In The Pocket (Sample - First 5 Chapters)

5 The Ride

"So it's a bunch of women in thongs and teddies running around tackling each other. They call it lingerie football and men actually buy tickets to watch it. They get away with it too because the proceeds go to charity so they can say it's for a good cause," Emily was telling me as we entered the office together the following day.

Nick had my car so Emily and I had decided to carpool. I snorted a laugh at her ridiculous explanation of the "charity" event a local strip club was hosting that she had overheard some of the players talking about.

"Anyway," she continued, taking a seat across from my desk as I sat my briefcase down and tapped my computer awake, "how was your business meeting?"

I looked up at her enunciation and sighed.

"Admittedly, it might be the only business meeting I've ever attended where I had a follow up with my vibrator," I told her and she choked on her coffee before smiling up at me and we both started laughing.

There was a knock on the door then and I glanced up to see Brad peering in through where he had cracked the door open.

"Excuse me, Miss Rollins, but there's a Dean Henson with NBC Sports out here for you."

"Thank you, Brad. Send him in," I answered.

"I'll let you get to your meeting," Emily said, standing, "but I want to hear more about your dinner tonight."

I nodded and settled into my seat as Emily left my office and Dean Henson entered. He wore a pressed suit with a colorful tie and was every bit the on camera media personality as he entered and flashed me a blindingly white smile. I stood and shook his hand in greeting as we took our seats.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Henson," I said. "I as you know, the team values our relationship with NBC greatly. So, what can I do for you?"

"Ah, I had an interview scheduled with Liam Oliver through your predecessor," he told me. "They had agreed to a live taping with myself and my co-host, Melody Ryan. I just wanted to come and meet you and get that on the books."

"Right. Yes. Phil had left me a note about that. Mr. Oliver had already agreed to the interview. You're just wanting to schedule it, yes?" I asked, tapping away at my computer. He smiled and nodded. "Excellent. Let me pull up Mr. Oliver's calendar. He's got no time on Friday, he will be busy with a team charity event then. I can give you an hour after practice on Thursday if that would work for you and Miss Ryan? You can use the media room just down the hall."

"That would be excellent, thank you, and what time would that be?"

"Around four pm? If that works for you, I'll add it to his calendar. Of course, these things will always have to go through final approval with Mr. Oliver himself but he isn't in the habit of cancelling interviews."

Mr. Henson waited as I typed the entry into the quarterback's calendar.

"While we're on the subject of calendars," the newscaster started, leaning forward and flashing me a smile, "any chance you could check yours for a time that I could take you to dinner?"

I paused, glancing up at the polished anchorman seated across from me.

"I'm sorry, are you asking me on a date?" I asked.

"I am. You're very beautiful and, I'm hoping, very single."

I chuckled, "I am single, yes. I just sort of have a thing against going out with someone that I work with."

"Well then, it's a good thing that you work for the Los Angeles Chargers and I work for NBC. What do you say? Saturday night? Drinks?"

"Oh, I-okay. Yeah. Sounds good."