Destiny

by Mitchel Grace

  “I don’t understand. What could I possibly do?”

  “It’s simple. On the books, I’ll have you working for me here at the restaurant. As far as the government will be concerned, you’ll be a high paid manager at the most exquisite place in Miami. We’ll set up an account for you and deposit money in it every week. Emmitt will also be given an account. After you get the deposit, you’ll go online and transfer Emmitt his share of the money. His share will equal $200,000 at the end of the year, and yours will equal up to $50,000. What do you say?”

  “There has to be a catch. You’re not giving me $50,000 just to transfer some money.”

  “You’re right. I’m not. You’ll also be responsible for keeping him in line. Emmitt is the most talented kid I’ve ever seen. He got into a lot of trouble in high school, though. He doesn’t come from the best background, and sometimes he doesn’t know how to keep his nose out of trouble. You’ll make sure he does. As long as he stays on the straight and narrow, you’ll keep getting your check.”

  “What about taxes?”

  “I’ll take care of the taxes for both of you at the end of the year. Think of this as tax free money that no one ever has to know about.”

  “I can’t. I’m sorry. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “What’s so wrong about it? Emmitt is going to earn Miami millions. Doesn’t he deserve to get his share?”

  “I’m not disputing that. It’s illegal, though.”

  “Do you always follow the rules, Eric? Let me show you what your future could be. You’re a business major. I’m giving you an opportunity to work with a superstar athlete right now. Do you know what that could lead to? You could end up being this kid’s agent when he plays professional football. I’m not even mentioning the fact that he’ll be able to introduce you to more athletes like himself. By the time you graduate, you could be on your way to being a millionaire.”

  “I still don’t know.”

  “Take a day to think about it. Here’s my card. Call me when you decide to do the right thing. $50,000 could do a lot for a college student.”

  I left that restaurant feeling a swarm of emotions. I could use that money. Then again, what did this make me? My parents had gone to prison because they were involved in crooked things. Was I becoming them? I shook my head as I drove away. I had decided. I didn’t think there was any way I could do this. When I got back to my dorm room, all of that changed, however. Emmitt was waiting on me.

  “Hey, Mr. Flynn called me. He told me about what he asked you to do. I just want you to know that you don’t have to. This isn’t your problem. If you decide to do it, though, I can make it worth your while,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I need you to understand something. I didn’t come from a rich family. I didn’t even come from a family that had enough. I know that what I’m doing is wrong, but I could get injured tomorrow and have to walk away with nothing. I see a way out, and I’m taking it. Mr. Flynn’s going to pay for me to play, and I’ll have a future because of that. Things don’t stop there, though. I’ve read all about college superstars who get approached daily with offers for cash to show up at certain events. It’s all done under the table, so no one has to know. I’ll let you manage all of that and take ten percent. You can make what he’s willing to give you and some extra off of our little endorsements. If you do a good job and all of this stays under wraps, I’ll even let you represent me when I play pro football. What do you say?”

  “I can’t believe I’m even considering this. If I agree to funnel the money for you, I need you to agree to some terms.”

  “Anything.”

  “First, I don’t need you getting into trouble or telling anyone about this.”

  “Done.”

  “No, I’m serious. I’ve heard about your past, and if you’re going to make me look like a fool, then I don’t want any part of this.”

  “I’m not going to blow this.”

  “All right, there’s one more thing. I want you to introduce me to every friend you make on that team or any other team on this campus. If I’m getting into things this deep, then I might as well go all the way. I’m a business major, and representing some high-profile athletes might be in my future. You look out for me and introduce me to potential clients, and I’ll look out for you every step of the way.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  At that point, I grabbed the phone and called William. He was thrilled that I had accepted his proposal. He said it was the best decision I ever made. It didn’t feel right, though. I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Still, maybe it was necessary. I kept telling myself that my future with Olivia was still on track. I would buy that spot of land overlooking the lake and build her dream house. Some day we would live there together. That future could start right there. I was getting cash for almost nothing and building a future career that could make me millions. Even if it was wrong, it might just get me the right result at the end of it all. Just as I was about to get off the phone with William, he stopped me.

  “Before you go, I wanted to do you one more favor. I own a nightclub downtown. I’ll tell my boys to let you two in and serve you drinks on the house. I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you?” he asked.

  “I thought I was trying to keep Emmitt out of trouble.”

  “There won’t be any trouble. Part of managing someone is letting them enjoy life sometimes. Just don’t let things get too out of hand. Enjoy yourself, kid. You only live once,” he said and proceeded to give me directions to the club.

  When I was off the phone, I told Emmitt what he said. I didn’t think it was a good idea for us to go. I had school the next day, and Emmitt had practice. If I were managing him, then did this really seem like the brightest idea?

  “You’ve got to learn to relax a little, Eric. If we’re going to be in this together for at least the next four years, then we might as well have some fun, don’t you think?” Emmitt asked.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “There we go! You’re going to see. The next few years are going to be fun. Stick with me, and you’ll have more cash, alcohol, and women than you ever dreamed of.”

