Chapter 28
LOGAN
The moment I step off the elevator inside BetMasters Headquarters, all eyes are on me. More specifically the black eye I’m sporting, courtesy of our VP of Acquisitions. There’s a lot of chatter, but I’m halfway to my office before anyone has the nerve to speak up.
“Damn, bossman.” Pete, our CFO’s assistant whistles. “That’s quite the shiner.”
I take a sip of my coffee. “You should see the other guy.”
Sara, an intern, snickers. “A friendly disagreement over March Madness, or…?”
“Sure, that sounds plausible,” I say dryly, brushing past them toward my office.
Fucking hell. I really should’ve listened to Rosie and iced the damn thing.
She picked up a tube of arnica for me last night, but it can only do so much at this point. I brush my employees’ looks aside, knowing the state of my face is the least of my concerns right now. I have exactly two weeks to lock in the Olympus deal, and we have a lot to do between now and then.
I step into my office, setting my coffee down as I boot up my computer. Before I can settle in, my EA, Barry, walks in, clutching his tablet.
“Morning, boss. Did you hear the news? You’re trending. On the interwebs and the thirtieth floor.”
I groan. “Lucky me.”
“Someone clearly had a go at your face. Did you ice that eye at all, or just fancy the swollen look?”
I sigh. “Why don’t you ask what you really want to know, Barron?”
“Ooh, he’s pulling out the legal name.” He smirks, like the shit-stirring savant he is.
“I daresay the gossip train’s well and truly left the station.
The office’ll be buzzing by lunch, so go on then.
What’s the story behind the bruiser? Let me guess…
this has to do with the woman you were seen kissing? Does she have a name?”
“Yes, she has a name,” I shoot back without blinking. “Rosalie Morales.”
Might as well get it out there since it’s bound to be public information anytime now. Quite frankly, I’m shocked the paps didn’t figure it out over the weekend.
Barry arches his brows. “As in your best mate’s little sister? That Rosalie Morales? Bloody hell, no wonder. I’m assuming Ryan’s the one who put the mark on your pretty mug?” He twirls a finger in my direction for emphasis.
Barry may be a shameless gossip, but I trust he knows when to keep his mouth shut. He understands Ryan and I had a personal relationship long before a working one, and the two do not coincide.
“Yep.” I point to him. “But that stays between us.”
“Like a royal vault, me.” He uses his thumb and forefinger to mimic pulling a zipper across his mouth.
I shake my head, sipping my coffee. “Just run through my schedule please.”
Barry chuckles, then launches into his rapid-fire breakdown of my day.
“Right then. First up, internal check-ins on the PPA integration, followed by a meeting with Gretchen’s team to finalize the contingency budget.
Lunch is scheduled for delivery at noon.
Since your body is your temple and all that, I took the liberty of selecting a quinoa, spinach, and lentil salad topped with grilled chicken, avocado, and sweet potatoes with a lemon-tahini dressing. ”
“That sounds good. Thanks.”
He nods. “At two, you have a call with Imani from the Vegas satellite. She only needs about ten minutes to review upcoming license renewals. Other than that, you’ll be free to float around checking on each individual team’s progress for the Olympus deal.
I’ll be sorting travel arrangements today for Vegas, so if you’ve any preferences for accommodation, make sure they’re sent my way. ”
I dip my chin. “Sounds good.
“Anything else you’re needing from me, then?” Barry asks, tapping his digital pen against the edge of his iPad.
“Check with Jared to ensure the dev team’s data has been updated before we finalize the presentation decks.”
“Already on it,” Barry confirms.
“Good. And let design know I want a fresh polish on the visuals. Olympus is a luxury brand, and we need our pitch to reflect that. Their last mockup wasn’t quite cutting it.”
“Of course.” He nods.
“Oh, and send a memo to legal. I want them to comb through every line one last time. One slip-up and the Control Board will bury our asses in red tape—something we obviously want to avoid. I expect their report on my desk by end of day Friday.”
“Got it.” Barry scrawls some notes on his tablet. “Anything else?”
“No, I think—”
Before I can finish my sentence, there’s a single knock on my door before it swings open. Ryan steps inside, hands stuffed inside the pockets of his sharply tailored slacks.
He spots Barry and awkwardly clears his throat. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Morning, Ryan. Have yourself a decent weekend?” Barry’s blue eyes twinkle as his gaze shifts my way. “Get up to anything…scandalous?”
Great subtly there, Bare.
Ryan frowns, looking between us. “Logan, you got a minute?”
I wave Barry off.
