She's back ~ L. Hamilton

10. | The Comeback

I sit down in my agents office, looking across her desk. Pens and papers and notebooks were all extremely organised on her desk, I couldn't spot a single speck of dust. I've been with Tasha for seven years now.

I'd signed with her after being at two different agencies run by men who loved to tell me to 'be reasonable' about things I was already being very reasonable about. I took meetings with the best agencies worldwide and hated every single one of them, and then in walked Tasha.

She's a black women born and raised right in LA. She'd been working with a big talent agency until she had a disagreement with one of the heads of management and left and decided to struck out on her own.

"If you need to, I expect you to tell me to fuck off" she said in our first meeting "and if I need to, I'm going to throw it right back at you. We have to have a brutally honest relationship. I'm not interested in being your yes man. It's not worth either of our time"

I signed with her right then and there.

Seven years later I was sitting in her office that had grown considerably since our first meeting.

I turn towards Tasha as she sits down next to me on the couch. She's in her late fifties in a bright red pantsuit. Sometimes I think she's in the wrong field. She's too striking to be the one working behind the scenes

Tasha looks me in the eyes before leaning back on the sofa "are you sure about returning?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure"

"It's not something to be taken lightly"

"Your talking to the person who was literally born to the sound of a tennis match playing on the radio in the delivery room"

"Well your sponsorships....."

"I know"

"You're supposed to shoot the new Decathlon campaign at the end of the year"

"I know"

"And Nike is running the 'Sporting Legends' commercial soon too, with you front and centre"

I nod

"And you have the women's football World Cup promotion shoot in a month"

"I still don't know why I'm doing that, I've never played football in my life"

"Your tennis shoes are outselling all other sport shoes for Adidas right now"

One of the most surprising things about my retirement was that it ended up with me being ten times more liked. When I wasn't around anyone, people forgot how much they hated me, and then would see me every once and a while with my brother or doing charity work - and remember how much they liked me.

"I usurpingly know this too Tasha"

"Those endorsements are all based on the image that you are now a legend. You were one of the very best athletes of all time"

"Right, and I'm going to prove that I still am"

"But if...."

I look her dead in the eye, daring her to say it.

She changed her working "if it's a matter or earning, I think, for you, there is more money to be made as a commentator or the face of a sports company than a player. We position you as an elder stateswoman of tennis. That's how we keep you relevant"

"First of all, nobody wants to hear what I have to say" I say "but second of all, it's not a matter of money, it's a matter of honer"

"I need you to really think about this Delaney. Honor is sometimes just a nice word for ego. And I will always choose money over ego, personally"