Page 32 of Ruthless Ambition
“Why?”
“Contracts sometimes have a way of . . . wandering here.”
“So the legal department has it in for you?” I snorted.
She ignored my dig. “The contract was done on my time. It has only one reference to the agency, which I can remove. Until Ryan is playing professionally or at least regularly in college, then if you have thawed by then,” her tone implied she thought it unlikely, “I can bring this back to the boardroom.”
My teeth tugged at the inside of my lip as I assessed her. He was eighteen with a broken leg. What the hell had she seen at a college basketball game that had her jumping on this boy before even college scouts had heard of him?
“There’s more to this,” I suggested.
“I swear to God, if you make one more grooming quip, I will punch you.”
I heard someone cough to cover their laugh, but my attention was fixed on her. “How many times have you been in Dallas to see him play?”
“Why?”
“Answer the question.”
“Twice.”
“And Saturday makes three?” I guessed.
“Yes,” she said and then added, “but he wasn’t playing on Saturday.”
I ignored her sarcasm. “What are you hiding?” My fingers drummed on the table. “I know you, and this smells of bullshit.”
“You don’tknowme,” she growled furiously. “I’m a damn fine agent, and you know it too, because all my ‘finds,’ you keep stealing.Mypotential clients. And you do it not because you’re a twisted, sick bastard, you do it because you know thatIknow how to do my job.” She took a breath. “So take your condescending bullshit and shove it up your ass. I’ll sign him myself; your agency will be free of anything to do with him.”
“You done?” I asked her quietly in the deadly silent room.
Angel looked around as if suddenly remembering we weren’t alone. “Yes,” she said tersely.
“You sure? There was a whole lot there, did you get it all out?”
“Screw you.” With a shake of her head, she looked away from me.
“Everyone,” I said as I looked at the room, “I need a moment with Ms. Balan.”
Angel sat still with her head high as everyone filtered out of the room silently. Neil stayed as I knew he would.
“Quite the speech,” I told her as the door closed.
“Just get it over with,” she said coldly as she leaned over and picked up her glass of water.
“And what am I getting over?”
“Oh my God, you are the most infuriating dick.” Her voice rose slightly as she fixed her stare on the wall across from her. “Fire me, I gave you more than enough ammunition.”
My smile was wide. “You did. Definitely grounds for dismissal, right, Neil?”
“It was quite heated,” he said reluctantly. “And with witnesses,” he added with a guilty look at her.
“Why, Neil, it sounds as if you are saying that had it just been Angel and myself, you would be okay with hearing what you just did.” I took a dramatic sigh. “It really was quite heinous, gross misconduct really, and such defamation to my character—”
Angel laughed. “Yourcharacter? Your character is a vile, contemptuous, selfish, arrogant asshole.” She pushed her seat back as she stood. “Either fire me or stop the charade so I can go back to work.”
“Sit down.”
