Page 37 of Their After Hours Playbook

“Okay, well, I’m just going to go for it because I’m frustrated. I want to know if you’ll represent me. Paige isn’t cutting it. It’s been nearly six weeks since I went number one in the draft and there have been zero endorsement deals. And it’s been nearly a month since the expo in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, a bunch of players who were drafted after me are filming commercials and doing photo shoots and social media partnerships. It’s more than just the money. It makes me look bad.”

Zach’s mind was reeling at full tilt, like his brain was on a carnival ride—one of those spinning ones that make you feel a bit sick. “I can’t represent you, Alexis. I could never do that to Paige.”

“Then can you talk to her? Because I’m at the end of my rope. Do you understand why I might want to make a change?”

Zach could just imagine that conversation with Paige. It would not go over well. “I know Paige is working hard on your behalf. Things just haven’t been coming together the way she’d hoped they would.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I also know that she’s holding out for top dollar. I’m sure she doesn’t want you bogged down with commitments. All of those things, like filming commercials and photo shoots, can really eat into your time. You’ve got basketball to think about, too.”

“Yes. She’s told me all of that. But I’ve got my bottom line to think about. If I’m lucky, my career is going to last seven or eight years. Ten if I’m really, really lucky. But I could also get hurt. Or go through a slump. Or end up on a terrible team. My stock is never going to be higher than it is right now.”

“You don’t know that. What if you win a championship? End up being MVP? What if you become an all-star?”

“That’s a lot of what-ifs, Zach.”

“Life is full of that, unfortunately.” Zach knew that all too well. What if Tom had given a full-throated endorsement of his relationship with Paige? What if Paige was willing to tell the rest of the world that she didn’t care what they thought?

“Let me ask you this,” Alexis said. “If I had been your client all along, would I have endorsement deals right now?”

Zach knew the answer was yes, but it wasn’t a fair question. He had relationships that Paige hadn’t had the chance to build yet. He also had superstar male clients who he could use for leverage. It really wasn’t a level playing field for Paige or Alexis. “I try not to deal in hypotheticals. But I understand your frustration. And you’re right about all of it. You should be getting those big deals. I’m just begging you to stick with Paige.”

“I’m not sure. Part of me thinks I need to be a smart businesswoman and strike while the iron is hot.”

Again, Alexis was making all kinds of sense. But Zach had to save this. For Paige. He couldn’t help but think about the night of the women’s draft, when Paige had found out that Zach had sent congratulatory flowers to Alexis. He remembered how passionately she’d told Zach to step off, and the reasons why she had earned the job of Alexis’s agent. “Paige has been with you from the very beginning, hasn’t she? Since high school? Since before any of the hype. Since before college.”

“She has. But some working relationships run their course. Plus, it’s not like she hasn’t had her payday. I signed a fat contract with Phoenix. She got her cut and she will continue to do so as long as I’m playing there.”

Zach swallowed hard. He’d run out of reasons to stop Alexis from doing the unthinkable. “I can’t represent you, Alexis. My relationship with Paige is too important to me. But I do hope you’ll think about what I said. Close personal ties in this industry are few and far between. I know that Paige genuinely cares about you and your career. That’s worth something.”

“You know, Zach, I have to say that I really expected you to jump all over this. I’m not happy with your answer, but I get it. There aren’t enough people in this world who are straight shooters. You clearly are. So thank you for that. And for your time.”

“No problem. I hope you know that I’m rooting for you. From the sidelines, of course.”

“Thanks. I’m hoping you’ll keep this conversation between us.”

The thought of keeping this from Paige deeply bothered him, but the idea of telling her about it was even more unpleasant. “Absolutely. As far as I’m concerned, we never spoke.”

“Perfect. Thanks.”

“Goodbye.” Zach ended the call and put the phone receiver in its cradle. Slumping back in his chair, he scrubbed his face with both hands. His mind was running one million miles a minute. He could not believe what had just happened. Now what?

He took a deep breath, replaying the conversation in his head. He’d done the right thing, right? He’d taken Alexis’s call, politely turned her down and defended Paige. How he wished he had a confidante right now, someone who he could talk to about both work and his personal life. If all was right with the world, that person should’ve been Tom. But Tom believed Zach had no business being with Paige, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to agree with Zach’s approach with Alexis. After all, Tom had told Zach to pursue Alexis as a client.

As if he wasn’t on edge enough, Zach’s cell phone rang. Flustered, he reached for it and looked at the caller ID. It was Paige. She was his real confidante right now. And he couldn’t utter a word about this to her.

“Hey there,” he said when he answered.

“Okay. So I know it’s Monday, which is usually pretty low-key for us, but it’s the Eastern Conference Finals tonight and I’m thinking pizza is in order.”

He sat back in his chair and smiled. Simply hearing her voice and knowing that she wanted to make plans filled him with such joy. Especially since it involved basketball and pizza. “Sounds amazing.”

“I got an incredible bottle of red wine from a client. It’ll be perfect.”

It sounded better than perfect to Zach. It sounded like sheer heaven. “Absolutely. I’m in. What do I need to do?”

“Nothing. I’ll bring the pizza and the wine. Meet at your place at seven? Tip-off is at seven thirty.”

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