CaddyGirls by V. K. Sykes Page A

Torrey Green, why don’t you explain exactly what you need?”
    So, she did. She told him she needed a sponsorship deal that would give her enough money to quit her jobs and enter a series of tournaments this summer. And enough to live on through the LPGA Qualifying School tournaments in the fall. Julian listened patiently as she went into far more detail than she’d ever intended. At least he wouldn’t be able to doubt her enthusiasm.
    After she finished, he remained silent for what seemed like minutes, even though it was probably only a few seconds. Before he said a word, she could already see his answer in those dark, expressive eyes. Her heart took a sickening dive.
    He was going to tell her no.
    “Torrey, you’ve made a strong case.” He rested both hands on the table and riveted his gaze to hers. “Let me start by saying I’ve listened carefully when you talked about your college career. And I even did some research on my own.”
    Her eyes must have betrayed her astonishment.
    “Yes,” he continued. “I would never consider investing in anything without doing due diligence research. So, here’s what I’ve learned. You showed incredible promise as a junior, blowing all your competition out of the water from the time you were twelve years old. You were Michelle Wie before there was a Michelle Wie. Then you were named California’s junior girls’ golfer of the year for two consecutive years. It was no wonder UNLV courted you with a full scholarship.”
    “I didn’t want to go into all that detail, but thank you, Julian.”
    “Then you had a fantastic college career. An All-American twice. By far the best golfer on your squad.”
    She almost felt embarrassed by his effusive praise. “We had a lot of great golfers. I loved those teams.”
    “It’s clear you have fantastic potential. I want you to know I think you deserve support, and I would like to be able to help you.”
    Her stomach went into such a spasm she thought for a moment she might be sick. But a couple of deep breaths settled it down enough for her to speak. “That’s great. Yet, I’m thinking your next sentence is going to start with ‘but,’ isn’t it?”
    He gave her a tight smile. For some reason he actually seemed nervous—and much less assured than the man she’d seen for the past two days.
    “I’ve got a plan, so please let me explain before you get upset. Then we can talk about it.”
    She nodded, her spirits inching up again. If he had a plan, it meant he would go to bat for her.
    “If the decision were mine alone to make,” he said, “I’d have no problem saying yes right now. You’ve convinced me that you’ve got the guts and determination to succeed, and your record speaks for itself. Whatever problems your big layoff may have caused, I’m sure you’ll overcome them.”
    Her big layoff? She stayed silent, but her stomach clenched again.
    Julian finished off his wine before continuing. “From the company’s early days, OTE has had a policy of not sponsoring individual athletes. We have a substantial sponsorship budget, but it goes to events like music festivals, art exhibitions and a few sports events. So, if you or another athlete, or your agent, had contacted our marketing department, the answer would have been a flat no.”
    “I’m used to those,” she said grimly, so wound up she couldn’t stop herself from interrupting him. “I’ve had so many I probably could make the Guinness Book of Records.”
    Julian started to chuckle but caught himself. “Okay. But just because we’ve had a policy all these years doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. Under the right circumstances.”
    “And do you think my case could be the right circumstances?” She started to feel a dust mote-sized particle of hope.
    “It’s certainly not impossible.” He reached across the table for her hand. As his fingers closed around hers, her body relaxed to his touch. “But I have to convince three other hard-headed guys.” His