by Shawn Keys
He was right. Two hundred voices roiled down on him. A few like Daniel held their peace, seeing no reason to explode, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t seething. Damn it! And damn you for cutting us off at the knees, Gregoire! He shook his head, hating the idea that the man was going to get a good, long laugh.
Guy held up his hands, gesturing for everyone to calm down. He waited until he could be heard over their turmoil, then went on, “The preference is for us to attend regional level competitions first. If we can perform well and avoid further disturbances, we’ll be invited to attend the various World championship events next year so as to place ourselves properly in the standings for the Olympics in the following year.”
“If we’re being banned from the World’s, are we going to be welcomed at any level?” Simon asked, mocking the idea.
“And I told you… our path forward is a viable one! The IAAF understands the nature of this… blip… and has supported our other petitions to be admitted to two regional competitions this year. Together, they offer us the chance we need.”
“Which ones?” asked Melissa MacIntyre in a flat voice. Dior’s coach had been holding her peace, not getting as invested as the locals. She was an outsider who hadn’t been present for the drug scandal, and it was clear that she was merely looking to dig into the practical implications rather than getting caught up in the emotional context.
“We’ve decided on the Central American and Caribbean Games. We already intended to send a contingent. They happen in approximately two months.” He held up his palms, trying to quell the modest grumbling that rippled around the room. “I understand your frustration, but this is good news. While the coverage and prestige might not be the same on the World Stage, when considered locally, this event gets significant coverage. Perhaps more importantly, we’ll be able to send a much larger group, especially since we won’t be funding the teams to also go to the various World Championships. Getting 100 athletes to Cuba doesn’t seem out of reach. That will give more of your athletes the chance for some good experience and exposure.”
“And the second?”
“As the season closes out, the French Language Games will be occurring in Bordeaux, France. They are similar in scope to the Commonwealth Games and involve participants from all over the globe. Our French heritage has presented us with an opportunity. The event is slightly larger and more distant, which will make the field somewhat more restricted. Without committing anything yet, I suggest that we will only have room to take between 50 to 60 athletes.”
Daniel settled back in his seat, letting the weight of the situation settle. A true culling process. This is their chance to strip us down one step at a time to get their best team for the World’s. He couldn’t fault the commission for using this ‘opportunity’ as a type of try-out. It might keep the hopes of some athletes alive for longer than it should, but it also gave those on the margins a chance to prove themselves.
The crowd of coaches fell mostly silent, contemplating what the news meant to each of their athletes.
Taking that for acquiescence, Guy gave a satisfied humph. “I am glad you understand where we are at. A modified version of this will be given at a press conference. I wanted to do this in private to give you all the ground truth. Our public communication will be more focused on the fact that we are willfully cooperating with all international requirements to achieve an Olympic presence. We will be phrasing this as simply one more step and that it will not call into question having a team in Cape Town. Help me make that a reality; keep your people in line. No incidents. No embarrassments. Our future is in your hands.” He delivered one last raking gaze around the room, then strode off the stage.
Gordon shook his head. “Nice. Throw it right in our faces.”
“Not much else they can do, I guess.” Daniel didn’t like it, but the old saying ‘you can’t make bricks without clay’ came to mind. “If we can’t meet the standard for proper decorum, then the sports commission doesn’t have a leg to stand on. It sucks. I want to punch Gregoire in the face for chiseling away at our reputation. But it really is on us and the one’s we’re helping to get into the spotlight.”
Matteo murmured thoughtfully, “Yeah. They call it the spotlight for a reason. Easy to fall off a stage these days.”
Daniel reached out and shook their hands. “Well, good luck in what’s coming. I’m going to go give the ladies the news.” He didn’t call it ‘bad’ or ‘good’, since there were elements of both. “Nothing about this situation changes what they need to do.”
Matteo chuckled. “Yeah. Push hard and exceed expectations. Chew up the competition and show them we mean business.”
