There it was. The underline. Thedon’tfuck this up.
Mac went on, staring at me a beat before addressing the rest of the room. “I’ll be blunt. We had internal pushback bringing on a full-time psych lead. But ownership believes in the role. They believe in you.” Another pause. “So do I.”
A pause. Longer, heavier.
I wasn’t sure I believed him, but he publicly said it, so I’d accept it and assess.
“But belief doesn’t replace results. You wanted a seat at this table. You’ve got it. Now earn it.”
I kept my face still, passive, the way I’d trained myself to be. Ivy shifted next to me, arms crossed casually, one foot hooked around her chair leg. I didn’t look at her. I met Mac’s gaze head-on with a slight tilt of my chin. Mac struck me as someone who didn’t want explanations or excuses, only results, and he was giving me the chance.
“I want an update on Oliver by the end of the week,” Mac added. “Face-to-face sessions, not suggestions on his file.”
A clipboard flipped somewhere down the table. A throat cleared. One of the strength coaches adjusted his seat and rolledhis eyes at me. All actions I was accustomed to, prepared to handle.
Mac finally sat, eyes never leaving mine.
“If you can’t get through to him,” he said, voice level, “Tell me immediately. Because I’m not giving another press conference this season about a player going down on the field and nobody catching it in time.”
The room didn’t exhale until he stopped talking. And me? I took a sip of my tea, set the cup down, and nodded once. “I’ll get what you need.”
Someone coughed next to me, the sound filled with doubt and condescension, yet I refused to acknowledge it. I focused on my boss and his task.
Mac nodded back, his gaze intense and the message clear:You’d better.
Mac glanced down at the notepad in front of him, tapping it with his pen three times.
“Second—Jordan Mann is flying out tonight. Family emergency. His uncle passed. Raised him, from what I’ve heard. This isn’t a condolence-card kind of loss. It’s the foundation type. He’ll be out through Wednesday. He plans to be back by Thursday’s walk-through.”
Another pause. Not for drama. Mac gave the room a minute to let that sink in.
Ivy shifted slightly, eyes on her own notes. She already knew, of course. Out of all the research I’d done—and a huge reason I’d taken this job—Ivy Emerson had been the deciding factor. One of the few women in a senior leadership role across the League, she didn’t occupy space. Shecommandedit. No flair, no need for noise. She ran a tight, regimented program built on precision and earned trust. Players listened to her. Coaches deferred to her. She didn’t have to raise her voice to own a room. To some, she was intimidating. To me, she was the blueprint.
The wide receiver coach—Mickerson—spoke up first. “Does he want reps held for him when he returns, or are we opening that slot?”
Mac’s tone didn’t shift. “You hold his reps. No sub unless we have a second absence.”
Another coach muttered, “That’s a fast turnaround.”
Mac didn’t even blink. “It’s his decision. I talked to him directly. He wants to be back.”
A strength coach leaned forward, arms crossed over the table. “Mentally, he’s gonna be shaken. That kid barely holds it together on a good week.”
Mac nodded. “Which is why Sloane will be made available to him immediately on return. Ivy, loop her into his post-travel recheck.”
Ivy nodded. “Already flagged it.”
One of the assistant medical staffers piped up. “Does he know it’s optional? Some of the guys are still weird about talking to—no offense—amentalcoach.”
I smiled, thin and polite. “None taken. But, it’s doctor, not coach. And it’s not optional.”
Mac cut in again, voice flat. “He understands he’s required to check in with Mercer. And he agreed. That’s all that matters. Now, meeting adjourned,” he said. “Practice in ninety. Make sure the right people show up.”
I left, pulse racing with a mixture of excitement and stress. I had my marching orders, and all eyes were on me.
The secondI returned to my office, I reviewed my schedule for the day.
I yawned, searching my top desk drawer for another bag of tea. It had enough caffeine to appease my headache but not enough that it would keep me up tonight.
