Free Worth the Weight by Mara Jacobs

, Lizzie couldn’t have been more proud of James and how he’d handled the situation. LeVar had come forward, admitting his mistake and enrolling himself in an alcohol abuse program. The public felt his sincerity and proactive responsibility were admirable. As much as they could with this type of story becoming way too frequent.
    Only Lizzie and James knew what a pain in the ass LeVar was and how he’d bellowed for hours that he wasn’t going into any “ fucking twelve-step pussy program.” James did the math for him of the dollars he’d lose if the Lions didn’t re-sign him when his contract was up in a year. Or the salary lost from game suspensions by the NFL if he didn’t voluntarily seek some kind of treatment. LeVar reluctantly conceded to James’ plan of action. Lizzie sent a box of cigars to James at the office with a note telling him how well he had done and how proud Hampton PR was to call him one of their own.
    After playing a long game of voice mail tag, Petey Ryan finally got a hold of her. As she’d expected, he spent the first ten minutes of their conversation talking about evil triumphing over good when his Red Wings went down to the Avalanche in the Western Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
    “And then , to totally piss me off? T hey go on and win the fucking cup.”
    “I’m sure that’s why they did it, Petey, just to piss you off.” She could almost see him in his plush living room in Bloomfield Hills, which she’d helped decorate. He’d be pacing back and forth, phone in one hand, a Styrofoam cup in the other which he’d use as a spittoon for the tobacco he was undoubtedly chewing.
    “Fucking A they did! Hey Lizard, what are you doing in da Yoop?”
    “Just a little R & R.”
    “You don’t take R & R.”
    “I do now.”
    “All sorts of changes in you, hey Lizard? Hot n ew bod, long hair, new lazy-ass attitude.”
    Petey could always crack her up. She was so glad they had remained friends after they’d dated for a short time in high school. He was probably her best friend in Detroit. She loved being in his company, he was like a favorite pair of sweats that you’d put on the second you walked in the door at the end of the day. It was almost like having Zeke close by, he and Petey were so much alike. She missed him when he wasn’t around. Being on the road so much during the season, and spending his off-season in the Copper Country, most of their conversations took place on the phone. “I do not have a lazy-ass bone in my new bod and you know it.”
    “God, I love yanking your chain, Lizard, it’s so damn easy.” His voice became faint at the end and she knew he was turning his head to make use of the spittoon. At least he turned his head, and didn’t spit right into the phone. Chewing tobacco was a dirty, disgusting and tremendously unhealthy habit, but many of the Yooper guy s she knew, and lots of other hockey players, indulged. Petey’s voice returned. “Hey, Zeke back yet? Thought maybe I’d fly to Jax before I headed up there.”
    “Not yet. My parents are waiting by the phone. They’re going to fly down as soon as they have a hard date. They expect the carrier back to Virginia within the next three weeks, but the squadron usually flies off and back to Jacksonville a week or so before that. At least that’s what happened the last couple of floats.”
    “Oh, well as long as your parents are going to be there. I just wanted to make sure someone would be there for him when they come in.” Although on other sides of the bridge during high school, Zeke and Petey had formed a deep friendship when they both attended Tech, Petey to play hockey and Zeke to get his engineering degree before he joined the navy to become a jet pilot.
    “I think he’d probably prefer for you to be waiting for him. It would be a whole different kind of welcome home party with you than with my parents.” She could hear his laugh on the other end. She’d been with Petey and Zeke