“Exactly.” Daniel waved goodbye and then filtered back out of the seats and to the exit. He caught the eyes of Dior’s coach.
Melissa held his gaze steadily, weighing him right back. He had the distinct impression she was making a point of saying that she wasn’t going to back down as the numbers dwindled.
He did his best to look confident. He wasn’t much for prideful displays, but MK had fought hard to get into parity with Dior over the last year. She wasn’t a distant second that Dior could ignore anymore. MK was hungry, determined to prove herself to be the best. Her confidence reflected through him now. He wasn’t going to be a jerk about it, but he wasn’t backing down either.
A ghost of a smile graced Melissa’s lips. She tilted her chin in a nod that carried the tiniest bit of respect.
Then, Daniel was out the door. Enough of all this posturing. The challenge hadn’t changed. He had to get Cadence, MK and Irène ready to compete outside of Portesara’s shores. Two months was tight… but it would be enough. He was sure of it. Sure of them.
Chapter 4
Azélie stood at the end of the table facing the interior of Les Trois Pêcheurs restaurant. “If I can say a few words?” She plucked up her wine glass as she spoke.
Down one side of the rectangular table sat Cadence and MK. On the other was Irène, though the placement was not an effort to isolate her. Exactly the opposite: it was a place of honor as well as an attempt to give her added elbow room. She was the one with papers to sign. The stack was sitting neatly between her and Azélie, handled before the food had arrived.
Daniel occupied the other end of the table, with his back toward the window. They had gotten a table in the nook of a bay window. He was able to look down two, cobblestone streets. They weren’t in the high-traffic tourist area of Nouveau Marseille, but this part of the city bordered the harbor front. Every restaurant of quality had substantial foot traffic. This one adjoined an art gallery and sat across from a park where a local theater company put on a nightly performance as well as two bars that capitalized on the island’s atmosphere. All in all, a classy enough place.
Ignoring those distractions, he focused his way down the table and took up his glass by way of answer to Azélie, who clearly intended on giving a toast.
Azélie collected her thoughts, then said, “First off, let me acknowledge that Micromium Telecon doesn’t know its backside from a hole in the ground.”
MK nearly spit out a little of the chicken from her soup that she hadn’t quite finished chewing yet. Irène tittered while Cadence rattled the table softly by banging her fist in agreement.
Daniel chuckled at their varied reactions, then added, “Damn right.”
With a flattered laugh, MK managed to choke out, “Thanks, all of you. Really. But we couldn’t expect a bolt of lightning or anything.”
Irène pointed across the table, “Kangaruin found Cadence!”
Cadence glared across the table at her while kicking her knee under it.
“Hey!”
“It’s alright, Cadence,” MK clutched her hand, looking appreciative of her being protective but acting quickly to cut that off. “We can’t get all jealous with each other. Nope. I’m not gonna let us.”
Cadence nodded sympathetically, “Yeah, I know. You’re right. It’s just –”
“– Nuh u
h.” MK interrupted. “No ‘just’ or ‘but’ or whatever. You didn’t get lucky. You worked damned hard and you got noticed. I’m going to get there. My time will come. Especially after I crush my nemesis.” Her lips tugged into a determined snarl.
“Yes, well.” Azélie stepped back in. “I’m not going to wait around for that inevitable victory. I know if I was her, I’d be shaking in my shoes. But I’m not giving up. That’s why you hire us agents. You can focus on soaring high while I get people excited about watching you do it.” Her gaze shifted across to the youngest of them at the table. “Which is particularly important since I need to impress my newest client. The reason for getting together tonight. I really wanted to say thank you. All of you. I know I am new to this game. For the three of you to put your trust in me… well, it means a lot.”
“You’re just getting started. Then again, so are we,” Irène spoke up. “Getting an agent to say yes to someone like us is hard. Don’t forget you’re taking a chance on us. You could be putting in a whole lot of effort that amounts to nothing.”
