Page 12 of Penalty Shots
Izzy was right. This should be fun.
“We'll deal with that later. Did you get Landry his talking points?”
“Uh.” He clears his throat and I blink at him. “Yes, they’re next to his mic.”
“Great. Then, we’ll stick to the task at hand, Toby. We are in charge of maintaining the image of the best ice hockey team in North America. That is our priority. Got it?”
Poor kid. I don't mean to be so tough on him. But he's going to learn one way or another that this business doesn't take kindly to those who play nice. It'll chew him up and spit him out without any regard for his well-being.
He gulps. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Head back to my office. After this press conference, we have work to do.”
He nods. “Got it.” He turns to go down the hall just as my boss rounds the corner. Her cream-colored, flowy skirt glides behind her as she walks. When she spots Toby, she stops.
Toby pauses, too when he sees her and does some weird, nervous bow like she’s royalty.
Oh my God.I shake my head but watch as she says something to him. He nods in understanding and shoots me a quick glance before he continues on down the hall toward my office.
Mackenzie Stratton approaches me, looking regal as usual.
“Mack,” I say by way of greeting. It’s what she’s asked me to call her ever since she hired me on full-time last year.
“You know what my favorite part of owning a professional sports team is, Lopez?” she asks, stopping in front of the press room door.
“What’s that?”
“Every day presents new problems to solve, which is why I try to hire the best of the best. It’s those boys in there that play the game, but it's my team that keeps this place running like a well-oiled machine.”
Something tells me she has more to say. “Is there something you’re trying to tell me, Mack?”
"What happened this afternoon?" She cocks her head to the side, awaiting a response.
I shake my head. "I'm already all over it. Don't worry, come tomorrow, nobody will even know that Keelan Landry had an altercation."
"No, they won't," she agrees. "Because I've called in for reinforcements."
I still.Reinforcements?I've never needed reinforcements.
“It's been in the works for a while, but I finally bit the bullet, considering how everything went down today."
I blink at her, suddenly panicking internally.
"I hired a marketing director,” she clarifies.
I breathe.Oh good.For a moment there, I thought she was about to fire me.
“You did?” I beam.
Thank the heavens above because I’ve been acting as PR manager and Marketing director since taking the gig, and frankly, I'm tired.
“So who’s the lucky person?” I ask her.
“Well,she'scurrently waiting in your office."
“She… ok, that's great!”
"Let's see this press conference through and once it's over, do you care to join me in your office?" she asks. It's an ask, but we both know she's not really asking.