First and Ten (2 page)

“Ms. Albright, he’s not one of your clients.”
Ramona’s face tightened even more as she pursed her lips.

“That’s obvious.”

“He’s mine.”

“That too, is obvious. The cut on this coat
is all wrong. Have you seen his shoulders? Football players are not
interchangeable,” she said as her eyes scanned his body as if she
were the Terminator measuring him with just a look. “Start with
their position, then you understand not only their needs, but the
way their bodies move.”

“So you do know who I am.” Jerome smiled.

“No clue. But you’re black, which kinda
cancels out hockey. You’re too short to be effective in basketball
and both baseball teams have away games today.”

“I could be a businessman.”

“You could, but they tend to make us bring
this to the office and your phone has been in that chair for too
long.”

“So you really don’t know who I am?”

She measured him with her eyes. Spying the
length of his body.

“Maybe, outside of the uniform it’s hard for
me. Helmet and all. May I?” she asked before placing her hand on
his shoulder and circling him. “Corner… no…” she sighed with her
eyes trained on his waist, which was soon followed by her delicate
fingers. “Running back… maybe tight end. Your height is
deceptive.”

“I’m only six-one,” he replied, trying to
keep his focus from her fingertips, with their warm touch.

“Right on the verge.”

Ramona glared with her arms crossed.

“Are you done?” she sneered.

“Weren’t you fetching?”

Ramona turned on her heel and went in search
of Danika’s order.

“She doesn’t like you.”

“This is less than a part time job for me and
I make more than her.” Danika licked her lips and her eyes cut
down. There was more between the two of them. Danika’s posture went
from commanding and sure of herself to self-conscious in less than
thirty seconds. Soon she steeled herself and looked at him with a
smile.

“Isn’t she cheaper than you because she works
here?”

“Yes and no. She works directly on commission
and quotas, which makes you a mark.”

“What do you work on?”

If she said tips he was heading straight to
Ramona and her stupid ass polka dot ties.

“I have straight fees. I only work weekends,
but I am available by phone otherwise except Tuesday evening.”

“You said fees? Hourly?”

“Monthly with discounts for six month and
year long contracts. I usually work with Marco and he’s the one who
gets my tips.”

A sharply dressed man rolled in two hanging
carts full of outfits. He then went out of the area and returned
with a regular cart filled with accessories.

“Speaking of which…my appointments should be
here soon.”

Danika walked away and hugged Marco. They
laughed then she giggled as he poured three glasses of
Champaign.

“You finally learned my secret,” Dalton
Gresham, the left tackle from the Grizzlies, said as he slapped
Jerome on his back. A hit that knocked him a bit off balance.

“What’s that? You eat chickens whole?” With
eight inches and about a hundred and fifty pounds on him, Dalton
was the best plowman he could ask for, but with the mop of blond
hair on his head it’s not like he could do anything except push
forward.

“No, Dani. She’s amazing, right?”

“Dalton,” Dani greeted as she gave him a
glass of champagne. “I see you got a new QB coming on board. You do
remember how to protect a pass rush, right? You’re going to have to
do more than make a hole this year.”

She didn’t know who Jerome was…bullshit.
Another damn succubus. Ramona approached with a new suit dangling
from her index finger. No reason to not take free advice. It may
actually be worth more than he paid for.

“How long have you known Rome?” Dalton
asked.

“Who’s Rome?”

“Speed kills?”

Dani turned her head as her face flushed.
Jerome Speed.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Speed kills.
A
dozen monikers followed that man and she couldn’t believe it was
really him. He’d looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.
Especially past that ghastly outfit Ramona, the whore, had picked
for him. It took all her composure to not slap herself across the
face for being a moron.

“I just met him. But it’s not like he
introduced himself.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s not really one to trust
women.”

“Talking to Ramona I can see why.”

“What has she ever done to you?”

Dani sighed and pulled the first suit off the
rack for Dalton. Custom made to his specification, it was hardly
the traditional off the rack. Even if he didn’t buy it, the
designers knew she’d find a buyer.

Trust and backing from her previous
successes. First they assumed the risk thinking they could go to
her father, but the one who tried learned quickly she paid her own
debts. Not that her parents had disowned her, not in the least, but
her father had made his own money and expected his children to do
the same. The daughter of a billionaire, with all the benefits of
still being able to live at home with house rules enforced since
she was fourteen. Curfews and all. How glorious for a
twenty-six-year old scraping through graduate school, having to pay
for each class herself.

“Get dressed. Van’s coming,” she ordered.

“You’re the only woman I know who can juggle
three men at one time and still make us feel special,” Dalton
teased.

“Kisses, love.” She waved and greeted Van
Denordy the next great, in his mind, actor to come out of Chicago’s
west side. He’d had a handful of big fart and dick comedies the
last few summers. Earning him big bucks for being a moron. The
complete opposite of who he really was. She almost didn’t take him
on as a client, but his agent assured her after one meeting she’d
see.

Now the man known for being the most
sex-crazed man on the planet was one of her best friends.

“Two charity, one late night show, and Nana’s
birthday.”

“You know my schedule better than me.”

“Ditzy sent me the deets. She actually said
I’ll send you the deets, Dani
.”

“I’m sure Brock didn’t hire Darla for her
brains.”

They embraced with a hug as he spun her in a
circle.

“How much can I borrow?”

“Most, not all though. Nana’s birthday isn’t
on TV so, sorry, love, you’re gonna have to keep that.”

