“Are you ready for tomorrow night?”
I nod. “Yes, everything is ready. Did my father send you here to check on me again?”
“Maybe,” he says.
“You know you can say no to him. It’s not like you work directly for him.”
“You’re dad is the man, and I do what the man tells me to do.”
I stick my finger in my mouth, making a gagging sound. “Vomit. Why don’t you fanboy some more.”
“I can’t help it that I grew up watching him play. Do you know how cool it is for me to get the chance to work with him?”
“I have an idea. When I was younger, I went to Los Angeles for the weekend with my dad. We sat courtside at the Lakers game, met the players on the team, and had the grand tour of the Staples Center. And they smoked the shit out of the Celtics. Kobe was on fire, the entire team was on point, and the crowd was insane. It was hands-down one of the best days of my life. I had many days like that growing up. I’ve met tons of professional athletes and have hundreds of autographs and signed sports memorabilia. I get it, I do.”
“Then stop giving me shit about it, Regan.” Murph sits back in his chair, getting comfortable. “If Kobe had asked you to deliver a message would you have told him no?”
“Of course not,” I say, without hesitation.
“You just proved my point. Plus, this is part of my job. They pay me to deliver messages, usher high profile clients to their seats, and do anything else they can think of on any given day.”
“You did your job.” I move the keyboard in front of me, staring at the computer screen. “Tell my dad that the everything is ready for the charity event tomorrow. I have the vendors lined up, the staff on schedule, and it’s up to him to make sure his players show up. On second thought, he could come to my office himself next time. We’re in the same building, and I haven’t seen him in days.”
“He’s a busy man. I’m sure he’ll make an appearance at some point.”
“I have no doubt about that. If this event isn’t perfect, I will never hear the end of it.”
“I’m sure it will be great since you planned it.”
“Do you remember what happened last year? The caterers didn’t show for his big dinner. It was a complete nightmare.”
No one understands what it’s like to be the daughter of a hockey legend. My father is the reason Murph has a sparkle in his eyes, as he speaks about him with such reverence. But no one knows him like I do. They don’t see him the same way because they’re too busy placing him on a pedestal. He’s a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. That alone garners him respect and attention.
It’s also the reason everyone treats me differently as if I am some extension of my dad. My entire life I have been his shadow. When guys see me, they only see my father. That’s why it was nice to get asked out by Jamie. He had no expectations, nothing he was hoping to gain from me. He seemed bummed that I refused his offer. I was just as upset that I couldn’t accept.
Murph gets up from the chair. “I need to get back to work. Your dad is probably waiting for me.”
As he walks away, I stop him. “Murph, hold on!”
He turns around to face me, waiting for me to speak.
“What do you know about Coach’s friend?”
“Coach Landry?”
I shake my head. “No, the other Coach.”
“Coach as in Charlotte Coachman?”
“Yes, that Coach. How much do you know about her friend?”
He shrugs, his broad shoulders filling out his fitted shirt. “She has lots of friends, Regan. You need to be more specific.”
Duh, Regan.
“Jamie. He’s her best friend. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, of course. Jamie is awesome.”