Chapter Fifteen
Dax
It had been five days since Payton had flipped me the bird and stormed off, and while I knew this wasn’t over, I also knew I had to play it cool or else I’d push her away for good. I waited until Monday to send her a bouquet of lavender and a bottle of Cutter Highland single malt with a note that said:
P—I meant what I said. Please accept this very sincere peace offering and an invitation for a second date. —D.
She’d said nothing and when I woke up Wednesday morning, I decided to go for a long run to burn off the anxiety that was starting to build. I spent the run trying to decide if I should call her or if I should maintain my distance and wait for her to call me. There was a lot riding on this and I didn’t want to screw it up.
I’d just gotten back from an early morning run and had started making coffee when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and smiled as I answered.
“Well, I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you so soon…or ever,” I teased.
“Ha. Yeah, well, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I’ve got a proposal for you. The flowers and scotch were a nice touch, by the way,” Payton said in a flat voice that was nothing but business. When I remained silent, she said, “You there, Dax?”
“I’m here; I’m just thinking,” I replied as I pulled a coffee mug from the cupboard and set it on the counter. “You sound as if you’re preparing to negotiate a contract rather than start dating.”
“Why don’t we meet for breakfast and talk about it,” she said without elaborating. “How about The Third Coast at nine?”
“Fine, I’ll be there,” I said. I waited a few moments, but before I could say anything more, the line went dead and I heard the dreaded three beeps that meant a dropped call. I thought about calling her back, but nixed that idea when I looked at the clock and realized I’d have to hustle if I was going to make it down to the restaurant on time.
I poured myself a cup of coffee and carried it to the bathroom where I took a quick shower. I wrapped a towel around my waist and took a good look at myself in the mirror trying to decide whether to shave or not. For a moment, I wondered what Payton preferred and then reminded myself that this wasn’t actually going to be a date.
I picked a steel-blue Armani suit out of my closet, but skipped the tie. Better to keep it less formal, I told myself as I slid my feet into a pair of black loafers and assessed my look in the mirror.
“Damn, you look good,” I murmured before I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys, and headed to the car. I slid into the backseat as Geo said good morning. “Morning, Geo. We’re heading to The Third Coast this morning.”
“Yes, sir,” he said.
It wasn’t long before we pulled up in front of the building on Dearborn. I told Geo that I’d be done by ten and we’d be heading to the office afterwards as I got out of the car. Normally, I loved this cafe and it’s laid back ambience, but today I felt on edge as I entered the building and descended the few steps into the restaurant.
The place was fairly empty, which was to be expected since most of the building’s residents were 9-5 professionals who reported to the office at seven. As the hostess welcomed me, I saw Payton waving from the far corner. I smiled and walked across the room, wondering how exactly this was going to turn out.
“Good morning,” Payton said as she looked up from the menu she held. She was wearing the female equivalent of my outfit: a grey, pinstripe jacket over a French-blue, silk blouse. Her hair was loose and flowing across her shoulders, and if she was wearing makeup, I couldn’t tell. My brain whirled with the memory of how she’d felt pressed against me, and I realized I needed to quickly sit down. She flashed me a professional smile as she said, “I was just trying to decide between eggs or oatmeal.”
“I always go with eggs when I’m out for breakfast,” I said pulling out the chair and sitting down across from her. “Oatmeal seems like a waste of a chef’s effort.”
“Good point,” she nodded, placing the menu down on the table and meeting my eyes across the table.
“So, you’ve got something got propose?” I asked.
“Ah, no small talk with you,” she smiled as the server stepped up to the table and asked us if we were ready to order breakfast. Once we were finished, Payton looked at me and said, “Why don’t you explain what it is you had in mind when you asked me to date you.”
“I just thought it would be nice to date like normal people,” I said as she caught me off guard.
“Okay, if this is going to work, then you and I can’t bullshit each other,” she said bluntly. “Tell me what it is you want to achieve with this and I’ll tell you what I need.”
“Wow, you’re straightforward,” I said, marveling at her ability to cut to the chase. I wasn’t used to any women aside from Gram being this blunt with me, and I found it more than a little unnerving.
“I figure we both need something, and beating around the bush isn’t going to lead us anywhere productive,” she shrugged. “Why don’t you explain where you were headed when you fed me the line about wanting to get to know each other before we got intimate?”
“God, you are direct,” I said shaking my head. “Fine, I want to date you because it’s good for business. There, happy now?”
