“Good.” She stands, which means the meeting is over. Mabel doesn't do small talk, and she doesn't do transitions. You're either in her office or you're not. “Keep me updated weekly. And don't let anything slip through the cracks on this one.”
I take my folder and leave. The hallway back to my office is quiet. Most of the associates are at lunch. Clara's door is closed, which means she's either on a call or hiding from the partner meeting she has at two. I make a mental note to check on her later.
My office is small, but it has a large window with a gorgeous view of the city. I close the door behind me and sit down.
A photo of my mother sits on the corner of my desk. She’s smiling while wiping her eyes with one hand. That was a special day. It was the opening day at the boutique.
I remember helping her draft the business plan at this exact desk, running numbers until the margins worked. The boutique was never about money. It was about my mother finally owning something with her name on it.
I look at the photo when I need to remember why I'm here.
My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Jasmine Bennett.”
“Jasmine, it's Wilder. Thanks for picking up. I know you're probably buried,” he says.
“Always. What do you have for me?”
Wilder Ross is the Renegades' Director of Corporate Partnerships. I've spoken to him three times now, and each call has confirmed two things. He's competent, and he's relieved to have someone on the legal side who actually reads the contracts.
I get the sense that my predecessor did not.
“We need to talk about the sportswear brand renewal,” he says.
“I'm listening.”
“The sponsor wants to expand the deal. Right now, we've got a standard team-level agreement. They want to fold individual player endorsements into the team contract. Bundled deal. One negotiation, one fee structure, their brand gets exclusive access to our top players for campaigns.”
“Which players?”
“Cole Maddox, Liam Novak, and Logan Shaw.”
I write the names on my legal pad. To my relief, my pen does not pause on the third name. “What's your take?”
“I think it's a bad idea. Our guys have personal endorsement deals. Novak alone has four. If we bundle everything into the team contract, we're restricting their ability to negotiate independently. The players' association will have opinions about that. And frankly, our players should have opinions about that.”
“I agree. Bundling creates conflicts with existing personal deals and limits the players' earning potential. It also ties the team's hands if a player gets traded or injured.”
“Exactly. But the sponsor is pushing hard. They see it as a cleaner structure. They don't want to negotiate with three different agents for three different players.”
“That's their problem, not yours.”
Wilder laughs. “I like you already. Can you review the existing agreement and draft language that protects our flexibility? Something that gives the sponsor access to players for campaigns without locking us into exclusivity or stepping on personal deals.”
“I'll have a framework for you by the end of the week.”
“Perfect. Oh, one more thing. The sponsor appreciation event Saturday. Did you get the details I sent?”
“I did.”
“Good. It's the big one. Tier 1 and Tier 2 partners, team executives, and select players. Good chance for you to put faces to the contracts.”
“I'll be there.”
We hang up. I pull up the sportswear brand contract on my laptop and start reading. The expansion proposal will require a completely new framework.
This is what I'm good at. Contracts and building structures that protect people from getting screwed by the fine print. It's clean and logical, and when I get it right, no one gets hurt.
My phone buzzes. It’s text from Harper.
