Abby and Renee were back a minute later with bags of food and trays of drinks. The Foxes munched on sausage biscuits and Dan's promised doughnuts. The coffee helped wake them up, as did the reminder they were about to meet one of the highest-rated talk show hosts in the nation. Dan, Matt, and Renee buzzed with excitement as the bus got on the road again.

It was fifteen more minutes to the two-storey building that housed Kathy Ferdinand's daily show. Wymack parked by the security gate and got out to talk to the guard. Neil watched out the window as he and the guard checked IDs and paperwork. Wymack was back on a couple minutes later with a parking tag and a pile of guest badges. The gate squealed as it opened and Wymack drove them to the employee parking lot.

Wymack was the first off. He stood to one side of the door and handed out badges as the Foxes passed. Abby followed them out and locked the bus doors behind her. They were halfway to the building when Kathy herself came into the parking lot to greet them. She looked more awake than even Wymack did. Neil hoped it was just her makeup, because that couldn't be possible or natural.

"Kevin," Kathy said, reaching for him. "It's been so long. I'm so glad you could make it today."

"It's good to see you again," Kevin said, and smiled as he took her hand.

Behind Kathy's back, Dan feigned swooning into Matt's arms. Neil understood the mockery. In the four long months he'd known Kevin, he'd seen Kevin smile only once or twice before. Kevin's smile was a brittle and bitter thing. In Neil's files he had pictures of Kevin smiling alongside Riko, but most of those shots were taken after games when the pair looked more triumphant and condescending than anything. This smile was something else; this was Kevin's public face. It was meant for interviewers and fans who were better off not knowing the arrogant, ruthless side of a world-class champion. Kevin looked every inch a charming celebrity. Neil found it horribly disorienting.

Kathy turned her smile on the rest of the team. The morning sunshine glinted off perfect teeth only money could buy. "You were amazing last night. Kevin, you have the magic touch. This team has been doing so much better since you transferred."

"They were already on their way up," Kevin said. It was the first positive thing Neil had ever heard Kevin say about the Foxes. Usually Kevin only cared about their shortcomings. He listened for the lie in Kevin's tone, but Kevin was too good an actor to show Kathy his real feelings about his team. "They deserve their Class I status. This year will prove it."