“Nice try, Sparky,” she said sarcastically. “Try again.”
“What is wrong with you?” I countered irritated by her dismissive tone. “I’m telling you what I was thinking, and you’re telling me I’m not telling you the truth?”
“Yep, that’s exactly what I’m telling you,” she said without smiling. “Try it again.”
“I want to date you so that I can get the attention of the media and drive up the revenue for the Storm as they work toward their first Super Bowl win,” I explained dryly. “You’re a Halas, so it’s bound to stir up attention and controversy and keep the Storm in the news. Meanwhile, I’m going to be working with a partner to build a whole new business, and use the publicity to drive up the value of the company.”
“Good to know,” she nodded as the server set our plates in front of us. When we finally had everything we needed, Payton looked up at me and said, “Now, was that really so hard?”
“You have no idea,” I muttered as I cut into my omelet and brought the fork to my mouth.
“What’s the new business?”
“I’d rather not talk about it just yet,” I said, closing down discussion of the talent management business. I was willing to be honest with her to a point.
“Look, I know you have your South Side code of honor and all that tough guy stuff,” she said, immediately putting me on the defense. “But if we’re going to make this work, we’re going to have to trust each other.”
“So, what do you need, Princess?” I asked sarcastically.
“For you to remember not to call me that,” she said tersely.
“Sorry, I forgot,” I mumbled without looking at her because I knew my dig had hit the mark just as her South Side comment had riled me.
We ate in silence long enough to make things start to feel awkward. I tried to think of something to say to fill the void, but I couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sound stupid in light of her South Side observation. For a moment, I hated Payton Halas Lasky for making me feel like the kid who’d battled his way out of the Back of the Yards, and wondered if I really wanted to go through with this.
“I am willing to date you in a way that will keep the media focused on you,” she said ending the silence. “But I need something in return.”
“Okay, hit me with your best shot,” I said as I scooped up the last of my eggs.
“We have to get engaged,” she said.
“What in the hell?” I blurted dropping my fork. It hit the plate and made a loud clanking noise that caused the server to quickly come check to see if everything was okay. I waved her away, “We’re fine. Thanks.”
“I need you to agree to be engaged to me,” Payton repeated.
“You’re going to have to explain that one, lady,” I said, pushing the plate away and folding my arms across my chest.
“I already told you that my mother doesn’t want to give me the job I want with the Bears,” she said looking away as if ashamed. “But I didn’t tell you why.”
“And why won’t your mother give you your dream job?” I asked. As she began to speak about her mother, Payton’s expression had shifted from confident to almost miserable. It was painful to watch the change, and I had to fight the urge to reach out and pat her hand in sympathy since I was pretty sure she’d probably smack it if I did.
“She wants me to find a man, get married, and start having kids,” she said quietly. She stared down at her lap for a moment before lifting her chin and defiantly, stating, “If I don’t do what she says, she’ll disinherit me and cut me out of the Bears for good. I told her I’d find my own job and support myself, but the more I’ve thought about it, the less I want to be cut off.”
“And you think that getting engaged to me is going to help you?” I laughed. “Your mother loathes me!”
“I know,” Payton grinned. “That’s what makes this even better. I’ll be doing what she ordered me to do, so she’ll have no choice. Meanwhile, I’ll be building my resume so that when it’s finally time to assume a leadership role in the Bears organization, I’ll have the experience necessary to take over the GM job!”
“Whoa, slow down,” I said holding up a hand. “How are you going to build up your resume?”
“You’re going to appoint me the new GM for the Storm, of course,” she said with a note of surprise in her voice that sounded like the decision was a done deal.
“Hold on, lady!” I said, slamming my palms on the table hard enough to rattle the remaining dishes. “How damn dumb do you think I am?”
“I didn’t say you were dumb, Mr. Connor,” she said with one eyebrow raised. “I said we were negotiating a proposal.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re asking?” I asked. As I continued, my voice became louder, “I cannot appoint a twenty-eight-year-old woman as the GM of a brand-new NFL franchise! I don’t care if you are the reincarnation of George Halas himself; you are not experienced enough to manage a team!”
“Shhh, keep your voice down, will you?” she said, holding her hands up as if to ward me off. “Look, we’re talking this over. This is why it’s called a negotiation rather than blackmail.”
I ran one hand through my hair as I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
“Is my age the only thing that’s keeping you from naming me GM?” she asked.