A shadow crossed Azélie’s face. “Yeah. Yeah, it could.” She tried to shake that off, holding up her glass. “To first chances.”
MK followed suit, pasting on a brazen smile. “And then second chances and third chances and fourth…” Despite the self-mockery lingering behind her words, her smile didn’t diminish.
Cadence nudged her shoulder in support, then clinked her glass. “Cheers to that.”
“Cheers!” Irène added energetically.
Daniel stood enough so that he could place his own glass into the middle and tap theirs in turn. “Here, here,” he said softly. But as he sank back into his seat, his focus remained on Azélie. There’s something else.
Wiping at her mouth, Cadence caught sight of her watch. “Oh, crap! Umm, we need to go. We’re going to miss the movie.”
“Miss the movie? It’s a two-hour target. Hard to miss,” MK commented.
Irène snickered, “I see you haven’t gone to enough movies with us.”
“We can’t miss the trailers!” Cadence insisted. “They can be the best part. Especially since we’re going to see Scar Dagger… what is it, 8?”
“7!” Irène shot back. “One of, if not the greatest cult classic horror series of all time!”
“You already talked me into it,” Cadence said, rolling her eyes. “Though I might be starting to regret it. But I am not missing the trailers if I have to sit through a bunch of cheesy jump scares!”
MK smirked, “You sure? Most trailers match the type of movie you’re going to see. Probably gonna be nothing but a chain of horror movie previews.”
“So? I’m willing to take that chance. Rumor is the new Ophidion trailer is circulating. I’ve yet to catch it!”
Daniel frowned in thought. “Why don’t you just watch it online?”
“And miss the hugeness of it? Ummm… No!” Cadence looked aghast at the very idea. “Even Evelyn’s large TV screen wouldn’t do a trailer like that justice. The special effects are supposed to be mind-blowing! I need to experience in that full movie-theater-goodness.”
“Is that why you keep channel jumping whenever it comes on?”
“Yes!” Cadence insisted. “And if you’ve seen it, no spoilers!”
“Spoilers on a trailer is a thing?” Azélie asked, sounding skeptical.
“They are if you want to be my friend!” Cadence announced. “Come on, finish up. Let’s go!” She pushed back from the table.
Daniel jumped in, “Go on ahead, you three. I need to talk over a few things with Azélie. Don’t wait for us.”
MK and Irène gave quick nods as they gathered their things. Cadence waited for a lull in the others paying attention to them and formed her lips into a kiss for Daniel. Happy in her romantic subterfuge, Cadence swept her clutch off the table and led the other two from the restaurant in a pleasant swirl of excited chatter.
Azélie took another drink as they filtered out, then paused as Daniel abandoned his seat and shifted down to claim the one closest to her. “What is it you wanted to talk about?” she asked.
“I was hoping you’d tell me.” Daniel considered how to broach the subject. “Forgive me for prying. Tell me I’m over some line and I’ll let it go. But I couldn’t help thinking there was something else on your mind.”
“Was it that obvious?” Her sad smile was back, now.
“Maybe not. Isn’t fair of me to assume everyone noticed. You’re normally pretty cheerful around the girls. Not sure I’ve ever seen anything trouble you.” He shrugged. “If you’re dealing with something bad enough that it’s spoiling your evening, I’d like to know what it is and if there is anything I can do to help.”
Azélie rewarded him with a tired grin. “It’s sweet of you to worry. Would it set your mind at ease if I told you that it doesn’t have anything to do with your trio of athletes?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Daniel admitted. “But it doesn’t cancel my offer. If you have enough friendly ears to talk off, then I won’t press. We’ve just gotten to know each other.”
For a moment, Azélie resisted the urge to confide in him. A long sigh escaped her. “I really don’t. Not exactly the subject I can bring up at board-game night with my neighbors. Isn’t that sort of group.”
