I go still, glancing around the empty room. “Umm…sir, shouldn’t the agents be here?” I ask, my panic rising. I can’t do this. Not like this. I need MK here. He negotiates all my deals for me. “I’ve only ever done a contract negotiation through my agent—”
“No need to panic,” Mr. Talbot says with a raised hand. “We’ll get the blood-sucking lawyers involved from tip to tail, don’t you worry. In fact, I believe Taysa has already sent over the preliminary contracts to your agent. You’re working with MK, right?”
“Yes, sir,” I say with a nod, still feeling on edge. I don’t see any stacks of papers ready for me to peruse. Maybe he really does just want to talk. The vise grip my panic holds on my chest eases slightly.
Mr. Talbot slips around the other side of his desk, gesturing for me to take a seat. I sink down awkwardly into one of the two chairs on my side of the desk, resting my crutches against the opposite chair.
“How’s the knee?” he says, pouring me a glass of water.
“Coming along,” I say, accepting the glass as he slides it over. “Right now, it’s just about managing swelling and hoping the tear doesn’t get any worse.”
“Damn. ACL?”
“MCL,” I correct.
“Right. I saw the hit. Nasty stuff. But you’re strong,” he says. “Built to last.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply, taking a sip of my water.
“Well, I spoke to MK yesterday,” he goes on. “He told me all about your new endorsement deal with Nike. That’s impressive stuff, Langley. That’s just the kind of attention we want brought to this team. Well done.”
“Thank you, sir,” I say, perking up in my chair. “I’m surprised he told you about it when the ink isn’t even dry.”
“Oh, these things always take quite a bit of time to iron out,” Talbot replies with a chuckle. “Leave it with MK to chew on for a bit. Speaking of contracts,” he adds, leaning forward a bit, elbows on his desk. “You only have a one-year contract here, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I wanted to ask you how you’re liking it here with Rays. I know new teams are tough and not everyone likes the trade, but how do you feel? Is there anything you’d like to see done differently? Anything we could improve?”
My heart is in my throat. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say here. MK always handles negotiating salaries. Do I play it cool? Try to tell him what he wants to hear? Or should I just speak from the heart?
As if he can sense my dilemma, Talbot leans back in his chair. “How old are you, Langley?”
“Twenty-two, sir,” I reply. “My birthday was back in September.”
“Damn,” he says with a laugh. “To be twenty-two again. Prime of fucking life. You feel unstoppable. Isn’t there a Miley Cyrus song about being twenty-two?”
“Umm, I think it might be Taylor Swift,” I reply, hiding my smirk behind my water glass. I know it’s Taylor Swift. I keep it quiet around the guys, but I’m a total Swiftie. You try growing up in the same house as my sister and all her friends and not like Taylor Swift.
“Right, well twenty-two is an exciting age, Langley. A young guy like you, with the right combo of talent, looks, and drive, you can pretty much write your own ticket.”
The truth is that I’ve never really felt young. You don’t get to feel young when you partially raise your sister while your mom pulls double shifts at the hospital to pay for your hockey. You don’t feel young when you leave the house at fifteen to compete in the Junior League. You don’t feel young when you become the breadwinner at eighteen, negotiating multi-million-dollar contract deals while most kids your age are saving up to buy their first car.
But Talbot doesn’t want to hear my thoughts on growing up too fast. So, I just nod, taking another sip of my water.
“And look, I’m a rational guy. Maybe all you want is to earn some time on the ice, get some pucks in that net, and you’ll be looking to trade up. Any team would be lucky to have you. Is that what you want? Do you want to see how high your rocket can climb?”
I’m flustered as I set my glass down. “I—”
“Because I’ll be honest with you, Langley. If what you want is to make it to the playoffs every year and earn a fighting chance at the Stanley Cup, the Rays might not be the best fit for you. This is a different team in a different stage of life. We’re in the building stage. I intend to build something that will last. That takes time, and it takes cultivating the right kind of talent.”