“I know that. I don’t care. I know this will work.”
“Why?”
Madison looked down and then at the window behind Elodie’s head without looking directly at her.
“You could only give me twenty minutes. I want to be respectful of that. Would you prefer an hourly or a weekly rate? We can agree on the number of hours each week, and I’ll stick to that. I would need you to travel to tournaments with me. I’ll cover the expenses, obviously. We can do a per diem, or I can just pay for everything myself. Whatever works for you, I’ll do it, okay?”
A phone rang. Elodie looked at her desk phone and at her cell. It must have been Madison’s. She watched as Madison reached down into her purse, pulled out a phone, placed it face down on Elodie’s desk, and then pulled out another phone. She looked at the culprit, dismissed the call, put both phones back into her purse, and stood, slinging it over her shoulder.
“You have two phones?”
“Long story,” Madison replied. “So, how do we do this?”
“I don’t know. You seem to have this all thought out.”
“I’ll send you an email with the info. I can have my dad’s lawyer draw up the contract. You can review the payment details with him, if that’s okay.”
Elodie didn’t need the money, but anything extra would help her work on the practice or on the house, which needed a new roof and, likely, some new plumbing as well.
“They’re not going to let us use the facilities; you know that, right?” Elodie asked, referring to the academy.
“I know that. I’ll find somewhere,” she said.
“And you live there. You know that, too, right?”
“I’ll find a place to live. I’m sure I can find a furnished apartment around here. I’ll want to be as close as possible.”
“Have you seen our downtown? It’s not exactly a thriving metropolis. We have one hotel, one Starbucks, and a bunch of drinking holes.”
“Only one for gays,” Madison added.
“Exactly,” Elodie replied. “I’m going to regret this, but come back here around six tonight. Bring your stuff. We can go over everything then.”
“Bring my stuff?”
“Just trust me.”
“Elodie?” Nancy cracked the door a bit. “The receptionist from your cosmetic surgeon is on the phone. She said that he’s ready to talk to you about that vaginoplasty you wanted to know more details about.” Nancy couldn’t stop herself from smiling at her own, terribly timed joke.
Madison’s eyes went wide.
“She’s kidding,” Elodie said.
“Hey, I don’t judge,” Madison said, holding up her hands with the palms facing Elodie.
CHAPTER 5
“Madison, you don’t have to leave,” Marshall said.
“I appreciate the opportunity to join the program, but I came here for her. I want Elodie to coach me.”
“We have the best–”
“This is a prestigious program; I understand what I’m giving up here. Everybody here is good. There’s this structure and routine that some people need, but I’m not one of them. I knew about the training. That doesn’t bother me; I like hard work. But I didn’t know about curfews and that we weren’t allowed to have people in our rooms or that there was no alcohol allowed at all on the campus.”
“We have underage athletes, and we frown upon–”
“I know,” she interrupted again as they walked. “It’s not that I’m a big drinker or plan to bring people over. It’s more that I need that freedom. I had fewer restrictions in the NCAA. I’m best at my sport when I make my own choices, not when I have others making them for me. I know myself. I know how to get a great performance out of me. And, as much as I wanted this place to be the place for it, I really only came because of Elodie Booker. I could have dealt with the rest, I think, but I don’t want to unless she’s my coach. It wouldn’t be worth it to me otherwise.”
“She’s not coaching at all, Madison. It’s a personal decision for her.”
“I understand. Still, this is the decision I’m making. I’ll pack my stuff up now, and I’ll be out of here as soon as I can in case you can still fill my slot.”
“There’s no rush. Why don’t you take the night? Sleep on it? We can talk in my office tomorrow morning. I can assign a coach to you that I know will–”
She held out her hand for him to shake, effectively cutting him off mid-sentence.
“Thank you very much for having me here. I appreciate you giving me the chance, and I’m sorry for leaving, but I have one shot at getting into the Olympics, and right or wrong, this feels like the right move for me. I just don’t want to wait another four years. Thank you, Marshall.”
It didn’t take her that long to pack because she never fully unpacked yet. She still had the TV and refrigerator in her trunk. She had been planning on donating them since she didn’t need them in the dorm, but she didn’t know where she’d be living now, so she would hang on to them just in case.
Madison didn’t know what Elodie was planning, but she felt good about leaving things in her hands. Something told her this was the right move. No, it wasn’t something. It was someone. She drove to Elodie’s office, feeling good about leaving the academy behind. Then, she noticed her father calling. Madison pressed the button on the screen in her car, connecting to her phone via Bluetooth, and waited.
“So, am I reading this right?” her dad asked.
“Probably,” she answered.
“You’re leaving the program after a day?”
“I only joined because of–”
“I know; that coach you wanted. Is that what you really want?”
“Yes, this is what I want.”
“And you’re not just doing this because of something that–”
“Dad, please,” Madison interrupted him softly. “This is what I want.”
“Marshall called me. They’re keeping the deposit but refunding the rest of the payment. I’ll transfer it to your account. Bill is working on a contract for her. I assume she’ll sign it?”
