Page 28

Twenty-Seven. She’s not a brand negotiation

Elias

W e’ve just turned onto the highway when my phone rings. Vera’s picture fills the screen and I smile. I took it a few days after returning to the team and she’s straddling me in only my Renegades jersey. Her hair is a mess from all the grabbing and tugging I did hours before, but her smile is infectious and it makes my heart leap.

“Missing me already?”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Elias?”

I pull the phone away at her volume and my friends wince. Blinking, I straighten up and press the device to my ear again. “What did I do?”

“ Love you, peaches ,” she says in a pretty good imitation of me. “Seriously? That’s how you tell me?”

Frowning, I start to shake my head like she can see me, then freeze. Oh fuck .

“Exactly! What the fuck!”

“Fuck, peaches, I’m sorry. I don’t…I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh now you want to take it back. Typical .” She’s still cursing as I tap the edge of the phone to my forehead and groan at my stupidity. I was doing such a good job of not accidentally saying it before she was ready and I went and said it anyway.

“I’m coming back.”

Kuriakose looks back in confusion and Bash shakes his head, showing me the time on his phone. Because of how big the team is and for safety reasons, we’re split into three separate flights. Bash, Samar and I, along with a coach and a few other players are on the third trip that leaves in two hours. If I miss this, I miss the match tomorrow. I don’t want to, but for Vera, I would.

“Absolutely fucking not. You have a game.”

“Match, baby.”

“I don’t fucking care!”

My friends hiss and lean away dramatically, because she’s so loud. “I’m sorry, Vera,” I say finally and she goes silent. She’s breathing loudly, even if she’s not saying anything. “I meant it and I don’t wanna take it back.”

She sucks in a breath and I close my eyes, ears straining to hear every sound. “Good. I’m not happy with you for doing it like that, though.”

“I know, peaches. You’re not ready either.”

“I didn’t say that.”

My eyes pop open and stare at my shoes. “What?”

“I’m not not ready. I don’t like that you walked away after saying it.”

“Can I say it again?”

“Not on the phone, no. Next time, look into my eyes.”

“ Fuck ,” I swear under my breath and she snorts. “It felt so natural, so normal, it slipped out.”

“How many times have you said it to yourself?”

Don’t tell her. Don’t do it. “Every day since Mumbai.”

“ Elias .”

“I know. This is why it’s been so hard being your friend . But it’s what you wanted and I wanted you.”

“That’s a long time, superstar.”

Hearing the nickname lowers my shoulders from my ears and I exhale. “What can I say, you’re one of a kind.”

“Cheesy as fuck.” I don’t need to see her to know she’s rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Obviously. I’m sleep deprived and alone in this warm bed that still smells like you and you’re not here.”

I smile, rubbing my hand over my mouth. “Is that why you’re mad?”

“Among other things.”

“You know I’m sorry, right?”

She sighs and I can picture her lying in our bed, wrapped in the sheets and my heart longs to be back where she is.

“I know, Elias. But I’m upset.”

“You should be. Just…you know, don’t hate me.”

“Don’t be so demanding,” she snaps, but there’s no strength to her words.

“Okay, peaches.”

Vera grumbles and I rub my lips together to stop from smiling. As if I had any chance to not fall in love with her. She’s a badass boss babe, a strong powerful woman and she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.

Vera Thomas is the perfect recipe to win over my heart.

“Have a safe flight, superstar.”

“I’ll talk to you tonight, yeah?”

“Mhm. Win the match and come home to me.”

I smile. “Okay, sweetheart.”

And she hangs up and I slump back in my seat, chuckling to myself. My friends shake their heads, but I don’t care. She freaked out, but for a different reason. And more importantly, I’m suddenly feeling very confident about this match and taking the Legends down.

When we land in Ahmedabad, my morale dips a little. The folks waiting outside to see cricketers are all Legend fans and their signs are borderline rude—ranging from Chennai is at the bottom of the country because they’re the worst to Renegades, more like Retrogrades . Airport security makes sure we don’t get attacked, but nobody’s stopping their volume from rising. I always forget our rivalry until we’re facing off with them and the stadium is full of Mumbai fans.

With my head down, the trolling and camera sounds echoing in the distance, I send Vera a text to let her know we’ve landed safely. She replies with a picture of her, Nina and Tamara lounging by the pool. Smiling to myself, I pocket my phone and look up as we reach our car. Dhruv is waiting with his arms wide open, big grin stretching his lips.

