RTN Chapter 4 Contract (Patreon)

Toronto, Canada

The flight from Dallas to Toronto landed slowly at Toronto Pearson Airport as the passengers, little by little, began to deplane from the aircraft's cabin.

“So this is Toronto,” Isabelle said as she stepped off the plane and took a deep breath, leaving behind the recycled air of the airplane cabin while through the windows the buildings of Toronto could be seen in the distance.

“Yup,” said Logan, who was coming right behind her, before intertwining his hand with hers and going straight to the baggage claim area.

Outside the arrivals terminal, a car was waiting for both of them with a sign that read Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.

Upon seeing the couple exit through the international arrivals gate, the driver immediately walked up to meet them. “Mr. Anderson, I am the driver sent to take you to the hotel,” he told them with a cordial tone in his voice before grabbing the cart carrying both of their suitcases and heading toward the waiting car, which was an elegant black sedan.

Once the suitcases were placed in the trunk, the driver wasted no time starting the engine and leaving the airport until the highway was replaced by the massive skyscrapers and buildings of downtown Toronto.

“It's very different from Dallas,” Isabelle said with her eyes fixed on the car window, admiring the buildings and sights all over Toronto and comparing them with the architecture she was used to in Texas.

“I had the same impression the first time I was here,” Logan said while also looking out the same window through which Isabelle was watching the streets.

Slowing down at 100 Front St W, the driver pulled up in front of an old building which was the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, one of the most exclusive and historic hotels in Toronto.

A single night in this hotel usually runs around 1,500 CAD, but the Raptors team will cover the expenses until Logan and Isabelle find their own place.

As soon as the car stopped, the bellhop in front of the door took a few steps forward, taking the suitcases out of the car's trunk.

“Welcome to the Royal York, sir and madam,” he said with a cordial smile as he lifted the cap on his head in a clear sign of greeting.

With the bags ready, Logan quickly checked in at the hotel counter while they gave him the card that served as the room key, and with the bellhop's help, they went up the elevator toward the 10th floor of the hotel where the room was located.

With a soft click, the door opened, revealing a warm and cozy room while the bellhop finished leaving the suitcases inside the room and stepped to the side.

Without wasting time, Logan pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took out a 5-dollar bill, extending it to the man in question. “Thanks, friend,” Logan told him as the bellhop took the bill Logan was handing him and gave them a nod of the head before taking his leave and closing the door.

“This bed is fantastic,” said Isabelle, who had already taken off her shoes and was completely sprawled across the bed, feeling the comfort of the mattress and sheets.

Logan without second thoughts also laid down on the mattress, immediately agreeing with his wife while neither of the two said a single word, staying in a comfortable silence.

“So this will be a new beginning,” Isabelle said without turning, looking at the ceiling just like Logan. “I'll say,” Logan answered before turning so he could contemplate Isa's profile.

“Seriously, Isa, you don't know how much I appreciate that you came here with me,” Logan told her before intertwining his hand with hers and giving it a tight squeeze.

“You don't have to thank me, Logan,” Isa told him, also turning around. “In sickness and in health, we are together in everything, remember?” Isabelle told him, using the exact same words she had said when they were standing at the altar.

After that, the two of them stayed staring fixedly at each other until Logan reluctantly had to get out of bed.

“Well, I think it's time for me to start getting ready,” he told her as he opened one of the suitcases and pulled out an immaculate suit from inside.

Where Logan was heading right now was the Raptors headquarters to sign the contract and talk about the plans for the team, and most importantly, about the draft that was just a few days away.

Without looking back, Logan quickly entered the bathroom and took a quick shower before coming out fully dressed in a neat suit, but still struggling with the tie knot.

Seeing how his fingers were getting stuck with the knot, Isabelle quickly stood up and without saying anything grabbed the edges of the tie and gently made a knot in it before tightening it around Logan's neck.

“Seriously, you don't know how much I hate wearing suits,” Isabelle heard Logan murmur, standing completely still while letting Isabelle finish tying his tie. “Those are the sacrifices of the job,” Isabelle replied, finally finishing and gently placing her hands against Logan's chest.

Smoothing invisible wrinkles on the shirt, Isabelle slightly raised her head to meet Logan's gaze and without saying a word leaned in and shared a quick kiss with him. “You'd better go before you're late,” Isa told him with a smile on her face before stepping aside.

“I won't be long,” Logan told her with his hand already on the doorknob, ready to leave and head down the elevator. “I'll be waiting here for you,” said Isabelle, who without wasting time went back to lying on the bed.

Going down the elevator, the same car that had dropped them both off at the hotel was waiting for him, and with a smile, the driver opened the passenger door, letting Logan enter calmly before turning and starting the car's engine.

Passing through the same streets he had seen not too long ago, Logan arrived at the building once again, but this time the situation was completely different, since now he was going to sign as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors team.

Entering through the office door, he was immediately greeted by the same receptionist from last time, but this time she stood up immediately and approached with a smile on her face. “Mr. Anderson, Mr. Grunwald is waiting for you upstairs,” she told him politely.

“Thank you,” Logan said, heading toward the elevator from last time. “Do you need anything—coffee, tea...?” the receptionist asked quickly.

“A little water wouldn't be bad,” Logan told her, already stepping into the elevator before the doors closed and the elevator began to rise little by little.

Once alone in the elevator, Logan couldn't help but notice the clear difference between this time and the last time he passed through these offices. “I guess now the situation is different,” he murmured to himself as the elevator reached its destination and with a soft sound the door opened.

