do you need me to be involved?”

  “I don’t want to go back in there and ask him for comment or confirm if it’s on or off the record. It’s better if this story comes from a source with first-hand knowledge. There would be too many questions about how I wormed my way into that seat.”

  Robbie looks around to see if any security guards are taking a special interest in their conversation. Satisfied no one’s eavesdropping, he steps forward to pull Maya back into a hug. Knowing that she needs him to agree, he’s confident she won’t wiggle out of this one.

  “Do you think this is a good idea?”

  “It’s important for people to know what’s being talked about behind closed doors. It shouldn’t be an open secret, it needs to be brought out of the shadows and into the light. While I’m at it, I want to write about his stadium battle, the reasons for the location mattering, and why a deal hasn’t been struck yet. Can you back up the sourcing for those comments as well?”

  “If it’s this important to you and everything stays anonymous,” Robbie says hesitantly. He’s still choosing his words as he speaks. “I don’t see any reason to stop you.”

  Maya smiles and leans into Robbie’s hug. She wraps her arms around his back to squeeze him before resting her head against his shoulder. She knows the saying about actions speaking louder than words and is happy Robbie isn’t forcing her to sit silently and listen to this crap. She’s also happy she can push him off the sidelines and make him continue helping the fight against greed, how ever slowly it may be.

  “I’ve been reading about hedge funds since we met,” Maya says, her head still on Robbie’s shoulder. “Most of them draw their investments from pension funds and endowments. Why do you take so much money from these despicable individuals? Why not tell them to find someone else and work with teacher’s unions or universities who need your help?”

  “Trust me, the pension funds are doing just fine with my competitors. Everyone will be able to retire comfortably. I believe taking the money from th
ese scumbags is for the greater good.”

  “You’re helping them.”

  “I’m helping many more people,” Robbie interrupts.

  “Is it worth it?” Maya asks as she steps back from Robbie, away from his embrace. “Knowing you’re making men like that richer? Their money brings them more power.”

  “Yes,” Robbie says sternly. “I know it.”

  “You believe it, but I’m not so sure. I can’t go back in there, Robbie. I can’t sit through another word of his self-obsessed nonsense.”

  Maya looks down at her shoes, waiting to hear if Robbie will be joining her on the escalator or sticking with the greed. She feels his suit jacket covering her shoulders before he says anything.

  “Here, it’s late. I don’t want you to be cold.”

  “Thanks, Robbie,” Maya smiles and she pulls the suit jacket tighter around her. She wasn’t particularly cold, but she enjoys feeling its warmth. It takes her a minute to find her nerve again and take another step back from Robbie. “I’m leaving now. Do you want to come with me and find a more productive way to spend the evening?”

  “I can’t leave now. After asking for these tickets and with everyone in there, it would look really bad for me to leave.”

  Maya can hear the disappointment in his voice as he glances back at the door of the private box. She recognizes this is a hard decision for him but looks at the escalator to make it clear she won’t be changing her mind.

  “It looks really bad either way, Robbie. It just depends on who’s viewpoint you care more about.”

  Maya doesn’t look back as she steps onto the escalator and lets it carry her down the stadium.

  Chapter Eight