Page 35 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

“I stand with Boyd and will represent him in any contract he wishes to sign, be it with a team or to endorse a certain product. I’ll work my ass off to get him the most favorable deal.

But I firmly believe that Boyd should have other professionals who are independent of me, simply because it provides a system of checks and balances, much like the way our government is run. ”

Jace saw Darby was listening as intently as the two seniors were.

“No one person should be in charge of everything for you,” he continued.

“No matter how great your relationship is with your agent, you need to bring in others. Preferably, a team of others. I can make those recommendations to you, but my recs are not in any way a part of Touchdown Talent Management. For example, you’ll need insurance.

Good insurance because playing professional sports can be a dangerous occupation.

You’ll need an accountant. A financial advisor.

An attorney. You’ll probably want to have a nutritionist. Maybe even a chef.

A personal trainer beyond what your team provides to you.

I can even recommend a masseuse to help handle the trauma to your body after a game, as well as an acupuncturist.

“All these people are independent of TTM, however. I’ll handle all negotiations, and my partner Mark draws everything up into a nice, legal document.

My office can also handle marketing and social media for you.

Beyond that, I want you to have a team of other professionals you can rely on.

No one person should have that much power over you.

” He paused. “Too many athletes have let one agent do everything—and they’ve been taken advantage of financially. ”

Boyd nodded thoughtfully, absorbing what Jace had detailed. He slipped a hand around Kacie’s.

“I get it. Especially if you’re too trusting and make a mistake in your representation, your agent could really screw you over and leave you with nothing.”

“Exactly,” Jace said. “I’m never going to do that, Boyd. I will always look out for your best interests, and that means finding you expert representation in other fields, as well as repping you in negotiations with your future team’s management or endorsement deals.”

The couple looked at one another, and then Kacie said, “You’ve given us a lot to think about, Mr. Tanner.”

He handed his card to her. “Feel free to call me anytime, Kacie. Boyd already knows that. If you’d like to stop by TTM and see our offices and meet our staff, we’d be happy to accommodate you.”

Darby spoke up. “I know West wouldn’t mind speaking with you regarding anything from the client’s perspective.”

“That’s a very generous offer, Ms. Montgomery,” Boyd said. He grinned sheepishly. “West is a real idol of mine.”

“This is your off week,” Darby pointed out. “Maybe you’d like to come to the Hawks game on Friday night. I could arrange for you to meet West before the game.”

Boyd’s face lit up. “That would be incredible.”

“Let me check just to be sure.”

Darby took out her phone and tapped a few buttons.

“Hey, West. Got a favor. Boyd Thompson, SMU’s quarterback, is thinking about signing with Jace. He knows you’re a client. Could he and his girlfriend stop by the game Friday night and talk with you beforehand?”

She paused, listening and nodding. “Yes. That’s good. Okay. Thanks, Cuz.”

Darby hung up. “West said you could come by about two and meet with him in his office. Then he’s got the pep rally and a ton of prep work with his staff and the players before the game. That would give you about thirty minutes to pick his brain. Would that work?”

“Yes,” Boyd said enthusiastically. “Definitely, yes. Where’s Hawthorne?”

Darby laughed. “About half an hour past Decatur. Say, ninety minutes or so from here.”

“I’d have to cut my last class,” Kacie said. “But the prof is a Dallas Cowboys fanatic. If I tell him I’m meeting with West Sutherland—and maybe bring back an autograph—it wouldn’t be a problem for me to miss it.”

Darby sent a quick text and received an even quicker reply. “Okay. West said go straight to the field house. It’s between the high school and the stadium. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”

“We should stay for the game,” Kacie said. “That would be the polite thing to do.”

Jace stood. “You two can work that out. If you’re at the game, we’ll see you there.

” He offered them each his hand. “You’ve still got plenty of time to decide on an agent,” he assured them.

“My biggest advice is don’t rush into anything.

You won’t miss out. A competent agent will take care of you, no matter how early or late you sign. ”

The couple exchanged a glance, and Boyd said, “We’ve felt some pressure from other agents to do that. You saying this really alleviates some of our worries.”

Darby also wished the couple good luck, and Jace led her back to the car.

“They’re a sweet couple,” she said after they were both in the car. “And you were terrific with them. I believe they’ve already decided to sign with you. West is just a little icing they’re indulging in.”

“Hey, you were the big salesperson. You said a lot of nice things about me.”

“I believe in you, Jace,” she told him, her eyes shining with sincerity.

“I believe in us,” he replied. “Let’s go grab pizza from Campisi’s and bring it home. It’s the best in Dallas and only five minutes from campus.”

She pulled out her phone. “I’ll call in our order to make things go faster.” Grinning, she added, “You know, so we can put in some quality time in the bedroom after dinner.”

Jace kissed her, hard, and said, “Pizza is always something that we can stick in the oven and keep warm. I like the idea of working up an appetite. For you and pizza.”

He drove away from the SMU campus, feeling good about his meeting with Boyd and Kacie.

And even better about the night ahead with Darby.