“How many clients are you planning to take on?”
Propping my phone against a vase of flowers, I grin. “Tough question. I want the agency to focus on quality over quantity. Like at Permian, my main priority will be taking care of my clients and giving them the attention they deserve, so I think a safe number is eight. Got any teammates looking for an agent?”
This time, Deshawn lets out a full-bodied laugh. “Probably, but I’m actually looking for myself.”
I pause. “Trevor is your agent.”
“Was,” he corrects me. “I’m free now that the shithead was terminated for discrimination. And to celebrate, I decided it’s time to take my business elsewhere. You see, there’s an agent who spent a lot of her very limited free time with me at physical therapy. She sat beside me when I was at my lowest, and I don’t feel comfortable starting my season without her by my side as my full-time agent. Not agent adjacent.”
The air leaves my chest in a very unprofessional wheeze. “You want me to be your agent?”
“I do,” Deshawn says. “I meant what I said. I can’t imagine getting back on the court without you. So, what do you say, Shay?”
“I . . .” I swallow over a lump of emotion. “Welcome to the Even Odds team, Deshawn.”
After scheduling a meeting and a quick goodbye, I hang up before releasing a scream so loud that it shakes the whole house. Cade rushesback into the room and falls to his knees in front of me, gripping my hand so hard, it’s the only reason I’m sure I’m not dreaming right now.
“You have a client.”
My head lolls backward. “I have a client.”
“A professional basketball player. And he wants you beside him.”
“He wantsme,” I whisper.
In an instant, Cade pulls me out of the chair and starts spinning us in circles around the room. The pink walls are blurred, but his smile is abundantly clear as I look down at him. Wrapped in his arms, I’m sure this is the kind of happiness people spend their whole lives searching for.
And I’m lucky enough to say I’ve found it.
When he finally stops, his eyes glitter. “Now let’s get to Slim Jim’s.”
It’s been too long since I’ve seen my friend.
People may find it weird to consider a man in his fifties a friend, but Jimmy was the first friend I made after moving to Clear Lake for college. It didn’t matter that all we did was hit baseballs.
When he hugs me, I squeeze him a little tighter than usual.
“How’s school going?” I ask, dropping into the seat.
“Either the kids keep getting crazier or I’m getting too old for this.” Teaching world history to a bunch of hormonal teenagers can’t be easy. It’s only the second week of September, but his sigh tells me he’s already counting down the days until Thanksgiving break.
It’s rare that he’s at the batting cages on a Tuesday afternoon, and I couldn’t miss my opportunity to see him when he texted me.
“Definitely the former,” I say. “Why is the closed sign on the door? Is there a private event happening?”
“Something like that. Congrats on Even Odds. What’s next?”
I look down. “An office, but if I’m being honest, I’m thinking about being completely virtual at this point. Most deals are made over the phone anyway, so why should I find a space and spend all that money? I can work from home or in a coffee shop.”
“That’s definitely cheaper. What do you want out of a space?”
After spending years in an office where I felt suffocated and where I couldn’t stand staying for too long, I know what Idon’twant.
“Ineedsomewhere comfortable. Where I don’t dread coming into work every day. I would love a shorter commute. I know Charlotte is probably the best place to have an office, since it’s the heart of so many North Carolina teams, but I’d rather be here in Clear Lake. I think it would be nice to show athletes how special our little town is, you know?”
This place is my home. With a professional athlete family and divorced parents, I was always on the move. For so long I thought that was normal, but now, I’ve made myself a home and found people who make leaving seem impossible.
“What’ll you do if Cade gets traded and leaves North Carolina?”
