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I called Jace as soon as I left the building, but he didn’t answer. I stayed up late, waiting for his phone call. I wanted to soothe him, but he didn’t call back.
The first thing I did next morning was to check my phone for any missed calls, but I didn’t have any. I had no clue what to do. Call him again? He would be training right about now, since they had another game in three days. I sent him a quick message.
Brooke: I’m sorry you lost the game last night, but I’m sure you’ll be back on track for the next round.
I kept checking my phone throughout the day, even more so once I knew my boss had finished the meeting with Carl Hill. She’d had the two other meetings yesterday before the game, but I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her about them because she didn’t return to the club to view the game with all of us.
I couldn’t wait for her to be back. I wanted to clear the air on this topic. She arrived at four o’clock, and I practically bounced off my seat, catching up with her before she reached her office.
“How did it go?”
“I have a conference call I’m late to, but I’ll explain everything tomorrow during our four-month review meeting.”
“Okay.”
A pang of unease made my gut churn. I emailed her to ask if I had a green light to nudge the sponsors via email. My unease flared into panic when she sent me an email later, telling me she’d be taking over the communication with the three sponsors.
I was even more aggravated when Veronica smugly said, “Tina asked my opinion on your performance, and I was more than happy to share details.”
I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t anything to worry about. Superiors sometimes took matters into their own hands when it came to sponsors, and asking coworkers about performance was not unusual.
I kept telling myself that, but I still tossed and turned the entire night. Jace had called just before bedtime, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t have it in me to pretend I wasn’t worried sick, and I couldn’t unload on him now. He had another friendly game tomorrow.
I woke up at the crack of dawn. Unable to go back to sleep, I started with my morning routine, making myself as presentable as possible. I was the first at the club that morning. My four-month review meeting was at eight o’clock, but Tina arrived earlier, and we started right away.
I cut to the chase as soon as we sat down. “How did the meetings with the sponsors go?”
“I managed to talk them off the ledge, in that they’ll remain with the Lords, but Carl Hill won’t move forward with Jace as the face of the company. Jeremy also wants someone else instead of Jace.”
“Oh! But if I try—”
“No!” Her tone was so cutting that I froze in my seat.
“I went back and forth with them for quite a bit, and this was the compromise we reached. I don’t agree with their logic, but they’ve got the upper hand.”
“But Jace—”
“Look, I understand you want to fight on Jace’s behalf for personal reasons—”
“That’s not true. It’s just not fair for him to lose out on these opportunities.”
Tina was silent for a beat, crossing her hands over the table.
“He did get in a fight, Brooke. It’s not like he’s completely innocent. It’s an unfortunate mix of circumstances, but it is what it is. Now, I would like to move on to your four-month review.”
“Okay.”
“The club is very pleased with your performance. You’re tenacious and hardworking. You surprised us with the renegotiations and the magazine feature for the team. But at the moment, I don’t believe that prolonging your contract would be a good idea.”
My insides felt glacial. I was stunned, but I gathered my wits enough to ask for clarification. “But you just said how pleased you are with my performance.”
“I am. But in the current climate, I think it’s best if you don’t remain with the Lords.”
“Current climate? What are you talking about?”
“Brooke, all three sponsors know why the altercation took place. The sponsors also voiced worries that you might not be impartial given your relationship with Jace.”
I felt as if someone was slapping my face continuously.
