Chapter 467 - The Man Everyone Wants I

Chapter 467: Chapter 467 - The Man Everyone Wants I

Roxie had covered presidential elections, congressional hearings, international summits, and enough political scandals to know that journalists could become particularly annoying when they were waiting for someone important.

Apparently, professional football was no different.

In fact, it was worse.

She glanced around the media room at the New York Giants’ training facility in New Jersey, wondering why so many reporters were still gathered near the entrance when the event had already been underway for almost two hours.

There were photographers standing beside their equipment, camera operators checking their batteries, and reporters repeatedly looking at their phones. Some had finished their scheduled interviews but seemed to have no intention of leaving.

Interesting.

Roxie checked the event schedule again.

The Giants had organized a preseason media event to discuss the team’s preparations for the upcoming football season. Coaches, returning players, and several new additions to the roster were available to answer questions about training, expectations, and the challenges ahead.

It was exactly the sort of assignment her new department expected her to handle.

And she intended to handle it properly.

She’d spent most of the previous evening reviewing game footage, reading about the team’s performance last season, and familiarizing herself with the players. She’d also watched several interviews conducted by experienced sports reporters to understand which questions were being asked and which subjects seemed particularly important.

God, she’d learned more about offensive formations over the past few weeks than she ever expected to know.

Football itself wasn’t unfamiliar. She’d grown up watching games, cheered at enough of them in high school, and spent years dating someone who practically lived for the sport.

Unfortunately, watching your boyfriend play football and explaining why a professional team’s offensive line struggled against defensive pressure were two completely different things.

She’d discovered that very quickly.

Still, journalism was journalism. She knew how to research a subject, evaluate information, and ask questions that would produce something useful for viewers.

She was determined to prove that changing departments hadn’t suddenly made her incompetent.

"Roxie?"

She turned toward the camera operator assigned to accompany her.

"We’ve got the footage from the first session," he told her. "The editor wants to know if you’ll be recording another stand-up before we leave."

"Probably. I want to finish the player interviews first. Did you get the coach’s answer about the offensive line?"

"Yeah. The whole thing."

"Great. Make sure we keep the part where he explains the changes they’re making."

He nodded and returned to checking the equipment.

Roxie glanced down at her notes.

So far, the event had gone reasonably well.

She’d spoken briefly with one of the assistant coaches about the team’s preparations and interviewed two players about their expectations for the coming season.

One of them had been particularly enthusiastic about the new offensive system, although Roxie suspected he’d been instructed to avoid saying anything remotely controversial.

That seemed to be a universal requirement in professional sports.

She’d asked him what specific improvements he expected to see when training camp began.

He’d given her a long answer about teamwork, discipline, and maintaining a positive attitude.

Wonderful.

Three minutes of talking, and she’d learned absolutely nothing.

She’d followed up by asking which aspect of the new system had required the biggest adjustment during their offseason work.

That finally produced something useful.

The player explained that communication before the snap had been a major focus and that the team was working on making decisions more quickly when defenses changed their formation.

At least that was something viewers could understand.

Roxie smiled to herself.

She might be new to sports broadcasting, but she knew when someone was avoiding a question.

And she certainly knew how to ask another one.

"Excuse me, are you Roxie?"

She looked up.

A man wearing a press credential stood beside her, holding a notebook and a half-empty cup of coffee.

"Yes?"

"Ben Carver. I cover the Giants for the New York Sports Ledger."

"Oh. Hi."

He smiled. "I thought that was you. I used to watch your evening broadcasts."

Roxie felt the familiar irritation return.

There it was.

Every time someone recognized her lately, she had to prepare herself for the inevitable questions about Crestline and why she’d suddenly appeared in sports coverage.

"Thanks," she replied politely.

"Didn’t realize you’d joined the sports department."

"Neither did I until recently."

Ben laughed.

"Well, welcome to the madness."

"Is it always like this?"

"Depends on the event. Sometimes it’s worse."

He glanced toward the growing number of reporters near the entrance.

"Especially when Prescott’s expected."

Roxie’s fingers stopped moving across her notebook.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Of course.

She should have known.

"Prescott?" she repeated, keeping her expression neutral.

"Zac Prescott. He’s supposed to be here later."

"I see."

Ben looked surprised.

"You didn’t know?"

"I knew there would be several players available. I hadn’t seen his name confirmed on the schedule."

"Yeah, they rarely confirm him until the last minute. His schedule’s pretty tight, and he doesn’t always participate in these things."

Roxie nodded, pretending this information interested her in a perfectly ordinary professional way.

Which it should.

She was a sports journalist now, and Zac Prescott happened to be one of the most recognizable athletes in the country.

There was absolutely nothing unusual about her knowing his name.

Or his height.

Or what he looked like without a shirt.

Fuck.

She immediately looked down at her notes.

Ben continued talking.

"I’ve been trying to get a proper interview with that guy for almost six months."

"Six months?"

"Yeah. His representatives are impossible. Most of the time, you send a request and get a very polite rejection."

Roxie almost laughed.

A polite rejection?

Apparently, Zac had learned some manners when dealing with strangers.

How impressive.

"He’s that difficult to book?" she asked.

"He’s one of the biggest quarterbacks in the league. Everybody wants him. Sports networks, magazines, podcasts, business publications. Hell, I’ve heard people offer ridiculous amounts just to get him to attend events."

