“Good,” I say. “You did the right thing.”
She gives me a narrow look I know well. She takes the compliment but stores it with interest. “It’s not a disaster,” she says, half to me and half to herself. “We’ve got the municipal approval, we’ve got the background clear, we’ve got the fees. The state is just being the state.”
“They’re doing their job,” I say, because it never hurts to remind her. “And we’ll do ours.”
I hold out my hand, and she passes the folder. “I’ll get Bianca’s affidavit drafted, have Legal prep the member resolution, and we’ll re-ink the officer pages. I’ll courier the package to ABC in Trenton and call the reviewer from the lobby so they know it’s on the way up the elevator.”
“Thank you.”
“Text Bianca to expect a notary this afternoon,” I add. “Home or here. Whatever she wants. We’ll keep it painless.”
Caterina’s shoulders loosen by a notch. “Done.”
“Anything else on ABC?” I ask.
“Just a reminder about distributor notices,” she says. “They want the confirmation letters from our three primaries on file before they flip the switch. Gina’s already lined those up; we held them pending the endorsement. She’s ready to release as soon as you say go.”
“Loop me on that thread. I’ll make sure the confirmation letters arrive the same day as the cure, so ABC has no excuse to stall.”
Her mouth tilts. “Efficient.”
“It’s almost like I do this for a living,” I say dryly, and set the stack on my knee. “All right. You said two things. What’s the second?”
“What do you think of Olivia?”
My face stays carefully neutral. Inside, something tightens like I’ve been caught looking through a window I wasn’t supposed to be looking through.
“You had your doubts about hiring her,” she continues. “So, two weeks in. What do you think?”
I fight the urge to outwardly react. “She presented well,” I say evenly. “She prepared. She handled pushback without getting short-tempered or flustered.”
Caterina nods, satisfied to keep moving. “And on the job?”
“Disciplined,” I say. “Calendar is logical and organized. Her locals-first frame does what we need it to do. She’s tight on comp language, doesn’t roll over when pushed.”
Caterina’s pen ticks once on the pad. “Any specific misses?”
“Pace is the only red flag. First big week can fluster even the most organized people. She’s already carrying vendor asks, media notes, and credential mapping.”
“What do you suggest?” she asks. I know she’s thought of this and is just asking for my opinion.
I set the ABC folder on the glass, square a corner. “Let’s not let her get buried,” I say. “Have requests go through her until a certain point, then the overflow can go through someone else. Make sure she’s not spending too much time on one aspect, especially on opening night. She’s not just the Marketing Coordinator. She’ll be one of the faces of the casino. We need her smiling and confident, not harried.”
Caterina nods and keeps writing. “So we cut the noise and help her focus.”
“Exactly. Give her a helper,” I say. “Someone who can pick up proofs, grab samples, handle calls. The little stuff that eats up the day.”
“I can pull Mia from PR for afternoons,” she says. “She’s fast.”
“Good. Limit the big meetings,” I add. “No more than two a day. Everything else can be quick check-ins at her door. If people want a slide deck, they get bullet points first. Pretty can come later.”
Caterina’s mouth lifts. “Bossy.”
“Experienced,” I say. “Also, give her final say on invite wording and the door plan. One voice. If everyone edits, the message turns to mush.”
“She has it,” Caterina says. “I’ll put it in writing so no one tries to go around her.”
Then she looks up. “I’m glad you revised your doubts. I really wanted this to work.”
