God only knew how Hayden had managed to coordinate this, but he’d had a car pick up Masterson from the Mandarin Oriental hotel. A pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice and a basket of fruit pastries sat between them.
“This is cool, man. Thanks.” Masterson selected a cherry Danish. “Comin’ from a small town in Texas, I never thought I’d see New York City, much less eat at these kinds of places.”
“Well, I thought it would be nice to treat you to breakfast and welcome you to the Kings organization personally. I heard you recently got married?” God bless Hayden for doing a deep dive on the Internet.
Masterson’s brown eyes lit up. “Yeah, Erin never liked being out west, away from her family in Westchester, so when the Kings made the offer, I knew I was gonna accept it. We had a little wedding at her family’s house, and in a coupla months we’ll go down to my family’s house near Dallas and have a big party.” His smile was sweet, and Armi could see he loved his wife very much. “Right now she’s house huntin’.”
“That sounds perfect. It’s beautiful up there. As a wedding gift, I’m gifting you and your wife a half dozen of my exotic rosebushes—special ones that I’ve personally grown from grafting. It’s a hobby of mine.”
Masterson’s eyes grew wide. “Really? Oh, wow, cool. Erin loves roses. All she could talk about was having a garden and planting flowers.”
“I hope this is the start of a wonderful life here. We’re looking forward to having you on the team, and we know you’re going to make a huge difference in our run for the Super Bowl.”
“I hope so. You know…my agent called me late last night and again early this mornin’. Other teams have made offers.”
Armi winced. “I wasn’t aware, but I’m sure they have. You’re an excellent player. The best.” God help him, he was so nervous, he didn’t even remember what position Masterson played.
Masterson chuckled. “You’re not like the other team owners I’ve met. They’re throwing all kinds of gifts at me—trips, jewelry, cars, shopping sprees. Plus droppin’ hints that having a gay owner might hurt the team. I read thatCity Newsarticle. They said maybe you aren’t ready to lead the Kings. And some of the guys were talking in my ear. Saying it could be a liability for me.”
Armi’s stomach dropped, and though his face burned, he spoke from his heart. “I can’t change people’s prejudices, however ugly or wrong they are. All I can do is be the best I can for the team and for myself.”
Their breakfasts came, and Masterson demolished his eggs, turkey sausage, and home fries, but Armi still wasn’t sure if the deal was secured. He paid the bill just as Masterson’s phone buzzed.
“That’s my agent. Hold on. Willis, how’s it going?” He walked away, leaving Armi standing there, feeling a little lost. His phone had vibrated numerous times during breakfast, but he’d ignored it and didn’t want to look now.
Masterson returned. “Thanks for the breakfast and the rosebushes. I’ll see you at the Kings headquarters for the signing announcement. Gonna go back to my room and change. Erin picked out my outfit.” He glanced at his plain T-shirt and track pants. Not the usual attire allowed at the Mark, but when you were a famous athlete, you could get away with it. “She said I’d better be cleaned up for the press.”
His heart leaped. “You’re still going to sign with us?”
“I’m a straight shooter, and I don’t like people trying to put others down. Plus, you’re the only one who went out of your way to do something special, not just for me, but for my wife. It’s easy to sign a check, and trust me, I like money as much as the next guy, not gonna lie. But I’ve already made more than I ever dreamed possible, and you giving Erin something close to your heart, like your rosebushes, was what did it for me.” His eyes twinkled. “See, I read up on you too, Armand, so I know how much the roses mean to you.”
Armi held out his hand. “Welcome to the Kings. Call me Armi.”
Chapter Seventeen
Standing at the signing, Hayden felt like a proud parent. Not that he’d ever know what having kids would be like, but seeing Armi next to Masterson, his face bright with that sweet smile, made Hayden so damn happy. His stomach fluttered.
They’d done it—Masterson was signed, and the papers had forgotten all about the nasty article. Today the sports pages couldn’t heap enough praise on the Kings and their leadership. The press crowded into the space, and with satisfaction, Hayden saw Price not up front in his usual position, but at the far edge of the room, his face granite-hard with anger.
“What the hell did he expect?” If it were up to Hayden, Price wouldn’t have been allowed at the press conference at all.
“We’ll take some questions now,” Russell stated, and Hayden frowned.
Why the hell did Armi allow Russell to take over? But he kept his eyes and ears open, planning to take notes on who treated Armi well and who was there for a hatchet job.
“Yes, Morty Unger forSports Today. Do you think that with the addition of Masterson and Hopkins, the Kings have enough power to overcome the other deficiencies in their roster?”
Armi frowned, and Hayden started his fuck-off-and-die list of press people.
“I think—” Armi began, but Russell cut him off.
“We’re stronger than ever now, and these two new superstars are only going to make us more tenacious as we make our run for the Super Bowl.”
“Dorothy Harwood forUSA Sports News. This question is for Milo Masterson. Why did you pick the Kings when we heard you had bigger and better offers from other teams, including last year’s Super Bowl champs?”
The big man stepped forward and adjusted the Kings cap. “Well, see, I’ve had my Super Bowl wins already. I wanted a team that gave me a feeling of family. Not to say I don’t like a fat bank account because I do. Momma didn’t raise no fool.” He waited for the laughter to die down. “But after meetin’ with all the other teams, I felt a connection to the Kings and their owner. Armand Winters might be new at this, but I think he’s got his heart in the team.” His eyes twinkled. “Plus, he’s made my bride very happy, and that means everythin’ to me.”
Armi’s cheeks turned pink.
