23. Serena
SERENA
I will never be a winter person.
Give me the sand and the ocean and the sun and storms.
Give me warm skin and wet hair.
Give me the beach at golden hour and a good book and let me be.
—Serena’s Secret Thoughts
Aurora
Who did you and Livvy use as your realtor?
Serena
I’ll send you the number. Why?
Saylor
Because the condo we’re renting was sold. They want us out in a week.
Serena
Oh shit. Well, you can stay with me while you look. I’ve got plenty of room.
Aurora
Love you, Barbie. Hoping to find a place to buy. But it might take a hot minute, and I really have no desire to move back in with my parents while we look.
Teagan
Want to tell me why you included me in this text, little sister?
Aurora
Dad said you weren’t in love with your apartment building. Something about shitty security and being over living in the city. Thought maybe you’d want in with us.
Saylor
We’re thinking big house. Plenty of space.
Aurora
And a yard. I want a dog.
Teagan
You already have a cat.
Saylor
Dogs are better.
Teagan
Obviously.
Serena
I just sent you the info. Let me know if you need a place to crash.
Aurora
Thank you!
Saylor
Thanks.
Teagan
I’m not living with you two.
I smile and close out of that chat, then open the one Hendrix has been messaging all morning.
Hendrix
What time is your meeting?
Serena
In an hour. Wish me luck.
Hendrix
You don’t need luck. You’ve got this.
Serena
When do you leave for the game?
Hendrix
Fifteen minutes.
Serena
Have a safe flight. I’ll talk to you tonight.
Hendrix
Kick ass, princess.
Here goes nothing.
I step into the conference room, expecting to be the first one here, considering I’m ten minutes early. But I must have missed the memo because Dad, Scarlet, Uncle Jace, Ryker’s mom, and Aurora’s dad are all seated around the table. By my count, we’re missing two aunts and two uncles. Great.
“I hadn’t realized everyone would be here today.” I smile, taking the only empty seat. “Well, not quite everyone.”
“Not to worry, honey. We have their proxies.” Dad grins from the head of the table. “We wanted a percentage of the board here so we could take an official vote.”
“Hi.” I wave at my aunts and uncles, wishing I’d brought more copies of my proposal. “I apologize. I feel unprepared.”
“No need to apologize, Serena. You brought a great opportunity to the table. We’ve been discussing it all weekend,” Scarlet tells me almost dismissively.
“Another thing I was apparently unaware of,” I add, a little annoyed. “I would have emailed everyone the information.”
“No need.” She looks at her phone quickly, then drops it in a bag and gives me her attention.
“I passed along all the information as soon as your father reached out. Now then.” She nods toward her assistant, who passes out black binders to everyone in the room, including me.
“I’ve assembled everything I found on the Emerald City FC.
Have you all had a chance to look it over? ”
“Wait,” I snap, flipping through the pages. A brightly colored chart on page two immediately catches my attention. “It seems like you misunderstood what I was looking for when I brought this deal to you, Dad.”
“Did I?” he asks, and I can’t quite name the tone in his voice. But it manages to piss me off all the same.
“According to page two, you certainly did. I wanted to partner with King Corp., while keeping the 51 percent majority with me. According to page two, this has been flipped and King Corp. wants the majority to my minority.”
“Well, Serena,” Scarlet takes the lead. “You have to understand we’d be taking the majority of the risk.”
“No. You wouldn’t,” I answer calmly, pulling out my own folder. “If you’d like to reference the folder I sent via email, you can see I’d be putting up my own funding for my percentage.”
“And what about using King Stadium?” Ryker’s mom, Lenny, asks. Her voice far more gentle than Scarlet’s. “You’re planning to use the stadium for games and events.”
“At a cost. The club would pay the Kings a flat fee for the use of the stadium and a percentage of all food and beverage income as well as a percentage of all merch sold on site.” I lift my finger as I rise from my chair. “Give me one minute.”
“This really isn’t—” Dad starts but I walk out of the room and am back two minutes later with my laptop in hand.
“This is necessary.” I pull up my presentation and link up with the monitor hanging on the wall.
Voilà. Everyone can see it now, without having to reference an email.
“If you’ll look here.” I highlight the line I’m referencing.
“You can see the margins and the estimated revenue the FC can bring to the Kings. It’s not overly generous yet.
But I’ve built in a slow increase in rates in the five-year plan, with bonuses here and here,”—I point out—“if we make it into the postseason and the finals, as well as the expected attendance averages for years one through five based on historical data for the league, as well as what we’ve seen in Philadelphia sports teams over the last five years. ”
“What are you saying, Serena?” Uncle Jace pushes with a supportive grin, making me feel like I have at least one ally in here.
