Page 22 of Catch Me
“Where’s Tessa?” Pete asked.
“Mallory intercepted us as soon as we walked in the door, so she’s in good hands.”
“She’ll be happy when practices start again, I bet.”
“Yeah, she loves to get in the way.”
Pete chuckled. “Good thing everybody loves her.”
Travis shifted in his seat and stretched his legs out under the table. His scent was a mixture of floral and earthy; there was something calming about it. I casually leaned my arm on the table to get some distance from him.
“I really like your style,” Pete said. “I can see why Travis thought this would be a good direction to take. It’s different, which is always a plus. The teams do things so similarly, and we have quite a few new players, younger ones, which makes me want to change things up a little. Move forward, you know?”
“I like that vision,” I agreed. “But I’m probably biased.”
They both laughed, which eased some of my tension. I was glad this wasn’t something formal with a bunch of other people. Even though I did well in most situations, I would’ve needed to prepare more for that.
Pete folded his hands on the table. “Here’s what I want to do. I’m not the deciding factor for this, but I have spoken with a couple people, and they’re open to it. They wanted me to meet you first and feel the whole thing out. I’d like to show them your portfolio and an example of what you’d do on the project.”
“An example?”
“The whole idea is a bit unconventional for us. You’d have creative freedom on this. Each picture would have to be approved, of course, but overall, it’s your decision. Poses, background, props, and all that. So, I want to be able to show them your vision because it’ll be a better sell than me trying to explain it.”
“I can do that. When do you need it by?”
“Wednesday would be ideal since I’ll be meeting with them anyway. Is that enough time?”
If he wanted it completed and polished, it would be a pain in the ass, but I was sure that I could do it. Sleepless nights were nothing new to me.
“I’ll have it by Wednesday.”
Pete grinned. “Wonderful. Trav, are you willing to be his subject?”
“You sure you don’t want one of the prettier guys to do it?” Travis asked. His playfulness seemed to bring out his accent, reminding me that he’d grown up in Texas. I wondered if it was much different than Georgia.
“Oh, stop,” Pete drawled. “You’re practically the face of the Braves at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if the big wigs up top want you on the cover instead of all the guys.”
“Maybe I can get my own calendar.”
“It’s not a half bad idea. You know they love to capitalize on everything they can.” Pete got to his feet and held out his hand to me again. “Roman, it’s really great to meet you, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with. If I could offer this to you on the spot, I would, but I’ll go to bat for you with the suits.”
“I appreciate that. If you ever want something made, I’d be happy to do it.”
Travis smiled at me. “You’ve gotta stop offering your services for free, man. You’re an artist.”
Casually, I looked away from him. “I enjoy drawing, and usually I’m just making useless pieces anyway.”
“Keep them all. Your name may be worth something someday.”
“Before you go,” Pete said, looking at Travis. “I’ve gotta talk to you real quick.”
He nodded. “You cool to wait, Roman?”
“Sure,” I replied before I headed to the door. When it closed behind me, I leaned against the wall and blew out a breath. A smile formed on my face, and I pulled out my phone to call my mom while I waited for Travis.
Chapter 8
Travis
