Any Way the Wind Blows - E. Lynn Harris [80]
“You know, it’s all love. I’ll talk to you later,” I said as I punched line two on my phone.
“D. Whatsup? You got some good news for me?” I asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Have you thought about the tutor?” I asked.
“Not really,” Daschle said.
“Then what’s going on?”
“I’m signing with PMK,” he said coldly.
“What?”
“I don’t want you to represent me anymore.”
“Why not?” I asked. I couldn’t believe my trying to help this mofo better himself was going to cost me a client.
“Let’s just say I got some information that don’t sit right with me.”
“What kind of information?”
“I don’t want to go into that right now. I’m with my girl,” Daschle said.
“Is she the reason?” I asked, remembering how I had suggested Daschle wait until he got his signing bonus before he started buying fleets of cars for his girl and family. He had agreed, and he didn’t seem to me like a man who was whipped when it came to the females in his life.
“Naw, I make my own decisions. And if this information I heard gits out, I think some of your other people gonna jump ship too,” Daschle said with an ominous tone. What information was the dude talking about? I wondered.
“D, dude, I thought we were tight. Tell me what happened. If I’ve done something to offend you or your crew, just tell me. I’m trying to make sure you get the best not only with the league, but with your life as well,” I said.
“Looks like to me you need to get your own life straight. Later,” Daschle said, without even saying goodbye.
• • •
I was approaching Brison’s office to tell him about Daschle’s defection when I heard Nico talking loud. This was not usual for Nico, but as I got closer, I heard him say my name, so I stood right outside the door to hear what he was saying.
“Brison, I’m telling you, if this shit is true, then we need to cut our losses and buy Basil out. Not only will he hurt the client base we got right now, but it will hurt any chances we have to sell the firm down the line,” Nico said.
“Don’t bring up that ‘let’s sell’ shit. Tell me what Jamal said.”
“He said that somebody called him and told him B was a fucking faggot. Has been for a long time. Now that I think about it, he was never really against that faggot you tried to bring in the firm last year. What was his name?”
“You talking about Zurich Robinson?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“How does Jamal know this? I mean, it could just be gossip. Basil is our partner. We can’t try to buy him out based on a rumor. Every famous person around has been accused of being gay at some point. And what if he is gay? He still brings in clients. He’s a good partner,” Brison said.
I was proud that he was defending me, but what in the fuck was Nico talking about? And what was Jamal Hay-wood, one of our top baseball clients, doing spreading rumors about me? I felt like some little bitch eavesdropping, and for a moment I started to just bust in the office and confront Nico. Instead I cleared my throat and knocked on Brison’s door. There was a sudden hush, and then I heard Brison ask, “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Brison,” I said as I walked into his office. Nico nodded and then looked away.
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like we got a little problem,” I said. Nico turned around and just looked at me like I was the lowest of the low. I wanted to punch his punk ass out, but I resisted.
“Problem?” Brison quizzed.
“Daschle is leaving the company,” I said.
“What? When did that happen? And why?” Brison asked.
“Yeah, tell us why, Basil,” Nico said. His voice sounded so businesslike and official and not like the man I regularly called buddy.
“I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with me confronting him about not being able to read,” I said.
“Daschle can’t read?” Brison asked.
“No, he can’t, and I called him on it and tried to get him some help,” I said.
“What’s so surprising ’bout that? A lot of our mutherfucking clients can’t read