“I think so.”
“You’re paying her out of that account, Madison. We’re not paying more for one coach than we did for an entire program. The rest of that money is for your room and board. Speaking of which, where are you going to live?”
“I’m on my way to find that out, but I’ll be okay.”
“I’ll make a reservation for you at a hotel for a week at least.”
“Dad, I’m okay.”
“Cancel the reservation if you need to. I just want to make sure you have somewhere to sleep. Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Can she come with you? You have the training facilities here. We–”
“She lives here, Dad. She works here.”
“She’s your coach now.”
“She’s also a lawyer.”
“She’s a lawyer? When is she coaching you? You need someone full-time.”
“She will be. Please, trust me, Dad. I know what I’m doing.”
“Fine. Fine. Your mother will want to talk to you tonight, so please, call her. You’re still coming home for your birthday, right?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well, bring the coach if she can get away from her day job. Your mother and I want to meet the person who’s going to make our daughter an Olympian.”
“I don’t know, Dad. I might–”
“We can talk about it later. I just wanted to throw it out there.”
“Okay. I’m on my way to her office now. Tell Mom I’ll call her later. “
Madison disconnected the call and pulled into the small parking lot outside of the office. Then, she grabbed only her purse and walked up to the door. The lights were on inside, so she assumed it was still open. She knocked for some reason, shook her head a few times, and pushed the door open.
“Did you knock?” Elodie asked.
“Yeah, I didn’t know if I should.”
“With Marshall? He wanted me to stay. I respectfully declined.”
“You respectfully did something?” Elodie teased.
Madison smiled and let out a short laugh.
“I have layers.”
“I bet you do,” Elodie replied.
“So, what am I doing here?”
“That room,” Elodie pointed past Madison, “is a bedroom. You can stay here tonight or until you find a place. It’ll give us a chance to see if this can work or not. You’ll be close enough, and it’ll make it easier for me to handle work.”
“You want me to live here?” Madison asked.
“It has a bed, a full kitchen, and a bathroom that’s all yours. No one goes in there.”
“Why do you have it?”
“I don’t have a guest bedroom at my place, so I keep it here in case I ever need one. I don’t have any other lawyers working here, so I don’t need another office space.”
“The woman I met–”
“That’s Nancy. She’s my paralegal. I also have Matt here part-time. He’s the receptionist – slash – office manager. He keeps the kitchen stocked with coffee and stuff, but not much else. Your groceries are on you, but no one here will touch them.”
“What about rent?”
“Don’t make a mess. Be respectful of the fact that this is a working law office. That means there’s no walking around in your underwear when it’s business hours.”
“Don’t worry. I usually just walk around naked,” she teased.
“Also, none of that,” Elodie said, but she was smiling. “As for rent, just pay for the utilities you use, and we’re good.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind paying.”
“Oh, you’ll pay. You’ll just do it on the field. Tomorrow morning at five, I’ll be here. You better be up and ready to run. We’re going to the trail, and we’re doing three miles. I want to see what you’ve got.”
“Where are we going to actually practice, though?”
“Let me take care of that.”
“Okay,” Madison said. “I’ll look up some other places to live just in case this arrangement doesn’t work out.”
“It’s good to have a backup plan.” Elodie sighed. “Now, I’m exhausted, and I have to be up early tomorrow, so I’m going to head home.”
“Oh, I didn’t see another car in the lot. Do you need a ride or–”
“I’m okay,” Elodie said, smiling still. “I live close.”
“I have to get my stuff from the car.”
“Let me get you the key.” The woman disappeared into the kitchen and came out holding the key. “I’m trusting you here, Madison. Everything with client info is locked up, but it’s not just that. This is my business. It’s my livelihood, and it’s Nancy’s and Matt’s, too.”
“I wouldn’t do anything to mess that up.”
“Okay. Good.” Elodie handed her the key. “There’s an alarm. I usually turn it on when I leave for the day. The code is on that piece of paper.” She pointed to a Post-it note on Matt’s desk. “Please set it when you’re done unpacking. Then, memorize it and shred the Post-it note. The shredder is by Nancy’s desk.”
“I can do that.”
“If there are any problems, call me.”
“I will,” Madison replied.
“I’d offer to help you carry in stuff, but I’m exhausted, and it’s good strength building for you, so get to it. I’ll see you tomorrow morning bright and early.”
Elodie disappeared into her office, grabbed her bag, and then left the office after saying goodbye. Madison pulled what she would need for the night out of her car. Then, she opened the bedroom door for the first time. Elodie had been right. The room had a bed, a bedside table, a small dresser, and not much else. The room did have its own bathroom and a walk-in closet. She put some stuff in the bathroom, hung up some clothes, and placed others neatly in drawers. Then, she climbed back into the car, drove the fifteen minutes to the closest grocery store she could find, picked up some food to get through the next couple of days, came back to the office, and filled the fridge. She went back into the bathroom, turned on the water, and climbed into the shower.