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t my rebellious Renegades. Did you have a good time at the beach?”

Bash grumbles at the condescending tone and Samar scoffs before sliding into the car.

Dhruv’s smile falters, but still stops me from getting in. “You can’t keep ignoring my texts.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I did.”

He chuckles dryly. “Does this mean you don’t want to talk about how the Renegades management found out the woman they hired to run their PR and marketing is also the one warming your bed?”

I stare at Dhruv, hoping my eyes are conveying all of the things my mouth can’t seem to do. He knows he’s got me by the balls, but I’m also crossing my fingers and hoping Vera’s lawyer found nothing.

“What the fuck did you do?”

He shrugs, like none of this is his fault. “I told you this would backfire. That if you weren’t careful, everything would fall apart.”

I step closer, fists clenched tight. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“I know you think I’m doing all of this for the big paycheck. But I do have your best interest at heart, Elias. We’ve worked together for years and I’ve never steered you wrong. So why did you choose to not listen to me this time?”

My heart is racing so fast I might pass out. I’m not even sure if I’m breathing, but everything feels heavy. It doesn’t help it’s hot as fuck in Ahmedabad and the heat is pressing against me too.

“You should have let me figure this relationship out for you. But you had to do it yourself.”

“She’s not a brand negotiation,” I grind out and Dhruv laughs.

“She should be. Do you know if the Renegades decide to do something about this relationship, you’re the one suffering? She’ll be fine, Miss CEO. You will be off the team and hanging by a thread. Nobody will want to touch you.”

Now I’m definitely not breathing. I can’t tell if he’s being serious or if it’s a hypothetical, because his vicious expression hasn’t changed.

“She’ll ruin your entire career, but this indiscretion won’t touch her. Are you okay with that?”

From everything she’s told me, anything bad that happens to or around her always affects Vera in the long term. Women in positions of power are accused of using their feminine wiles to get ahead, while men are celebrated. If this gets out and becomes a big deal, she will suffer more than me.

“Yes,” I say, forcing the word out even though my throat is so dry.

My response shocks him, because Dhruv stares at me a moment too long. I use that break to get into the car and close the door.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Bash and Samar stare at me.

I don’t trust myself to speak because it’s static in my head. My hands are shaking, my chest feels like it’s going to split open. The front of the car opens and Dhruv gets in. He glances at me and I see venom in his gaze. How did I not know this side of him all these years?

“I’ve explained to Mr. Jaishankar you didn’t know who she was when you first started dating. I even implied you still don’t know who she is or that she runs the company they hired.”

“Dhruv, man. What the hell is going on?”

“Stay out of it, Bash. This doesn’t concern you.”

I swallow a few times, wetting my throat. “I’m not going to lie to Mr. Jaishankar and whatever stories you’ve concocted, I want no part of it.”

Dhruv laughs. “Your funeral, E.”

Turning around, he signals for the driver to go and I look out the window as his words and everything settles in my mind. I have to believe we’ve got the law and truth on our side, but being so far away from Vera has me in a slight panic.

I hope your lawyer has some good news, because Dhruv’s been up my ass since we got here. Apparently the Renegades management knows about us and I’m not sure what the fuck is happening anymore. I don’t want to believe him, but Dhruv’s pretty convincing. I’m heading off to practise now, but I’ll check my phone as often as possible, let me know when you know more.

It’s hard to leave my phone in my bag as I head into the batting net. It also doesn’t help that I’m on edge, my skin prickling with worry and stress weighing me down. Bash and Samar are the only ones who know I’m not okay, but if I don’t get it together, everyone else will know too. None of the coaches or staff on the field look at me differently, nobody is pulling me aside for ‘a word’, so I suck it up and get into the headspace.

Afterwards, we pile into the ballroom at the hotel to watch game tape. We’ve played the Mumbai Legends for years, but like any good team they’ve updated their methods and style with every season. And they’re definitely not a team to underestimate. Our coaches analyse each bowler and batter, showing us every move from different angles. We spend a lot of time understanding their fielding system and who to keep an eye out for when we’re on the pitch. It’s easy in situations like this, to look at the screen and identify the players. But when you’re standing at the crease, bright lights in your eyes and the crowd chanting your name, it’s hard to see it all.

It would definitely be easier if our jersey numbers were also on the front.

You gotta text me back, peaches. I don’t know what the fuck is going on or how to handle this. Let me know you’re okay.

