“So nice to meet you,” Natalie says, extending her hand to shake mine. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Oh, I’m just filling in for Tatum for a few months,” I say, glancing at Patrick. No one mentioned needing to manage an intern as part of my job responsibilities.
“Natalie will be reporting to me,” Patrick says, clearly noting the question in my expression, “but she’ll be looking to you for guidance about our social media vision. We’ll also need to talk a bit about some of the upcoming press releases we’ve gotscheduled, and figure out how we want our socials to build excitement around our announcements.”
I glance between Patrick and Natalie, where they stand to my right, and AJ on the other side of her desk, to my left. “I just want to reiterate the expectation that I’m coming on part time. It sounds like you’re asking me to do Tatum’s full-time job, including training an intern, while also working on PR that was beyond the scope of her responsibilities... in fifteen hours a week?”
If there’s one thing I learned in the course of earning my MBA and starting my own company, it’s to set clear expectations.
“Morgan’s right,” AJ says before Patrick can respond. “We need to make sure we’re clear about what we need her to do, so she can delegate the rest.”
I glance at Natalie, who looks like she’s caught in the crossfireandin over her head, even though this is a perfectly civil conversation about boundaries. Oh boy.
“We’ll make sure to keep it manageable,” Patrick says to AJ. “And ensureyouare free to manage the players, not the PR staff.”
AJ huffs out a laugh. “Patrick, how long have we worked together? Is there any part of this organization I don’t have my fingers in?”
He shakes his head with a soft laugh. He doesn’t seem to think she’s overstepping, it’s more like he’s thankful she found me and brought me on in this role.
Even though I know I don’t have enough time in the day for this project, when you get the opportunity to work with someone truly amazing, someone you want to learn from and emulate, it’s hard to say no. AJ is that person for me. Plus, having the Boston Rebels on my roster of clients is certainly not going to hurt my future business growth. It’s only for a few months, after all.
“Great,” AJ says, then turns to me. “So once you’re back from Bermuda, we can start?”
I press my lips between my teeth and give her a sharp nod. Bermuda is the trip that’s been looming on my calendar all summer, ever since my mom announced her plans to marry a man I’ve never even met and insisted that I be her maid of honor. Again.
“Yeah, next week should be fine. I fly back on Monday.”
“Great, we’ll see you here on Tuesday, then. In the meantime, we’ll get Natalie all caught up on the social media vision you created and the strategy we’re using to execute it. You should go relax and have a great trip.” AJ must notice my grimace because she says, “C’mon, it’s Bermuda. How bad can it be?”
And my god, I wish she hadn’t asked that question, because now all I can think about is how much I don’t want to go.
I say my goodbyes and, as I head out of AJ’s office, my phone buzzes in my purse. I pull it out to see that my mom has texted.
At least AJ isn’t here to seethisgrimace, because the article my mom has shared with me makes me dread this trip even more.
Mom:
Not the weather report we were hoping for!
Staring back at me, under the headlineBermuda Preparing for Tropical Storm This Weekend, is an aerial map of the Atlantic showing the potential path of the tropical storm, with Bermuda right smack in the middle of it.
Chapter Two
AIDAN
Aidan
Just moved back into my place in the city. Want to grab a drink tonight?
After shooting off the text to one of my few close friends, Ronan McCabe, I set my phone down and look around at the piles of boxes stacked in my living room. A year ago, I broke my hand in a bar fight I wasn’t even trying to be part of. When it became clear that I’d be out for the whole season, I rented out my place in the city and moved back to the beach town south of Boston where I spent most of my childhood.
But “coming home” felt a lot more like showing up in a place I’d outgrown long ago. I’ve never been great about “staying in touch,” except with my childhood best friend, Liam. And since I’ve played for three different NHL teams over the years, I’ve lived all over the country. Each time I move, I start over. I don’t know why I like to leave the past in the past, but I do. I barely even see my stepdad, who is my only family, now that he lives in Miami.
I’ve unpacked four boxes, collapsed the cardboard, and taken it down to the dumpster behind my brownstone before McCabe replies to my text.
McCabe
Oh wow, you’re alive? Nice to hear from you after a year.
