“Answer the question,” I demanded. “What do you do?”
“Shit, man.” He shrugged. “Depends on the situation. Would someone benefit from a good kick in the ass? Or do they need to be buttered up?”
Butter. Definitely butter,I thought to myself.
“I could help more if I knew the details.”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” I instructed. “What time is this guy supposed to call again?”
“After three.”
We were waiting on a call from the executive of a famous sports supplement company. This was one of the first major deals we were aiming to set up for Eli. We’d just completed his contract negotiations with the National Fighting Association. Eli was an official fighter in the NFA, and we were in talks to set up his first exhibition in New York.
It was up to us to come through on the sponsorships as we’d talked about.
“That’s him,” Preston said when the main phone line rang. Miriam, our office manager, patched the guy through a minute later.
“Andy,” Preston greeted, placing the call on speaker.
“Afternoon, Andy,” I called into the phone.
“Gabriel?”
“It’s me.”
“Good to hear you,” Andy said. “I wondered if you were going to be on this call.”
“I’m here. Hoping you have some good news for us.”
There was a pause at that. Preston and I looked at one another across this desk.
“We don’t like long pauses around here.” Preston’s tone had a bite in it that I knew well.
“I pitched hard for your guy,” Andy informed.
“And?” I asked.
“What’s the story?” Preston added. “You all were up his ass a few weeks ago. Couldn’t wait for him to be signed by the NFA.”
“I still can’t wait to see what he has to offer, but there’s hesitance,” Andy stated.
“From who?” Preston and I asked at the same time.
“What I’m about to tell you, you didn’t hear from me. Got it?”
“Done,” I said. “Spit it out.”
“There’re rumors about your guy.”
“Keep talking,” I encouraged.
“All I’ll say is that you need to speak with him about his fight history and coaching. Listen, I have to go. Let’s give it a few months, and if nothing comes of these rumors, then we’ll revisit the sponsorship deal.”
With that, Andy hung up the phone, leaving Preston and me in silence.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Should be downstairs, training.”
