Venus Vs Mars

Chapter 30

Brad and Jarvis managed to turn a simple plan of getting Massy and Odell back together, or at least talking again, into a family affair. Odell's mother joined the event as well as Brad's son Bentley, who was beyond excited to see the guy he called "Uncle O." Fellow athletes who knew Massy, family, and teammates joined one another on the second floor of the Nike store hanging out, eating and drinking as they watched Massy's first preseason press conference and signing on multiple large flat screen tv's spread throughout the large 2nd level.

Odell held onto Bentley as he showed of a stuffed reindeer he got as a early Christmas gift. Brad standing next to them listening to his son talk to Odell. They both couldn't help but laugh and smile at a toddler having what he considered to be a serious conversation about a stuffed animal. The room quieted down as Massy appeared on the tv's joined by the captains for Team USA.

His face went from playful to serious as he looked up at Massy on the tv since last seeing her at the beginning of the month after their blow up. Odell's adrenaline began to rush, the fact that she was a floor level under him seemed to make him feel wired. He wasn't sure how to feel. He hadn't personally seen her or touched her, in over three weeks, and it was clear he felt some type of way about it. It was one thing to see her commercials and posters, but it was another thing to actually be in the same event as she was.

The questions began ranging from her training routine, to dealing with pressure, some questions being positive, some being negative, but Massy remained professional, a smile on her face, joking, every now and then throwing in her own little smartass comments and answers.

"How does it feel to be the face of Team USA?"

"It was extremely overwhelming at first, but once I finally got to training camp and was able to really get a feel for the team. I'm ready." Massy confessed.

"What makes you so sure you can handle teams like England, Japan, and Mexico!?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"Well, you've never played against them."

"Right, and they've never played against me, if they're not nervous why should I be!?" Massy said with confidence, a very emotionless face, as she went back and forth with a very pushy reporter.

For the first time Odell let out a chuckle since watching her a grin on his face as he watched her handle herself like a pro against reports that seemed to doubt her and try to push her buttons.

"Massy you have a target on your back! Doesn't that seem to bother you!?"

"When it does, I'll let you know." Massy winked and smiled.

After 30 minutes of nonstop questioning, one reporter finally brought up the question that seemed to be on every reporters lips, wanting to know what every other athlete felt about it. The reporter raised his hand and simply blurted out.

"You seem to have known and know Odell Beckham Jr on a personal level. What do you think about his actions and behavior against the Panthers!?"

All attention turned right back to Massy, Odell, Brad, Jarvis, and Heather all stood waiting for her response, looking up at the tv.

"Uummm I think it's sad." Massy held a closed fist to her mouth clear her throat, Odell clenched his jaw as he waited. "Excuse me, I think it's sad that people would attack him without looking further into the situation, without looking at why he acted or behaved a certain way. He's a great friend of mine and I know he's not a troubled person, he's not a trouble maker or dangerous, or any of the things that people are saying. You can't poke and tease at a Giant.... No pun intended." Faint laughing here and there came from the crowd. "And expect him not to step on you, and I'm a firm believer in letting people know you're not the bull to wave a red flag in front of, as an athlete, you're not just threatened for no reason. And for that other player to act as if he didn't know why he was being attacked, tells me more about his character then it does about Odell's behavior." She finished. Referring to the bazaar interview that Josh Norman gave in the locker room after the game, he spoke and acted completely clueless to why Odell would have been behaving the way he was, almost in a sense of bullying and teasing Josh acted innocent.

"Do you think he should be suspended for the rest of the season!?" A reporter yelled out, before anyone else could speak.

Massy leaned forward. "No." She simply said.

After rapping up the press conference, she took to signing autographs. For a good two hours Massy would sign posters, soccer balls, jerseys, cleats, the back of t-shirts it didn't matter. She smiled through the cramp in her hand as she finished up the last few people. She leaned in her chair throwing her head back letting out a sigh as if she had been practicing all day.

"This is equivalent to training! I'm worn out!" She said looking at her sports agent Mike.

"Life of a pro." He said shrugging his shoulders.

Massy made her way to the second floor, greeted by everyone up there, they clapped and hooted as if she had just won a game.

"What is this!? A LSU reunion!?" She teased looking at Brad, Odell, and Jarvis, all three men being at the same college and playing as teammates. "Too much Tiger spirit right now." Brad pulled her into a hug pressing his cheek to hers.

"Oh! It's LSU all day baby!" Jarvis said making his voice sound as Louisiana as possible, Massy scrunched up her face. "Congratulations!" He said pulling her into a hug as well.

Heather also doing the same, kissing her check and hugging her. You couldn't help but smile whenever Heather was around. Massy smiled at Odell unsure as to if she should hug him or not. Both of them pausing for a moment, Odell stepped closer reaching his arms out wrapping them around her shoulders.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear, she rubbed his back and kissed the side of his cheek.

"Your welcome."