Mo looked at Antonio as if he’d said his left hook was weak, but Antonio pressed on. “Jackie, on the other hand, sees the potential in you. Because she’s been where you are. People take one look at her and think she’s not a threat. And guess what? Because they underestimate her, she can fly under the radar, going extra hard for her clients and delivering results nobody expected. She’ll get you stuff you couldn’t even imagine. What do they call that in boxing? A giant slayer, right? And she’s willing to risk her reputation for you. I’ve never seen her do that before. That’s saying a hell of a lot.”
“A giant slayer, huh? You done pleading your case?”
“Yeah, I’m done.”
“Good. Next time you think about interrupting my alone time, don’t.” Mo delivered the warning with an icy glare before returning to his tea.
Antonio nodded and backed away. He had to find Jackie and make sure she was alright.
CHAPTER 21
Jackie sat in a beach cabana listening to the ocean waves. Unlike the sofas in the suite and the chairs in the lobby, the cabanas were extremely comfortable. That didn’t make sense to Jackie from a resort design perspective, but she wasn’t going to question the heavenly cushion beneath her.
Mo was dismissive of her talents,again. Why did she bother even trying? Then again, she had come at him pretty hardcore. She couldn’t imagine what kind of damage control Antonio was attempting right now. That was a problem too—she could admit she’d messed up, but she hated this idea of having to be saved from herself. Like she’d told Ant during their failed attempt at mindful communication, she wasn’t a damsel in distress. Yet he somehow found a way to be there, always. It was annoying. Sweet, but annoying.
As she stared at the sand, a large shadow of a figure appeared next to her. She didn’t have to look up to know who it was. The ocean air had mixed with his cologne, announcing Antonio’s presence. Jackie looked up at him, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. He looked sheepish with his hands tucked in the pockets of his short-shorts. Jackie slid over on the cabana to make room for him to sit. When his knee brushed against hers, Jackie felt that same spark and pulse she’d felt during breathwork.
“This is the quietest beach I’ve ever been on,” remarked Antonio as he looked around. The only other people nearby were quietly reading, meditating, or journaling. “Guess no alcohol does make for a peaceful scene.” He nudged Jackie slightly. “You good, Jack?”
Jackie sighed, then pulled out her phone. She didn’t have service on this side of the beach, so she had to use her Notes app. She typed.
Why do you care?
“Nah.” Antonio shook his head. “That’s not gonna fly right now. You’re hurt, and you’re pissed. Acknowledge it.”
Jackie swallowed and wrote:I am, but it doesn’t matter. He won’t sign with me. I’m sure you tried to save the day—let me guess, he’s going to sign with you now?
“You make a lot of assumptions, lady,” Antonio said. “You know what they say about when you assume things.” He dug his toes in the sand. “I actually told Mo I’d never sign on to be his agent. You’re way more qualified to handle him. You came in kind of hot, you have to admit that. But you’re passionate. I let him know he’s making a mistake.”
Jackie bit the inside of her lip. She hadn’t expected him to say that.
Antonio continued. “Listen, we just have to come up with a different approach to get Mo. We got a couple more days here to figure it out.”
Jackie wrote:There is no different approach. We struck out.
“Your dad played baseball. You know this is just strike one, Miles. It’s not over. We just have to appeal to Mo. We have to give him something no one else can.”
Jackie rubbed the nape of her neck as she thought. Mo was seven million in the hole, and she wasn’t sure she could recover that. Landing endorsements was tough, even for the most popular clients. But despite his recent absence from major bouts, Mo was still in the best shape of his life. She’d seen clips of him training on social media. He was keeping himself ready. There was only thing that could entice him to sign with her.
Jackie typed and held out her phone. She watched as Antonio read, his eyes widening.