  “Women? How exactly are you going to get me women?”

  “I was the number one recruit in the country. I was in magazines and even on television when I made my decision to come here. When you’re in my position, a lot of girls start seeing dollar signs. I can’t handle all the women that throw themselves at me. How about I give you ten percent of that, too,” he joked.

  “I’ve got a girl back at home.”

  “Where is that exactly?”

  “In Wisconsin.”

  “All right then. She’s in Wisconsin, and you’re here. I don’t see what the issue is. Do you actually think that she’s waiting on you? She’s probably on some dude right now.”

  “Olivia isn’t that way. If there’s one thing that’s off limits, it’s talking about her.”

  “Okay, there’s no need to get all wound up. All I’m saying is this. She’ll still be there when college is over. Why not enjoy life with me to the fullest until you can go back to Wisconsin?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s just go and see where the night takes us.”

  “Sounds good. You’re going to come around soon enough. There are reasons I came to Miami, and I’m going to show you those reasons tonight.”

  We went to the club, and I quickly learned why Emmitt chose Miami. That club was full of people who were willing to buy Emmitt and me whatever we wanted, not that we needed them to, thanks to William. Emmitt was like a celebrity, and because I was with him, so was I. Besides the celebrity status, it was clear that most people in this club had a lot of money. A lot of it was probably dirty money, but there was an opportunity to be rich in this town, nonetheless. The final reason for choosing Miami was simple - the girls. You would be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful group of people than were in the club that night. When Emmitt went to get
us more drinks, he came back with two girls. He introduced one of them to me, and then she sat down beside me. She was gorgeous. Her sandy blonde hair and blue eyes mixed with her perfectly bronzed legs were enough to get the attention of any man. Then there was the rest of her. I hadn’t seen someone who got my attention that much since the first time I saw Olivia. That thought made me feel guilty. Should I be doing this? I loved a girl back in Wisconsin. The girl in front of me meant nothing to me. Sure, she was beautiful, but not in the same way as Olivia. Then again, Olivia wasn’t there, and as far as I knew, I might not be seeing her again for a long time. Could it really hurt to have a little fun while I was in college? I had already accepted a lot of money to do something that was highly illegal, and I was drinking when I was nowhere near old enough. Was talking to this woman when I wasn’t even attached really so bad by comparison? I loosened up and started talking to her in the same way I would talk to Olivia. It turned out that she was an education major who came to the club for the free drinks that were always being thrown her way. Her name was Cindy. The main thing that she talked about, however, was how I knew Emmitt. It was obvious that the girls were more interested in him, or to be more exact, the attention he drew. Anyone with us was the object of attention from other club goers, and they also drank for free. I didn’t really let it bother me that she was more interested in asking questions about Emmitt than me, though. He was the star there, and if nothing else, I could meet a lot of people thanks to him. I figured that in time Cindy would see how great I was on my own.

  “Hey, Eric, Jessica and I are thinking about taking this party back to their place. Are you guys coming?” Emmitt asked with one eyebrow raised.

  “Uh, yeah,” I said hesitantly.

  I had already been drinking too much, and my head was spinning. It all happened so fast. Before I knew it, we were at their place, and I was in Cindy’s bedroom. She was kissing me. We hadn’t actually made a connection big enough to justify this, but we were both drunk and clearly attracted to one another. I knew it was nothing more than a hookup. I wasn’t the type of guy to have sex just to have it. As she took my shirt off, I pulled away.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I’ve got to go. Things are moving really fast, and I have a girlfriend back in Wisconsin, or at least she’s something.”

  “Wisconsin is a long way from here, Eric. If you want to leave, you know where the door is, but I don’t think you really want to go. You’ve been shy since we met. I think this is the first time in your life that you’ve had a spontaneous connection with someone and just went with it. Maybe that scares you.”

  “And what if it does?”

  “Then I’ll tell you not to worry about it. I’ll take the lead here. In the morning, this can mean however much or little as you want. Right now, I think you need to lay back and let me show you how to have fun,” Cindy said and wrapped her arms around me.

  As our lips met, I gave in. Over the last twenty-four hours, I had accepted dirty money and went home with a girl I barely knew after Olivia called to make sure that we could have a shot at a future together. I thought about a lot of things while I was with Cindy. One was how I had gotten to this place. I remembered my first taste of love. I saw a girl across the street in Green Bay, and I knew I loved her. What was this, though, but empty pleasure? What had I become? In that moment, I was ashamed, but I was still too young to care enough to change a thing. All of our actions catch up to us eventually, however. If only I could go back to the beginning of that day. That was the beginning of riches and a lot of joy, but it was also the start of what would cost me everything I ever wanted and needed.

