AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hope I’ll be working with a player, and I hope he’s nice.
Just as I’m thinking that, the door swings open.
I twist around, and, of course, it’s Ms. Garcia. She’s taller than I expected but looks the same otherwise. Her gray-streaked dark hair is in a neat bun, and she has on a navy-blue business suit.
I notice her royal blue glasses really show off her deep brown eyes when I stand to greet her.
“Hello, Miss Knight,” she says, shaking my hand. “How is your first day going?”
“Really well,” I reply. “Thank you.”
“Please, have a seat.” She gestures to my chair as she walks around her desk.
I sit down, as does she, and we begin to review some of the material from the orientation modules. I’m proud of myself that I have good memory retention and am able to answer all of her questions correctly and succinctly.
Leaning back in her plushy desk chair, Ms. Garcia says, “I’m very impressed with your clear work ethic, Miss Knight. And I also don’t believe in wasting time. You come to us highly recommended, and I see why. One of your former managers at your intern position in Chicago wrote in his recommendation that you have a ‘get it done’ attitude and the determination to see any project through to the end, no matter how challenging.”
“Wow.” Pleasantly surprised at this high praise, I reply, “Thank you.”
She nods and goes on. “That being said, you’ll be working in the office quite a bit, organizing events, setting up photographers, dealing with the media, that sort of thing. However, I’d also like to put you on a special project for the next couple of months or so.”
Intrigued, I tell her, “Oh, okay. I’m up for that.”
“Good.” She shuffles some papers on her desk. “There’s one player who management feels could use a little extra attention. I think you are the absolute right person to help him rebuild and rebrand his image.”
Biting my lip, not sure if this is a good thing or not, though it does sound like a challenge, which I’m always up for, I ask, “What exactly would rebuilding and rebranding involve?”
Leaning forward, she temples her hands on the desk and explains, “Essentially the same as we do for all the other players. But, in this situation, we’d like more coverage from the press, more photos, etc. We’ll also be setting up extra events for this player. We want to get him out there in the public eye—in a good way, of course. We’ll have you involved with the organizing side of things at some point, but for now, your primary duty will be to make sure this player attends and presents the professional image the Thunder expect from every single one of their employees.”
Okay, I can do this.
Working with one player might be better than working with a bunch of different ones all the time. I’ll get to know my guy personally, meaning we can rebuild and rebrand him to the max.
Amped, I say, “This actually sounds fantastic. I’m ready to start.”
“Excellent.” Ms. Garcia smiles happily. She jots down a note on a pad on her desk, then, looking up at me, adds, “We have the utmost confidence that you are the best consultant on our team to get this job done. You’re new, and this is a perfect opportunity for you to show us what you can do.”
“Thank you.” I smile back and quickly assure her, “Icanget this done, and I will. I am the best person for the job.”
“Great. That’s the attitude we’re looking for.” Ms. Garcia takes a breath and then says, “I’d like for you to meet with this player tomorrow. Prior to his getting into town, we sent several of his teammates out to deliver digital ticket packages to select season ticket holders. There was one fan, however, that was selected but was out of town. What we’d like to do now is send you and your assigned player over to that ticket holder’s house tomorrow afternoon. We have the transportation arranged. You’ll leave from here at the arena after practice is over. There’s a photographer set up to be on-site to document the delivery and the fan’s reaction. Everything is set for this event, so this will be a good opportunity for you and your player to get acclimated to the sort of things that will be expected from this point on.”
“Okay.” I nod excitedly. “I’ll be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.”
“Excellent.” Pulling a thick folder from her desk, she passes it over to me. “Here is all the background information you need regarding the player you’ve been assigned to.”
I take the folder, mentally chastising myself that I’ve been so pumped to have a special assignment that I haven’t even thought to ask who my player is.
I hope it’s someone good.
Smiling, I glance down at the name on the front of the folder.
Wait…noooo!
This can’t be right.
I read the name again—Hayden Harrington.
What is the chance?
