TS flashed her a crooked smile. “I dare you,” he challenged.
Dammit, he knew her too well. She never could turn down a dare. Secretly, though, she wasn’t so sure she was up to dealing with a player, on and off the field. She liked the sport, but not always the men who played it. TS thought he knew her, but he didn’t know everything.
Kelsey ignored his dare as she followed him toward the waiting limo. “So, where’s the party?” she asked.
“At the Lakeside Resort. It’s a short drive and after we arrive and get some drinks, we’ll talk more about what I have in mind. I’ll introduce you to some of the city leaders. Maybe you could field some of their concerns about Maverick blasting the city and its inhabitants?” TS assisted her into the limo, then settled himself back into the rich leather seat. He was definitely a man used to getting his way.
Within ten minutes, they’d arrived at the hotel. “Thank you, Henry. I’ll call you when we’re ready to return to the stadium.” TS walked over to her side of the car, then placed his hand lightly on her elbow as they walked toward the revolving glass doors leading into the lobby.
“You know this is plain weird, right? We’ve never worked together. What if it ruins our friendship?”
“We won’t let it. Short of posting childhood pictures of me on social media, there’s nothing you could do to end our friendship,” TS assured her.
They skirted the tiered fountain in the lobby. Kelsey noticed guests milling about in cocktail attire. Tugging at her suit jacket, she wished again she’d been able to change into her favorite armor—her little black dress from Chanel.
“Well, the evening has just begun. You shouldn’t have planted the idea.” Kelsey shot back. “I’ll help you with the locals tonight, as a friend, but that doesn’t mean I’ve agreed to anything.”
“This isn’t a job interview. As far as I’m concerned, the job is yours.”
“Are you sure he even wants help? Or to change? From what I’ve read, he quite enjoys ticking off the league and providing plenty of talking points for the news media. Not to mention his revolving stable of women.”
TS chuckled as he placed an arm around her shoulder. “Glad I amuse you.”
Kelsey escaped his hug, then punched him. Playfully. It could have been harder, but hopefully it was enough to let him know she was serious. Why hadn’t she just said no on the phone?
“You know, TS, I expected you to be more upset than you seem with Maverick. After all, he went after you in the video too. Yet, not once have you said anything derogatory about him. Why is that?”
“Because that’s what everyone would have expected. Don’t worry, he’ll hear about it, in private. I’m not interested in airing the team’s dirty laundry tonight. Plus, I know if he wasn’t still reeling from the loss of the division championship and his brother, he most likely wouldn’t have had such an ugly reaction.”
“Smart. Now, tell me why you gambled so much on this boyhood dream? Owning a USBL team, then moving it to Pineville, the smallest market in the league, is a huge risk.” Kelsey had been wondering if he was doing it for the right reasons since he called her two years ago when he’d begun negotiating with the league and the former owner.
“Life’s a gamble, Kelsey. Nothing is ever achieved without risk. Plenty of people told me I’d never achieve half of my father’s success. Between that and my hatred for that man, my need to prove him and everyone else wrong who thought I couldn’t become a success, has fed my inner drive for as long as I can remember. Besides, Maverick just got caught talking about what a lot of people are still thinking about this ball club. And yes, bringing the organization to Pineville means a hell of a lot to me. But I’m not naïve enough to think it’s going to be a piece of cake, but it’s going to be worth it.”
No one in the sports world was betting he would succeed. Probably because they’d never been in his presence. They didn’t know what he’d gone through as a kid, not really.
“What do you say, Kelsey? Do we have a deal?”
What could she say? She wasn’t ready to commit, so she said, “Let’s see how the evening goes?”
They’d arrived at the penthouse and, after stopping for introductions, TS guided them toward the bar for her promised drink.
She wasn’t about to tell him that she’d already begun mapping out an aggressive social media campaign, selected interviewers, and scoped out volunteer opportunities in the community. She knew she could handle the logistics of the job. But did she want to? Could she set aside her past prejudices toward baseball players and be the professional both Maverick and TS needed?
TS handed her a glass of wine and nonchalantly asked, “So, since you’re back in town, do you plan on getting together with Lara and Noel while you’re here?”
Well, huh? When had TS become so interested in her two best girlfriends? The three of them had been inseparable all through school until Kelsey had left for college. She’d texted them both after she booked her plane ticket to let them know she was coming to town. They were definitely overdue for some girl time.
“We don’t have anything solid planned. They know I’m in town for at least a couple of days. Why are you so interested?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Just wondering. Thought it would be another perk for you to agree to stay and work with Maverick.”
Uh, huh. The man was digging for information. “That’s so thoughtful of you. Now, why don’t you tell me the real reason you’re asking? Which one is on your radar?”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and, honest to goodness, he squirmed. Oh, how she was going to have fun with this.
“Nothing like that, Kelsey. You know me better. I don’t have time for relationships. I was only asking because Noel had bid on my new condo project and she didn’t win. So . . .”
“So, you want to know if she called me to curse you out or maybe to see if I could pull some strings for her?” Kelsey took a sip of her chardonnay and waited. She’d never seen him speechless before.
“Nothing like that. It’s more… curiosity.” He took a large sip of his own drink, then plastered a bored look on his face.
She wasn’t buying it. “Nope, she didn’t say a word to me. But I can find out if you want to know. Then I’ll see if she likes you or if—”
“Hell, forget I said anything. Can we get back on subject here?”
The intensity of his plea got to her. So, she let him off the hook—for now.
“Sure thing. First things first, and this is free advice, so I’m not committing to taking the position. But it’s important that Maverick apologizes immediately. Tonight is preferable. And he needs to mean it. He needs to prove to the national and local fans that he regrets his actions, his word choices. It’s crucial for the Pineville residents and surrounding communities to see, to believe, that what he said while drunk was not how he truly felt.”
“Perfect. If he doesn’t show up tonight, we’ll get you two together first thing tomorrow morning, afternoon at the latest.”
“Wait, what? No, we haven’t discussed anything. I’m just giving you first steps. Besides, I have terms. Don’t you want to hear them?”