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Cliff

“ U nderstood, sir,” I reply, but apparently that doesn’t get the ole’ kook to stop talking. He’s been saying the same thing repeatedly. I get it. Do we really need to hash everything out this many times?

“Even her teammates say she can be frigid. That she doesn’t socialize with them or even try.” He keeps going. “Even fans are talking about how cold she is when they approach her outside of the arena. They’re making videos on social media. Social Media, Cliff!”

“I hear you, Mr. Wilkes. I promise I’ll talk with her,” I repeat once again, but it takes everything in me to not lash out. I can feel him triggering my protective instincts for Jade.

“You do that, son. I want to see improvement over this upcoming season, or I’ll be forced to trade her no matter how good she is on the court.” Leaving me with those last words, he hangs up.

With my phone in one hand, I softly bang my head against the desk, hoping it will help a plan magically come to me. Dealing with managers and owners having hissy fits because they feel the players aren’t acting exactly how they want them to be is not why I left the family farm and my small town behind to become a sports agent.

I’d wanted to help athletes accomplish their goals, especially those who have a harder time in the industry like women, but unfortunately, it’s part of the job. An important part of being a manager for women in particular, because in this world we don’t see them as capable. I roll my eyes at the thought because every woman I know is stronger than most men.

Women’s sports are less likely to make money just because the audience doesn’t gravitate toward them. That’s because we don’t market them the same as men’s sports. Anyway, I digress, but I could go on forever on this subject.

My stomach rolls at the thought of having to talk with Jade about all of this. She’s a talented basketball player and despite what the owner feels, she is nothing like he described. She’s strong, independent and knows what she wants. She can be hard to get to know sometimes which makes others uncomfortable around her. They’re a winning team so it’s obviously not an issue.

I hear the door to my office open, but I don’t look up to see who it is, needing time to figure it all out. “Cliff, why are you hitting your head on the desk?” Hunter, my boss and friend, asks me with a cautious tone.

I take a deep breath as I think about how I would still be stuck in Rose Valley if it wasn’t for Hunter.

I owe so much to him. When he came into our small town three years ago to check out one of the local kids, I sat down next to him, both of us feeling sorry for ourselves, and he somehow got me to spill my guts. “Growing up, I always thought I would do something in sports.”

“Really? What changed?” he’d asked me with an eyebrow raised.

Shrugging my shoulders, I’d muttered, “Life.”

“Yeah, it has a way of doing that,” he’d said.

The next day, he’d tracked me down at the local hardware store. “I convinced my company to give you a chance as a junior manager under me, but the catch is you have to bring a client with you.”

“I’ll think about it,” I’d said, returning back to my old job.

Later that night, when Taylor and my sister-in-law Mya had come over for dinner, rumors going around town had come up. “Cliff, I heard that you got offered a job today,” Mya had said, holding her stomach.

“How did you hear about that?” I’d asked, narrowing my eyes at her because I hadn’t told anyone about it.

She’d waved me off. “Sheila overheard you and some guy talking. You know what living in a small town is like.” This had pulled a chuckle from my older brother Taylor.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I have to bring a client with me and I’m not asking Shane.”

“What about Jade?” Mya had asked.

“What about her?”

“She’s going to be one of the top recruits this year for the WNBA,” she’d casually commented.

I didn’t respond immediately because I was still trying to pick up my jaw after it had dropped. Of course, I’d known her sister was good at basketball from what Mya had said, but I didn’t realize then that she was that good.

Later that night, Mya had called her and Jade was out on the next plane to talk with me. The moment I saw her, I thought she was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. The more time we spent together, I’d begun to fall in love, knowing nothing could come of it. She needed her career. I needed mine. Doing the right thing, I decided to bite the bullet and became friends with her instead.

I bang my head once again on my desk, then sitting up, I groan, “Mr. Wilkes just called and told me that if I don’t get Jade to appear more approachable and less, in his words, ‘frigid,’ then they’re going to trade her.”

“That’s it?” he asks as he sits down in the chair across from my desk.

“That’s it?” I repeat, narrowing my eyes at him. “Do you know how Jade is going to take this? Not only that, but I also can’t think of any solution to help her.”

We are both silent for a moment as we contemplate a plan, or at least that’s what I’m trying to do. I sure hope that’s what Hunter is doing, too. Thankfully, I’m right, because his eyes light up a moment later. Yes, he’s got an idea. I sit up straight in my chair, ready to hear what he has to say.

“I know. You just need her to date someone,” he says casually, like it’s that easy.

“Date someone? How is that going to help?” I ask him.

“Statistics say that woman who are in power and are in a relationship appear softer and more approachable. I mean, it’s bullshit, but this is all about optics, right?” he asks as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Right,” I say wearily. How would that work or better question how do I get Jade to agree to this?

“Cliff, all you have to do is make it appear that she’s dating someone. Just a few dinners here and there, maybe a few events together. Have them show up to a few of her games. Maybe later they can break up. No big deal. This is done all the time.”

I roll my eyes at him. No big deal, yeah right.

“Okay, how will that work?” I ask, entertaining him and his idea.

“That’s for you to figure out. Do you know anyone who would do this?” he asks, standing up and buttoning his jacket.

I try not to examine too closely as to why the suggestion of someone else being with Jade makes my blood boil, even if it’s fake. It’s probably a moot point because there is no way she’s going to agree to this ridiculous idea. Besides, it will have to be someone else. Maybe I can find another celebrity who needs to “fake date” someone. All I know is it can’t be me. It could ruin everything for her.

“I don’t know,” I breathe out. “I’m not sure I could even get her to do it.”

“Well, it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”

“Yeah. Get out of here, I have work to do.”

“Will do. Also, I need you to check out the email I sent you. It’s about our next client,” he says, rubbing his hands together.

I just nod as he walks out of my office. Taking a deep breath, I take my chances and call Jade, hoping she won’t have my balls for this.