Which feels like walking into enemy territory. Not because they’re mean. Well, okay, some of them are a little terrifying, but because I am very aware that Luna used to sit in here. That her friends are here. And that every inch of this room probably has an opinion about me.
Beth meets me at the door with a raised brow and a clipboard. “The great Beau Whitaker, paragon of punctuality, is late. Gasp,” she says, but she’s smirking.
“Sin pulled me aside to discuss the marketing plan,” I argue.
“You should have told her you had things to do.”
“Have you met Sin?”
Krista calls from inside, “He brought snacks, right?”
I hold up bright pink boxes of donuts from Jazz’s friend’s coffee cart like an offering. “I brought baked goods.”
“And?” Jenna asks.
“My deepest and humblest apologies.”
They all stare at me, and I’m starting to worry that this won’t work. Then I remember something my therapist said about saying the words out loud. Not assuming someone else will understand your meaning. “I’m sorry.”
A few of them laugh. Sab gives me a once-over like she’s deciding whether to allow it. I guess I get a temporary pass because they don’t drive me out of there brandishing sticks like pitchforks.
They settle back on the benches, and I take a breath. “I know I’m the last person you want to see right now,” I say, keeping my voice even. “But I’m not here to talk about Luna. I’m here to talk about the kids and cats. To fix the event that got torpedoed because of all this mess.”
There’s a shift in the air. Not warm, not hostile. Just expectant.
“We’ve got a new venue. Outdoor rink behind the Glen Hill Community Center. It’s rough, but we’ve got access. Cole and Dev are handling cleanup and repairs along with the rest of the men’s team. Maisie and Beth are running media. Cece’s handling graphics. What we don’t have yet is the kind of hype this thing needs to actually make a difference. Most people are assuming it’s been canceled.”
Sab folds her arms. “You want us to be influencers?”
“I want you to be yourselves. You’re the reason people come to games. You’re the ones who make this campus feel like a team. People trust you. They’ll listen.”
Krista tilts her head. “What’s the plan exactly?”
“A livestream. Rebranded. More community focused. No corporate angle. Just a good, chaotic time for a good cause. All donations go to youth hockey programs and Paws For Thought. And we’ll be doing the big reveal and opening up preorders for the charity calendar.”
Beth perks up. “Can we do a choreographed dance?”
I sigh. Should have seen this one coming. “Did Maisie put you up to that?”
A beat of silence.
Then they explode with laughter.
“Listen, Whitaker. There is zero chance we’re going to take it easy on you. You hurt our friend, so you’re really going to need to prove yourself worthy. No dance, no Elles.”
My entire being shudders at the thought of going on camera like that, but there is nothing I won’t do to prove myself to these women, and more importantly to Luna. “Fine.”
Krista claps her hands. “Fucking fantastic! What’s the theme going to be?”
“There has to be a theme?” I ask.
“Of course.” Beth looks at me like I’m an idiot for not knowing this. She’s not wrong about the idiot part, unfortunately. “Let’s go for Enemies to Teammates. I’ve got the perfect song for it. Any chance you can convince Celeste to come on board to help choreograph it?”
Enthusiastic cheers ring out. Apparently, the idea is a winner, and it does feel right in spite of all my misgivings.
Jenna raises an eyebrow at me. “You’re forgetting the part where you have to get Luna to show up. In case you hadn’t noticed, she hasn’t exactly been present lately.”
Right. That. Everyone looks at me again.