“Cards are more my thing,” Daniel tossed back, easing the mood. “Not that I’ve had any time for that recently.”
“Cards?”
“Oh, nothing too complicated. Generally, poker. Used to be a game we played when I was on the Olympic team. Not high stakes. Just a fun game to burn a few hours of down time.”
Azélie looked interested in that. “Hmm, haven’t played a good game of cards in a long time. Not since college.”
Daniel couldn’t resist a smile, despite the lingering, unspoken issue he was trying to draw out of her. “Didn’t think I had anyone to play with.”
“Maybe we could set up a poker game. We need a couple others. Need at least four for a proper game.” She paused to chew on her lip, weighing an internal decision. “I’m stalling.” She let out another sigh. “Alright, I’ll tell you. but I won’t get into too many details. And you need to keep this close to your chest. It’s about my other client. I’m not really giving out any secrets, really. Everything I know could be public knowledge if anyone cared enough to ask. Problem is… well, no-one cares to ask.”
Daniel’s mind dredged his memory the few pieces of information he knew about her other client. “Oh, right. Your friend from overseas. She came here to teach artistic swimming… that’s what used to be called synchronized swimming.”
“That’s right. Only things aren’t working out as well as she hoped.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, she keeps saying the girls are super-motivated and incredibly talented. She is usually pretty sparing with her praise, so that tells me they must be special.”
Hearing it coming, Daniel provided the: “But?”
“But the sports commission is refusing to take them to the Caribbean games.” She scowled. “There have their reasons, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.”
“What reasons?”
She shook her head. “Now we’re getting into those things I should be keeping private. But this puts her and her team in a really hard place. It doesn’t matter what reason you give. A team needs exposure. Whether that means medals or advertisements or acknowledgement from the national authority. A stipend to live on. All of that comes from being in competitions. They are being left behind.” She let out a soft snort of self-mockery. “Sort of failing when it comes to that old adage ‘it’s not personal, it’s just business, aren’t I?”
Daniel shrugged. “Always felt that saying was overrated. Look at Evelyn’s stadium and her network of businesses. That’s her family legacy and it wouldn’t be half what it is now if she didn’t fully invest herself in it. But she also runs it with a heart. She has taken some risks because of what she deemed as worthy causes. Might have cos
t her a bit of money but the choices kept her feeling virtuous. Can’t ignore that side of things.” He smiled. “For what it’s worth, that’s why I brought Cadence to your door in the first place, and why I was more than happy to recommend MK and Irène to follow suit. Because of your personal touch, not in spite of it.”
“Thanks, Daniel. It does mean a lot to hear you say that. But none of that really changes things. I can sob and moan all I want. They still aren’t going to get the exposure they need.”
“Hmm.” Daniel settled back in his chair. “Any way you slice it, you’re right. They need to compete. At a high level, too. Things don’t happen by getting mixed up in events below the national level.” An idea occurred to him, but he wasn’t sure it would be welcome. “Thanks for trusting me enough to talk about it. Funny thing that happens when you care about people is that they tend to care right back. I’d hate to think you’re suffering with this and don’t have anyone to talk to. Anytime you want to rant a little, let me know. I’ll be a friendly ear for you.” He paused. “I know you weren’t dumping this on my plate, but… if I had a way to move things forward for your friend and her team, would you want to hear it?”
“A way forward?” Azélie couldn’t help letting out a disbelieving laugh. “You don’t know the whole story!”
“But I know the right parts.” Daniel chuckled. “Maybe. I don’t want to make any promises. Fortunately, I don’t have to ask you to expend too much faith on this one. Do you know Matteo Jaquet?”
“Not really. Irène mentioned him a few times. Said he’s a great all-around coach.”
Daniel nodded. “He is. But he picked those things up along the way. His best skill is the ability to hook people up with the right opportunities. Again, I don’t want to put too much on the table without talking to him. There might be nothing he can do. Won’t know until you ask him.” His head tilted in mute question.