“And that’s my cue to leave you two to verbally eviscerate each other in private. I’ll just leave this door open a smidge and listen in, in case you need me for anything.”
“Your husband must have the patience of a saint,” I call out.
“You’re not wrong,” Barry singsongs.
Ryan closes the door behind my nosy assistant, shaking his head.
He exhales as he turns to face me.
I hold my palm out. “Look. If you’re here to ream my ass again, save it for after business hours, will you?”
His jaw flexes as he drops into a visitor chair in front of me. “That bruise still looks pretty gnarly. Did you put an icepack on it?”
For fuck’s sake. Why is everyone so obsessed with frozen water all of a sudden?
“I’ll live.” I shrug. “What’d you need, Ry?”
He shifts on his feet, nodding to my coffee cup. “Penny make that for you?”
Okay, half-assed small talk it is, then.
“No, the redhead did. Her name’s Chloe, I think.” I take another sip, watching him over the rim of the cup. “Why are you here? Because I doubt it’s to discuss my black eye or the coffee shop staff.”
After a beat, he decides to get to the point. “I talked to my source at Olympus this morning. Got some insight on their execs that might be helpful for the pitch.”
“Such as?” I prompt.
“For starters, their VP of Strategy prefers a clean interface. Sleek, minimalistic, and intuitive is the name of the game there. Player acquisition and retention are two of their top priorities right now, so I think we should emphasize how this partnership supports both their short and long-term goals in that regard.”
“What else?”
“Their CEO is apparently a fantasy football junkie. The dude’s in no less than two dozen leagues each season.
If we can showcase how our predictive analytics can boost his win ratio—or at the very least, stroke his ego—we’ll have his attention.
If we can make it happen, a demo on that would really sell it. ”
Interesting.
“So…you think we should add something along the lines of predicting which players are going to blow up based on subtle stat trends? Assist with weekly rosters or draft picks?”
Ryan nods. “Exactly. We’ll be the crystal ball in his back pocket. Breakout predictions, trade optimization, weekly picks…if it boosts his bragging rights, we’re going to have his buy-in.”
I lean back in my chair, already picturing the UI in my mind. “Loop Development and Data Analytics into this. I want a demo that highlights how our models can optimize fantasy strategy based on league-specific formats. If they have any questions, have them come to me directly.”
“Will do.” Ryan nods. “Think you’ll be able to resist flexing your own fantasy stats in the process?”
“Fuck my stats.” I grin. “I’d give up my entire roster, including all my keepers, if we can close this deal.”
He laughs. “Damn. You really want this to go through huh? I’ve been trying to steal your QB for years.”
I sober. “It needs to go through, Ry. It’s our game-changer.”
“I know, man.” He swallows. “Regardless of what’s going on between us outside of this building, I’m damn good at my job. I’ve been here since day one, dude. I’m just as emotionally invested in this company’s growth as you are. I’ve got your back.”
“I know you do, and I appreciate it.”
Neither one of us says anything for an awkward thirty seconds.
Ryan sheepishly grabs the back of his neck, shifting in his seat.
“For what it’s worth…it’s not because I don’t think you’re good enough for Rosa.
I may have said some shit the other day out of anger, but I didn’t mean it.
You’re the best man I know behind my dad, Logan.
But she’s my little sister, man, and even though I’m pissed at you for lying—and I probably will be for a while—you’re my bro. ”
I sit back, watching him carefully as he continues.
“Maybe it’s selfish on my part, but if things don’t work out between you and Rosa, no matter who’s to blame, I can’t bear the thought of there being a rift between the two of you.
Having to worry about you guys being in the same place at the same time.
” He drags a hand down his face. “And god forbid, if you hurt her after what she just went through with Julian, I don’t think I could forgive you for that.
I’m just trying to protect what we all have with each other. ”
I take a moment to let that settle and hold his gaze.
“I meant every word when I said she’s it for me, Ry.
I know that’s a tough pill to swallow, but Rosie is…
it feels like I’ve been waiting a lifetime for the opportunity to love her like she deserves.
Now that I finally have it, I won’t take that for granted.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
To prevent anyone from hurting her. When you’re feeling less punchy and ready to actually listen to our reasons behind it, let me know.
Maybe we can grab a beer across the street or something.
” I lift a shoulder. “Believe it or not, we didn’t enjoy keeping it from you guys. ”
Ryan studies me for a second longer, then nods. He stands and pauses at the door. “See you later.”
I exhale, the tightness in my chest feeling marginally looser.
“See ya,” I murmur as the door clicks shut behind him. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call that a truce, but it was progress.
And for now, it’ll have to do.