I nod. That’s a fuckton of money. Money that Paisley and I can use to start our lives together. We can buy a house and have all our family over to our place.
“Cameron?” Drew says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “What are you thinking, son?” he asks.
“Paisley,” I blurt.
“What about her?” He raises his eyebrows.
“I get to stay with her.”
He throws his head back in laughter. “Taylor, I just told you that I was going to pay you twenty-two million dollars over the next three years to play for the Blaze, and your first thought was your girlfriend?”
I nod. “Yeah.” I can feel the smile that’s threatening to crack my face wide open.
He shakes his head, still laughing. “Here’s a copy of the contract. Have your agent look it over, your attorney, and get back to me by the end of the week.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking the envelope from him.
“You good with your agent?” he asks.
“He’s not really done much for me, except the phone call I got to come and replace Hastings.”
“You have a contract with him?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Is there an out clause?”
“Yes. I made sure of it. I had an independent attorney take a look. I didn’t want to make a wrong choice and be stuck in a situation I couldn’t make it out of.”
He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a business card. “Call this guy. Tell him I sent you.”
“Thank you. Is there something wrong with my agent?”
Drew sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I called him. Offered you three years for fifteen million. He accepted without bothering to try to negotiate or even calling you from the look on your face when you walked in here today.”
“Motherfucker,” I mumble under my breath. “Why are you doing this? You obviously raised the offer, and now this….” I hold up the business card.
“Paisley isn’t my niece by blood, but she’s my niece. Consider this a favor to her, and before you ask me why the favor is for you more than her, your reaction earlier tells me that I made the right choice. I’ve been in this seat for several years now. Eight, to be exact. You are the first player I’ve ever offered a contract to whose first reaction is that he doesn’t have to leave his girlfriend.”
“I love her.”
“I can see that. I hear you’re good to her too.” He smirks.
“No other way to be.” I shrug.
“Welcome to the team, Cameron.” He stands and offers me his hand.
I take it and give it a firm shake. “Thank you, sir.”
“Drew. You’re a part of the Blaze family now, and well, Paisley is family, so—” This time, it’s his turn to shrug.
“I have some phone calls to make,” I tell him.
“Right. Call the new agent, and if you have questions, Paisley has my number.”
“Right. The agent. I’ll do that too,” I promise. Standing from the chair with the envelope and business card in hand, I make my way back to the elevator. I’m in a daze on the ride, so when the doors slide open, I jolt and step off. I make my way to my truck in the players’ lot and pull my phone out of my pocket. Two people are on my short list of favorites. Mom and Paisley. My finger hovers between the two, debating on who to call first. Finally, I decide and hit Mom’s name. She’s sacrificed so much to get me where I am today. She needs to hear about this first before it gets out. Hopefully, by the time our call ends, I’ll be home, and I can tell my girl in person.
The phone rings through the truck’s Bluetooth as I pull out of the lot. “Well, this is a nice surprise,” Mom answers.