'Hit the Floor'~Bounce

Deflect

"A Las Vegas per diem?" Jude asked unbelievingly, as he looked up from the rider he was holding. It was late afternoon, and Lionel and he were still in a meeting with Derek's agent, Lucas Ward, and his two associates, George Lockette and Sanaa Marcille. "Nevada doesn't even have a team! You're literally asking for gambling money."

"From a junior agent for us to a power player for the Devils. Wasn't it just a year ago he was screwing up our coffee orders?" remarked Lucas, perched up on the arm of the black leather couch in Lionel's office, as he looked over at the others, who smiled and nodded knowingly.

"We're wasting time. I need Derek's deal hammered out by midnight tomorrow," Lionel said impatiently as she came forward and crossed her arms in irritation. She had been hanging back leaning against her desk. She and Jude had agreed that Jude had the expertise when it came to sports' contracts and the shitty agents who loved them.

"Well, then, let's get to hammering," said Lucas as he looked directly at Jude.

"Jude, a minute?" said Lionel.

He looked from Lucas to Lionel as she signaled him to follow her. "Yeah," Jude replied, idly going over the contract information in his head.

"Excuse us," she said, as Jude followed her out into the hallway. "Lucas is flirting with you," she whispered once the door was closed.

"What? I don't think so."

"I don't have time to stand here and talk you through your feelings about this." She waived her hand as if she'd asked him if he wanted red or white. "He wants you." She gestured to Jude, then to herself. "I want Derek."

"What are you saying?" He knew what she was saying but couldn't quite believe it.

"I'm saying get back in there, hike up your skirt and give that guy what he wants." She pointed adamantly at the door. "Buy him drinks. You charm him, you take it from there." She was using her arms more than his grandma Guiliano.

"I don't charm people, okay? I'm not a charmer. This is ridiculous."

"This is Derek Roman's deal!" She angrily pointed her index finger in his face. "Now, you put on your big girl panties, and you figure it out." She inhaled, shot him a look and quickly reentered the office.

'Christ,' he frowned. He'd had exactly two relationships in his life, and neither had been built on him being the charmer. He took a deep breath and went back in.

"...and Derek's gonna need his own private chef for away games." Lucas furrowed his brow as he pored over the contract.

He and Jude were in one of the cocktail bars of the Devils Playground. It was low lit, quiet and intimate; the perfect place for a rendezvous...at least according to Lionel when Jude told her he had no idea where he was supposed to go when it came to charming Lucas.

"Not a problem. You know, I wish we could have...had a private chef right now. So, we could have dinner together privately. I mean, in private," Jude rambled. He leaned in with a light nervous laugh.

"Are you coming on to me?" Lucas looked up from the papers, his brown eyes serious.

Jude's smile slowly disappeared as he stammered. "Li... Lionel said you were flirting with me. I... I told her you weren't." He straightened and sat up.

"And she sent you here to seduce me to get a better deal for Derek?"

'Shit.' "Look, I..."

"Go, Lionel," Lucas chuckled.

"Go?"

"Well, I mean, I always had my eye on you at the office. I just...never knew you were gay." His demeanor loosened and he smiled.