CHAPTER 106: THE AGENT.

"Table seven, one Coffee, extra cream!"

The barista’s voice cut across the soft murmur of chatter and the hiss of the espresso machine.

Cups clinked, and behind those, someone laughed from a corner booth where two students were sharing a laptop.

The smell of toasted croissants and roasted beans lingered in the air, a kind of calm that made the world outside feel slower.

Noah Sarin sat near the window, a stack of folders balanced beside his elbow.

His coat was slung across the chair behind him, sleeves rolled up, half-empty latte cooling at his side.

When Leo appeared, Noah looked up immediately, breaking into a smile that seemed to come from a place both relieved and quietly grateful.

"Leo," he said, getting up to shake his hand. "I’m glad you came."

"Of course," Leo replied easily, dropping into the seat opposite him. "I said I would, didn’t I?"

Noah chuckled, lowering himself back down.

"You’d be surprised how often most people I meet forget that part of the deal."

He tapped the top folder lightly with his finger.

"Anyway, thank you, really, for giving me this opportunity. Most wouldn’t. They’d assume I’m past it. Not sharp enough anymore."

Leo leaned back, shaking his head.

"Nah, that’s not what I heard. Everyone I spoke to said you were the real deal or used to be," he said that latter part with a little chuckle.

Noah tilted his head slightly. "Everyone?"

"Yeah," Leo said, his tone casual but steady.

"Just Nolan and Dawson, but they’re the ones that matter. They both said you were good, so I figured if I’m going to climb, I might as well climb with someone who knows what the fall feels like, too."

For a second, Noah didn’t speak.

Something flickered across his face, a mix of surprise and something gentler, quieter.

An appreciation and recognition of his abilities, which he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Leo went on.

"My mates back in the U21S, too, Jake and Ezra, they’re fans, you know? They said if I didn’t sign with you, they’d find a way to do it themselves. They both even expressed interest in signing with you, but I told them you said you’d rather focus on me for now, so maybe later."

That got a soft laugh out of Noah.

He looked down at the folders for a moment, then back at Leo.

"Appreciation feels strange when you’ve gone a while without it," he said under his breath.

"But thanks. I mean it. You won’t regret this."

"I know I won’t," Leo said, leaning forward.

"So, where are the papers?"

Noah’s grin widened a little as he reached for the stack, sliding one folder toward him, but before Leo’s fingers touched it, he spoke again.

"As eager as I am to get this signed, I can’t do it without a guardian present," Noah said, voice easy but firm.

"It’s protocol. Protects both of us. If you can’t get one here, we’ll just do it another day."

He gave a wry smile and began pulling the folder back, but Leo raised a hand, a small smile as if he had just confirmed something, displaying on his face.

"She should be here any second," he said.

Noah arched an eyebrow.

"She?"

Just then, Leo’s phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, smiled, and picked it up.

"Yeah, enter the café to your left," he said into the phone, then hung up.

The bell above the door jingled softly a moment later as a woman stepped inside, the early light catching the edge of her hair as she looked around.

The waitress approached her almost immediately.

"Table for one?"

But Sofia pointed to the corner where Leo and Noah sat.

"Actually, I’m with him, but could I get a cappuccino? Cream and ice on top, please."

"Of course," the waitress said, smiling before turning away.

"Thank you," Sofia replied before she made her way across the café.

Noah stood when she arrived.

"You must be Sofia. This is the second time we are meeting."

She shook his hand, polite but warm.

"And you must be the man Leo’s been talking about. I work around here, but somehow missed this café entirely. Feels like one of those quiet little secrets of the city."

"It’s his find," Leo said, gesturing at Noah.

"He swears the pastries and drinks are the best in Manchester."

Sofia smiled.

"Then I suppose I’ll have to test that claim thoroughly."

Her cappuccino arrived before anyone could reply.

She took a sip, her eyes lighting up slightly.

"Okay, that’s good. Dangerously good, and they are also quick with it."

"Then I guess we can begin," she said, turning back to business.

Noah nodded and slid the document he’d been holding toward her.

"It’s straightforward. I don’t do hidden clauses or fine print mazes. You can go through all of it. I’ll walk you through the key points and things you might have questions about."

Sofia flipped through a few pages.

Her expression shifted from attentive to mildly surprised.

"These terms are... generous," she said, glancing up.

"Leo gets most of the leverage here. You’re sure about this?"

