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Even though sports social media isn’t my chosen field, being able to prove to myself that I have the basic skills to succeed working with any major organization feels great and increases my confidence about my future.
Megan shakes her head. “That’s a shame. Even though you might not take it, don’t hold it against me if I make you a full-time offer after you graduate.”
My spirits soar a bit more, but there’s a tinge of guilt laced through the feeling.
Even though I might be good at taking pictures, making posts, coming up with interesting campaigns, and interacting with the social media audience, there’s one aspect of this job that I’m clearly an utterly failure at: ethics.
If Megan knew that I’ve been secretly sleeping with one of the players for weeks, even though I signed a document saying I would abide by all the rules of the social media department, which very explicitly includes a clause about not engaging in any kind of relations with the players, she sure wouldn’t be talking about offering me a full-time job.
More likely, she’d be kicking me out, causing me to fail the class I’m here on assignment for, and reporting me to my department, possibly causing me to be expelled.
At the very least, it would be a black mark on my reputation that would make it impossible for me to get valuable recommendations from people like Megan or Dr. Hoover.
Given all that, it’s insane that I would ever consider doing what I’ve been doing with Liam.
But I’d rather keep risking it all than even think about stopping.
“There you are!” My dad’s voice booms from down the hall.
Megan and I are talking in a seating area in the back of the arena by her office, the game having ended just twenty minutes ago. It was a 5-0 blowout win, which the team needed after two close loses in a row on the road. My dad is jubilant as he walks towards us from the locker room.
“I’m taking the team out for dinner on me to celebrate. You in?” he asks me.
Even though my cheeks flush at the thought of being somewhere with Liam and my dad at the same time, I can tell he’s so eager for me to join them that I don’t want to turn it down.
“Of course,” I nod.
Dad pulls me into a hug. When he steps away, it looks like his chest hitches for a moment, a strange kind of hesitation coming over his face as he looks behind me, in Megan’s direction.
“And, uh, Ms. Sheffield. Would you like to join us?” My dad’s formerly booming, confident voice suddenly becomes a bashful squeak.
I turn back to look at Megan. There’s a slight rose tone in her cheeks, a look I’ve never before seen on the always confident and completely put-together woman. A demure and shy smile pulls on her lips. “Sure,” she says, “sounds, uh … nice.”
My dad’s throat bobs as he swallows thickly. “Right,” he says, dipping his chin low in a heavy nod. “See you there. We’re going to Pinnocholi’s, downtown.”
“Great,” I say. I turn to Megan, “Can you give me a ride over after we finish typing up some draft posts in your office?” We were planning on doing that next before we left for the night.
“Perfect,” Megan says.
“See you girls at the restaurant, then. Give the boys at least half an hour to get ready.”
After Megan and I are done in her office, we get into her sleek, black Range Rover and drive to the restaurant.
“So,” Megan begins around midway there; I can sense a tension in her voice. “How long have your dad and your mom been broken up?”
“Six years now,” I answer.
“Sorry if this is too personal … but do you think they’d … ever … ?”
“Get back together?” I finish her question. I shake my head decisively. “No way.”
“Oh,” she breathes out, relief radiating from her. “Good.”
I look out the window to hide my arched eyebrow and the thoughtful expression on my face. Am I reading too much into a brief interaction and an innocent question, or are my dad and Megan …?
We pull up to the restaurant, where I recognize my dad’s car and the Jeep that belongs to one of Liam’s teammates already in the parking lot. Inside, we’re lead to a long table near the back that the guys and my dad have already taken up.
There are two open seats, one next to my dad—and the other next to Liam.