“You’re kidding, right?” I said incredulously. “Your age, your family, your inexperience, and…”
“And the fact that I’m a woman?” she asked with a hint of irritation. “I get it. The boys don’t want girls in their clubhouse. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re worried that we’ll hang curtains and make you clean up your language.”
“Well, that’s a small part of it,” I said with a half-grin. “Most of us hate gingham check.”
“The fact that you know what gingham check is should disqualify you from the boy’s club yourself,” she grinned back. “But seriously, what’s the problem aside from my age?”
“If we’re going to be announcing the fact that we’re engaged, then there will be that problem,” I said. “I think, you’re going to have to decide what you want more, Sweetness.”
“Funny man,” she said pushing her hair away from her face as she leaned down and reached into the bag at her feet pulling out a stack of folded papers. She opened them and handed me half. “Your copies, so you can take notes if you want to.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” I said looking down at the sheet of paper on top. “You’ve got a list of ten things here. I only need one.”
“Yeah, well, go big or go home, right?” she smiled as she waited for me to scan the pages. I flipped to the second page and stopped.
“Oh hell no!” I said jabbing my finger at number ten. “Hell no, lady!”
“What?” she said, giving me a look of innocence that I knew was patently false. “I don’t see why you’d object to regular sexual relations. Is there something I should know about you and your physical capabilities?”
“You are bat shit crazy, lady!” I protested. “It’s one thing to negotiate a deal that will give us both what we want, but it’s quite another to negotiate sex! I’m not doing this!”
“Will you please keep your voice down?” she scolded.
“You are seriously trying my patience, lady,” I growled in a low voice.
“So, you’re saying you don’t want to have sex with me?” she asked calmly.
“I didn’t say that,” I hissed. Caught between a rock and a hard place, I had no idea how to navigate my way out.
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked.
“It’s just weird!” I said as I tried to make sense of the situation. I definitely wanted to have sex with her, but having her negotiate it in this way made me feel uneasy. My brain spun as I tried to figure out how to regain control of the situation.
“Haven’t you ever had a friend with benefits or is that too new school for you?” she asked.
“Of course…I mean…what the hell, lady?” I sputtered as she pushed me up against the proverbial ropes. To admit anything made me feel like I’d be at a distinct disadvantage, but not admitting it made me seem stuffy and out-of-date. “Why are you doing this? Why do we even have to discuss it?”
“Because if we’re going to announce our engagement, neither one of us can afford to get caught cheating,” she said as she leaned forward and gave me a sly smile as she said, “And I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in being celibate for the next six months, and we obviously have chemistry.”
“You’re out of your mind, you know that, right?” I said shaking my head as I tried to wrap my mind around how all of this would work.
“I’m assuming you won’t object to sex three times a week,” she said looking down at her papers and circling the number in front of her.
“Once a month,” I countered tersely. I knew that I’d have no problem with her initial proposal, but I also knew that winning the process of negotiation meant not looking too eager, and her business-like approach to this irritated me.
“Twice a week,” she shot back.
“Twice a month,” I replied.
“Good, then we agree,” she smiled as she scribbled a short note and then made a large check mark across the page. “Once a week it is!”
“I didn’t agree to that!” I protested.
“No, but you will,” she said as she continued smiling. “Now, about the GM position.”
“No, that’s off the table,” I said shaking my head. “You got the engagement and the sex, there will be no GM position.”
“Even if I sink the entire deal because of it?” she asked.
“You’d do that?”
“I might,” she said watching me closely. I wanted to reach out and grab her arms and shake her until she came to her senses, but I knew that I was so close to getting exactly what I wanted, and that to drive her off now would be more than unwise. I quickly came up with a compromise.
“How about this? You know as well as I do that I can’t just appoint you GM without doing an actual search for Tony’s replacement,” I said quickly spinning an interim solution. “Besides, the team can survive without a GM for right now because we’re not close enough to the next draft for it to matter, and the scouting staff can gather intel for whomever replaces Tony.”
“And your point is?” she asked skeptically.
“My point is, let me do a proper search,” I said. “Give me until the playoffs to interview prospective candidates and then after that period, we can talk about how you can contribute.”
“Then I’ll be named the next GM?” she asked.
“No, I didn’t say that,” I replied. I wasn’t going to give her false hope; I just wasn’t going to sink the deal before it had a chance to do its work. “I’m saying that you can learn the job as if you had been hired, and then, when it’s time to hire, if you are the best candidate for the job, we’ll talk. You won’t get a salary, but I’ll pay all of your expenses for as long as the contract lasts.”
