“I see you sniffed out the baked goods.”
Twirling around with the turnover in my mouth, I nodded at Tanisha who began laughing at me. Wiping my face with a napkin and swallowing my first bite, I responded. “Vince told me about them as soon as I arrived. I missed breakfast and am starving.”
Tanisha raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. “You actually did it?” she questioned, folding her arms over her chest.
I rolled my eyes. “Have you ever known me to not do something I said I was going to do?”
She shook her head. “Not even senior year, when you said you were going to bribe Professor Michaels so you wouldn’t have to take the final for our biochemistry class.”
“Exactly. Of course, I went to McConnell’s gym this morning.”
“And how did it go?”
I lifted my chin, looking my best friend in the eye. “Better than expected.”
She stared at me for a moment before doubling over in laughter. “Girl, he threw you out on your ass, didn’t he?”
I sighed and waved Tanisha off, passing her with my plate in one hand and coffee in the other to head to my office. Naturally, Tanisha followed me because she’s not one to drop the subject easily.
“Did he call the police to kick you out or did you go peacefully?” She joked as I sat down behind my desk.
I didn’t answer as I pressed the button to boot up my desktop before continuing to eat my pastry.
“No, of course the cops weren’t called. You would’ve called me with your one phone call to come bail you out,” my best friend concluded, sitting in the chair across from me.
I frowned, swallowing my second bite. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
Tanisha shrugged as she sat back in the chair across from me, crossing her legs. Unlike me, Tanisha opted to dress in a more casual look for work. She wore our black polo-style short-sleeved shirt with our company name ParaSquad across the left breast. The ‘Q’ formed the caduceus sign, making up our company’s logo. She matched the shirt with a pair of blue jeans and flat Vans shoes, her typical style.
Tanisha and I were both former paramedics who once had dreams of going to medical school after college. However, our interests changed, and she completed her Master’s in Public Health, while I went on to get my MBA. Together, after grad school and dissatisfied with our jobs, we put our heads together and formed ParaSquad. A company that hired part-time paramedics to work local, state, and even some national fairs, concerts, and sporting events. Basically, anywhere large crowds gather and there’s a potential for injury.
Our list of clients included everything from local 5k walks and runs to citywide marathons, collegiate sporting events such as basketball and football games, and soon, if all worked out, we’d have a three year contract with the NFA to work all its city fights, which would serve to increase our annual revenue by a third.
“Have you thought about the possible conflict of interest if, by some miracle, McConnell actually takes you on as his trainer?”
I tilted my head to the side. “Obviously you have.”
“We’re about to sign a contract with the NFA to work their events for the next three years, correct?”
I nodded. “Assuming all goes well.”
“Let’s assume that it does. How is it going to look with you running not only the emergency services component for the local NFA fights, but also training one of its top fighters?”
I shook my head, dismissing her argument. “Of course, I’ve considered it, Tanisha. There’s no conflict. ParaSquad will mainly be working to ensure the safety of the spectators and guests of the arena. The fighters have their own team they bring with them to fights to see to their health concerns. If, by some chance, we have to step in to aid a fighter, our staff is trained to do so. If I’m there and need to assist a fighter if they get injured, I will have no compunction in doing so. No conflict whatsoever.”
Tanisha eyed me carefully. “Have you spoken to Randy about this?”
“Yes,” I responded, assuring Tanisha that I had sought out the counsel of our company’s attorney on the matter.
“Okay… I’m not trying to get sued.”
“Nor am I.”
My friend eyed me. “Did you watch the fight last night?”
I nodded. “After I got in. He lost to Caldwell.” I sighed, frowning.
“You sure you want to train this guy? He’s lost how many fights in a row, now?”