Roxie glanced toward the entrance again.

Several photographers had gathered near the doors, checking their equipment.

"So that’s why everybody’s still here?"

Ben followed her gaze.

"Pretty much. Half these people finished their assignments an hour ago. They’re waiting for him."

"Does he usually give interviews at events like this?"

"Depends on his mood. Sometimes he’ll answer questions for ten minutes. Sometimes he gives you three sentences and disappears."

Ben checked his phone.

"Anyway, if you get a chance to ask him something, take it. Even a short clip of Prescott can bring in a ridiculous number of viewers."

Roxie smiled politely.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

He excused himself and headed toward another group of reporters.

She watched him leave before looking down at her notebook.

If you could get Zac to sit down for an exclusive interview, your views would skyrocket.

Roxie pressed her lips together.

Of course, Mason thought that was a brilliant idea.

He hadn’t spent the morning after Kendall’s wedding arguing with Zac in a hotel room.

He hadn’t been accused of moving on too easily after their breakup, either.

And he certainly hadn’t spent the following weeks trying to forget an entire night that should never have happened.

She’d avoided looking at Zac’s social media accounts since returning from Italy. She’d also ignored several articles about his public appearances, particularly those mentioning Olivia.

Unfortunately, working in sports meant she could hardly avoid reading about the quarterback of the New York Giants.

It was becoming increasingly irritating.

"Prescott’s coming?"

Roxie glanced toward two reporters standing near the row of chairs behind her.

"That’s what I heard," one answered. "They’re bringing him in after the next session."

"Seriously? I’ve been trying to get an interview with him since February."

"Everybody has."

"His publicist told us he wasn’t available until after training camp."

"Well, apparently he’s available today."

The first reporter looked toward the entrance.

"Think they’ll let us ask about his contract?"

"Maybe. I’d ask about the offense first. If you start with contract questions, he’ll probably walk out."

Roxie lowered her eyes to her notes.

Wonderful.

Apparently, the man was just as difficult with journalists as he was with everyone else.

At least she wasn’t the only person who found him exhausting.

She checked the time.

Her department had scheduled her to record a short report summarizing the event, and she still needed to speak with another player before leaving.

She had actual work to do.

Work that had nothing to do with Zac Prescott.

Roxie returned to the interview area.

A young receiver was speaking with several reporters about his preparations for the coming season. She waited for an opening before introducing herself and asking whether he’d noticed any difference in the team’s approach during their offseason sessions.

He gave her a detailed answer about learning new routes, improving communication with the quarterbacks, and adjusting to the expectations of the coaching staff.

Roxie listened carefully, then asked what he believed would be the biggest challenge when the team began facing opposing defenses again.

The player considered her question for a moment.

"Honestly? Probably making sure we execute everything consistently. You can look great during practice, but once somebody’s actually trying to stop you, that’s when you find out what needs work."

That was useful.

She asked one more question about the competition for playing time, thanked him, and stepped aside to review the recording.

See?

She could do this.

Her questions had produced clear answers, and she understood enough of the discussion to explain it to viewers without sounding like someone who’d learned football terminology five minutes earlier.

Which was a relief, considering how much research she’d done.

She made a few notes for her report.

The Giants were emphasizing communication, execution, and consistency. Coaches were confident about the team’s preparations, although they acknowledged that training camp would provide a more realistic assessment of their progress.

It was a perfectly respectable sports segment.

She might even enjoy doing this eventually.

The thought surprised her.

Roxie had spent so much time resenting the transfer that she’d barely considered whether sports journalism could be interesting on its own.

There was plenty to investigate. Contracts, injuries, coaching decisions, team management, and the enormous amounts of money involved in professional athletics.

She’d covered corporate scandals involving smaller budgets than some football teams spent on a single player.

There were stories here.

Real stories.

She simply needed time to understand the industry.

Unfortunately, time was something Crestline seemed determined to deny her.

Her phone vibrated.

A message from her producer.

First episode just crossed 4K views. Slow growth, but it’s moving. I’ll send you the updated analytics later.

Roxie stared at the screen.

Four thousand.

She’d spent almost two weeks preparing for that interview, and four thousand people had watched it.

Meanwhile, Zac Prescott could probably announce that he’d bought a new toothbrush and have half a million people discussing it before lunch.

She groaned quietly.

God, that was depressing.

She typed a response.

Thanks. Keep working on the promotion. I’ll call you after this event.

She put her phone away.

The problem with the interview series wasn’t the actual interviews. She was confident about her ability to conduct them. Her first guest had been interesting, the questions were strong, and the finished video looked professional.

The problem was getting people to watch.

Her producer kept reminding her that digital audiences took time to build.

Unfortunately, Graham Voss didn’t strike her as a particularly patient man.

She could already imagine his expression when the executives reviewed the numbers.

Four thousand views.

God, he’d probably have the resignation letter prepared before she finished her second episode.

Roxie rubbed her forehead.

She needed a recognizable guest.

Someone whose name alone would make people curious enough to click on the interview.

Someone with millions of followers.

Someone like...

Absolutely fucking not.

She closed her notebook.

She was not going to spend the afternoon thinking about interviewing Zac Prescott.

There were other famous people in the world.

Plenty of them.

She just had to find one willing to appear on a new show with an embarrassingly small audience.

Easy.

Fucking easy.