A desk big enough to land a plane on. Expensive leather chairs. Built-in book shelves. Dark paneling. The last time he was in an office this stuffy it was to meet with the judge and an official from the Securities and Exchange Commission to defend himself against accusations that he willfully participated in Eddie's pyramid scheme. The metallic clink of the handcuffs the uniformed police officer clasped behind his back echoed in his ears as he stood at the window, watching city workers string holiday lights on the building facades of Chicago's Magnificent Mile. He shook his head as he remembered being in the emergency room after Mattie knocked him out. The doctor had just finished stitching up his chin when the police arrived. His mother never was able to get the bloodstains out of the tuxedo shirt. It cost him fifty bucks to replace it. I got a bad feeling about this. After spending the last two weeks contacting old teammates and trainers, trying to sniff out openings for a coaching position at another school, all Nick had to show for it were a lot of empty promises to follow up with him if they heard of anything.
