The Athlete Billionaire
It’s been my endeavour to ensure variety in my protagonists, not that the task is easy. Billionaires tend to come in very few shapes and sizes, not literally of course. Most of them are scions of industry. Then again, we have actors – like Patrick Townsend from ‘Looking for Like’ (yet to be published) and a race car driver Dean Winters from ‘All You Have To Do Is Call’, also unpublished. The publishers have asked me to write one with a sports star. The choices are aplenty. Aforementioned Dean Winters is one candidate, but the truth is that he isn’t an F1 driver in the story, rather it is his back story. He is actually a manufacturer of e-vehicles. I know some of you are going … yawn.
If I were to invest in a sports character, what sports would I choose? And what got me thinking about it?
Let’s answer the second question first. Summer in the Europe provides fodder in abundance from Wimbledon, French Open in Tennis, Tour de France, the Euro cup which England sadly lost despite a stellar performance and ICC World Cricket championship which New Zealand won. Watching Tom Cruise hob-nob with David Beckham on Centre Court got me started. The same day, watching the Euro Cup finals not too far away in Wembley nailed it for me.
If I were to choose, I’d probably choose football or as the Americans like to call it, soccer. Why? First, it gives me an opportunity to write about another Italian billionaire, with Italy winning the Euro Cup. The female leading lady could be a British WAG wannabe who is seeking payback for England’s loss. We all know footballers have their own currency printing press, not literally, but each of their contracts run into tens of millions of pounds. Add to that sponsorship and ad revenue and bingo – you have yourself a billionaire. There aren’t too many of them around – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo being two of them. Technically, net worth’s are shy of a billion but who’s counting?
There are plenty of other reasons. Athletes, footballers in particular are fit. Not going to the gym three times a week fit. I can run around chasing a ball for 90 odd minutes fit. Most of the players in the latest Euro cup were still strutting around after two hours. They tend to be hot-headed. Drama queens – and very good actors, not to mention artful manipulators. Have you seen them fake injuries on the field in order to earn a free kick? There are a few Oscar-worthy performances in all the big matches. They’re large-hearted, passionate (at least about football) and players for the most part – in a decidedly sexual way.
My hero would be a nasty piece of work on the outside – hard-headed Alpha Male who is as rich as God, arrogant, overbearing, physically rough-edged but later will reveal a gooey and tender heart. His language would be foul. At first, he’d treat the female lead like a bit of shit – remember A Billionaire Needs a Bodyguard? Then, our hero would fall in love after some TLC from the vengeful WAG who maybe, just maybe is into some light S&M. Our Bitch would spring the trap, leaving our footie hero devastated when he realises that she’s been gaming him. How do I get them back together? Hmm. Let me think about that. Most certainly, there’d be a match or two in the play. Where do the thrills come from? Oh, just wait and see. I’m not going to give the whole plot away, but I will leave you with a hint. Think corruption scandal, match-fixing (oh yeah, it does happen, even in football), and football hooligans – remember Green Street? Our WAG is going to get beaten up. Badly.
And here’s the icing on the cake. I’ve yet to see an ugly footballer. They’re all handsome, sexy, tidy, gorgeous hunks of masculinity with my fingers now itching to create a thriller romance with one of them. I can imagine in my mind’s eye the cold-hearted calculating British bitch of a ex-WAG targeting an Italian footballer and falling into his love-cum-lust trap, inconceivably finding a Happily-Ever-After. My mouth is already drooling. And ladies, there are other parts that are also … okay, let’s keep it U-Rated for now.
And let me get to work.
Sigh. With a saddened heart I bid you goodbye, but only for the moment.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Talk soon.
Ravina