Page 81 of The Dating Contract

“Thanks,” she said, smiling. She was used to putting on masks, hiding her emotions. This was no different. The very last thing she wanted to do was smile; she was tired, proud of the work she’d done. But she still felt like there was a hole in her heart.

“Did you get everything you wanted from the Empires?”

And that was the question, wasn’t it.

“I got a lot of it,” she said. “The most important things. Guarantee of MHL playing time, the crisis PR person on staff. A few of their players worked with someone a few years ago, so they’re going to see if he’s interested.”

Bruck shook his head. “MHL playing time?”

Leah nodded. “We’re not doing this for a stunt,” she said. “If she’s going to sign, if we’re going to do this, she’s going to do this. If she’s going to be buried in the minors, she could play with the Legends. The minors isn’t worth the nonsense she could be put through. Name on the back of her jersey is only going to save her so much.”

“Independent analysis, I’m thinking?”

Leah nodded. “Because I’m not dealing with someone who theoretically believes a woman can play, until she’s standing right in front of him, potentially pitching a shutout only to have the team lose the game because she got stuck on the bench for the third.”

“Hardball,” he said. “I like it.”

Which was good, considering how easy it was for her to lose herself in work, in her job. “Thank you,” she said. “I thought it was risky, but I figured this kind of situation was important enough.”

“If you’re negotiating with a team for an unprecedented contract, it’s expected that agents at our level, who have our kind of experience and our sort of leverage, are going to play hardball.”

She bit her lip. “Our?”

He nodded, and her heart stopped. “I’ve looked over the numbers, watched you perform and decided it’s officially time to ask you to join as a partner. And maybe possibly, see what you might think about taking over on the day I’m ready to walk out that door.”

And if her heart had stopped before, it had completely flatlined now.

Not just partner, but…successor?

“You’re…asking me to succeed you and take over the agency when you’re ready to retire?”

“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Will you want to take the step, be a partner in the agency for the next three to six years and then take over?”

“If you give me a notarized statement to that effect,” she said with a laugh, “that’ll be the best offer I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

“Yep. I’ve made the right decision,” Bruck said with a smile. “You’ve learned a great deal. Now we’re going to do more. I’m going to train you for real. You ready?”

Leah nodded. “I am. Thank you.”

“Good.” Bruck smiled. “Good that you have a good partner around at home. Having a partner who gets our job and what we do is important for your mental health.”

She nodded. She knew that. But she wasn’t going to tell Bruck that the relationship between her and Samuel was over. Not at all.

“My wife,” he continued, “I told you that she was impressed with your young man, hm? Talented guy. Devoted to you.”

Samuel was all of those things, but all she could do was nod. “He liked talking to her,” she managed.

As the conversation continued, more and more, Leah wished she could tell Samuel. Talk to him, celebrate her success with him.

Truly share her life with him.

But how?

How could she do this?

All she knew was that she needed to convince him and herself that not only did she need him back into her life, but also that she had the emotional and mental space to not only get him back, but also to keep him.

She didn’t know where to start, but she was playing for keeps this time.

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