Hard Game

by Harper Lauren

  “I had Charlene help me with the write-up,” he explained.

  “She knew about this?” I said, raising my voice. “Oh, I’m gonna strangle her!”

  Ivan laughed and continued to scroll down and show me the other features and the impressive gallery of finished products. There was also a page dedicated to my first collection of country-inspired dresses. Only a few photos had been added, which Charlene had probably taken in secret.

  “I can’t believe it,” I whispered, my heart about to burst with emotion.

  “I also included a signup portion so you can get the contact details of interested buyers and maybe keep them informed of upcoming collections, shows, and that sort of thing,” Ivan said, seemingly oblivious to how it was all affecting me so much. “I’d asked a graphic designer friend of mine to help.”

  “Oh, shut up, Ivan!” I said, shocking him a bit. “This is all too much!”

  The look of sudden worry on his face turned to an expression of joy in a matter of seconds. “You’re welcome,” he said, grinning and hugging me.

  “I love it all! Thank you, thank you so much!”

  It wasn’t long before more people began piling in. The festivities had officially begun.

  I slipped away for a while to do my makeup and change into a short rustic dress in pastel blue. This was part of my collection, the top of which I had painstakingly quilted and embroidered. It showed off my long, tanned legs and the new cowboy boots I had purchased downtown for the occasion.

  When I went to my booth, there were already some women milling about and taking flyers from the table. I put on my best smile and happily chatted with them, talking about their personal style and preference for clothes. I was surprised that many were actually interested in my opinion on what styles and ensembles would suit them the most. I happily gave suggestions of course, silently noting in my head that I should certainly enroll in that fashion school I’d been eyeing in Windfield.

  At one point, when there were no more visitors at my booth, I took a short break to check out the other booths and chat with the townspeople. There were some very delicious homemade pastries that I got to taste.

  I was particularly drawn to this booth that displayed handcrafted bags. The lady designing and making them was a little older than me, but certainly very friendly. We hit it off instantly and got to planning a show or exhibit we could put together to promote our designs. I ended up leaving her booth with one of her unique, pretty creations slung on my shoulder. The native material decorated with an embroidery of flowers went very well with my outfit. I was ecstatic.

  The chanting crowd of boys got my attention next. “Hut! Hut! Hut!” they were saying in unison as they cheered on some of their friends who had joined a football relay game organized by my boyfriend. I immediately saw Ivan on one side, looking rather handsome in jogging pants and a Windfield Warriors shirt. He had a whistle and timer around his neck.

  I wanted to go to him and congratulate the apparent early success of his booth and clinic promotion, but then I saw a few teenage girls lingering by my booth. I went back and happily entertained them, giving out my flyers and asking them to check out my website on the tablet Ivan had lent me. I encouraged everyone who came to my booth to sign up for my email list so they could get discounts and updates in the future.

  The day passed by quickly. It was lunch time already when I saw Charlene walking up to the booth, carrying her makeup toolbox and other beauty paraphernalia. She was wearing white denims, boots, and a cropped off-shoulder blouse that flattered her shoulders.

  “You look amazing,” I told her.

  “And you as well,” she said with a smile. “Looks like you’ve been busy the whole morning.”

  “Yup! And you?”

  “I got to sleep for more hours,” she said, intentionally trying to get me jealous.

  “I really am jealous,” I said flatly, which made her laugh. “But well, this is what business is all about right? Lots of sacrifice at the start.”

  “Business is no different from love,” Charlene said laughingly. “You have to keep overcoming challenges to keep profiting.”

  “Ooh, speaking from experience, huh?” I teased.

  “Shut up,” she said good-naturedly before bringing out packed lunches for both of us. The enticing aroma of roasted chicken filled the air, making me hungry. “I got you chicken with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, plus some sort of salad they were selling there on the other side.”

  “Wow, thanks!” I said, preparing to eat. “I’m starving! You’re truly the best best friend there is!”

  Charlene did a pretend curtsy. “Why, thank you.”

  We giggled throughout lunch as we joked around and even reminisced about the good ‘ol days.

  Soon it was time for her to do my models’ hair and makeup. It was a good thing Rosie allowed us to use the living room in the house. She watched in fascination as Charlene prettied up each and every one of the girls.

  “You’re really talented,” Rosie told Charlene.

  “Thanks, I appreciate that,” Charlene replied. “Do you want me to do your hair and makeup? I’m almost done here.”

  Rosie fluffed her tresses, frowning as they hung limply on her shoulders. “I would love that,” she answered in delight. “I’m not good with this. I just comb my hair and do basic makeup all the time.”

  “Well, let me take care of that!” Charlene exclaimed, eagerly going to work as if she hadn’t just done it on eight other girls.

  “I can’t believe you’ve still got so much energy left,” I told her.

