That was for me, not you.
I typed, Eat something before four.
His response was immediate.
Bossy.
I put the phone facedown and forced myself back into work.
Conference room C had no windows and a table too large for three people. Tessa brought Jace in first, then me ten minutes later, like we were pieces of equipment being moved without attracting attention. The lawyer was named Marlene Grant. Late forties, navy suit, short silver hair, no wasted movement. She did not look shocked. She did not look entertained. I appreciated both.
She set a folder on the table and folded her hands.
“I’m going to keep this straightforward,” she said. “I am not your personal attorney. I’m advising on employment exposure and organizational response based on the facts you’ve provided. If either of you needs personal representation, and you likely do, you should obtain it separately.”
Jace nodded, eyes fixed on her face with the intense focus he got when he was trying to pin every word to the wall before it escaped.
Marlene continued. “The relationship itself is not illegal. You are both adults. Consensual relationships are not automatically prohibited simply because two people work within the same organization.”
Jace’s shoulders eased by half an inch.
I did not let mine.
“The problem is the reporting structure,” she said. “Coach Reid directly supervises you, Mr. Holloway. That creates a conflict of interest and a potential power imbalance, regardless of how mutual the relationship is in practice.”
“I understand,” I said.
“If ownership discovers the relationship before disclosure, the consequences are likely to be more severe. Not necessarily because the relationship exists, but because concealment suggests poor judgment, risk to the franchise, and possible compromise of workplace decisions.”
Jace swallowed. His fingers tapped once on his thigh, then stopped.
“Voluntary disclosure is viewed more favorably,” Marlene said. “It does not guarantee a painless outcome. It does preserve more options.”
“What options?” Jace asked.
“Measures to remove or mitigate the conflict. Recusal from certain decisions, though that is difficult with a head coach. Additional oversight from hockey operations. Written acknowledgment of the relationship and consent. Changes to who handles discipline or evaluation concerning you. In some cases, reassignment.”
His eyes flicked to me.
Marlene noticed but didn’t pause. “I’m not predicting which one ownership will choose. I’m telling you what category of solutions they will consider.”
“And if we don’t disclose?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Then you increase the risk that discovery comes through a third party, media, another employee, a player complaint, or circumstantial evidence. At that point, the organization reacts defensively. You lose control of timing and tone.”
Jace leaned back in his chair. “So the question is whether we’re serious enough to protect it openly.”
Marlene looked at him. “Yes. That is the practical question.”
The room went quiet.
No thunder. No disaster. Just a sentence on the table neither of us could move around.
Marlene closed the folder. “Decide that before you disclose. Do not walk into ownership uncertain. If you are continuing the relationship, say that. If you are not, that creates a different path. Either way, act before the organization is forced to act for you.”
The meeting lasted twenty-two minutes.
It felt longer.