With Van trying on his first outfit, she
moved onto her final client, a politician set to make a jump.

When she’d adjusted his tie and got the nod
from his campaign manager, she sighed and went back to Dalton.

“Where is she?” a screech rang through the
room. “I know she’s here.”

Victoria Belmont stormed through the door
reserved, but not exclusively for men.

“Madam first lady,” Dani said with deference
to the Governor’s wife. Her political client did all he could to
not fall all over himself to shake her hand.

“Not here, young man. Or at least not until
Dani rights my world.”

“Breathe,” Dani said as she took Victoria’s
hands in hers. “What happened?”

“That jackass I married decided last night to
agree to go to a fundraiser for the Architectural Historical
Society or some such thing. Of course it’s black tie, because all
he has to do is pull on his tux. He has no comprehension of a
woman’s needs. You would not believe what he suggested I do.”

Dani bit her tongue thinking Victoria has
enough formal wear dresses to clothe a small Caribbean Island in
her closet. To her, wearing something twice to a photographed
affair without it being something like a clothing drive itself
would be unconscionable.

“He said run down to the mall and grab
something with sparkles on it.”

At times Dani’s hardest job was keeping a
straight face with her clients. She patted Victoria’s hand and gave
her a knowing look of someone worried about her friend.

“I’ll have Marco go down to the women’s
section and pull a few dresses I just saw the other day. And I’ll
check with the guest list to make sure no one will be wearing the
dress you fall in love with.”

“You are manna from Heaven. I swear, Danika,
I would simply die if you were not here. I can use this dressing
room, right?”

“Marco,” Dani beckoned.

“Oh my God,” Victoria squealed with her hands
spread wide. “That is not—” she gasped as if in pain as she put her
hands on the red
Hermès bag Dani had sitting at
her feet.

“Are you interested? I am on the short list
when it comes to the release of items like this?”

“It’s not out, is it?” Victoria clutched her
chest as if the purse somehow held all the answers to the world’s
problems inside. It didn’t, it just had Dani’s ID, keys, and memo
book. Her client list afforded her little perks like the Fall
Fashion week extras.

“It’s from their fall collection. Rich rust
colors will be big this year. I believe they told me it would
release in early August.”

“I remember seeing it when I was looking at
the fall collection.” At this point Victoria was turning into a
puddle next to Dani and she had to let her out of her misery.

“The day it releases it will be hand
delivered to you at the Governor’s residence.” The commission was
enough to keep the smile on Dani’s lips. Turning back to Marco,
who’d been waiting patiently behind her, she smiled and checked in.
“You have no problem with Mrs. Belmont using your facilities here,
do you?”

“No, ma’am. It would be an honor. I have
already set up a room just for her. I was simply waiting for your
instructions.”

“He’s the manna.” Dani smiled.

She gave her list to Marco and off he went,
happy in the realization his sales today would skyrocket. Victoria
never bought one dress, she usually bought a collection.

Dani noticed Rome hadn’t left, even though
she’d finished with two of her now four clients. At first she
thought he was staying for his teammate, but no. He just sat
stroking his chin absently as he flipped between watching her and
updating the draft picks on his phone.

“Who’d they get in the second round?” she
asked.

“Not up yet.”

“Really? I thought the Grizzlies traded for
three picks in the second round last year.”

“I thought you didn’t know who I was.”

“I didn’t.”

“You know a lot about the Grizzlies to not
know me.”

“If you were in your uniform with a helmet
on, I’d know you even with it off on the sideline. Let’s just say
you don’t exactly have your game face on right now.”

“You have quite a racket here. How much was
for me?”

“You?” she sighed and stood by the door
waiting for Marco. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here every third
Saturday.”

“But you work every Saturday I thought.”

“There are other stores in Chicago.”

“A few,” he chuckled and his deep chocolate
eyes sparkled and Dani turned away as butterflies took off in her
stomach.

“This is just one of many. Trust me, Marco
only works one Saturday a month. The rest of the time he’s got
bankers hours.”

“Lucky he likes you.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it. Like
everything in the world, it’s money. Marco makes rent on the days I
work. A few hours and his nice little condo is paid for.”

“And the Governor’s wife? Why isn’t she in
the capital?”

“I have no clue. I’m not her social
secretary, but we are less than six months away from a primary and
Chicago has a lot of votes.”

“It just seemed fortuitous that you were here
now.”

“Who sent you here?”

“Who says I was sent?”

“I told you, I’m always here on the third
Saturday. If you picked the place it was fate. If you were sent, it
was a set up.”

“My agent, Randall Corbin.”

“Randy,” Dani gushed. “He’s a peach, but
signing with me is a bit of a commitment. I guess today was an
audition. I just wished he’d have called me first.”

“Why? So the President, NFL commissioner, and
the CEO of Apple could have shown up too?” he asked, leaning his
thick forearms on his knees. Dani did like a man who could fill the
clothes he wore. And Jerome Speed didn’t just fill them, he
stretched the fabric until it ached for breath just as she was
doing. He was one of the more chiseled players she’d dealt
with.

“No, I just don’t have time right now,” she
lied. “Maybe when a few contracts expire.”

“I don’t care to be one of the top
bachelors,” he said with a sideways glance.

“When are you up for contract
negotiations?”

“This is my last year with the
Grizzlies.”

“Then you’re off to free agency?”

“Knock wood.” He rapped his knuckles three
times on the table.

“You want to stay here?”

“I’ve fallen for the city, but if I need to
move I will.”