One section of the ballroom has been cordoned off for the medical team, so while the rest of my teammates are dismissed, I strip off my shirt and hop onto a table as Dr. Theo comes over.

“Why don’t you look excited about making it to the Qualifiers?”

I scoff, following his silent instructions to move my arm in slow rotations. “I am excited. I’m also nervous. This is a big one, Doc.”

“Oh yeah, I can tell. Your shoulders are locked up.”

Forcing my body to relax, I roll my neck a few times and shake off my worries the best I can. On top of beating our ICL rivals, I have to worry about Dhruv, Mr. Jaishankar and my future with the Renegades. And the radio silence from Vera isn’t helping.

“Breathe, Elias.”

I suck in a large gulp of air and my body tightens up again, making Dr. Theo grunt. “Sorry, Doc. There’s a lot going on and I’m trying to focus on one thing at a time.”

“I get that. But all you need to think about right now is winning tomorrow. Everything else can wait.”

Nodding, I tell myself that once this is over, I’ll get food and call Vera. And everything will be fine. Dr. Theo massages my shoulders, loosening the stress and tension I’m carrying. Once he’s happy with my mobility, he has me run through the usual exercise routine. I know it like the back of my hand, but given how distracted I am, he has to keep reminding me of what I’m doing.

When my teammates join the exercise, I think about how different things were last year. We got knocked out two matches before the Qualifiers and wallowed. Out of the fourteen group stage matches we played, we only won seven. The ones we lost? It was embarrassing showing our faces anywhere after those games. So it was no surprise we didn’t make it past the last game, since our run rate was so low and our average score was pathetic. After winning four years in a row and six in total, the final loss was heartbreaking.

For me, it felt like the end of my career. Because straight out of that loss, I went into surgery and recovery. Being back on the field is good and it fills me with joy, but it also scares the shit out of me.

If we don’t win this first Qualifier, we have to prove ourselves in the second one. If we lose that, it’ll be even worse than last year’s loss. The only upside is we’re not on dock to play in the Eliminator, because that’s a consolation prize. We don’t need that.

“Still nothing from Vera?”

I shake my head, staring at my phone like it’s got all the answers I’m waiting for. I want to believe she’s not ignoring me on purpose. Maybe what Dhruv said is true—senior management got wind of our relationship and they’re harassing her now. That makes me more fidgety and I start pacing the room. Bash was napping when I returned from PT and I did my best not to disturb him, but my nerves were loud enough he opened his eyes. He hasn’t moved from under the covers, but he’s awake and keeping me company.

“Maybe she’s busy.”

“Yeah. Fuck. What if I ruined her life, man?”

He snorts. “I think you made each other’s lives better, E. Don’t let Dhruv get in your head.”

“It’s hard not to worry about what kind of mess is waiting for me after this, you know?”

As Bash starts to speak, my phone rings and I see Vera’s smiling face on my screen. I snatch the device up and swipe to answer.

“I’m sorry,” she starts and I exhale loudly. “Shit hit the fan and I had to get back to the office to deal with this.”

“It’s so good to hear your voice, peaches.”

“I’m sorry, superstar. I was advised not to talk to anyone until we’d sorted this out.”

“And?”

“Apparently Dhruv told Mr. Jaishankar about us. He wasn’t pleased with me and said I should have told him when I signed the contract. Zahira argued that what I do with my personal life is none of his business. He got upset and kicked up a fuss. But we sorted everything out. I filled out an HR form for the Renegades and it needs your signature when you get home.”

I drop onto the bed with a heavy sigh. “That’s it?”

“You need to fire Dhruv. He leaked information about us to some tabloid and they’re running the story tomorrow.”

“Fucking hell. I’m sorry, Vera.”

She sighs. “This is not on you, Elias. And I don’t regret it. I hope you can let this go and focus on the game now.”

“Shouldn’t have left bed this morning.”

“Then who would win the Renegades a much needed championship?”

I crack a smile and close my eyes. “Thank you for everything, peaches.”

“Only for you, superstar.”

I love you . “You wouldn’t happen to know any sports agents looking to represent superstar athletes, would you?”

She laughs and the sound is music to my ears. “I do, actually. Well, my lawyer does. Her brother is a sports agent and is looking for new clients. He’s got your number and will call you tomorrow.”

“Vera…” I sit up and shake my head.

“It’s what I do, Elias. As your girlfriend and your biggest fan.”

Marry me .