Chapter 675: No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk!

Despite the disappointing draw against Aston Villa, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

Ultimately, Wigan could only blame the workload and schedule, as well as their ambitions.

What followed, though, was a short period of rest.

Dawson had little interest in pushing his players through another demanding week immediately after the Manchester City and Villa fixtures.

Their bodies needed time to recover, and the manager was well aware that the next few weeks would leave little room for unnecessary fatigue.

And so, with the Villa game being finished on Saturday, he gave the squad until Tuesday before reporting back to the training ground.

Two days and 3 nights away from football.

It was a small concession, but one the players appreciated.

Still, Dawson had one game to look forward to.

Liverpool, their closest challengers, had European commitments to deal with during the week.

They were set to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League, meaning Wigan would have a little more breathing room before the two sides returned to Premier League action.

Dawson wasn’t about to mistake that for an opportunity to relax.

Liverpool had already shown how quickly they could close the gap.

A 4-point lead was useful, but it was hardly decisive with so many matches remaining.

He wanted his players rested, not complacent.

And so, while the squad enjoyed its brief break, Dawson continued working behind the scenes.

....

Leo used his two days rather differently.

Just as promised, he accompanied Vittoria to London, where she had a wedding-themed photoshoot scheduled for Valentino’s Haute Couture collection.

By now, he had become reasonably familiar with the workings of a professional set.

Since beginning his relationship with Vittoria, he had spent enough time around photographers, stylists and production crews to understand that the apparent chaos usually followed a very particular schedule.

There were people carrying garment bags, others checking lighting equipment, and several assistants moving between the different sections of the studio.

Someone was constantly calling for something, while another person was usually trying to find it, and the moment they arrived, Vittoria was instantly taken away.

"Give us a moment," one of the assistants told Leo, already guiding her towards the dressing area.

Vittoria glanced back at him and then pointed her index at him.

"Don’t disappear."

"I’ll try."

She gave him a small smile before disappearing behind a partition.

Despite Vittoria’s fame and Leo’s profile, it sometimes surprised the latter how it seemed like they never got caught.

Sure, some people knew about the duo’s relationship, but it seemed like the majority didn’t.

Leo was also surprised by how, despite this being his 7th visit to a set because of Vittoria, there just never seemed to be any photos of the two together.

Still, he understood it was because of the strict no-phones policy that a lot of these sets seemed to have, but he still didn’t doubt human persistence.

Well, for now, he would enjoy the calm.

He remained near the entrance for a moment, taking in the activity around him.

A few members of the crew recognised him, their eyes lingering for a second longer than necessary.

One whispered something to another before they both returned to their work.

Eventually, an assistant approached.

"Mr Calderon? You can wait over here. We’ll let you know when we’re ready."

Leo looked in the direction the latter was pointing and then nodded.

"Thank you."

They led him to a seating area overlooking the main set.

There were a few chairs arranged beside a small table, with a clear view of the backdrop and the lighting equipment.

Leo settled into one of them and then took out his phone.

He glanced around to see if there would be a reaction to him opening his phone, but it seemed that they didn’t bother too much with him, especially though he had seen phones being collected from some of the staff at the entrance.

He had barely unlocked it when he noticed several messages from Noah.

The first was relatively straightforward.

Noah: I am not having it easy here. Skechers have been asking about you again.

Noah: More specifically, they’ve been asking when we’re going to sit down and discuss the next deal.

Leo scrolled down and continued reading.

Noah: Your current agreement is coming towards its end, and they’re getting nervous.

After that, Leo decided to text back.

Leo: Why are they rushing, though? There’s still like 4 to 3 months left.

A reply came almost immediately.

Noah: Apparently, they would like to know what their future looks like. It was a 12-month deal, but now it’s just around 4 months remaining, and that’s precisely why they’re nervous.

A second message followed almost immediately.

Noah: Your value has changed considerably since we signed. They know it. I know it. And I’m fairly certain their board knows it too.

Leo smiled and continued reading.

Noah: Nike and Adidas will almost certainly be interested. They might already be looking into things. Skechers knows that if either of those two come knocking, a one-year agreement won’t give them much room to compete.

Leo: Sounds like their problem.

Noah: It becomes our problem when they start calling me every other day.

Leo let out a quiet laugh as he read the messages.

There was something amusing about Noah presenting himself as though he were trapped in an impossible situation.

The man had spent much of his career negotiating contracts, dealing with executives and managing people who thought they could get the better of him.

He was probably enjoying every second of it and just needed to let it all out before he cracked.

As he thought, another message arrived.

Noah: They also know how this could look if they lose you after signing you for such a short period. They would be accused of failing to recognise the potential they had in front of them. Their share price doesn’t need another reason to have a bad week.

Leo shook his head, smiling to himself.

Leo: Tell them I want to wait until the end of the season before discussing anything.

Noah’s response came a few seconds later.

Noah: I figured that would be your answer. I’ll tell them.

After that, Leo paused before typing another message.

Leo: Any progress with Loewe?

This time, there was no immediate response.

He waited a little, then checked the conversation again, and he found that Noah had gone offline.

"Typical."

Leo placed the phone on his thigh and leaned back in his chair.

Then he raised his head and found that in the little time he had been talking to Noah, the set had changed.