“Can’t complain.” He lifts a mug to his lips, which I assume is tea. “You? How’s it been since starting your own company?”
“Hard,” I say quickly. “Everywhere I turn, he’s there. Not physically, but his influence, you know? Just a constant reminder.”
“I know,” he says softly. It’s a quiet acknowledgement of everything I’ve been through, but I think Luke feels remorse for not getting me out of the relationship sooner. I’ve told him a thousand times, I probably wouldn’t have been ready to listen.
“How’s Pippa?” I ask, desperate to pivot the conversation. Pippa is Luke’s wife. They got married a few years ago while on vacation inJamaica. She’s fiery, opinionated, and so far out of his league that I’d run out of gas if I had to drive there with a full tank. I’ve told him numerous times if he ever fucks that up, I choose Pippa.
“Still here.” He shakes his head and laughs. “No bloody clue what she sees in me.”
“Me neither.”
“Thanks, Ads.” Luke rolls his eyes, laughing. “Listen, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“A job.”
I freeze. “What?”
Luke leans forward, resting his arms on the desk in front of him. “You know I work for Rockford FC, yeah?”
I nod. “Some kind of physio, right?”
“First team physiotherapist, thank you very much,” he says, mock-offended. “Anyway, the club is having a hell of a year, and—”
“A hell of a year?” I cut in. “It’s almost October. Didn’t the season just start?”
“It started in August, Ads,” Luke says, sighing. “But we’re off to a banging start. We’ve got a real shot at getting promoted to the Premier League this season.”
“That’s great, Luke. What does it have to do with me?”
“We need a PR specialist. With our rise this year, the pressure’s on. All eyes are on us. We need someone who can handle the media and smooth over any bad press while we inch toward promotion.”
“And you think that’s me?”
“Of course I do.” He nods with a confident smile. “Just need someone to keep the ship afloat so we can focus on the task at hand.”
“How much time do I have to prepare for an interview?” My brain races, trying to come up with plans and proposals for team ownership.I have experience with athletes and entire teams, so this isn’t new to me, but I still like to prepare.
“No need.” Luke shakes his head. “I advocated pretty hard for you. Job is yours if you want it.”
“Just like that?” I ask skeptically, because in my experience, if an offer seems too good to be true, it is.
He nods. “Just like that.”
“Why?”
“Why?” He laughs. “You’re the best at what you do, Addison. And I think you need this just as much as we need you.”
“Is this real?” I ask. “Or are you trying to save me?”
“You don’t need saving, Ads.”
I bite my lip, considering his offer. “And it’s for how long? Just the season?”
Luke nods. “Just to the end of the season. Come over, help us through promotion, get a big client under your belt, and then you can go off and do whatever you want. What do you think?”
“It’s tempting,” I admit.
