Chapter Thirty
“What if everyone hates it?” I despise how whiny I sound, but I’m freaking the fuck out.
“Why would a group of athletes hate mini golf and fajitas?” Holly asks. She heaves her body onto the front desk, even though the lone employee has asked her not to four times. “I personally am over the freaking moon about tonight.”
GloGolf Gardens looks like an ethereal garden party and a night arcade had a baby.
Plants, fake and real, grow from every surface, mushrooms bounce, and fairy lights stretch overhead.
Everything is neon green, electric purple, or blacklight blue with random splashes of coral and orange—colors that make Mallory’s closet look normal.
All-client dinners aren’t the norm, but I wanted one night with them. With Cade being cleared, he’ll be traveling tomorrow for a series. Lionel and Brett are starting to prepare for preseason. Holly and Victoria have the night off. The only one missing is Delilah, who’s currently in Montreal.
Mini golf was my choice, but now it seems childish.
“I really hate it when you get in your head.” Holly grips my face and leans in, giving me a great view of the freckles across her nose.
“Since I met you, you’ve walked into every room with your head held high.
You’re not going to start doubting yourself tonight because you’re doing something special for your clients. ”
“I could have at least taken y’all to a real golf course,” I say, words warped by the fingers squishing my cheeks.
“Why? Almost everything is better when it’s mini!”
Finally, she accomplishes her goal when I laugh. Holly’s a little younger than me, which is probably why I see her as a little sister. She will always be my first client.
“Thank you. I needed that.”
“Good,” she grins. “I was ready to slap some sense into you.”
The bell over the door chimes as the first person arrives. Bringing five professional athletes to a popular venue in Charlotte would’ve been risky, so on my own dime, I reserved the place for the entire evening.
“Shay Shay!” Brett hollers. “Where are youuuuuuu?”
“Front desk.” I stand, preparing for a look of pure disappointment, but when Brett and Lionel round the corner, their eyes are wide, grinning like two kids with free rein in a candy store.
“Mini golf?” Brett pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. “Hell yeah!”
An adorable dimple appears in Lionel’s russet cheeks. “I knew you’d plan something fun. This beats a fancy dinner any day.”
I look up at the two mountainous men. “You guys are happy?”
“More than!” Brett’s white shirt glows blue under the UV lights. “Think of the most powerful word to describe happiness, and that’s me.”
“Ecstatic?” Holly offers.
“Better than that. Like frolicsome!” Then like the giant teddy bear he is, he starts skipping around the room until a glowing mushroom captures his attention.
Holly hops off the counter when the door chimes again and flicks her blonde ponytail in my face. “Told you they’d love it.”
Victoria’s bright white sneakers, neon green dress, and newly turquoise coils match the vibe perfectly. “Now this is a fun night out! Y’all better get ready for a smackdown. Not to brag, but you’re looking at the mini golf champion of Houston four years in a row.”
Feigning a shiver, Holly rubs her arms. “Ooooo. I’m sooooo scared.”
The teammates bicker before dissolving into giggles about the new drama between their strength coach and head athletic trainer. Apparently one margarita turned into ten and escalated into a very messy one-night stand.
I’m still smiling when Cade enters, looking effortlessly cool.
His locs are pulled back, giving everyone a clear look at his sculpted jaw and flawless complexion.
Denim shorts hang above his knee, paired with a fitted white tee that hugs his chest and an unbuttoned navy flannel.
I didn’t want to spoil tonight’s activity, so I made sure to tell them all to wear close-toed shoes and dress comfortably.
Cade guessed dodgeball, which would have been fun too.
“Agent Shay.” There’s something sweet about his professional tone, and my heart soars because he takes my job seriously, even with our history and his confessed feelings.
Before I can respond, Cade is lifted into the air.
“Cade Owens! It’s nice to finally meet you! I’m Brett. You and Dawson are the reason I like baseball now,” he babbles, sounding more like a fanboy than a fellow professional athlete.
Lionel appears, never too far from his teammate. Once Cade’s feet are back on the ground, he extends his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Lionel. This idiot’s teammate.”
Holly and Victoria swarm him too, overly eager to meet the man who demanded to work with me. But when the bell chimes again, I almost squeal. It can only be one person.
“Deshawn! You made it.”
His face brightens as he finds us gathered in the middle of the room. After continuing intense physical therapy, his quad’s muscle tone is returning. With him returning to practice soon, he deserved an evening to not worry about basketball or recovery.
“Miller!” Brett shouts. “When did you sign with Shay?”
“He’s not—”
Deshawn cuts me off. “As much as I’d like to be part of the team, I’m technically not her client, but she’s been a big help lately. And I couldn’t miss an opportunity to kick your ass at mini golf.”
Cade is too busy putting two and two together to introduce himself. I nod, verifying Deshawn is the client I’ve been going to physical therapy with. If I would allow myself to look at him for more than a half second at a time, I bet I’d find a look of relief on his face.
It’s time to get the night started.
“We’re sadly missing Delilah, but thank you all for coming. I know mini golf may seem a little juvenile—”
“Shut up!” all six of them yell.
“Okay! Sorry.” I hold my hands up in surrender. “Now, who’s ready to get beat?”
It’s hard to be a sore loser with a stomach full of fajitas and a heart full of love.
I stand and tap a plastic knife against my red solo cup of lemonade. We’re all crammed in a neon-green-and-black picnic table, but nobody seems to mind the closeness. “I know we’re all reeling from the loss, but congrats to Holly for destroying us in what was meant to be a lighthearted game.”
Across from me, Victoria pouts. “I wasn’t warmed up properly.”
Holly jabs a finger at her from the head of the table. “Yeah right.”
“Which means,” I continue, “whatever she wants us to say, we say it.”
