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He sighs deeply. “Just got some bad news.”
I take a seat, sensing he wants to talk. “What’s going on?”
“Steve’s quitting.”
My brows raise. He’s the second-best trainer here, after Lawrence.
“Told me he can’t work this weekend because he has to pack up his house. His wife got a new job across the country and the start date’s pretty sudden.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Now I’m out a cornerman for the tournament.” He drums his fingers against his desk. “I have to find someone to replace him in the next few days. Someone who’s familiar with the guys here, who knows their fighting styles, their strengths and weaknesses, their…”
He trails off, eyeing me speculatively. What’s he thinking?
“You’re not competing this weekend, right? Could you help me out?”
“You want me to be a cornerman?” That’s a legit job. He ever only has Steve or Lawrence do it.
“The other trainers are already scheduled here, and I can’t have Lawrence do it all since some of the matches are at the same time. You’d be doing me a big favor.”
“I…” I can’t believe he’s asking me. “You trust me to do it right?”
He picks up a pen and taps it on the desk. “As much as anyone that works for me. Hell, probably more. You’re good at recognizing patterns and seeing what opponents are setting up. Coming up with a game plan on the fly, pivoting fast. I’ve seen you coaching some of the guys here, especially Ethan. You’re good at it. You give them actionable steps to improve without any bullshit.”
The tips of my ears go hot. “Uh, thanks.” I had no idea he was paying that close attention.
My mind races through the options. Even if Tessa’s apartment isn’t ready by then, she can stay at my place without me. She’ll understand. And Uncle Marty needs me. It’s the least I can do for him. “Yeah, I’ll be a cornerman this weekend.”
He nods, relief on his face. “Thanks. Now that I think about it, how’d you like to replace Steve full time?”
I blink at him, unprepared for this turn of events. Wasn’t I just thinking I wanted a change, though? “I…”
He holds up a hand. “Take a few days to mull it over. The tournament will give you a taste for what the job will be like.”
Working at the gym full time? That sounds amazing. And it’s not as if I plan on going anywhere in my current job. “Yeah, okay. I’ll wait until Monday to tell you for sure, but I’m leaning toward yes.”
He smacks a palm down on the desk. “Excellent. Now if I can only find someone to replace me.”
“What? You’re quitting?”
“No, no.” He waves off my concern. “But I can’t keep doing this forever. And I’m getting tired of all the day-to-day headaches. I’ve got Lexie doing accounting, but I need a general manager to take the rest off my plate.”
My pulse picks up. This feels important, somehow. “What would they do?”
“Off the top of my head? Hiring, managing, ordering, payroll, memberships, marketing, facilities issues. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few other things, too. But it’ll be tough to find someone who knows boxing well enough that’s got business sense, too. I don’t want to bring in some guy that has a fancy management degree but can’t tell the difference between a hook and a cross.”
“You putting out any feelers?” Uncle Marty knows everyone in a fifty-mile radius that has anything to do with boxing.
“Nah. Just been on the back of my mind lately.”
“What time frame are you looking at?”
His brows narrow. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have someone in mind.”
I wipe my palms on my pants to get the sweat off. “I… You met my friend Tessa, right?”
He frowns at me. “Petite girl? Long hair? You think she’s interested in the job?”