Once he stepped out of the elevator, the boardroom door was open and Glen Grunwald was outside waiting for him, and upon seeing him arrive, a smile appeared on his face before approaching him and extending his hand in his direction.

“Welcome, Logan,” Glen said as he received the firm handshake he was being given.

With pats on the back, Glen accompanied Logan inside the room where the same directors from Maple Leaf along with a few new faces were already seated, ready for the contract signing.

“Are you ready?” Glen asked in a low voice in Logan's ear, low enough so that none of the people present could hear. “Let's do this,” Logan replied as they approached the rest of the board of directors and began shaking hands.

After that, the introductions began until little by little the matter eventually turned to the most important thing, which was the signing of the contract.

Sitting at the table, Logan slowly opened the document that had been passed to him and began reading it in silence, catching especially the most important details of the contract.

Duration: 1 year

Salary: $1 million dollars

Those were the most highlighted points of the contract, followed by several clauses and performance bonuses for the team's performance throughout the season in which Logan would be in charge of the Raptors team.

“If there is no problem, you can sign the contract now,” said one of the Maple Leaf directors, passing a pen to Logan.

The pen remained suspended in the air while Logan was still looking carefully at the contract, not wanting to overlook a single word inside the contract. “I have a question,” Logan said, finally breaking the room's silence.

“After this season, will you renew my contract?” Logan asked slowly, looking carefully at each of the directors present in that room.

“Mr. Anderson, you must understand that we are taking big risks by accepting that you lead the team; you should be grateful that we are giving you an opportunity like this,” the director said in a solemn tone. “We are not a charity by any means, so for the moment that is all you will receive from us right now,” he finished saying, allowing the room's atmosphere to change completely.

“But if you get good results this season, a renewal wouldn't be out of the question,” Glen said, breaking the silence and trying to lighten the atmosphere inside the office.

After that, and seeing that there was no other problem, Logan quickly stamped his signature on the document so that Glen could then do the same, giving start to this new chapter.

“Officially welcome to the Toronto Raptors,” Glen said, starting to applaud, immediately followed by the rest of the executives.

“The press conference where we will make the announcement will be in a few days,” the marketing manager said from one side.

“Now that everything is finished, let's move on to an important aspect,” Glen said from the side. “The draft is only a few weeks away, so we must decide the team's strategy,” he finished saying while the office went on alert.

“I suggest we could trade our 4th overall pick,” one of the directors suddenly said. “We need to improve our roster and the team's competitiveness; trading the 4th pick will give us enough capital to rebuild the team,” he finished saying while some heads nodded in response.

“Carter has also been pushing to improve the roster or he will look to force a trade,” said another team director who was aware of what was happening with the team.

Vince Carter was without a doubt the team's biggest star, and despite missing half the season due to a knee injury, the team with him had a good start to the season, finishing with 20.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in the 43 games he was able to play with the team.

“I'll talk to him,” Logan said quickly, knowing the importance Vince Carter had for the team.

Having the team's star player leave on his first day as coach would be a hard blow for Logan and would also cause instability inside the team's locker room.

“Regarding the selection, I think we should keep it,” Logan said, and before anyone else could object, he quickly started speaking.

“This draft not only has LeBron James, but also very talented players; losing one of those talents just to bring in several players would solve the team's short-term problems, but a great talent can help us in the long term,” Logan finished saying.

“Then who do you suggest?” asked one of the financial directors, being the most concerned since he had to analyze the margin of salary cap space they had available in case they drafted a player at the fourth pick.

“Chris Bosh,” Logan said quickly without hesitating at any moment, as if the name were already on his lips. “The one from Georgia Tech?” said one of the directors, recognizing the name.

“A good choice, I have him in my sights too,” Glen said, quickly agreeing with Logan's opinion.

“And why do you think Bosh is the best option for the team?” someone at the table asked, wanting to hear the analysis behind the new coach's choice.

“Simply because we need to improve the frontcourt play now that Davis left for the Bulls mid-season,” Logan explained, remembering the way Davis forced his trade and went to Chicago to play.

“Bosh plays as an agile power forward capable of running from one half to the other without any problem; that in itself is an anomaly for someone who stands 6ft 11in,” Logan highlighted quickly.

“But what no one pays attention to is his 3-point shooting effectiveness with 47.8% on 3-pointers.” Saying that, Logan quickly emphasized the main reason why he loves Bosh.

“If you ask me personally, I consider that the best position for him would be to move to center and play as a pivot.”

“He has the necessary height for that, but we will need to work more on his muscle and strength, but without sacrificing his mobility or his shooting mechanics,” Logan continued explaining.

“My idea and plan need a mobile center capable of drawing the rival center out of the paint and who can consistently hit shots from outside the perimeter, so Bosh is without a doubt a strong candidate for that,” was the last thing Logan said toward everyone present in the room at that moment.

After Logan finished saying that, the boardroom began a heated discussion about how to face the league's next season and what possible complications they could encounter, while at the same time discussing the upcoming Summer League and possible invitations to players.

Time passed little by little until finally the sky darkened, with everyone starting to leave to rest.

Logan was frankly exhausted, and the only thing he wanted to do right now was reach his room and rest as much as he could.

But the moment he opened his room door, he found it completely dark, illuminated only by candles, and looking up he found Isabelle lying face down on the bed, wearing only a set of lingerie that highlighted her curves and left little to the imagination while looking at him and moving a finger seductively, inviting him to come closer.

Seeing all that, Logan simply thought that he definitely wouldn't rest well tonight while he started taking off his jacket.