Holly crawls onto the table and smirks down at us. “Repeat after me, losers! Holly Trent is not only the best mini golfer . . .”
Everyone sighs. “Holly Trent is not only the best mini golfer . . .”
An evil grin twists her lips. “But she’s also Shay’s favorite client.”
Beside her, Brett slams his hands against the table. “In your dreams, Holls! We all know it’s me. I make her laugh the most.”
“Yeah right,” Lionel snickers. “You annoy her too much, B.”
Victoria glares at both men. “If you believe it’s not me, you’re stupid.”
To my right, Cade chuckles. “Shay has made it very clear that I’m not her favorite, so fight amongst yourselves.”
Everyone’s eyes shift to Deshawn, who’s silently watching from the end of the table.
He shrugs. “I’m not even a client, but if I were, you’d all be in trouble.”
Holly claps three times. “I don’t care if you disagree! Say it!”
Even though it’s preceded and followed by huffs, everyone recites the final line of Holly’s required speech.
She beams. “Even if you all lied, you said it.”
Once Brett helps her off the table and she’s seated, I stand again.
Emotion catches in my throat as I look at the people gathered around the table.
Each one is special in their own way to my agent journey.
They would’ve been happy and successful without me, but my life wouldn’t be the same without them.
I’m sure of it.
“Thank you for indulging me tonight. An all-client dinner is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but with our varying schedules, I never thought it would happen.
” I pull a pinky sticky note from my back pocket.
“Now for a little bit of work. Cade’s heading to D.C.
tomorrow since being removed from the injury list this morning.
” They cheer for their new friend while Cade’s cheeks flush.
“Victoria and Holly, kick some ass at tomorrow’s game.
And for my basketball boys, rest. Preseason will be here before you know it. ”
Brett groans. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
I laugh and take a seat. “Feel free to stick around and hang out for a bit, but that’s all I have for you—”
“I’d like to say something.”
My eyes fly to an oddly determined Lionel. “Oh. Sure.”
He stands. “I’m a man of few words, but I’d like to kick off the speeches.”
“S-speeches?” I stutter.
“Yup.” His shy smile appears. “I know we can all speak directly to how amazing you are, but I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me in the last year.
When my brother got into that car accident, I froze.
But you? You jumped into the fire and bought the first flight you could find, promising you’d take care of everything with the Grizzlies.
When pushed to come back before I was ready, you fought for me to have extra time with my family.
You never stop going to bat for me, and I hope you know I’d do the same for you any day. ”
“Lionel,” I choke out, but Brett raises his cup of lemonade before I can finish my sentence.
“Hear hear!” he sings. “Shay Shay, you make this life so much easier. You’re the first person I call with news, genius inventions that’ll make us both rich, updates, and tea.
Hell, I know I can call you just to talk about nothing because you always answer.
I appreciate you every day. You keep me on track, and you keep me sane.
I can’t wait to annoy you until the day we retire. ”
My laugh is sudden, and I’m once again cut off before I can respond.
Victoria jumps up. “When I first met you, I thought you reminded me so much of myself. Hardworking. Dedicated. Hot. Stubborn in the best way. But within ten minutes of our first conversation, I realized you were a million times better than I’ll ever be.
I felt a little lost after being traded to North Carolina, but you made it home.
Rage Smut Book Club wouldn’t be here without you, and neither would I.
You’re the little sister who acts like the big sister I always needed. ”
A sob catches in my throat. “This is unfair, guys. You aren’t giving me time to tell you how I feel about you.”
Lionel chuckles. “You show us how much every single day. This is our chance to tell you how much we care about you.”
Beneath the table, something grips my trembling knee. A quick peek reveals Cade’s hand on my lavender jeans. It’s the supportive touch I need to make it through the speeches everyone seems determined to make.
Deshawn pushes himself up with a soft grunt.
“After my injury, I felt lost, but every morning, I woke up to an email from you. You made sure I was getting out of bed, eating breakfast, and taking care of myself. Even when I ignored you. Being an athlete, even with all the fame, can feel lonely, but you make me feel seen. You’re the best agent I’ve ever had. ” His smile widens. “Adjacent or not.”
“Deshawn,” I try, but Holly leaps from her seat.
“My professional soccer dreams were practically dead when I met you. I had no team and no future, but in the Permian restroom, you gave me a chance when nobody else would.” Teary eyes meet mine, and she presses her hand to her heart.
“When I think back on how I got to this point, you’re the first thing that comes to mind.
When people ask how I did it, I say that I couldn’t have done it without my agent.
You don’t just negotiate. You fight for me and help me get into rooms I never thought I’d see.
You’re the best agent and friend a girl could ask for. ”
Tears are already threatening to fall when Cade releases my knee and stands.
“There will never be enough time to tell you how I feel, so I’ll keep it short and say it’s such an honor to know you and work with you.
Every time I hear people talk about your fierce loyalty and determination, I get so happy because you’ve always been this way.
In a world full of bad agents, who only care about themselves or performance, I can say with certainty that you’re the best. I don’t even think you know how much you have changed our lives.
” His eyes are more brown than green tonight, and they’re full of something only I can read. “Mine especially.”
Hooting pulls my gaze from him to their raised glasses.
“And I messaged Delilah,” Holly says. “She was so sad to miss this but said you’ll be receiving her fifteen-minute speech by voice memo after she finishes practice.”
“We love you, Shay Shay,” Brett hollers.
My eyes roam the table. I know I do my job well and they’re happy with their careers, but everything they said was personal.
Things completely separate from their sport.
In reality, we’re all doing life together.
In a professional sense, but also in a personal way that I’ll never be able to thank them for enough.
Even though working at Permian feels like hell, I love them too.
That’s why I hope the letter of intent I submitted to Trevor this morning gives me that promotion so I can stay with them for a long time.