Chapter 8 Onyx
“A freshman?” I asked her as I watched her eyes narrow infinitesimally, and the boardroom was deadly silent as I regarded her. “You went touring colleges?”
“You make it sound sordid,” Angel snapped at me, and I saw her take a deep breath to calm herself. She knew this was a risk bringing this to me. Which is why she did it in the boardroom, with Neil present, thinking he was the adjudicator to our rivalry.
“It seems to be,” I murmured, but she knew by my tone that it was a lie.
“He’s good, he’s better than good, he could be amazing—”
“He’s eighteen.”
“He’ll be nineteen soon,” Angel said as she shifted slightly in her seat. “And it’s not unheard of for very good athletes with tons of potential to be groomed early.”
“Grooming?” I asked her, and internally I crowed with glee. This was just too fucking easy. “We’re grooming teenagers now?”
Angel’s temper made her cheeks redden as she gave up all pretense and glared at me. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“But we all heard you. You wish to groom him, that’s what you said.” I didn’t acknowledge the muffled snorts of laughter from some around the table.
“You are such a prick.”
“Okay,” Neil spoke up as I knew he would, and she hoped he would. “Angel, while it is not unheard of for younger athletes to be signed or represented early, this agency has never adopted that practice.”
Breaking eye contact with me, she looked at Neil. “Why?” she challenged him.
“Excuse me?” he asked her, perplexed.
“Why don’t we? Tennis players have agents when they’re barely in their teens, why not basketball stars?”
“Because tennis players can win tournaments at sixteen,” I told her sharply.
“They can play the tour, they can win championships, they can earn money. Basketball players don’t usually earn anything until they’re playing for a team.
You know when that is? Three to four years from where your college crush is. ”
“You’re disgusting,” she snapped at me. “You haven’t seen him play.”
“Of course I’ve seen him play,” I snarled at her. “He’s an eighteen-year-old kid with a half decent shot and a semi-invested coach.”
“You’ve seen him?” she asked me incredulously.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I scoffed. “I’ve seen enough eighteen-year-old boys playing freshman basketball. Fuck, is he even on the first team, or is he on the bench for most games?” I leaned forward. “Did you try to sign someone who isn’t even first team?”
“He’s a freshman. His time will come. He’s dedicated.”
“He has a broken leg from an underage drinking session because of a stupid dare.”
Angel glanced quickly at Neil, and I saw him wince out of the corner of my eye, and I knew she had told him not to tell me. Not tell me? The person who owned the fucking company.
“It’s a clean break.”
“Aren’t they all,” I said, and I watched as her fists tightened at my condescension. “Cut him loose.”
“No.”
Raising an eyebrow, I challenged her silently. “No?”
“No,” she repeated as she licked her lower lip. “It’s my client.”
“On my agency’s books.”
“Then I’ll take him on as my own.” Her back straightened as she eyeballed me.
“You’re right, of course, there is no fee earning potential for you, yet.
I want him.” She saw my smirk, and her jaw clenched.
“Don’t be an imbecile, it doesn’t suit you.
” Angel pulled her long hair over her shoulder.
“I drafted a contract, and I haven’t used the resources here—”
“Why?”
“Contracts sometimes have a way of . . . wandering here.”
“So the legal department has it in for you?” I snorted.
She ignored my dig. “The contract was done on my time. It has only one reference to the agency, which I can remove. Until Ryan is playing professionally or at least regularly in college, then if you have thawed by then,” her tone implied she thought it unlikely, “I can bring this back to the boardroom.”
My teeth tugged at the inside of my lip as I assessed her. He was eighteen with a broken leg. What the hell had she seen at a college basketball game that had her jumping on this boy before even college scouts had heard of him?
“There’s more to this,” I suggested.
“I swear to God, if you make one more grooming quip, I will punch you.”
I heard someone cough to cover their laugh, but my attention was fixed on her. “How many times have you been in Dallas to see him play?”
“Why?”
“Answer the question.”
“Twice.”
“And Saturday makes three?” I guessed.
“Yes,” she said and then added, “but he wasn’t playing on Saturday.”
I ignored her sarcasm. “What are you hiding?” My fingers drummed on the table. “I know you, and this smells of bullshit.”
“You don’t know me,” she growled furiously.
“I’m a damn fine agent, and you know it too, because all my ‘finds,’ you keep stealing.
My potential clients. And you do it not because you’re a twisted, sick bastard, you do it because you know that I know how to do my job.
