Page 42 of Soft
The name for him came easily. It was as if it were meant to be.
“Night, night, Wells. Wuv you.”
Three weeks passed in a blur of work. I buried myself in anything I could, desperate to not think about the man I missed. Even with the ability to text or call, I felt like Paxton was too far away. I wanted him here in Bellport.
As part of my plan to distract myself, I dove headfirst into the interviews with agents I could possibly bring on. Due to a number of scheduling conflicts, it took a bit to get to the point where I could line them all up on the same day for virtual interviews.
Even then, Auden wound up unable to stop by due to an emergency situation. I was fine with the shift; however, I knew Moseley was devastated about the delay.
I distracted him with a request to sit in on the day of the meetings. He was eager to see if the women he suggested would be good fits. Admitting I wondered the same would have only made him more nervous, so I kept the thought to myself.
The Friday I’d carved out for interviews was rather boring as far as days went. Nothing stood out as different, nor did I feel any type of way about the pending conversations. It would either be a good fit or it wouldn’t. There was no in between.
Sarah Telks wound up being the first call of the day. She dialed in at exactly seven a.m. my time, though it was two hours earlier her way, with a smile and a giant mug of coffee in hand.
“I appreciate you taking the time out for me at this hour. Things around here have been a madhouse, and I didn’t want to risk needing to cancel on you.” She took a large sip of coffee, then added, “Oh, and good morning. My name is Sarah. Nice to meet you. I should have done that part first.”
Chuckling at her brand of humor came naturally. She’d fit in well enough in that aspect alone. It was the rest I had to assess.
“It’s no worries. Tell me a bit more about yourself and where you see your future going,” I encouraged.
Sarah had no qualms about expressing her views on the sports industry. She brought up everything from bias in race, discrimination towards women athletes, and even her goals to help the next generation of players find their place.
Everything she said was great to hear. It felt perfectly aligned to my values, as well as showed how dedicated she could be to a cause she supported. There was no denying her advocacy for the queer community during the call.
But there was no spark.
No umph to make me think she’s the one.
I told her as much near the end of the call, to which she dramatically wiped her forehead. “Ok, good. Glad it wasn’t just me. You are amazing on paper and seem like a nice human, but I just don’t feel it.”
Nodding, I sat up a bit straighter. “Yes! Exactly that. So glad this didn’t get awkward.”
Moseley covered his mouth from his perched spot at the edge of my desk. He’d been keeping himself together throughout the call. I’d managed to not look his way, yet I knew if I stayed on any longer, I’d give away his involvement.
After a quick promise to keep in touch should we ever want to collaborate, I signed off the call. Whipping my head over to my now fully giggling intern, I grumbled at him to keep it together.
“I swear I’m trying! It was just so strange to see you both fighting to be polite when it was obvious you didn’t mesh. I promise to do better next time.” He held up three fingers like he was a boy scout or something. I didn’t have the heart to tell him to leave.
Michelle’s call was vastly different. I could see where her ‘tough as nails’ persona originated. The woman was all business as she told me the ways we’d benefit each other and the ideas she had to expand my agency.
I quickly let her know I had no interest in being much bigger than I was. If it had been Sarah, I might have shared the true reason for bringing in another agent. Michelle didn’t really give me the space to do so as she plowed ahead with a four-step plan to change my mind.
By the time I hung up with her, even Moseley was wincing. “Sorry, Grizzly. I didn’t think there’d be that much of a difference in the two of you. I mean, not so intensely. You know?—”
“It’s fine,” I interrupted. “This is why we do interviews. You can’t ever really know if someone will be a good partner until you meet them.”
Moseley took in my words silently, his gaze going distant as his mind drifted. Part of me wondered just what he was thinkingabout. Was it the job? Or was it a certain someone who couldn’t make it today?
I wasn’t a gambler but even I would have made a bet on those odds.
“Christina is the last one today,” I said right as the sound of an incoming call echoed around the room.
Once I pressed the answer button, my screen filled with another new face. This time, I could sense something different about her energy.
“Good afternoon, Grizzly. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Christina Dayn, and I’m a big fan.” She managed to say all of this with only the slightest curl of her lip on one side. I would have thought she was being sarcastic if not for the way her eyes lit up.
I smiled in return. “Nice to meet you, Christina. It’s a pleasure to meet you too. My team has said good things about you—both your work and the future superstar you’ve raised.”
