July

Today is a light day with only one meeting on the books.  As such, I brought my boy along.  After my meeting, we’ll head to Queens and check out the progress of the new Pride stadium.  Only one meeting, but the subject matter is an important one.  With the turnover in leadership of the Madness brand, certain contracts were nullified, and one in particular had expired.

Kevin Mears.

His contract expiring isn’t tough to navigate on its own, but his representation proves to be an awkward situation.  Kat Jones is his agent.  She’s also the CEO of CCPE.  CCPE, I ditched back in January.  Awkward maybe, but business is business and while there were most definitely some hurt feelings along the way, Kat and I have ultimately always been friendly.

”I hate coming to the meetings though,” Frankie said as we stepped from the elevator.  ”I’m always just sitting there in your office for a twenty minute meeting that takes two hours.”

”This isn’t that though,” I replied as we made our way through the lobby.  ”It’s just contract stuff.  We agree on numbers, lawyers do the actual work.”

”Nice try,” he said as we stopped in the hallway.  ”When you negotiated mom’s last contract it took you three and a half hours.”

”That was different,” I began.

”Everything is always “different,”” he argued, using finger quotes.  ”It’s never that different.”

”Well, this time it is because we’ve agreed on most things,” I replied.

”What have you not agreed on?”

”Pay,” I answered.

”I was in a lot of contract meetings, Dad.  That’s literally the biggest one.”

”I know, but we’re close.  That’s why Kat’s here today,” I said just as Kat and a young girl stepped from the elevator.

”Heyyy Thad,” Kat says as the two of them step nearer to us.

”Who’s she?” Frankie asked under his breath.  ”Ask who she is,” he demands in a voice level they can’t hear yet.

”Hey Kat, welcome to fabulous New York City!” I happily greeted Kat that was followed up with an elbow in my side from Frankie.

”Hey Frankie,” she greeted the boy.

”Hey Kat,” he says while not removing his eyes from the girl.

”And who’s this one?” I asked.

”Penny,” the young girl answers with an extended hand.

We shake, naturally.

”Who’s he?” Penny asks, referring to Frankie.

”Uhhhhh…”

”Frankie,” I whispered in his direction as I tried hard to stop myself from laughing.

”Frankie,” he answered with an extended hand toward her.  ”Thanks,” he whispered back in my direction.

They shake hands… and it lingers.



Kat and I both noticed and for a moment, all we did was smile.  Penny is a cute girl and Frankie is a cute boy, it’s only natural that they might find each other attractive.  It’s cute though.

”You two sit over there while Kat and I get this done?” I suggested.

Normally, Frankie comes in with me, but I just felt like maybe those two kids needed a little bit of privacy where they could speak openly and confidently while not having authority figures lingering over them.  They finally release each other's hands and make their way to a row of chairs along the glass wall.  Kat and I stay back and just observe as Frankie holds a finger up to Penny, wipes the chair with his hand then offers her a seat.

”Chivalry… nice!”

”Im raising a good boy,” I replied with some pride in my voice.  Frankie doesn’t have many friends, let alone a friend that’s a girl.

”How old is he now?” Kat asked.

”Twelve,” I answered before correcting myself.  ”Two-teen, if you ask him.”

Kat chuckles.  ”They always wanna grow up so fast,” she said.  ”We were the same way when we were their age.”

”I keep trying to slow him down,” I said as we made our way toward my office.  ”A lot of that is just selfishness on my part.  He’ll be 13 on October 28th and I am not ready for him to grow up yet.  Starts 7th grade in the fall… Kat, I am not ready.

“I just want him to stay a little boy.  That’s a battle I’m losing every day.  His voice is starting to crack, he smells like a boy when he’s been outside all day.  He really gotta knock it off.”

”Penny’s 12 too,” she said as we took our seats.

”Let’s get this business out of the way,” I said as we shifted subjects.

We talked easily for twenty minutes about Kevin Mears and his contract demands.  Most of them I could meet without a problem.  The sticking point was the dollar figure he wanted per year.  Madness didn’t offer annual dollar amounts, so what we came up with was a per appearance fee.  Madness has approximately 25 shows annually, including Relentless and Madness exclusive pay per view events.  If Mears works 20 shows, I’ll consider that a full year and he'll get a bonus at year's end to get him at least close to, but not exactly the dollar figure he wanted.

Say what you want about Kevin Mears.  There was a reason I brought in so many names from outside the Madness roster.  Most of the roster I inherited, were never going to cut it under my administration.  It’s not that they don’t have the talent, it’s that I have a higher form of expectations regarding what sort of work they put into themselves.  Too many want to be the big star they see themselves as without putting in the actual work to see it through.

Those days are decidedly over.  Kevin Mears, while he may be the type to come in, do what he’s gotta do to get himself over, then go home, he’s still putting in the work to get it done.  I respect that, even if not his methods.  Regardless, Kevin Mears is the type of guy that you can build an entire brand around.  If he keeps putting in the work and exercises a little bit of patience, that man will wear gold on Monday Nights.

Near the conclusion of our discussion on Kevin Mears, I began looking past Kat over her shoulder.  Out in the lobby, Frankie and Penny seemed to be hitting it off.  They both were all smiles and laughter.

”Ya think they like each other?” I asked facetiously.  Clearly, they did.  Regardless, Kat turns in her chair to see what I’m seeing.

”They couldn’t be any more obvious, really,” she said as we watched the burgeoning puppy love.

We sat quietly and just looked on as Penny said something that made Frankie smile and his whole entire face turn red.

”Oooo, what you think she said?” I asked.  ”She made him blush.”

”I don’t know,” Kat replied.  ”She’s a lot like her mother.  And me.  She doesn’t have much of a filter and whatever pops into her head, that’s what she says.”

