Page 109 of Playing It Forward

“This is bullshit!” Lamar shouts, and the rest of the team nods in agreement.

Gage elbows me. “You should message her. Let her know. Pressure Hudson a bit.”

I smile for the first time since Terri’s phone beeped with a message this morning. “I think I will.”

I talked to the team. We’re ready to walk out of the resort if Hudson fires you.

“This isn’t enough,” Lamar declares.

I thread a hand through my hair. “It’s not?”

“No. We need to organize. Make some posters. We can form a picket line.”

I blink at him. “Posters? Where the hell are you getting posters?”

“I got it,” Beck hollers. “I’ve got posters and markers in my car.”

He hurries off before I can ask why the hell he has posters and markers in his car.

“In the meantime, let’s practice our chant,” Lamar says. “Everyone ready? Here’s the chant. I say: What do we want? You say: Keep Terri!: I say: When do we want it? You say: After breakfast. Got it? Let’s practice.”

The entire team starts practicing the chant.

“Um, when did Lamar become the cheerleader for the team?” I ask.

“Since his youngest daughter decided she wanted to be a cheerleader for the Seals,” Brock replies. “He’s been teaching her moves ever since.”

I check my phone. Terri still hasn’t replied. Fuck. Is Hudson firing her right this minute? I message her again:

The offensive line is making protest posters now.

This time three dots appear to indicate she’s responding. I hold my breath.

No need to protest. I got a promotion. I’m the new resort operations manager!

My breath wheezes out of me. She’s not getting fired. She’s getting promoted. My sprite is amazing.

Congrats! I’ll tell the team to stand down. I’ll be by tonight to celebrate. I’m so fucking proud of you, sprite. You deserve this.

I whistle and the chatter in the locker room dies down. “Terri didn’t get fired. She got promoted.”

Cheers erupt. Followed by several claps on the back. My shoulder protests but I ignore it. This is the best news. I can finally breathe again.

Terri’s job is important to her. Losing it would have hurt. She has enough going on without adding a job search to her pile of burdens.

“Allen!” Coach Knox shouts. I meet his gaze. “My office. Now!”

“Someone’s in trouble,” Tanner sings.

I give him the finger as I walk through the team on my way to Knox’s office. With all the worry about Terri, I forgot about my meeting with Knox.

“Hey, Coach Cha-Cha.” I deliberately throw out the nickname he hates to lighten the mood.

“Sit,” he barks. The mood is officially not lightened.

“What is it?” I ask once I’m sitting. I know why I’m here. I know what he’s going to say. I’m fucking terrified to hear the words.

Knox leans against his desk and crosses his arms over his chest. “You’ve been playing scared.”