“Are you bullshitting me?” she asked.
“No, if I were bullshitting you, I’d have told you that you could have the job,” I said, drumming my fingers on the table, impatient for this to end.
“Okay, fine,” she nodded as she made a note next to the term and then put a small check mark next to it. She looked up at me with a satisfied grin as she asked, “Is there anything else that you want or need from this negotiation?”
“Now that you ask, yes, there is something else,” I said suddenly realizing that held a card that hadn’t yet been played.
“And that is?”
“If we’re going to announce our engagement, then I want you to move into my penthouse,” I said bracing myself for her objection.
“Okay,” she shrugged as she flipped to the second page and made a note.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, why? Did you want me to object?” she asked making me suddenly feel very exposed as if she were reading my mind.
“No, I just didn’t expect you to be so accommodating,” I said.
“I can be very pleasant when I want to be,” she smiled. “When do you want me to move in?”
“As soon as possible,” I said adding, “I’ll send movers over to get your things.”
“That would be very kind of you, Mr. Connor,” she smiled brightly. “I’ll go home and pack and be ready for the movers tomorrow.”
“You can pack that quickly?” I asked, surprised by her agreeable attitude, but also suspicious.
“I travel light,” she said as her smile faded a little.
“Very well, I’ll have my secretary schedule the movers to arrive tomorrow afternoon,” I said. “I’d like to have dinner with you tomorrow evening.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she nodded as she folded the sheets of paper and leaned down to grab her bag. “I’ll type this up and have a copy ready for you to sign tomorrow at dinner.”
“Okay, good,” I said gruffly.
“It’s going to be nice doing business with you, Connor,” she said standing up and offering her hand. I took it and shook, feeling vaguely uncomfortable with the entire plan and uncertain about how this would all play out. She slung her bag over her shoulder and grinned as she said, “I’m assuming that you’ll take care of the check?”
“Oh, right,” I nodded, pulling out my wallet and looking around for the server.
I was startled when Payton leaned down, kissed my cheek, and said, “See you tomorrow night, babe,” before turning and striding towards the door.
As I watched her leaving, I cursed myself for turning down her first offer.
#
When I arrived back at the office, I found Finn waiting for me. I hadn’t planned to talk with him about the deal I’d brokered with Payton until she’d moved in, but this forced my hand.
“So, how’s it going with the Halas chick?” Finn asked after I’d closed the door.
“You’re going to have to start referring to her by her first name, Finn,” I said as I moved toward my desk trying to maintain a neutral tone.
“Okay, fine,” he shrugged. “How’d it go with Payton?”
“We negotiated a deal,” I said without further explanation.
“And that deal entails?” Finn prompted digging for details.
“She’s moving in with me tomorrow,” I said keeping my answers brief. I had known Finn long enough and well enough to know that the more information I gave him, the more likely it was to be used in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. Sometimes that was a good thing, but often it was not.
“Whoa, how’d you manage that, man?” he said with a hint of awe in his voice.
“I told her what I needed and she told me what she needed,” I shrugged. “We negotiated.”
“Well, I’ll be goddamned!” Finn chuckled. “I was wondering if you still had it in you, but I guess that puts my fears to rest.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I eyed him suspiciously.
“Nothing, I’m just saying that it’s good to know that all this rich living hasn’t made you go soft,” he replied casually. Something about the way he said it set me on high alert.
“So, how are the inquiries into the management firm going?” I asked trying to steer the conversation toward something more neutral.
“Good, good,” Finn nodded. “I’ve got appointments with a couple of agents who were let go by CAA under questionable circumstances. I figure I’ll mine them for information about how the business is run and then put together a plan for structuring ours.”
“Got it,” I nodded. “What do you need from me?”
“Nothing at this point,” he said as he walked away from my desk and stood in front of the window overlooking the lake. “You focus on the girl — I mean, Payton, and I’ll pull together the stuff we need for our next steps.”
“Good enough,” I said, wondering what was going through that little brain of his. I’d been friends with Finn for most of my life, but it was still hard for me to read him and as a result, I was wary.
“Dax?” he said without turning around.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Don’t fall for her.”
“Wasn’t intending to,” I replied in a tone that was much calmer than I felt.
“Good,” he nodded turning around. “That’s good.”
Without saying another word, Finn walked to the door, opened it, and stepped into the hallway. I thought about calling after him, but stopped myself. It was better to wait and see what he was going to do, than to ask and actually find out.