**Disclaimer: The following is completely fictional and it is nothing but pure fantasy
I was on pace to deliver Clint the chapters for a new novel. My agent appreciated my work effort so much that he took me to a Brooklyn Nets game as a reward. The stadium was massive. It was a true Mecca for basketball. While I preferred Madison Square Garden, given its historic nature, the Nets had a nice stadium dedicated to the sport.
While the Milwaukee Bucks would not have been the first team, I would be clamoring to see the Nets face. It was a nice reprieve from hunching over Clint's coffee table and typing away. Court side was more than decent accommodations.
So, Clint and I got settled into our seats as the buzzer sounded for the event's start. "Thank you for this again, Clint."
"Well, I understand all the work you are putting in firsthand since it's all being done in my living room. Despite everything, you are producing a fine novel that will make plenty of money for us."
"You have given me plenty of gifts lately, so I appreciate it all. My wife may have gotten the house and all our friends in the separation, but I got you. And you are worth more than either."
"I would be touched if I were unfamiliar with your penchant for flattery."
It was nice just to get absorbed in the atmosphere. There were no songs like at Anfield, and I was nowhere near as invested in the outcome as I was in the Liverpool match, but being surrounded by people rallying for one purpose, was nice. It highlighted how connected we are despite our separate experiences. The enjoyment and bliss of getting lost in a moment were written all over the faces as I scanned the crowd. It was a pure unadulterated pleasure.
Then I noticed a woman sitting on the opposite side of the court. She was gorgeous beyond belief and decked out in Milwaukee gear. She was a sight to behold. She had a girl next door look combined with the body of an Olympian.
"Who is that?" I pointed her out to Clint.
He glanced over, "That is Morgan Reid. She is the wife of Grayson Allen on the other team."
"She sounds familiar. Where would I know her from?"
"I have no idea. She was a professional soccer player. Perhaps that is it."
"Did she make the national team?"
"I do not believe so."
"Then that can't be it." I wondered, but after a few minutes of speculating, I thought I had it, "She wrote a Player's Tribune article a few years back about being objectified as a college athlete. That's where I know her from."
"And here you are objectifying her," Clint mused.
"I would say admiring more," then I saw Morgan's ass as she turned around to walk up the steps, presumably to get something. "Never mind, that ass is the greatest thing I have ever seen."
Her legs were thick, likely from hours of training for her former profession, which only made her ass that much more of an asset. Her behind was the kind of toned that took years of dedication to sculpt into what it was, and here I was witnessing it in short shorts.
"Well, you know, there were other reasons for our attendance tonight," Clint informed me.
"Really? Like what?"
"I may have had a side bet with Morgan's husband, Grayson. And he may be losing horribly on that bet to the tune of a million or so."
"Jesus, Clint, what sort of racket are you running?"
"Assuming you do not want to be implicated in my underground bookkeeping, I'll ignore that. But let's say his losses are compounding. The score is off. He may have bet on his shooting ability too much and a few other minor details."
"How many side hustles do you have, honestly?"
"Again, unless you would like to be implicated, I believe you would prefer I decline to answer."
"Fair enough, but you did bring up your bet for a reason. What was it?"
"Well, I believe Mr. Allen may be in over his head. And since you seem quite interested in his wife, and my primary source of income is your literary talent, I think there may be a deal for you and me out of this situation."
"What sort of deal?"
"Perhaps a night with the gorgeous Morgan in exchange for an expedited publishing timeline?" Clint suggested.
"You know, if I did not know better, I would think you somehow predicted this entire situation so that you could get a larger advance on the book."
"No one could have foreseen all of this. John, do not be preposterous."
"I am not hearing an outright denial, but okay. The deal sounds like one I am willing to make."
The rest of the evening, there was no mention of Morgan or any deal. Instead, I soaked up the atmosphere and took in the moment of reprieve from writing. But the next morning, while I was tapping away on my keyboard, Clint interrupted my flow.
"Tonight, you have a dinner date with Morgan at SAGA. You are to meet her at six on the dot."
"Wait, you arranged that?"
"Of course I did. We made a deal. I will discuss the new timeline with you tomorrow when you get home from your night with Morgan. She has a room booked for you two after your dinner chat."
"And her husband agreed to all of this?"
"He did not have much of a choice. If he paid the money he owed, the NBA would have had to suspend him for gambling. There was no way he could hide that sum. This was the only agreement where everyone could win."