Me: You'll be great.
Liam: I play better when you're watching.
Me: That's a lot of pressure.
Liam: You can handle it.
I smile at my phone, pleasure spreading through my chest.
Me: Get some rest.
Liam: Yes, Coach.
Me: I'm serious, Liam.
Liam: I know you are. It's cute when you get all bossy.
Me: Goodnight, Liam.
Liam: Goodnight, Avery. Sweet dreams.
Two days together and we're already texting like teenagers. This is exactly the kind of messy, unprofessional, completely inappropriate behavior I swore I'd avoid.
And I don't care even a little bit.
Wednesday morning,I'm at my desk by seven-thirty, determined to make up for the work I neglected over the weekend. The PR department is quiet this early.
I dive into emails first, responding to the backlog systematically. Media requests, sponsor inquiries, coverage reports.
By eight-thirty, the office starts filling up. Eliana arrives first, her usual bright energy filling the space as she settles at her desk with a massive iced coffee.
“Morning, Avery,” she calls across the open workspace. “How was your extended weekend?”
“Productive,” I say, which is technically true. Just not in the way she thinks. “I caught up on some planning.”
“You're the only person I know who considers work productive relaxation.” She grins. “But hey, that's why you're good at your job.”
Miles arrives next, followed by Liz, and soon the department is buzzing with the usual Wednesday energy.
I'm deep in a sponsor proposal when Jennifer appears in my doorway.
“Avery, do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” I gesture to the chair across from my desk, my heart rate kicking up. Does she know? Did someone see something?
“I wanted to check in about Liam's extended stay in Toronto,” Jennifer says, settling into the chair. “What was he up to?”
Relief washes through me. She's asking, but she doesn't know. She's just being thorough.
“Honestly? He laid low.” I pull up my carefully prepared notes, because of course I prepared notes for this exact conversation. “I checked in with him on Monday. He mostly stayed at the hotel, ordered room service, and caught up on rest. He said he needed some downtime after the intensity of the season so far.”
Jennifer's eyebrows rise. “That's not very Liam-like.”
“I know.” I allow myself a small smile. “But maybe that's the point. He's changing. Making different choices.”
“Well, I'm not complaining. Whatever you're doing with him is working, Avery. The board mentioned him in our last meeting, in a positive way. That hasn't happened in years.”
Pride swells in my chest, mixed with guilt. Because yes, Liam is changing. But not because of any PR strategy I'veimplemented. He's changing because he wants to. Because he's choosing to be better.
