Page 51 of Glitched Play

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were going to.”

“I was going to say she’s prepared.”

“No, you weren’t.”

She smiles wider, which confirms I’m right.

I stand and grab my tablet. “Meeting.”

“Excellent deflection.”

“Efficient deflection.”

“That too.”

The boardroom sits on the opposite side of the executive floor, surrounded by glass on three sides used for digital displays and wood oak paneling on the fourth with the SGI logo. The table is long enough to make conversations inefficient, which is one of several reasons I hate it. Today, every seat is filled with division heads, team representatives, marketing executives, streaming partners, foundation directors, and three investors who use too much cologne.

Maci sits near the far end with her laptop open, hair falling over one shoulder, posture straight, attention focused on the display in front of her. She doesn’t look nervous. She looks ready.

Something unfamiliar settles beneath my ribs.

Not anticipation.

Not exactly.

Pride.

The word appears without permission, and I immediately dislike it.

Pride implies ownership.

Maci Hart is an employee. A temporary resident in my penthouse. A woman who solves problems too quickly and sits on my kitchen island like furniture guidelines don’t exist.

She’s a problem.

For the company? No.

For me? Apparently so.

The meeting begins with launch projections. Ticketed live events are nearly sold out. Streaming pre-registration is ahead of target. Sponsor placement exceeds forecast. Merchandise is already backordered in four team markets.

Then we reach the rookie retention program.

One of the investors leans back in his chair. “I still don’t understand why we’re investing this much into players who haven’t spent a dollar.”

The room shifts and several people glance at me.

I could answer because the answer is simple. Lifetime value. Long term retention. It’s like when you go into a restaurant that just opened and they give you a free appetizer or dessert. You immediately want to go back the next time. But there’s much more to it than that.

I pause and look down at the table. “Maci.”

Her head lifts. Eyes wide. It’s her first meeting of this magnitude.

“Explain.”

A flicker of surprise dances on her face for a fraction of a second then it’s gone.