Claire didn't play in the friendly between Castle and Manchester United—his first time managing a tour group of over a thousand people had the Claire Tickets team running ragged. But late into the night, instead of sleeping, an exhilarated Claire Lee stood outside the finance office at Leam Valley Stadium, chatting with his uncle.
"I feel like I'm on the verge of financial freedom!" Claire declared.
His uncle, Dennis Irwin, equally hyped, shook his head with a grin. Claire held up three fingers. "Three hundred million pounds?" Dennis guessed. "Nah, let's not get greedy. My dream is to buy up all the land around Leam Valley Stadium."
Claire's lips twitched in amusement. "I meant we've got about three years of good times left. If we don't pivot by then, we'll either get swallowed up or go bust."
Dennis looked puzzled but didn't interrupt. He'd long noticed that his nephew had more flair for stardom and music than football. "The U.S. housing market's a mess right now," Claire continued. "We're tied to real estate, so if the American economy tanks, our cash flow could dry up fast. Uncle, you saw the spending today—our main customers are wealthy tourists."
Dennis couldn't argue. The day's wine sales alone were poised to break £1 million, and if they'd had pricier bottles, he was sure they could've made even more.
"It's a global economy now," Claire went on. "If the U.S. takes a hit, ***won't escape the ripple effects. Those rich folks might face cash flow issues, financing troubles, or supply chain disruptions. I'm telling you, Uncle, you need to pause your expansion plans. If an economic crisis hits and we're short on cash, I might end up having to sell myself to United!"
Dennis, seeing Claire's earnest concern, nodded reluctantly. But then he remembered something. "What about your website going public? Anything I can do to help?"
"No, no," Claire said, waving him off. "What you need to do is take today's revenue and find more partners and investors. The bigger our network, the more clout you'll have in British football. Real money-making opportunities in this sport are rare."
Dennis nodded, seeing the logic. "I'd love to get Abramovich involved, but he seems more interested in your website. Apart from West Ham and Southampton, I don't think I'll make much headway for now."
Claire sighed, nodding regretfully. Commercial football wasn't just about business—in the UK, it was often a political game. Billions of pounds were poured into football infrastructure yearly, yet Premier League club owners and investors rarely saw a penny of it.
As the uncle and nephew waited anxiously, the finance office door finally swung open. A woman, older but with a rosy glow, stepped out.
"Wow, Dennis, I'm absolutely in love with you!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, Claire, you're even more handsome than last year!" she added with a wink.
"Auntie, thanks for working so late," Claire said, bowing respectfully to Dennis's wife.
"No trouble at all," she replied. "I'm exhausted, but knowing my son owns 3% of this stadium keeps me buzzing."
Dennis shot Claire a glance, checking his reaction. Seeing Claire's easygoing smile, he glared at his wife, but she ignored him, handing Claire a sheet of paper. "Congratulations! The tour group alone spent £1.2 million today. I can't imagine what they'll drop if they stay a whole week."
Claire took the financial report, noting that the duty-free shop accounted for 70% of the revenue—hardly surprising. His mind quickly shifted to his plan for the day after tomorrow. "Uncle, don't forget to prep for the music festival," he said to Dennis. "I'm sure it'll be another big payday!"
With that, Claire shoved his hands in his pockets, shouted into the empty Leam Valley Stadium, and headed toward the hotel. Hearing his uncle and aunt's voices behind him, a small smile crept onto his face.
He understood his aunt's earlier comment. Dennis had a 28-year-old son who refereed in England's League Two, but he rarely mentioned him, always name-dropping Claire instead. Claire was grateful for everything his uncle and aunt did for him, but money could strain even the closest family ties. He planned to sell his shares in Castle once new investors came on board.
After all, the real money wasn't in commercial real estate. That was just a piece of Claire Tickets' strategy to boost its valuation—why not kill two birds with one stone?
But as Claire neared the hotel, a memory flashed through his mind: "I told you, if you give me another song like that, I'll sleep with you. You don't need to take advantage of me like this!"
His calm face turned beet red. Back in his hotel room, he moved cautiously, terrified that Taylor Swift, just a few rooms away, might notice he'd returned.