"Four per cent for negotiated club deals," Noah said, calm.

"Three on-brand contracts. That’s all I’ll take. If he becomes even half the player I think he will, I’ll make plenty regardless. There’s no need to take more now. And I need to leave room for say renegotiation in the near future."

Sofia studied him a second longer before nodding.

"Fair enough."

She turned to Leo.

"You probably know I don’t understand much of this, but it sounds clean, and looks good."

Leo grinned.

"Don’t worry. My coach-slash-agent already went through it."

That earned a raised brow from Sofia.

"Your what?"

Noah laughed.

"He means Nolan, Dawson’s assistant at Wigan."

Sofia’s expression softened into recognition.

"Ah, now that makes sense."

Just then, the waitress reappeared, carrying another cappuccino in a to-go cup.

"You really liked it that much?" Leo teased.

"Tell that to my boss when she wants to keep me up till midnight," Sofia said, smirking as she took it.

"Fair," Leo replied, chuckling.

"Alright," she said, nodding toward the papers.

"Let’s make it official then, since it seems both parties are satisfied."

Leo nodded at her words and then took the pen Noah offered, signing neatly at the bottom.

"Guess I’m in your care now," he said with a grin.

"And I in yours," Noah replied, extending his hand as Leo set his in the former’s.

Sofia slipped her cup sleeve on, standing.

"Well, now that’s done, I’d better run before the office eats me alive. Congratulations, you two."

She kissed Leo’s cheek, gave Noah a polite nod, and headed out, the bell chiming softly behind her.

Leo watched her disappear into the crowd outside before turning back to Noah.

"So now that you’re officially my agent," he said, leaning forward again, "there are a few things you should probably know."

"Oh?" Noah lifted an eyebrow.

Leo nodded.

"I’ve had two national call-ups. England U18s... and Italy U21s."

Noah’s eyes flickered with intrigue, but Leo kept talking.

"But I went with Italy’s U21S for obvious reasons," and as he did, the café’s ambient noise began to fold back in: cups clinking, laughter from the next table, a milk frother hissing somewhere behind the counter.

Whatever came next in their conversation blurred into the background hum of life, just another afternoon where two people began something that might matter.

....

Back at the hotel, the street outside hummed under the soft buzz of neon signs and the hum of passing cars.

Noah leaned back in his chair, one hand behind his head, the other holding his phone to his ear.

"Congratulations," Nolan’s voice came through, steady but light. "Heard you and Leo made it official."

"Yeah," Noah replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Signed earlier today."

"That’s good," Nolan said. "Just... try to keep your cool this time, huh?"

Noah chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"I’ve forgotten how not to, apparently."

"That’s what I like to hear," Nolan said, amusement threading through his tone.

There was a pause, the sound of a door creaking faintly on Nolan’s end.

"Anyway, I’ve gotta head out for the night. Talk soon, yeah?"

"Yeah, take it easy," Noah replied before the call clicked off.

He set the phone on his desk for a moment, letting the silence of his inn room fill in around him.

Then, almost absentmindedly, he picked the phone back up, scrolling through his contacts.

His thumb hovered over a name.

Devon.

He tapped it, brought the phone to his ear.

The line picked up almost immediately, though the background was chaos, laughter, music, and glasses clinking with someone shouting for another round.

"Devon!" Noah called out over the noise, half-laughing already.

"Mate, hold on—" Devon’s voice came through, muffled for a second as he yelled an order to someone else.

"Yeah, what’s up? I’m in the middle of a war zone here!"

Noah laughed.

"Just thought you should know, I signed the kid. Leo"

There was a brief pause, followed by Devon’s laugh bursting through the receiver.

"No way! You actually did it? I knew you could pull it off, man!"

"Yeah," Noah said, smiling faintly, leaning back again. "Guess I still have a bit of magic left."

"You’ve got more than a bit," Devon said, shouting another order to someone nearby.

"Listen, I’m swamped right now, packed night, music’s loud, people don’t tip, you know how it is. Let’s catch up when I close, yeah?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Also, thank your wife for me." Noah said, still smiling.

"I’ll be sure to do so!" Devon shouted before hanging up.

Noah sat there for a moment, staring at his phone screen as the line went dead.

The faint echo of laughter from the bar still lingered through the earpiece, blending into the distant sounds of the city outside.

He leaned forward, setting the phone down, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Then he exhaled slowly, reached for his coffee mug.