Page 40 of The Session

“That’s not exactly coaching,” Mark pointed out.

“Some would say sports nutrition and kinesiology isn’t coaching either, but I would disagree.”

Mark nodded. “So what’s the job?”

“Like I said, I don’t really know. Why don’t you give us a shot and see if there’s a Mark-sized place for you to fit?”

Mark had been thinking the opportunity over from the moment Tru showed up. It was clear they wanted something, but his online research and his mother’s hesitancy to talk about Summit Strategies had made him cold on the idea of having anything to do with them, no matter how many bags of adult diapers he had to carry.

“It’s all kind of vague,” he said.

“How about coaching our executive softball team? Is that specific enough for you?”

“Do you have an executive softball team?” Mark asked.

“Fuck no. Do you think those losers would go anywhere near a baseball field unless they were sitting in box seats?”

“So, I go to Miami, sit at a desk, sit in some meetings, and find out if there’s something to interest me,” Mark said.

“Miami, New York, Chicago, Tokyo, London, Brussels, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Perth, and a few other places—not including our actual offices in the Bahamas. Take your pick. And I promise you it’ll be more interesting than cubicles and meetings.”

“You are aware that I’m what you would call ‘reputationally damaged’ at the moment,” he admitted.

“Oh, I’m aware. Normally, this would be the point where someone else in our organization would tell you it could all be fixed if you agreed to what we wanted—but they’d try not to make it sound as sinister as I just did.” She paused. “I’ll be up front with you. I promise I always will be. Mark my words: In twenty-four hours, your situation’s not going to be a problem anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“The police were keeping the body-cam and surveillance video locked down as tightly as they could because it made them look like complete clowns,” she said.

“My attorney has been trying to get a hold of it for weeks,” Mark replied.

“Well, that footage will be everywhere tomorrow. In forty-eight hours, it’s the top trending news story. I promise you.”

Mark was speechless for a moment, then asked, “Did somebody leak it?”

“Yeah, Mark, I did. Well, rather, we did. We went to certain lengths to get a hold of it. And very quickly, you’re going to see what Summit Strategies is capable of when it’s used as a force for good—in this case, clearing your name. And when the world sees the body-cam footage of the cop hiding behind the ambulance, it’ll make you look like a goddamn hero.”

Mark felt like a great weight was being lifted from his shoulders, but it seemed too good to be true.

“What’s the catch?” he asked.

“There is no catch. That’s the trick, Mark. We’re kind of experts at psychology, and anybody willing to risk his life to save somebody and then let himself become the fall guy out of loyalty isn’t easy to manipulate. That’s why we have to take the direct approach. I want you to see what we’re capable of on our best day. I want you to see the potential. I wasn’t kidding when we first met about what you could do with our resources worldwide. There’s a place for you, Mark. I just need you to give us the chance to show you. I’m not going to sit here and tell you all the things you read are wrong. Some of them are true. Some of them are bullshit, and there are probably other things that aren’t online that don’t make us look good. But I’ve seen the other side of the organization. I know what’s in Max’s heart. I know what’s in my father’s heart. And I think I know what’s in your heart.”

“You really have the body-cam footage.”

Tru pulled her phone from the purse at her side and opened the video. “Watch.”

Mark stared in silence for several minutes, watching the events replay—this time from the point of view of an observer. When it finished, he searched for the words, then finally spoke.

“That’s how I remember it. It’s what I’ve been telling people.”

“I know, Mark. I knew who you were all along. Soon the world will see that,” she said.

“So if I take you up on this exploratory offer, what happens next?”

“First, I assume you’re going to want to talk to your mother, and I’ve got a letter for her. You don’t need to open it, but I’ll tell you what it says: It removes all conditions of the NDA, because you two need to have a conversation. There are more details, but I’ll leave those to her. Then, when you’re ready, I’ll give you a number. You make a call, and somebody will pick you up, and we’ll take care of everything,” she explained.

“I need to give them a couple weeks’ notice to find somebody here. It won’t be easy.”