"Nice shirts," Darius called out, laughing.
"Oh, we’ll get team shirts too," Linda assured him, trying to hide her smirk.
"Wait, no," Darius protested, holding up the shirt he had already been given. He flipped it around to show the back. "I like mine. It saysCHAMPIONright here."
"Ugh," Owen hissed, clutching his chest. "Not those dull navy-blue shirts again. They look like team-building uniforms from a corporate accounting seminar."
"At least I don't have to wear sunglasses just to look at you now," Martin joked, eyeing Owen’s blindingly bright toucan shirt. The three men shared a look; they knew exactly what kind of day this was going to be.
"Okay, Hearts Hotel team!" Maggie called out in her best, crisp drill-sergeant voice. "Line up! It’s time for a team briefing!"
"We have the activity rotation for the day," Michael added, stepping up beside her with a whistle dangling from his neck. "We’re going to divide everyone up based on who thinks they can actually perform. There are strict limits on how many team members can participate in each heat, so choose your battles wisely."
Maggie pointed toward a large cardboard box Michael had placed on the table and looked at the teen girls. "Sophia, Lily, Emma, can you please hand out the shirts?"
"Sure thing, Captain!" the girls chorused, diving into the box and offering each person a choice of sizes.
"How many shirts did you print?" Darius asked, clearly impressed. "And when did you manage to get them done so fast?"
"We did them yesterday," Maggie said with a nod. "I have a very reliable contact in Sanibel who owes me a favor."
"Hi, everyone!" Pete greeted them, wheeling two large whiteboards toward the tent. "Here are the competition brackets you requested, Maggie."
"That’sCaptain Maggietoday, Pete," Maggie corrected him, her eyes narrowing sternly.
Pete pulled a face. "Sorry...CaptainMaggie." He rolled his eyes toward the sky. "Good luck, everyone. Try to have a fun day." With a wave, he ambled off to attend to his other guests.
"Will do!" the group chorused.
Maggie blew her whistle once more, silencing the chatter. "Listen up! This is not 'fun,'" she told them, her posture rigid. "This is war!"
"Yes," Michael shouted, pumping a fist into the air. "We are in it to win it! Say it with me..."
"WE’RE IN IT TO WIN IT!" the group echoed back.
Darius looked at Linda, who was now giving him a smug, knowing smile.
"I’m starting to see exactly what you meant about them being captains," he muttered.
"Yup," Linda said with a satisfied nod, patting his arm. "And it is only going to get worse from here."
Before Darius could respond, Penny interrupted. Maggie immediately pulled a clipboard from her bag.
"Hoo, boy," Penny whistled softly, watching the scene. "I see Maggie and Michael have officially entered drill-sergeant mode. This is going to be interesting."
"I think there is going to be a clash of wills in our team," Isabel said, shaking her head as she stepped up to Linda’s other side.
"Why do you say that?" Linda asked, frowning.
Penny didn't give Isabel a chance to answer; she whipped out her own shirt. "As I was the one who went to help Maggie pick up the order, I made sure they had one printed for me, too." She had already donned the navy-blue "VICE-CAPTAIN" shirt and stepped up to stand in formation with Maggie and Michael.
"Yes," Maggie confirmed, looking pleased. "Penny is officially our vice-captain."
"That is exactly why," Isabel said to Linda, with a sharp snort. "Penny is just as fiercely competitive as I’m beginning to realize Michael and Maggie are. Our team is going to be a powder keg of ambition."
"Mmm," Linda agreed with a sigh. "I am officially so glad I brought that bag of popcorn."
"Ohhh," Isabel said, a mischievous idea forming. "I brought us some cool folding lawn chairs. We can feign minor injuries, sit back, and just watch the show."
