Джон Гришэм - Sooley

“You trying to hire me?”

“That’s it. Reynard offered to help but he’s a busy dude. And I trust you, Murray. What do you say?”

“How much?”

“Eight dollars an hour.” Both roared with laughter that went on and on, and when it died down they rode in silence for a while. The thrill, and disbelief, and giddiness of the past two days began to soak in.

Murray finally said, “You’ll have to convince Miss Ida. She won’t like it.”

“I’ll bet she likes it a lot more now, with fourteen mil on the way. Plus, I can talk her into it. She thinks I’m special.”

“You are special, Sooley.”

“Still Samuel to you.”

“Whatever.”

More silence followed, then Murray asked, “So what kind of car are you thinking?”

“A Ford Explorer, that SUV.”

Murray laughed and said, “No, no, Samuel. You don’t sign for this kind of money and drive a Ford.”

“I’ve made up my mind. Coach Grinnell has one and he let me drive it.”

“Coach Grinnell is married with three kids. You’re in the NBA, Samuel, and you can’t drive a Ford. You need some fancy sports car, like a Porsche.”

“I’m not ready for that. Plus, they cost too much. I saw a Porsche online for over a hundred thousand.”

“So?”

“So, I picked out a Ford Explorer for only forty thousand.”

“Wow. You have so much to learn.”

They stopped at a Wendy’s for burgers and fries, then drove to the Legal Aid office where Sooley got a hero’s welcome. Miss Ida had tears in her eyes as she hugged him and showed him off.

When they were alone in her office, she got down to business. She was pleased to hear of the trade and that he would be living so close. She explained, with little room for questions or disagreement, that she would prepare a simple will that would leave everything in trust for his mother and brothers.

“I never thought about that,” Sooley admitted.

“There are a lot of things you haven’t thought about, but I have. Health insurance, your visa. Other stuff. When do you expect to sign the contract and get the money?”

“In about a month.”

“Okay. The amended contract you signed with Mr. Savage requires that ten percent of the money comes into your bank account. He keeps the rest for allowances and investments. You understand this?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“So, you’ll need to add the name of someone else to your account in case the money needs to be accessed. This person can’t touch it unless something happens to you.”

“Why are you worried about something bad happening to me?”

“Because I’m a lawyer and you’re my client. It’s my job to worry about everything.”

“Come on, Mom,” Murray protested.

“Just do as I say, okay.”

“Arnie’s loaning me a hundred thousand until the big money comes in.”

“I assume that’s legal.”

“It is.”

Murray said, “He needs to buy a car. Wants a Ford Explorer.”

“That’s up to you.”

Sooley said, “I’d like to send some money to my mother.”

“We’ll talk about that. I’m not sure it’s safe. She’s already been robbed once.”

“But I want to help her.”

“I understand, Samuel. So do I. We’ll figure it out.”

“Can I sponsor her now and get them out?”

“Let’s talk about that later. I’m due in court in half an hour. We’ll talk tonight. What would you like for dinner?”

“A bottle of champagne.”

“You’ll get ice tea. Something to eat?”

“Yes, that baked lemon chicken you do, with the mushrooms and sauce.”

She smiled and said, “Whatever you want, Samuel.”

The excitement of shopping for a new vehicle was crushed when Sooley flunked the driver’s test. He did okay on the road, though still mortified in eight lanes of traffic, but he missed too many on the written. He was embarrassed and admitted to Murray that he had found studying difficult. He had been distracted and did not take the exam seriously.

Miss Ida was amused by it and admitted to Ernie that the humiliation was probably a healthy blow to his expanding ego. The two agreed to allow Murray to work for Sooley for the remainder of the summer and run interference. He did need help on so many fronts. He was entering an exciting new world, but one with many potential pitfalls. And truthfully, there was no way to tell Murray that stacking tons of food in a warehouse was more important than helping a friend. It was an opportunity so unique that they put up only token resistance.

The day after the exam, Murray borrowed the family sedan and took off to D.C. with Sooley. They found a room at a downtown hotel and began scouting out swanky condos and apartment buildings. Sooley wanted something large with plenty of bedrooms for his mother and brothers, but Murray talked him down. He should start small and move up when necessary. The prices for all of them, large and small, were outrageous. Sooley was overwhelmed with the process but excited at having such a nice space all to himself. Murray convinced him to put down a $5,000 deposit for a new, unfurnished two-bedroom apartment in CityCenter, not far from Capital One Arena. The lease was for twelve months.

They stopped by the Wizards’ headquarters and met the front office, all of whom were thrilled to meet their new star. They had lunch with the GM in a fancy restaurant. Sooley took a call from the owner, a private equity swinger who had bought the team four years earlier for $900 million, according to online business magazines. The owner was eager to meet him and wanted lunch when he was back in the country. He welcomed him aboard and promised a great future together.

The Rauncheroo Reggae and Rap Music Festival was held in June every year at the Acropolis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. In addition to attracting tens of thousands of wild fans from around the world, it had become known for getting the biggest acts in hip-hop and island music. It was also a favorite of celebrities, the place to be seen and often touched by adoring fans. Murray had heard of it, Sooley had not, but the night before the draft Darrell Whitley and his gang were talking about the party while they hung out in a Brooklyn nightclub. It was a three-day blowout, with lots of girls, many from Europe. As soon as they returned from Brooklyn, Murray mentioned it to Sooley and the two checked it out on social media. They drooled over the thousands of photos and it became abundantly clear that the festival was not to be missed. It was favored by plenty of actors and pro athletes, some big NBA names wanting to blow off steam after the season, and some football players taking a break before their training camps. And the lineup of singers and musicians included virtually every name they could think of. Sooley mentioned it to Vallie, who, not surprisingly, was all in. He talked to Whitley and the two of them devised a plan. They would invite Reynard and lean on him to get a jet. Two first-round draft picks could not be expected to arrive on commercial flights.

The day after they returned from the house-hunting trip to D.C., Sooley mentioned over dinner that he needed to see Arnie in South Beach and discuss some endorsement proposals. Murray should go too. They did not mention the festival to Ida and Ernie because they did not want the drama. Sooley was growing weary of their nosiness and Murray was itching to return to Arnie’s place in Miami.

The following day they flew down on Delta and arrived at the mansion in a lowly cab. Reynard was excited about the trip and had secured tickets and accommodations, along with an airplane. Arnie, who was divorced, had attended the festival two years earlier and said he might join them later. Whitley arrived with Jared, one of his brothers, and Reggie, his “manager.”