After washing the crazy day off of her skin, she made herself a quick microwaveable dinner, settled into the bed, and turned on her computer. The Wi-Fi password had been on Matt’s desk. She logged onto the Internet, found a movie on Netflix that she could chill out to, and lay back, eating her meal in her third residence in as many days.
CHAPTER 6
“I can do three miles in my sleep,” Madison said.
“Want to make it six?” Elodie asked.
“For someone that’s never been a coach before, you sure are just jumping right in, aren’t you?” Madison took a long drink from her water bottle. “What’s next?”
“Well, I have to go shower for work. You have your own work to do.”
“What’s that?”
“The woods behind my office are on my land. We’ve got just enough space in the backyard to put the target at seventy meters.”
“Your backyard isn’t that big. When I got my water from the kitchen this morning, I could see through the back window.”
“I have the house next to it, too. When you add it all up, I’ve got the space. Right after my house is a huge drop-off, though, with a small creek, so we’ll just have enough.”
“Your house is the one next door?”
“Told you, I lived close,” Elodie said, smiling at her. “And you were slow on that third mile. So, to make it up to me, you’re driving to the sporting goods store and picking up the target and everything else we’ll need. Bring it back here and set it up. Then, go into the woods behind the house and place some paper targets around. Use stands and posts; I don’t want to damage any trees.”
“In the woods?”
“Your nickname is Robin Hood, right?” Elodie teased. “At least ten targets out there before lunch. Speaking of lunch, it’s grilled chicken and a light salad for you. I want another three miles after you watch some footage of Clarke and Davidson from the last Olympics. Watch their stances in particular. Yours isn’t great. Take notes. After that, go for that run. When you get back, have a light snack. Then, go out and warm up. I’ll be out back after I finish some paperwork from my last client meeting of the day. Be warmed up by four. We’ll get started then.”
“Get started? That’s a whole day.” Madison chuckled.
“This is it, Madison. You played in college, but you just dropped out of the number one training academy in the country. I won’t give you a curfew because you’re an adult. I won’t mandate what you do when we’re not practicing or force you to eat what I think you should. But, if I’m coaching you, I will tell you what I think you should do.”
“Okay.” Madison nodded.
“On that note, there’s a gym about twenty minutes from here. Get both of us a membership. We’ll spend time there building up your strength.”
“So, no Zumba classes?” Madison asked, smiling.
“Dance on your own time, Fletcher.” Elodie patted her on the shoulder. “Now, I’m going to work.”
“I’ll see you at four,” Madison said.
Elodie left her at the office to go home and shower. She had run alongside Madison, and it had been tough, keeping up. She knew she’d feel it later, but she hadn’t wanted to show weakness on their first day. What the hell had she been thinking? Madison was twenty-two years old and in good shape. Elodie won’t be able to keep up with her.
She showered and made herself coffee. Then, she stared at the bottle of wine she had finished the night before and had left on the counter. That was also probably contributing to her lethargy. She tossed the bottle into the recycling bin and finished her coffee and breakfast. Then, she went to work. She was glad t
o see that Madison’s car was already gone. It meant she was taking this seriously.
“Your first meeting canceled,” Matt said the moment she walked through the door. “And someone emailed a contract. I printed it out – since you’re old-school and don’t care about the environment – and put it on your desk.”
“Thanks, Matt. Where’s Nancy?” she asked.
“Working from home today. Her demon spawn is sick.”
“You have got to stop calling all children demon spawn, Matthew.”
“I don’t call all children that; just hers.”
Elodie laughed at his antics and said, “Not to her face, though, right?”
“Only once; right after the thing bit me.”
“Matt, he’s a little boy. They do that sometimes. You did that; I’m sure.”
“I needed stitches.”
“You needed one stitch. Calm down. I’ll be in my office if you need me. Can you hold my calls?”
“I can until eleven. Then, I’m heading out to class.”
“Okay. What’s my afternoon look like?”
“You don’t have anything this afternoon. Should I be worried that you’re not going to be able to pay me?”
“Pay you for what? You hardly work when you’re here,” she joked, winked at him, and disappeared into her office.
She caught up on some paperwork for the first hour. Then, she finally looked at the contract Madison’s father’s lawyer had sent over. The terms were reasonable, as was the pay. She signed it digitally, since that was how the world worked now, and emailed it back to the other attorney. She finished some work until she heard Matt leave for the day. Then, she went to the kitchen to grab some more coffee. The kitchen was clean as always, but there was a lot more food in the cabinets and refrigerator than she was used to seeing. On top of that, there was a lot of junk food. It appeared, Madison Fletcher had a thing for anything with cheese in it, including cheese-flavored chips, crackers, and frozen pizza. That wouldn’t work. If she wanted to train like an Olympian, she would have to cut this out.
“Hi, sorry if I’m interrupting anything,” Madison said as she walked into the kitchen looking like she’d just hiked through the Amazon for days.
“What the hell happened to you?” Elodie asked, closing the refrigerator to take her in properly.
A Shot at Gold Page 4
