AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can’t get all of that done before the season starts.”
“No, but we can do some of it. But it all costs money, lots of money. Even before we start looking at bringing in new players.”
Her mouth dried. Crap. She’d been right about him. “You want to make changes to the team? But they did great last year.”
“They did. But they could do better. Tom should’ve made some cuts. There will be some changes. And all of this adds up. Which means there’s less money for the things that aren’t immediately going to deliver for the team.” His face grew serious.
“Such as?” Her stomach tensed again. She got a sick feeling that she knew what he was going to say.
“We may have to let one of the minor league teams go. And cut back on the ancillary programs. There’s a lot of money going into the urban youth programs and the women’s leagues you started.”
“Those programs are important!” Maggie snapped. “You can’t cut those.”
“I don’t want to. But it’s a matter of priorities. If I’m going to have to spend all my time getting the team on board, then I don’t have time to keep all the balls in the air.”
“You’re blackmailing me.”
“No. I’m just saying that if you don’t come work for me, then you won’t have a chance to help me make my mind up about some of these things.”
“I think that’s a polite way of saying you’re blackmailing me.” The sick feeling in her stomach was being burned away again by anger. This man was unbelievable.
He shook his head. “No, I’m giving you a chance to stay in the game. To fight for the things you say you love. You’re the one who talked Tom into the women’s leagues, and I’m guessing you had a lot to do with the urban programs as well. If you stick around, you can make your case.”
“You’ll keep them if I work for you?”
“I’m not promising anything. I still don’t know how the budget is going to shake out. We’ve done our due diligence but there are still things to figure out.”
“I’m not going to be the team mascot. You can’t just trot me out and expect me to put on the ‘Alex Winters is the greatest’ show whenever you want and sit around doing nothing the rest of the time.”
He grinned. “You think I’m the greatest?”
“I don’t think you want to know what I think of you right at this minute. But if I agree to this, then I want real work to do. And I want you to listen to me and take me seriously.”
“Only if you take me seriously as well.”
She stared at him. This was a truly terrible idea. She knew it, the knot in her stomach knew it, and anyone she told about it would know it. But she couldn’t just walk away and let him upend the entire organization. Undo what she’d worked for all this time.
“What happens after the season starts?”
“Pardon?”
“You said come work for you until the season is up and running. What happens then?”
Alex leaned back in his chair. “The way I see it, there are two possibilities. Either we’ll decide that we work well together and you might stay.”
“Doubtful.” She might be willing to swallow her pride for a few months, but she couldn’t see herself staying with the Saints for good and watching someone else do the job she wanted.
“Well then, that would leave door number two.”
“Which is?”
“You figure out what else you want to do and I’ll help you get it. If you’ve earned it.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you work hard for me, then I’ll help you at the end. A recommendation from me can open a lot of doors.”
“You weren’t standing at the back of the line when they handed out the confidence, were you?” she said.
