Page 12 of Their After Hours Playbook

“Tell me, then. Everything.”

Zach gave a quick rundown of the details he knew Tom would care about most—the players, the partnerships and the payday. “The three Ps,” as Tom called them. As Zach rattled it all off, he knew he’d done a fantastic job thus far. He knew Tom would be proud. He’d have to be. “So those are the highlights from today.”

“Well done. If the rest of your meetings go that well, you’ll be able to call the expo a rousing success.”

That was exactly what Zach was shooting for. After all, Tom had exceptionally high expectations. Meeting those was one thing. Zach was going to have to keep kicking ass if he wanted to exceed them. “Thanks.”

“Where are you at with Paige Moss and assessing her hold on Alexis Simmons? Assuming you’re still wanting to pursue the plan to bring on female athletes.”

“Of course I’m still pursuing my plan. And Paige and I are getting to know each other.” Zach’s throat went dry. “I’ve talked to her some and I’m hoping we can have a meal together or maybe a drink. Just so I can find out how things are going with Alexis.”

“I hope you aren’t cozying up to Ms. Moss, Zach. I’ve told you how she can be. She’s no friend of Armstrong Sports, that’s for sure.”

Zach had been struggling with his stepdad’s opinion of Paige from the moment he met her. Every additional minute he spent in her company made it seem all the more ludicrous. “Dad, I like Paige. She’s smart and she knows her stuff. I really don’t think she’s the enemy. And honestly, I don’t think going after another firm’s client is going to make us any friends in the sports world.” The other end of the line went dead quiet. “Are you there?”

“I am.”

“Are you okay?” Zach worried he might have given him another heart attack.

“I am. I’m fine. I’m just struggling a bit with letting you have full run of the business, okay? It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. And I think you’re doing an amazing job. I just need you to make smart decisions. I want you to consider the long-term implications of the moves you choose to make. Think about the big picture.”

Zach got the message loud and clear, but the only problem was that his big picture was quite different from Tom’s. “I won’t disappoint you. I will hit every projection I’ve made. And then some.”

“I trust you’ll do everything you’ve told me you will. That’s all I ever ask.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh. How’s the new agent panning out?” Tom asked.

“Derek? He’s learning the ropes. He sat in on a few of my meetings today. Listened. Took a lot of notes. I think he’ll do well once he has a few more clients.”

“Excellent. Glad to hear it.”

“Well, I’d better get back to it,” Zach said.

“More meetings?”

“I have some phone calls to make. A few of my meetings for tomorrow aren’t set in stone.”

“Don’t work too hard, Zach. You are in Vegas. I’d expect you to have a little fun.”

“Really?” Tom had always spent so much time stressing the importance of working as hard as possible.

“Yes. Of course. No man can be all work and no play. You can’t be good all the time. It’s not sustainable.”

Zach’s mind immediately flew to Paige. It was nearly impossible to shake the thought free. If he was going to play or be bad, he wouldn’t mind doing it with her. She was tempting like nothing else. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

“That’s my boy. Take care, son.”

“Bye.” Zach ended the call and set his phone down on the bed, then got up to walk over to the window and look out over the pool area. It was crowded with people, but that blue water was calling to him. A few laps would do him good. Then maybe a search for Paige and another invitation—perhaps for a drink—if he could work it into the conversation. That was all he needed. Especially if he could get her to say yes.

He quickly changed into his swim trunks and a T-shirt, then made his way downstairs. He grabbed a towel when he arrived, then strode out into the grand pool area. Like so much at a high-end Vegas hotel, every detail was perfect—the water was a stunning shade of aqua, the umbrellas were a crisp white and there were plenty of chairs. Waiters bustled from person to person, taking orders and delivering food on trays and cocktails with elaborate garnishes of fresh fruit. Sun beamed across the pool deck. The air was warm. Zach felt his shoulders loosen. This had been the right call.

He found an open chair and dropped his towel onto it, then pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed that aside as well. As he took the few necessary steps to the edge of the deep end, he couldn’t help but scan the crowd of people gathered. That was when he saw her. Paige.

She was sitting on the edge of the pool, at the opposite end, dangling her feet in the water while talking to April Chapman. Paige was wearing the most mind-blowing bathing suit he could imagine. It was a simple black one-piece, but it had a plunging neckline and was cut high up on her hips, leaving very little to the imagination. Not that Zach wasn’t trying like hell to imagine all of her, brewing up visions of what was under that stretch of fabric. How was she so effortlessly sexy, so breathtakingly beautiful, all while being calm and cool and collected on the outside? She boggled the mind. His, in particular.

It wasn’t only his brain that reacted to the sight of Paige. His body responded, too. His stomach clenched. His face felt flush. Everything below his waist drew tight. Paige did something to him. He’d had instant attraction to a few women in his life, but nothing quite like this. It was like he’d found a whole new level of chemistry with Paige, and it was getting stronger every time he saw her. How could he possibly ignore it? He couldn’t, could he? It would be foolish. He might go the entirety of his life and never experience this again. And he knew there was only one thing to do—dive in and swim the length of that pool. It would accomplish a whole bunch of things at one time. He’d be able to cool off, calm down and ultimately end up right next to the woman he could not get out of his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried.

---