Page 47 of How to Prevent a Fumble

“Someone you’ll be seen out and about with, and the country will fall in love with. Someone that will help take negative press away from you. Make people think you changed.”

I’ve heard enough negative things about me that her words don’t hurt. Sure, do I like being reminded that my personality isn’t something people like? No. Or that thousands of people want me to change who I am? Absolutely not. But once you hear it a million times, it starts to hurt a little less.

And sometimes you lean into it. If people think you’re one way, why not be that way?

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that,” I tell her, leaning back.

She purses her lips, looking down at the form before back up at me. “With all due respect, Leo, you don’t really have a choice. These are the terms of us working together. We have high standards for all of our clients, and we want to ensure that they stay squeaky clean so that everyone’s happy.”

“But I’m paying you to make sure that my image is clean,” I tell her, more annoyed than anything.

She shakes her head.

“You’re paying us to help you. But Leo, we don’t need your business. We have a lot of clients much less well known than you, who are much richer. We take on clients we think we can help. Now, the question is, can we help you? Are you even capable of being helped?”

Scowling, I think about this.

I don’t want to change. I think that’s the biggest issue. I’ve been content with how things are. At least, I think so.

But I can’t deny that things would be much easier for me if I had help.

I also can’t deny that I haven’t been threatened in the last couple of months with brands not working with me anymore, and my coaches giving me warnings with every new story.

They can’t have someone as their quarterback who can’t even lead himself in the right direction.

“Do I have any say in the person?” I ask suddenly, realizing what needs to happen.

It hits me like a bus, the realization that this is going to be my new normal, and that I need to get over myself and figure out the best case scenario for myself.

If I have to do this, the least I can do is have a say in the woman I have to spend time with.

“Sure,” Zhuri says, leaning back. The men beside her lean forward, one of them with his arms crossed, his beady eyesstaring daggers at me, and the other leaning forward with his chin resting on his hands.

“I have an assistant. She’s pretty, her brother is my best friend, and she stays out of trouble. Best yet, she has a daughter.”

Zhuri’s eyes go from skeptical to excited as she leans forward again, a smile crossing her face. “She sounds absolutely perfect. We need a girl-next-door type of woman. Someone that anyone’s mom would love?—”

“Well, my mom’s in Scotland preoccupied with five large cows, so,” I say under my breath.

“We don’t care about your mom, we care about the average mom around the country,” one of the men spits, and I shoot him a glare.

“Look,” I say, my hands clasped together on the table. “In order for this to work for me, I need to have someone I can trust. And when it comes to trust, I trust that woman. She already lives with me. I don’t have to fake anything, because if you think I’m a good actor, you’re sorely mistaken and clearly haven’t dug up that much on me.”

It’s true. I can’t act to save my life. There’s a reason I don’t do commercials anymore.

“Are you two already dating?” Zhuri asks. “that would throw a bit of a wrench in things.”

I shake my head. “We’re not dating. No feelings involved. She’s just my assistant, but we’re close.”

Imaybe stretching the truth here just a little. Although I think Briar is great, we’re not the closest.

But I do appreciate her, and when it comes to this, she’s the only one I would trust.

That part is true.

Zhuri nods, clicking her tongue before sifting through more papers. “If you can get her to agree, bring her back to us. But we have final say.”

“When do you need to meet with her?”

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