The scouting report was really for the team manager, of course. Theo didn’t know enough about the intricacies of the team to know what they were looking for in a new player. But he liked to have all the available information at his disposal all the same.
Atop the stack of papers in the folder, the manager had affixed an adhesive note with a brief message —Love this guy! Let’s get him!
Theo flipped through the folder. Jason Alamedes was currently the star of his high school team and had led them in an undefeated season. He was a shortstop with a glove like a magnet, who seemed able to scoop up any ball that dared to come within a twenty-foot radius of him. There were still-shots of some of his most spectacular catches and a DVD that would have his highlight reel, letting Theo see him in action. Theo set that aside for later. He wanted to watch it — he liked to watch every new player’s reel, just to feel like he was doing his part for the team — but it wasn’t as though hehadto see it. If themanager wanted this kid, that was good enough to persuade him.
The only thing that might make a difference to the final decision was money. This was a young player, so he might come cheap, but he was also talented, and if he’d had a lot of offers already, he would be more competitively priced.
The number at the back of the folder wasn’t exactly low, but it wasn’t prohibitive either. It was within the budget that Theo had planned on allocating for the new shortstop the team needed. That was enough to convince him. He picked up the phone.
As he dialed the number, a sour thought took root in his mind.See, Harper? I’m good at getting things organized. And having a budget is ninety percent of the battle. If I couldn’t afford this guy, it wouldn’t make any difference how good a shortstop he was. That would be irrelevant.
The phone was answered. “John Larson here.”
“Mr. Larson, this is Theo Davenport calling.”
“Davenport. With the Houston Stallions, isn’t that right?”
“That’s correct.”
“You’re calling me about .Jason Alamedes. I know you requested his reel.”
“That’s right, we did, and our team has reviewed it. We’re prepared to make a generous contract offer for Mr. Alamedes to come and join our program here.”
“He has an offer from Boston,” John Larson said. “He’s seriously considering accepting it. Can you offer better than what Boston is offering?”
“I don’t know. What are they offering?”
“It’s a closed contract.”
“If you can’t tell me the terms, how do I know if I’m able to match them?”
“Tell me what your offer is,” John Larson told him. “I’m just warning you that it had better be a good one if you want to compete with Boston.”
Theo smiled. This was where he was in his element. His feelings about Harper, all the conflict and stress, faded away into the background, and he picked up a pen and twirled it confidently between his fingers. “Mr. Larson, I’m not a man to be pushed into things,” he said. “I’m happy for Alamedes to come and play for our club, and I think my offer is a generous one. But if you think your client would prefer Boston over Houston, there probably isn’t anything I can say right now that would change your mind, and that’s all right. He should do what’s going to make him happy. Why don’t you have a talk with your client, and the two of you can decide what he wants for himself and from his career? And once you’ve made that decision, give me a call back — if you think Houston is going to be the right place for him — and we can discuss the terms of the offer.”
“Now, hang on a moment,” John Larson objected. “Youcalledme.”
“I called you because I thought you were ready to deal. I’m not here to play these games,” Theo said. “If you’re not sure whether or not my club is what you want for your client, then you and I don’t actually have anything to talk about, and I won’t waste any more of your time today. I’m ending this call now.”
“Hold on,” John Larson sighed.
Theo couldn’t suppress a smile. It was a good thing Larson couldn’t see him right now. This was what he was best at, and he was crushing it, just like he always did. It was the perfect way to take his mind off everything that was going on with Harper. He wouldn’t have to spend any time thinking about her as long as he had his work to focus on.
I should never have allowed myself to get pulled away from work for such a prolonged amount of time. I love work. Work is where I shine — not personal connections with random women who are helping me plan weddings. I shouldn’t even be a part of planning this wedding! What do I know about weddings? Not a damn thing, that’s what.
“Of course we want to do business with you,” John Larson said. “You know we do. That’s why we sent you the highlight reel in the first place.”
“Then don’t joke with me,” Theo said. “I’m a very busy man, and this is a great club. Your client should be grateful for the opportunity to come and play here.”
“Look, you’re a struggling program. You need someone like Alamedes. You’re not going to have a winning season without us.”
“Your client is not the only shortstop looking to make his name in the big leagues. I can find somebody else. And I’m sure Boston will be very happy to have him if that’s what you want.”
“All right, fine. You know how to dance. I’ll send you over a copy of the contract Boston is offering us, and you let me know if you can beat their offer.”
“Don’t bother,” Theo said. He had the measure of this man now. “I will send you my offer, and you make a decision with yourclient as to whether it’s something you’d like to accept. If not, no hard feelings, and you and I will go our separate ways.”
John Larson grumbled a little. “You’re a difficult man to deal with,” he said. “Do you know that?”
