Page 75 of Wild Pitch
I bring the phone to my pillow and crack the eye open again. No wonder the alarm wouldn’t shut off—it’s actually a phone call, and from my agent of all people. I swipe the green button, set the call to loudspeaker, and drop the phone on my pillow so I can pull my bed sheets over myself again.
“Lou.”
“You sound like garbage,” is his greeting. “Is that team of yours abusing you too much?”
I like that thetoo muchimplies that some abuse is fine. Snorting, I say, “No. They’re even forcing me to rest against my will. Those villains.” My voice breaks at the end and trying to clear it results in a few coughs.
“Well, good. The last thing we need is for you to play while sick.”
“I’m not sick.”
“And I’m Jason Momoa.” I keep my trap shut because if a movie was made about Lou DiMarco’s life, his role would be played by James Gandolfini. But I understand the sarcasm. “Did you see the team doctor?”
“No, Mom,” I deadpan. “I got home last night, went to bed, and you just woke me up.”
“Call them if you start feeling worse.”
Lifting a hand to rub my bleary eyes, I can’t help but being weirded out by this conversation. Lou isn’t a warm and fuzzy kind of guy and I’ve never been at the top of his client list. So I voice as much.
“You’re freaking me out, Lou. Why did you call me to mother hen me?”
The man huffs. “Side effect of having some good news for you.”
“Oh?” I don’t know if it’s because I’m not feeling well or what, but I can’t fathom what kind of good news my agent may have for me when I’m already happily employed and uninjured, if a bit under the weather.
“Thanks to that viral video of you talking about your ideal woman, and the spectacular pitch from yesterday, you’ve been pitched for a great promotional opportunity.”
“Great pun,” I mumble.
He ignores that. “SPORTYmagazine has reached out to Orlando Wild PR and me to feature you, front page and full body spread. We both want you to say yes. We’ll respect if you say no but I will judge you.”
I snort.
“When you say full body, would I be wearing clothes?”
“Yeah, it just means they’ll turn one of your pictures into a poster in the middle of the magazine.”
I didn’t know that still existed in this day and age, but there are still plenty of sports fans who enjoy collecting physical goods from their respective teams. One of the highest selling merchs from the Wild is actually Logan Kim’s player card, after all.
“But with clothes?” I ask to confirm.
“I didn’t know you were so modest. Aren’t athletes used to being nude in locker rooms all the time?”
Yeah, but I happen to have one female coworker I don’t want to horrify. I have a feeling she wouldn’t meet me in the eye if I go around parading what my unknown momma gave me, consequently sacking me as her dating coach. And I don’t want that. I committed to helping her until she finds the right guy to take to her Friendsgiving, and I’m a man of my word. I also enjoy keeping her around.
“There’s a time and place for everything,” I rasp out the words as I explain. “And my philosophy is that what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.” See, like yesterday. When Garcia was massaging my arm. If I even allow myself to think about it, things will go south. And bythingsI mean my blood.
“Fine. I’ll put a clause about bare torso only.”
“Thanks for protecting my modesty,” I joke.
“Does this mean you’re in?” he asks in his sharky tone that got me an extra million dollars in my previous contract, even though my performance was nowhere near what it is today. Iowe this man basically everything I have right now, and I don’t intend to short him for the commission that theSPORTYgig will get him, even if I’m not dying for it. I’m a professional athlete and not a model, after all.
“Are you sure they asked for me and not for Logan Kim? He’s the pretty boy of the team, you know.”
“So are you, you little shit. And they called me personally, using the combination of letters that make up your name.”
“Ah.” I bite my lips to suppress the laugh I’m sure would send Lou over the edge and turn his insults even spicier. “Then I guess I’ll do it.”
