“What do you want to create?” Laney asks.
She’s got brown hair that curls to her shoulders. Maybe it was the situation earlier that made it so I didn’t really notice her. But now, she looks so familiar. Where have I seen her before?
“I want to do something for the fans. To get themexcited about the coming season. We might be a smaller market, but I think we’ve got plenty of people who love lacrosse.”
“His first idea was to have a barbecue in the house’s backyard. He phrased it as a get-together with some people,” I say, giving Laney a lopsided smile to show how ridiculous that is. She looks confused for a second and then nods. No hint of a smile there.
“I guess, depending on how many people you’re planning for, that could work. Although I’ve never seen where you live,” Laney says.
“Our backyard is a small square,” I respond, giving Clark a look.
He shakes his head. “I changed it to say we could do something at the field. Maybe some meet-and-greets or some challenges or something. I would love for kids to participate. With the brands I’m working with, we could get some sticks or gear for all of them. Kind of a learn-to-play-lacrosse type thing.”
“Didn’t we just do that last summer with Play it Forward?”
Clark shrugs. “Yeah, but why can’t we do it again? Or something different?”
Laney leans forward, and a whiff of vanilla hits me. That’s surprising given her living conditions. Ithink the smell of the formaldehyde just faded from my nasal passages a few minutes ago.
“What is your overall goal with this event?” she asks. “Do you want to meet the fans? Raise money for a charity? I think once you nail that down, it’ll be easier to plan.”
Clark slumps down in his seat a bit, looking like he’s trying to decide.
“Obviously, a charity event is always a good idea,” he says slowly.
“Okay, do you want it to be at the field?” Laney asks.
Holding his hands out in front of him, Clark says, “I’m open to suggestions. That’s why I need other people besides just me to come up with things like this.”
“Why didn’t you just ask the marketing team to head this up?” I ask.
“Because I got an idea and wanted to run with it,” Clark says, his eyebrows raised at me.
Laney looks at Jessa. “Wait, aren’t you the marketing team?”
Jessa laughs. “Pretty much. We’re still trying to rebuild the department.”
We’re all quiet for a moment, but I’m stuck on the idea of the drills, like we did for a group of kids last summer. Obviously, the creativity portion of life isn’t something I have a talent for.
Laney shifts her body for a second before saying, “You could do some kind of scavenger hunt and then host a finale party at the field. That way it’s not just a one and done kind of promo, but something we can buzz for a few weeks. I mean, something that Jessa can put on the socials for a while.”
I turn to look at Laney. She talks like she knows exactly what’s going on, and I have seen her before. “Do you work for SMG?”
She gives me a small smile. “I’m a reporter for the company. That’s how I know Jessa.”
“How long have you been a reporter?”
“For a little over three years. I was in Seattle before this.”
“But you grew up here, right?” Jessa asks.
Laney nods. “Yeah, out in Stansbury Park. Well, outside of that.”
Her cheeks blush, and she looks adorable. Not that I need to worry about that. The woman feared a sheet and a deer’s head, although I can see how she thought it was a dead body in the dim light.
“I’m not sure where that is, but sounds cool,” I say. I’ve only been here for a few years, and I think I’ve finally got most of the major cities mapped out in my mind.
“Anyway,” Clark says, leaning forward on his arms on the table. “I like the idea of doing a treasure hunt type thing, but it needs to be something peopleall over the state can do. I mean, from the northern border to the southern area, it’s like six hours.”