  “This is my passion, just like how you are with your fashion,” she quipped happily.

  “Oh, that’s really interesting,” Rosie said. “It’s how I am with the horses here.”

  I smiled. “That’s why you were able to grow this business, Rosie. Passion is certainly important in whatever we do.”

  Rosie and Charlene both nodded in agreement.

  “I saw the long line at the horse riding area,” I said. “It’s one of the crowd drawers.”

  “Thank you,” Rosie said. “I’m glad they’re enjoying my horses. I’m actually offering the rides for free to promote my upcoming camp.”

  “You must be one busy lady,” I said. “Planning a camp and your wedding at the same time.”

  “You’re getting married?” Charlene asked in a surprised but excited tone. “Congratulations! Wow, we’re almost the same age, but I haven’t even found anyone special yet to consider as husband material.”

  “You haven’t been with anyone who’s husband material,” I pointed out.

  “Ouch!” Charlene said, pretending to be hurt. Rosie and I laughed.

  Charlene was doing wonders with Rosie’s hair, twisting the strands on top into semi braids and then fixing the back into a casual messy bun.

  “Charlene, it’s beautiful!” Rosie gushed, carefully touching her hair with her fingers and then admiring her reflection in the mirror. Charlene had given her a natural glowing look with a contoured shape that made her face seem slimmer. “I would love to have you do my hair and makeup on my wedding day!”

  Charlene was stunned, but it didn’t take her long to decide. “I’d love to! When is it?”

  “About a month from today,” Rosie said. “It will be right here too on my horse farm. And you probably know that I’ve already chosen a gown design by Cassy.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen it,” Charlene said. “You’ll be one super lovely bride!”

  Chapter 22

  Ivan

  I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I sat down to take a break and drink water. It had been a very busy but fulfilling day for me.

  So far I’d had around seventeen signups for my football clinic, who all gave down payments already. It was certainly a lot of money in a few hours, considering I was doing something I loved which didn’t even feel like work. There were also about fifty others who had given me their contact details and showed interest in joining the cl
inic. It looked like I was going to be busy in the next few months.

  A while ago, Alex had even dropped by and assisted in the games for a while. Naturally, seeing the town’s two football stars together in a public event made more people flock to our area. We were swamped with Windfield Warriors fans and sports enthusiasts all wanting to have their picture taken with us.

  “Thanks, man,” I told Alex before he left. “Because of you, I’ve got more signups.”

  “Nah,” Alex had said. “That’s on you, not me. This is really great. I’m glad for you. And it’s going to be good for the town too.”

  “Yeah,” I’d agreed. “Took me a lot of self-pity sessions before I actually came up with the idea.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be back on track in no time, but for now, this will probably earn you even more than what you make as a professional league player.”

  I had laughed. “I hope so. At least it’s another good thing that came out of my injury.”

  “Yes, great things do come out of tragic moments.”

  Now that I was actually alone, I had more time to think. I was dead set on getting Mr. Young alone today and calling off our deal once and for all. It couldn’t wait any longer.

  Glancing at my watch, I saw that Cassy’s fashion show was nearing. There had already been an announcement a few minutes earlier. I stood up and left my booth with the signup sheet on the table and a fresh stack of flyers.

  I wandered over to the stage where a local band was playing, scanning the seats that were filling up fast. Mr. Young wasn’t there yet.

  I saw Charlene and Cassy at the side of the stage talking animatedly to some organizers. Studying my girlfriend even from afar and seeing how ecstatic she was made my heart flutter. I felt proud of what she’d become. I know there was so much more for both of us to look forward to in the future--- together.

  “Mr. Ivan Willard,” I heard a male voice boom from behind me.

  I turned around and there he was--- the intimidating business tycoon looking like a million dollars. He wasn’t even wearing a suit this time, and yet his whole aura seemed to radiate with confidence, money, and power.

  “Just the man I was hoping to see,” he said, patting me on the back. “I hear your football clinic booth is quite popular.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I said cautiously, trying to determine where he was going with this.

  “Ever the resourceful young man while you’re waiting to play again,” he said. “I like that. It tells me you’ll make a good businessman.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but he beat me to it. He wasn’t done talking yet.

  “You know, an ambitious, hardworking, and confident man like you reminds me of myself, actually,” he mused, surprising me. “And your mom always has great things to say about you, especially in terms of being the main provider of the family now that your father isn’t here anymore.”

  I didn’t say anything, waiting to see where the one-sided conversation was headed.

  “So please, I want you to keep seeing my daughter,” he said, again astonishing me. “You two seem to get along well, anyway. And you are certainly much better than anyone else she’d dated before. I’m willing to take our arrangement to the next level, perhaps give you an increase if you agree.”

