“Appreciate it,” was the only response I offered as he awkwardly put his hand down. I glanced over at Aaron, and his face was beet red. Freedman gave me a look of confusion, but I planned to clear things up with him after dinner ended.
“And who is this beautiful angel you have with you? I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.” Aaron stood to shake Lai’s hand. She gave him an odd look but accepted his hand.
“My name is Laikyn Morrows.”
“I’m Aaron Peterson.” The look came back as if she was stopping herself from saying something. Her eyes glanced to the left, and a smile appeared on her face.
“Roxy?” Laikyn addressed the woman at the table.
Aaron’s wife matched her excitement as she rose from her seat and the two of them hugged one another.
“Oh, I hadn’t realized the two of you had already met. We were planning to introduce you two yesterday, but things got busy for us,” Aaron stated with a perplexed expression on his face.
“Oh, yeah. We met yesterday when you left her to fix plates for you and your kids by herself. We’re friends now. Isn’t that right, Roxy?” Laikyn winked. It was then that I realized what she had been holding in.
“We sure are. Do you mean to tell me you were the woman I was supposed to meet? What a small world. I’m so happy it’s you and not some stuffy bi—” Roxy caught herself and giggled.
“I know, right? It must have been meant for us to meet,” Laikyn added.
It was interesting to see how Roxy’s energy shifted the moment she laid eyes on Laikyn. The two of them were communicating with their eyes, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Whatever Aaron did had landed him on my baby’s shit list, and I knew from experience it was a hard list to get off of.
I noticed ol’ boy kept his head down and didn’t bother to pull out Laikyn’s chair, which pissed me off. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and I was sure I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
Laikyn and Roxy were laughing and giggling like old friends, and their men seemed equally uncomfortable, which confused me. I was under the impression they were supposed to meet, yet the two men seemed blindsided.
“Well, since everyone is here, we can get dinner started.” Aaron clasped his hands together, but I could tell there was more he wanted to say.
The chef came out, greeted us, and answered any questions we had about the menu. I kept stealing glances at Laikyn, andI noticed she refused to do the same. No one else probably noticed, but I did. A part of me wondered if her soon-to-be ex had gotten in her ear and changed her mind about ending things with him. I shook the thought away as quickly as it came because it didn’t even matter what she wanted. I lost her the first time, but I wasn’t about to let her slip away from me again.
The food was surprisingly good, and by the time they came out with our main entree, I barely had much of an appetite. Aaron spent most of dinner explaining why I would be a great ambassador for their sportswear line. I could admit, he put on an impressive pitch and the merch was dope. I bought plenty of workout gear from them and could attest to the quality and affordability. The only thing I needed to know was how much they were offering, and Freedman was on the same type of time.
“Everything you’ve presented sounds wonderful, and Mr. Shoulders is very interested in the possibility of working with you all once we can come up with a reasonable payout,” Freedman stated.
“Oh, I’m already one step ahead of you. Kyon is one of the top wide receivers in the country, and we know securing him for our brand will be an incredible opportunity for both parties. We wouldn’t dare bring you all this way and not offer an amount suitable for someone of his caliber.” The fuck boy, Kalvin replied, passing Freedman a folder.
Freedman put on his glasses as he glanced over the documents. We weren’t going to sign anything until my lawyers gave the official approval of the contract. This meeting was simply to secure me as a client and then we would go from there. When he passed the folder over to me and I saw the number, I wanted to smile, but I decided to maintain my poker face. Twenty million dollars for a four-year exclusivity contract was a great deal, and I knew then I would be signing once I got theapproval. I passed it back to Freedman and nodded. He knew me well enough to know I was onboard.
“It looks like we have a deal. Of course, our lawyers will review the contract to ensure all terms and conditions align with Mr. Shoulder’s standards and values. Once they have done so, we will send you the final draft. Other than the administrative formalities, we’re excited for this collaboration, and I believe it will be a great one.”
I planned to give Freedman a nice bonus because he always came through and advocated for me. He was never afraid to push for more if he thought someone was trying to shortchange me, which happened to athletes often.
“Thank you so much. We are glad to have you be a part of the Boors Athletics team. We are certain you will find our contract fair and completely thorough. It is important to us that we uphold the values and integrity of our brand in all ways. We’ll ship a welcome package as a thank-you, and if you would like to have additional merch sent to family and friends, feel free to let us know. Kalvin will be your point of contact, and he’s going to take very good care of you.” Aaron sported a shit-eating grin on his face as he smiled from ear to ear. The last part of his statement caught me off guard, and I knew I had to address it.
“Actually, would it be possible for me to make a small request?” I probed.
“Of course, you can. Name it and it’s yours,” Aaron replied.
“Could I have someone else as my point of contact?”
Aaron’s eyes widened, and he glanced over to bitch boy who was choking on his champagne. Clearly, he decided to take his celebratory drink too soon.
“Umm, Kalvin is one of the top?—”
“With all due respect, I don’t give a fuck about who he is or what he does for the company. I would like to work withsomeone else. If it’s a problem, you’re more than welcome to rescind the offer.”
Aaron looked as if he was on the brink of a stroke, and it took everything in me not to laugh. It was obvious the two of them must have been friends or in cahoots together.
“I-I don’t understand. Is there something I’ve done wrong? If you’re worried about my ability to handle your needs, rest assured, I’ve been with the company for seven years, and I’m fully dedicated to my position as well as my clients,” Kalvin expressed. I glanced over at Laikyn, and she made sure to have her head turned as she talked to Aaron’s wife. Her little ass wasn’t slick, but I was about to show her how serious I was.
