Page 56 of Hard to Score

BREXTON

“KSM. THIS IS BREXTON.” I move the pile of papers on my desk and rap them so their corners square up.

“Brexton. This is Justin Hobbs.”

I stop mid-motion, surprised to hear from him, considering he hasn’t returned any of my calls thus far.

“Justin. Hi.” I grab a pen and my notepad. “What can I do for you?”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he says and chuckles. “A woman who knows she’s—”

“Don’t mistake the fact that I want you as our client to mean that I won’t put you in your place for being crass.”

He whistles softly. “Nothing wrong with a woman who can grab a man by the balls and give them a good twist.”

I’d like to twist them, all right.

“You called me. Now, what can I do for you?” I ask trying to get him to focus.

“I’d like to talk with you about representation,” he says, and I nod even though he can’t see it.

“What about it?”

“What you can bring to the table for me.”

“The table is set differently for every athlete, Hobbs. I need a bit more than that to know what we’re talking about. Are you looking for a long contract, more money, a specific team? I mean, I can bring a lot of things to the table, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to sit down and eat.”

“I have a big appetite.”

Clearly, and not that I’d ever say it out loud, but Finn’s done a decent job satisfying Hobbs’s hunger. Besides, Justin’s barely into his professional career and he’s already playing the agent-game. I’m beginning to wonder if Justin is just one of those guys who’s never satisfied.

I guess it’s my goal to see if that’s true or not.

“I’m not a miracle worker but my track record speaks for itself.”

“I’ve researched and am well aware.”

His sudden change of heart to talk after blowing me off for the past three weeks means he either had a fight with Sanderson or he’s playing the field without any real intention of making the switch over to KSM.

It’s a conundrum. My gut instinct is to tell him to take a hike and that I don’t need him. My sense of responsibility to my family and our company has me biting my tongue because isn’t this what my dad asked of me? To land Justin Hobbs as a client? His experience in the industry has him thinking that if the rising star comes our way, other football players will wonder why he made the switch and follow suit.

It’s all about visibility and catching the brightest stars. It’s about securing the future of KSM for my sisters and me. It’s about sticking to my word.

So I grit my teeth and grin and bear it. Or at least I try to.

“I think it’s best if we speak face to face,” Justin says.

“Agreed. What works best for you?” I ask as I pull up my calendar on my computer.

“I’m in Florida. Practice tomorrow. Game on Sunday,” he says. It’s not like I didn’t already know where Drew was, but I don’t say a word.

“And you’re telling me this because . . .”

“Because if you want my business then you’ll come to me.”

I have to keep my mouth shut, when all I want to do is tell him that no self-respecting woman would do just that. But I have to.

This is business, after all.