Underneath It All

Chapter 7

"Are you seriously going to wear that?" Marie scowled at my pantsuit, my nicest one in fact. I loved it with all my heart, but her stance told me that it was not appropriate.

"What why not? I think it's very professional." I was going to Tom's house tonight for our 'dinnterview' and I wanted to look professional, especially since my work obviously knew I was going to be there. "Okay, but you can look professional and sexy. It is Tom Brady for Christ sake." I sighed and turned to her, arms crossed. "Well then miss fashions, YOU pick me an outfit." 

She wasted no time as she rummaged through my closet to pull out my nicest dress. I hadn't worn it in years, way back when I was going out a lot more you could say. 

"This one." The red velvet was such a piece, so beautiful and stunning, but damn did that feel like a lot for this. "Marie, doesn't this seem suggestive at all? Like 'hey I'm here to do an interview, not'". She winked and then giggled to herself as she walked out. 

"Put it on and get going, don't want to be late!" I rolled my eyes as I gave in. Fuck it, why not?

-----

Pulling up to his house never get any less amazing and I still felt as starstruck as the first time. I parked out front and walked up and was greeted by the door opening before I could even knock.

"Nora, so good to see you again." His eyes did a quick scan as he let me in and I could feel a blush, but I quickly got my thoughts arranged. 

"Good to see you again as well Tom." We shook hands and his smile was just everything. He had to quit doing that. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. We can start the interview if you'd like in the living room." I followed him there, taking the seat across from him. I pulled my phone out and set it to voice recording and setting it down.

"Okay, as last time, its a pleasure to be speaking with you Mr. Brady." He nodded. "The pleasure is all mine." Oh God, again with the smile and the eyes.

"Now this time I'd like to ask some more questions about your life. What was it like growing up, knowing that you weren't that good? Or at least didn't seem it from the outside?" He chuckled for a second. "Wow not good?" I felt immediately regretful, but as I went to say something he held his hand out. "Kidding, I wasn't, that's true. I was slow, did not have the greatest spiral or throw, not the strongest arm out there and I was kinda of awkward on the field. I knew all of this though. What I also knew though was that I had the biggest heart and I had the best drive and work ethic. That's what set me apart and I'm not saying it still does, because to be in the NFL you have to have great work ethic, but the mindset I had then is still the same." 

I knew this all to be true, but it still fascinated me. He was a legend for sure, but having to do it all when you weren't gifted those extra things is what amazed me the most. 

"Do you think your competitors overlook that about you? Your insane work drive?" I'd say no, but who knows his view on it.

"I don't think so, I think I've been in the league long enough that I don't have many tricks up my sleeve, I'm not really surprising anyone to win. They know that if they want to win against me they are going to have to work insanely hard, because that's my reputation. I don't need to win with flare and tricks, I win just by working the hardest and my team working the hardest as well. Sometimes we don't though and that's when losses happen." That brought up an interesting point to lead to my next question.

"Good point, losses. How do you take those? Especially losses on the big stage?"

He sighed, "Well, it never gets easier. It still stings like a son of a bitch, but you learn from it. You learn that you needed to work harder and continue to do so. It's life, sometimes you're on top of the world and sometimes your'e looking up at those who are. But you have to fail sometimes to know what you need to work on."