  Chapter 16

  The Morning After

  The following morning, I woke up with the worst headache I could imagine. It didn’t hurt this bad when two cars hit me. As I searched through my scattered mind, I remembered drink after drink from the night before. That’s when I turned over and felt Cindy next to me. I sighed and put my hand on my head. How had I let this happen? Did this make me a terrible person? I didn’t love her. For that matter, I didn’t even know if I liked her. For all I knew, she was only around me because I was Emmitt’s friend. Then there was the biggest question. Was I a bad person for getting wrapped up in Emmitt’s world? I was no more than a crook. Before I could question that any longer, a thought came to my mind. What time was it? I grabbed my phone and saw that it was 8:46. I had class at nine, and I figured that Emmitt did, too. Without hesitation, I stood and grabbed my clothes. Then I ran into Jessica’s room and shook him awake.

  “What in the hell are you doing up this early? Go back to sleep,” he said.

  “We’ve got class. It’s almost nine.”

  “Are you serious? It’s the second day. We can miss. Go if you want, but I’m going back to sleep.”

  It was my job to keep him out of trouble and at class, but he was right. It was just the second day. We would likely only go over safety precautions for an emergency like we did in the Monday classes. Besides, I was too hung over to actually get anything out of a lesson. I decided to leave school for another day. I wasn’t about to do it there, though. One thing was for sure. I didn’t want to give Cindy the impression that the night before meant anything. That thought really hit me as I walked out to my car. Was I that guy? I had basically used her. Then again, it wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to stop things from happening. Was any of this really my fault? I had just fallen into all of this. I didn’t ask for Emmitt to be my roommate, and I didn’t even try to get Cindy to sleep with me. It all just kind of happened. I thought all the way home about how that wasn’t necessarily true. I had a choice in the matter. I could have said no to all of it, but I didn’t. Maybe I’m more like my parents than I knew, I thought.

  When I got back to the dorm, I went straight to my room and crashed. As I was passing out, I wondered what the future held. Was this truly what I wanted? It only felt like I slept for a second, but then I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing.

  “Hello,” I said sleepily.

  “I thought I put you in charge of taking care of Emmitt,” William said.

  “What are you talking about? He’s fine.”

  “He didn’t show up for classes or practice today.”

  “That won’t happen again. When I find him, I’ll remind him of what we have to lose. If I have to, I’ll drag him to practice from now on,” I said and hung up.

  I drove back over to Cindy’s and knocked on the door. I heard Emmitt yell that it was open, and when I stepped inside, I could see a thick fog of smoke in the apartment. I immediately knew what was going on when I saw Emmitt. His eyes were glazed over, and he was relaxed in a way that I had only experienced once with Olivia when we experimented with marijuana.

  “We’ve got to go,” I said.

  “Why? You need to loosen up. Come on. Join us,” he said.

  “Look, you said you wanted me to manage things for you, and that’s what I’m doing. You missed practice today, and some people are pissed about it. We can say you were feeling sick or something like that, but you need to get out of here. Let’s go back to the dorm and let this wear off, so you can get back to normal. There’s too much at stake, and you can’t afford to blow it all now.”

  “I’m fine. People will get over me missing one day of practice. It’s . . .”

  “Emmitt, just come on. We’ve got a lot of money at stake here. Don’t blow an opportunity to live a different life.”

  “You’re right. Ladies, thank you for a wonderful time,” he said and stood.

  Emmitt staggered out the door, and I drove him back to the dorms. He went to our room and passed out almost instantly. The day was nearly gone, and everything was starting to feel overwhelming to me. I needed someone to talk to who I trusted. I grabbed my phone and stepped outside. I called the only person I could think of who might understand what I was going through.

  “Hello.”

  “Uncle Gary, I need someone to talk to,” I said.
<
br />   “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t really say, but I’ve gotten in over my head here. I’m involved in something that I know is wrong, but I don’t know how to get out of it or even if I really want to.”

  “You’ve got to tell me more than that. What’s going on with you?”

  “Can I trust you? This is the type of thing that no one can know.”

  “You’ve always been able to trust me. Just let me in on what’s happening.”

  I told him everything. I never had this kind of dialogue with my mother or father, but I had always been able to be honest with Uncle Gary. He wasn’t judgmental, and I never got the feeling that he actually expected me to be anything close to perfect. He just expected me to take responsibility for my actions.

  “Maybe you should come home. I mean, I know that was your first home, but I think of you as ours. Maybe Miami is too much for you,” he said.

  I was confused. Normally, he had some advice that helped me make the situation right. Now all he was telling me to do was run away. What was I missing?

  “I don’t understand. You’ve never told me to run from a situation. Are things really that bad for me?” I asked.

  “Running isn’t normally the best option. My brother . . . your father chose that city. It’s a place where there’s a lot of opportunity, if you’re willing to bend the rules. He found success, but look at the cost. When you came to me as a young teenager, you weren’t filled with the ambition for power and wealth that he was. That place can change people, though. At least it changes people in our family. You weren’t the type of kid who would take dirty money, and you certainly wouldn’t sleep with someone just for sex. You were innocent. I don’t want to see that change, or at least not in this way.”