”They’re kind of adorable,” I said as we continued to witness this preteen romance.

”Aww he forgot his name earlier,” Kat remembered.  ”That was cute.”

”Yeah,” I agreed with a chuckle.  ”Never thought I’d play wingman to a 12 year old.”

”Two-teen,” Kat jokingly corrected me.

”Ha!  How could I forget?”

”Oh oh!” Kat said as her eyes grew wide.  ”Now she’s blushing!  Penny never blushes!  You might have a little Casanova on your hands, Thaddeus.”

Looking up and seeing us watching, Frankie nudges Penny.  Penny turns her head to see us looking on.  Immediately, the two clam up and shut down.

”Damn,” I said as I stood up.  Kat and I began a leisurely stroll toward the glass door of my office.  ”I was enjoying the show.”

Kat laughed to herself as we exited the office and said our goodbyes.  For a brief moment, as Frankie and I leaned against the glass wall, Penny turned to look at him once before she boarded the elevator and shot him a smile.

”Sooooo…”

”Shut up,” he interrupted me.

”Whaaat?  I just wanna know all the details.”

”Your my dad,” he didn’t hesitate to remind me.

”I know, and I have a vested interest in your happiness,” I didn’t hesitate to remind him.  ”What’d she say that made you blush?”

”Oh my God I was blushing?” he asked.  ”That’s embarrassing.”

”She did too, so what’d she say to you?”

”She said I was cute,” he answered a little sheepishly.

”You are cute, that’s not a surprise.”

”You’re supposed to say that, you’re my Dad,” he says as he looks up at me.

”I’m not supposed to say that at all, your mom is,” I learned the boy.

”Oh yeah,” he remembers.  ”Stop saying that.”

”Absolutely not,” I replied quickly.  ”I won’t lie to you.  You’re a damn good looking kid and I won’t ever stop telling you that.”

”Uggggh.”

”What’d you say to her?”

”I just said she was really pretty and I liked her smile,” he admitted.

It took everything I had not to do some sort of victory dance.  I like seeing this kid win…  On his own.

”She gave me this,” he said as he showed me the palm of his left hand.

”That’s not the hand you…”

”Shut up,” he interrupted.  ”Anyway, I’m right handed.”

Grabbing his hand, I looked at Penny’s number written on his palm.

”You little heartthrob!” I said excitedly.  ”I’m happy for you.”

”I really like her,” he said with some sadness.

”Did you wanna take her to lunch?” I asked.

”They already left.”

”They’re probably only in the lobby now,” I said to him.  ”We’ll take them to lunch and you two can sit off by yourself.”

”I dunno…”

”Call her and ask,” I urged him.

”She just gave me her number two minutes ago,” he said.  ”Won’t that look a little…”

”Call her, Francis,” I insisted.

Nervously, he rolled away from the glass wall and retreated into my office to use his phone.

”They were really sweet,” Janet chimed in from like two feet away.

”He doesn’t realize how difficult it’ll be,” I replied to her.  ”I’ll have to tell him once they leave.”

”What do you mean?” Janet asked.

”He lives in New York, she lives in Colorado… neither of them are moving.”

”No,” she agreed.  ”But you’re his biggest fan, Thaddeus.  You literally have your own planes and we both know you’ll fly him to spend time with her whenever you can.”

”Of course I will,” I agreed with a smile.  ”He deserves whatever he wants.”

”What you should be more concerned with is letting him know that teenage romances almost never work,” she replied.

”True but…” my voice trailed off for a moment as I thought about it.  ”You never know.  Maybe they’re different and they’ll defy the odds?”

”Let’s go,” Frankie said excitedly as he left my office.  On his way by, he grabs my wrist, pulling me toward the elevator across the lobby.

”I’m comin’,” I said as he let go of my wrist.  Inside the elevator I pulled a credit card from my wallet and handed it to him.

”What’s this for?” he asked.

”Can’t have your dad showing up to pay for your first date, right?” I asked.

”It’s not a…” he said before stopping himself.  ”Wait is this a date?”

”What else would you call it?” I asked as the elevator started its descent.

While the elevator begins its descent, Frankie starts his own descent into a panic attack.  At first, I laughed, but then I realized this wasn’t just kid nerves, but full on, real anxiety.  Smacking the emergency stop button on the panel, the elevator stops quickly.  Kneeling so I could look up into his face, I grabbed his face and made him look at me. 

"I got you and you got this," I began.  ”There’s nothing to be worried about,” I told him.  ”Penny already likes you.  All you gotta do is keep being yourself.  Relaxed, laid back, easy going, charismatic Frankie.  People love you for a reason.

“You’re a genuine article, Frankie.  Just keep being you.  If you do get stuck… text me, and I’ll help you out.”

Once I concluded, I pulled the emergency stop button and the elevator continued its descent.

”Thanks Dad,” he said as he calmed down.

”It’s natural to be nervous,” I said to him.

”You’re never nervous,” he retorted.

”That is not remotely true,” I admitted to him.  ”But confidence masks many things.”

Once the elevator stopped, the doors opened.  Kat and Penny were both there waiting for us.  After the young ones greeted each other, they walked side by side several paces in front of Kat and I.

”I told him they could go sit by themselves, hope that’s ok,” I said to Kat as we walked.

”Yeah of course,” she agreed.  ”Look at you, playing Wingman and Cupid.”

”He about had an anxiety attack on the way down,” I informed her.  ”That’s what took us so long.”

”Awww,” she reacted.  ”How’d you navigate that?”

”Just reminded him who he is and why people love him,” I answered.

And now, Kat and I escorted the two little love birds to a downtown French cafe for what would be the first of their many, yet somewhat infrequent dates.