Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Zane doesn’t even look at me as we peruse our menus.
After we order, Vance takes the lead, launching into the details of my new role at CTM. “So, here’s the good news,” he tells Zane, gesturing to Adriana, then me. “Our sports management team has been watching these two while we’ve been competing with them.”
My right-hand woman clears her throat. “Well, you made a good attempt to compete,” Adriana says with a cheeky smile.
Vance holds up his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Our philosophy is if you can’t beat ’em, hire ’em the hell away. Seriously though,” he says to his client. “I’ve got you covered when it comes to negotiations with the Dragons, but we wanted more specialized expertise on the brand side because it’s so vital to sports marketing.”
Now’s my turn to impress the man I should not have hit on. I rattle off the deals we’ve inked with Fortune 100 brands for all our clients, like the Seductive Cologne deal for Carter Hendrix on the Renegades, before I finish with, “And we also worked with Crosby Cash on the San Francisco Cougars to develop a line of lucky socks.”
The third baseman is famous for his superstition regarding footwear, but I might have specifically mentioned him because he’s another baseball player.
“Good to know,” Zane says evenly, then goes quiet again.
That sure as shit doesn’t sound like he’s warming back up. I’ve got a long way to go if I want to win him over.
I rattle off more of our deals from the last several years. “And I personally handle Nate Chandler’s endorsement deals, as you noted,” I say. Hiring a billboard to say I strike killer deals for all my clients would be less obvious, but I’m determined to regain his respect. And, since Nate’s one of the team captains for the San Francisco Hawks and a high-profile player in the NFL, who happens to be gay, I add, “We make sure players of all backgrounds get the deals they deserve, matching them with the right brands.”
Zane turns to me, his jaw set. “And what will that mean for me? And maybe, say, Energize Drinks?”
Vance cuts in. “That’s why I asked Maddox and Adriana here. They know Energize Drinks well.”
He shifts his eyes away when he says it. I’m not surprised. He warned me before dinner I’d have to deliver the bad news.
Zane perks up, sitting higher. “That so?”
Ah, hell.
But better to rip off the Band-Aid. “Listen, I don’t think Energize Drinks is going to happen,” I say.
“It’s not?” Zane asks it like he’s fighting off the disappointment. Trying to hide it from the three of us.
I don’t want to make Vance look bad, but Energize Drinks never should have been on the table. It’s common knowledge to Dragons fans that Zane is a water or bust guy when it comes to quenching his on-field thirst. He’s not the right athlete to endorse a sugary, jet-fueled, hyper-caffeinated drink.
“It’s not a good fit,” I say. “Maybe a water brand would be a better one to pursue. A water-bottle maker, even, since you have that lucky—”
“Lucky water bottle,” Zane cuts in, and we finish at the same time. His lips curve up. “How did you know?”
“You mentioned it in an interview last year. The game against the Barn Owls where you hit a grand slam. The day you—”
“Got the bottle,” Zane supplies, grinning now.
Yes. Fucking yes. I am making inroads.
“That’s the type of partnership we need to find for you,” I say, tapping the table for emphasis.
“The most successful endorsements happen when there’s a natural alignment,” Adriana chimes in. She has a great way with clients, keeping a good-news face on as she sticks to her guns. The woman is disciplined and focused—a perfect partner for me.
Vance nods, smiling sagely. “My man Maddox has some meetings in New York, Los Angeles, and London in the coming weeks to schmooze some brands. Maybe find a better fit for you, Z.”
I take nothing for granted. Just because I joined CTM doesn’t guarantee Zane will say yes to me taking point on landing his first endorsement deal.
If Zane doesn’t want to be repped by us, it’s his prerogative to say no. But Vance isn’t going to ask straight out if he’s all in on working with Adriana and me, and I doubt Zane would answer on the spot if it meant saying no to our faces.
He might say yes on the spot, though, if he likes us.
Right now, he looks as if he’s working through possibilities in his head. Pros and cons maybe.
I wait on the edge of my seat. Then the server arrives with a silver tray of glistening nigiri, so I’ll have to wait longer.
“Your sushi platter,” he says, then sets it down.
Zane stares ravenously at the fresh fish. “Let’s eat,” he says, like he wants to devour every morsel. Kind of like he sounded when he propositioned me.