“I’m saying it’s a good move for the Kings financially.
And a good move for King Corp. as well. I’m also saying if you don’t like the offer to partner as it is, I’m prepared to leverage the winery and have spoken to the owners of the men’s soccer stadium in New Jersey, and they’d be happy to rent me their facility at a better number.
It’s a smaller facility, which could cap my attendance and revenue though, so I’d rather keep it here in Philly, if I can.
Basically, I’m saying I’d like to partner with my family, but not enough to give you the majority stake in the company. ”
You could hear a pin drop in the room as everyone stares at me before Scarlet turns to my father. “She’s ready, Maximus.”
“Yes, Scarlet.” He closes his folder. “She certainly is.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, looking around at everyone now smiling as if they’re all in on a big secret. “Ready for what?”
“Do you mind?” Scarlet asks Dad.
“Not at all.”
She turns to me, pride shining confusingly in her eyes. “Serena, being a woman in the world of professional sports is not for the weakhearted. You have to be strong and confident and direct. You cannot allow yourself to be pushed around. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone.”
I lean forward, half expecting her to tell me I failed a test I didn’t know I was taking.
“You’re the first of our children to be interested in King Corp., and we needed to make sure you had what it takes,” Ryker’s mom adds, beaming. “Not that we doubted it, we just needed to know for sure.”
I blow out a breath, more than a little frustrated. “I’m sorry, but I’m confused. Is this a King Corp. thing or an Emerald City thing?”
“Both,” Dad answers.
“You came to us with an offer,” Aurora’s dad jumps in. “But we have a counteroffer.”
“Why are you here, Hudson? When was the last time you were involved in King Corp.?” Lenny asks. “You only come around for the free food and booze at the functions.”
Jace snickers, and Dad and Scarlet look at the three of them like they’re little kids instead of grown adults.
At least I know my cousins and I come by it honestly.
“Here’s our counteroffer, Serena, and hear me out.
” Dad leans forward, an excitement in his eyes I haven’t seen in months.
“When I bought the Revolution, I was going to purchase it myself. But after speaking with Scarlet and the board, I decided to purchase it through the company. It worked for me because I already owned my shares of the company, something neither you nor your cousins have because no one has shown interest until now. We’d like to change that. ”
I stare at him, still confused.
“We’d like to offer you shares of King Corp., honey. Not my shares. Although you’ll obviously get them when I die.”
“Dad,” I gasp, hating when he talks this way.
“Listen, kid, we’re all leaving our kids our shares when we die. But you need to hear what your father is telling you,” Hudson warns from next to me and takes my hand in his.
“I have the controlling shares of the company, Serena. I always have. My own father made it that way. You were always going to get them. But what the board and I would like to do is give you your own shares by each of us giving you a percentage of our individual shares.” Dad holds my gaze, willing me to understand what he’s saying, and I think I do, but my head is swimming as it all plays out.
“You’ll be the only grandchild to hold their own shares,” Lenny says.
“And one day,” Scarlet adds, resting her hand over Dad’s. “When you have your father’s shares, you’ll control the company, not just the team.”
My father nods. “You’ll be Chairman of the Board.”
Holy. Shit.
“And what did you say?” Livvy asks me via FaceTime, and I curse her for marrying a man who lives in New Jersey for the millionth time.
“Thank you,” I squeak and run my fingers through my hair, tugging.
“I mean what am I supposed to say when they basically told me I was going to run the company when my dad dies, like they were talking about what was for lunch? Which, by the way, they had catered by Bagliani’s.
And seriously, Liv, their sandwiches are still the absolute best.”
“Breathe, Barbie. I mean, shit. I’m going to have to start calling you Bad Ass Barbie.” She purses her lips and arches a brow. “Ooh. Ooh. Or Boss Babe Barbie.” She smacks the table. “Chairman of the Board Barbie. Oh my God. The options are endless.”
“Be serious, Olivia. I can’t really do this . . . can I?” I ask quietly, petrified of her answer. Because I know what I want her to say and what I want to do, and I don’t think they’re at all aligned.
“Why the fuck not? You graduated from college at the top of your class with a dual degree. You have the brains. You have the balls, given you’re already prepared to run a professional sports team in Philadelphia, one of the best professional sports cities in the world.
And you have the bloodline. Every single member of our family will make sure you’re ready when the time comes.
You’ll have the kind of hands-on training people have wet dreams about.
And you’ll get to do it all while you build a women’s soccer dynasty in your hometown because you’re already Bad Ass Barbie. You have to do this. Have. To.”
“Olivia . . .” I stutter.
“Stop and answer me this one thing. Do you want to do it?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation. “I do.”
“Then you have your answer.”
My racing heart settles as I stare at my screen. “I guess I do . . .”