  I was not just taken aback, but greatly confused. “You mean you’ll pay me more to go out with her?” I said, keeping my voice down. Around us, plenty of couples, families, and groups of friends were too busy having fun to probably pay attention to our conversation.

  He chuckled. “Well, it’s not just that. Since you seem to have a certain influence on her, this time I want you to encourage her to train in my company and learn everything about it. You see, you’ll actually be helping her because the company will ensure her future and the future of her children too. Besides, we both wouldn’t want her IT skills and intelligence to go to waste, would we?”

  I was quiet. He had a point, but I surely didn’t want to take our deal further. “Actually, I want to end our deal,” I told him firmly.

  “You mean you can’t commit to a relationship with her?” he said in confusion. “I wouldn’t put it past a football celebrity like yourself, of course, even if you’re in this town.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, I sincerely care a lot about your daughter,” I said, pushing on before I changed my mind or lost the courage. “I want to be with her, but not like this. I don’t want to keep secrets from her anymore.”

  “Interesting,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “Well, think about it first. The offer still stands.” He then fished a white envelope from inside his casual coat and handed it to me. “So consider this your last salary for the time being.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that anymore,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about Cassy because I’ll keep encouraging her to be a better person just as she’s doing with me. I’ll keep supporting her in pursuing her dreams, whether that includes your company in the picture or not.”

  He put back the envelope. “I see,” was all he said.

  “Thank you for the opportunity, which helped see my family through difficult financial times. I will pay you back for all the money you’ve sent me.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” he answered, though he looked surprised.

  “I insist, Mr. Young,” I said without hesitation.

  He shrugged. “That’s up to you. Pay me if you want, whenever you’re able.”

  “Thank you.”

  Without another word, he went over to the audience area to take his seat in the front row which was reserved for the major sponsors of the event and the top donors of the town.

  As I shifted my eyes from him to his daughter who had actually come over to greet him, a feeling of dread passed through me. It wasn’t over yet. What if he decides to tell her? No doubt Cassy would not be able to forgive me. I couldn’t risk that. Perhaps it would be best for it to come from me. I had to come clean.

  Chapter 23

  Cassy

  I was in such a good mood that not even the presence of my father could ruin it. On the contrary, I actually felt pleased that he had kept his word and was here to witness the fashion show. And when I came to greet him, he even congratulated me.

  “He wants something in return,” I told Charlene matter-of-factly. “I know my dad.”

  “You know what he wants,” Charlene said. “He wants you to help him run the business so you can take it over someday.”

  I sighed. “He’ll never give it up, huh?”

  “Well, he knows and I know that you will do a damn great job running that company,” Charlene said. “You’re even way smarter than him and more skilled in that IT stuff.”

  I scoffed. “He’s got a lot of IT geeks and management people operating everything, anyway.”

  “But you are his daughter, Cassy. Maybe he doesn’t want to entrust the business to others.”

  “Whose side are you on, anyway?” I asked in sudden irritation.

  “Yours, of course,” Charlene answered quickly. “But I see it in your eyes. You like the challenge. Don’t think of it as giving in to his wishes. I think your rebellious side is holding you back because of that perception. How about think of it as showing people how truly great you are, that you’re not just a spoiled, bratty, brainless blonde who’s got nothing better to do than spend her daddy’s money?”

  “When you put it that way…” I said thoughtfully, trailing off. Her words seemed to trigger something inside of me. IT had always been challenging for me while I was at the university, even though I always ended up doing a lot better than most of my classmates. I guess it challenged and stimulated my mind while fashion was more of my go-to creative outlet and happy place of passion.

  “Just think about it,” Charlene said. “We’ll be together again in the city, and you still won’t be apart from Ivan because he’s going to play again for the Warriors soon.”

  I visualized that life she was describing, which enticed me d
espite the fact that I had already grown to love life in the countryside. It was a possibly good scenario, especially if I take on my father’s offer and stop him from pestering me or meddling with my affairs. Or would that give him more control over me?

  The band ended with their last song and the host went up on stage to introduce the fashion show. As he talked, my eyes shifted to the large crowd that had gathered. My heart began to race in anticipation.

  “Here we go,” Charlene whispered, squeezing my hand.

  “Damn right,” I whispered back.

  In that instant, I saw my mother taking the empty seat beside Dad. My eyes widened. “Holy crap! Mom’s here too.”

  Charlene followed my gaze. “With your mom’s love for fashion, she’s bound to be surprised that her own daughter’s actually a very talented designer.”

  “Let’s see if my collection passes her taste,” I said nervously as I saw the first of the girls at the door of the huge tent that had been set up in the backstage.

  “It will,” Charlene assured me. “Who do you think you got your flair for fashion from?”

  I didn’t have the chance to answer as the background music changed and the first cheerleader strutted on stage in a quilted tank top and flared lace pants. Her hair had been curled, embellished with pinned fresh blooms.