” She took a breath. “So take your condescending bullshit and shove it up your ass. I’ll sign him myself; your agency will be free of anything to do with him. ”
“You done?” I asked her quietly in the deadly silent room.
Angel looked around as if suddenly remembering we weren’t alone. “Yes,” she said tersely.
“You sure? There was a whole lot there, did you get it all out?”
“Screw you.” With a shake of her head, she looked away from me.
“Everyone,” I said as I looked at the room, “I need a moment with Ms. Balan.”
Angel sat still with her head high as everyone filtered out of the room silently. Neil stayed as I knew he would.
“Quite the speech,” I told her as the door closed.
“Just get it over with,” she said coldly as she leaned over and picked up her glass of water.
“And what am I getting over?”
“Oh my God, you are the most infuriating dick.” Her voice rose slightly as she fixed her stare on the wall across from her. “Fire me, I gave you more than enough ammunition.”
My smile was wide. “You did. Definitely grounds for dismissal, right, Neil?”
“It was quite heated,” he said reluctantly. “And with witnesses,” he added with a guilty look at her.
“Why, Neil, it sounds as if you are saying that had it just been Angel and myself, you would be okay with hearing what you just did.” I took a dramatic sigh. “It really was quite heinous, gross misconduct really, and such defamation to my character—”
Angel laughed. “Your character? Your character is a vile, contemptuous, selfish, arrogant asshole.” She pushed her seat back as she stood. “Either fire me or stop the charade so I can go back to work.”
“Sit down.”
“Onyx, I—”
“I said sit down, vampire, before I tie you to that fucking chair.”
Angel paled, and as she held my gaze, she slowly sat back down. She cast a look over to Neil, who had frozen in his seat. I watched as she smoothed her skirt down and her shoulders set as she swallowed, probably thinking I wouldn’t see her nerves. Which would be foolish of her.
“Now, I’m going to make this very easy for you, and if you choose to be difficult, then that’s your choice.”
“You want me to quit?”
“Shut up until I tell you that you can talk.”
Dark anger swirled in her eyes, and she wisely moved her attention to a point beyond me. How misguided that she was, to think I didn’t know all her tells.
“Look at me.”
“I am.”
“No, vampire, you’re looking at the tip of my ear. Did you forget who I am?”
Angel scoffed. “Like you make that possible.”
“I know all the same tricks as you do,” I reminded her. “In regard to the personal attack on my person this morning, I won’t tolerate it.”
“Fine, fire me.”
My lips twitched. “When I am finished speaking, then you can talk. Do not make me remind you again.” Looking her up and down, I leaned forward slightly in my chair, and I noticed her catch her breath. “Remember that we know each other, vampire, and you know I don’t bluff.”
Angel looked away from me and looked at the far wall. “I won’t interrupt until you are sick of hearing your own voice, and although you don’t give a shit about me, remember Neil doesn’t want to be stuck in here with you all morning either.”
“So fiery,” I complimented her. “So bold for someone so desperate to be fired.”
“I—”
“Ah, ah, ah, what did I say?” I stood slowly. “Neil, leave us.”
“Onyx . . .”
“Now,” I commanded. “Shut the door tight on the way out.”
“I really don’t think—”
“I said now. I don’t pay you to think,” I snapped as I looked over at him. “Now.”
He hesitated still, and I cocked my head slightly to the side. He stood, and with one more uncertain look at Angel, he left.
“And then there were two,” I said to her with a smile. Standing, I crossed to the blinds and closed them. Checking she hadn’t moved, I then locked the boardroom door. “Now, that’s given us some more privacy.”
“Are you crazy?” Angel asked me as she watched me as I leaned against the door. “This has harassment suit all over it,” she told me with scorn.
“Why? Because you’re a woman?” I asked her as I approached her. “Or because every notable member of staff heard your verbal diatribe to me not five minutes ago? Or because I’ve already been in your bed, vampire?”
“You touch me, I will castrate you.”
My head tipped back as my laughter poured from me.
“Touch you? Touch you?” Pulling out the chair beside her, I sat down, making sure I wasn’t close enough to actually touch her, but I was still in her space.
“I’ve already touched you, vampire, and I’m not eager for seconds, unless you’re offering? Again?”
Angel barely concealed her temper as she sat with her hands in tight fists in her lap. “Say your piece so I can go.”
“I’m not going to fire you,” I told her, and I saw her try to hide her surprise. “And if you quit, I don’t accept it.”
“Why?”