“Are you sure? You’ve been on the roads for weeks, barely home long enough to sleep. Maybe a vacation wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
She glanced around the sparsely furnished and barely lived-in condo. If she had to sit and stare at those four walls for the foreseeable future, she would need a straitjacket or medication. Her father would find some discreet facility for her breakdown, avoiding any embarrassment for the Kendall name. No, a vacation was not an option. Work was her only chance to get back on top, back in the game, back in her father’s good graces, the actions of a desperate little girl trying to gain her father’s attention. When would she outgrow that clawing, desperate need?
“I want it.” She hoped Mike couldn’t hear the quiver in her tone, tried to infuse it with decisiveness.
“Okay, I’ll email you the 4-1-1, not that there is much. It’s with the Georgia Knights. Their owner, Seamus Callahan, asked for you specifically. They’re expecting your call. In fact, they asked for you by name. How could they know you were available?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll take it. I know Miranda. She’ll look out for me.” She resisted the urge to dance across the small kitchen, relief pushing away the initial panic. She was on her way back to the big leagues.
Even if it was a different league than she expected.
*
Stacia drove intothe almost empty parking garage to the lower level, as directed by the security guard, to the employee’s parking level. She walked into the entrance and gave her name to the security guard behind the desk. He gestured to a couple of chairs and made a phone call.
Ten minutes later, the elevator doors opened and a tall blonde woman stepped out. When she saw Stacia, her face broke out in a wide grin.
“Stacia! It’s been so long, since your father’s last inauguration, isn’t it? I was so delighted when my father told me your firm was going to be handling our little issue. I was hoping to see you but never really thought you would be assigned. I thought you were working with Representative Glazier?”
Stacia blinked rapidly and tried to keep up with the whirlwind that was Miranda Callahan. She had forgotten how energetic and bubbly Miranda was. They may have run in different circles in school but their social circles overlapped enough for them to be well acquainted with each other. Still, Stacia was hesitant to share the news of her recent failure with the other woman. Not that she had much choice. The media made sure of that.
“Well, as I’m sure you are aware, since the representative lost his primary bid, he cleaned house, including my services. As a result, I was free to assist in this matter.”
Miranda blinked once. “His loss, our gain. Personally, I think the man is a fool and a laughingstock right now. He tried to ask my father for a campaign donation. As if he would donate to one of Senator Kendall’s mouthpieces.” She paused, her face reddening as she remembered that she was speaking to the senator’s biggest mouthpiece, his own daughter.
Stacia smiled, what she hoped was a brilliant smile but felt brittle, hard, and forced. “No worries, Miranda. The representative felt a change in staff would be important for an independent bid. For my part, it worked out. I was ready for a change. So you’re working with your father now?”
They stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind them. “Yes, he wants me to learn the team and how it works. I’m technically the president although you know how that goes, with a controlling man like my father in charge. I’ll be your main liaison for this, except for Cole Hammonds, our general manager.”
“You’ve done an excellent job with the charity work. The fan base has grown and your team is known for many groups in the area. Your father should be proud.”
“Like yours?” Miranda asked, one perfectly sculpted brow arched. Then she laughed. “Ignore me. I’m feeling a little…insignificant at the moment.”
“Am I taking your job from you? I had no idea.”
“Oh no, Stacia. I don’t want this position. I’m truly very busy with day to day operations, even if I don’t have significant impact on the team or the bottom line.” Her face brightened. “Never mind me and my poor mood. Let’s talk about your job. It’s for the next few months, until the end of the season.”
“Thanks. That’s perfect. Now is it for the team? Michael was a little vague on the details.”
“No, the team is fine. We need you for one player, a new player who comes with a lot of baggage– bad press, a huge chip on his shoulder, and a lot of negativity. We need you to keep him clean and babysit him until the end of the season.”
Stacia frowned. “You want a babysitter? Why not hire an assistant? I usually clean up the image.”
The elevator doors started to open but Miranda pressed the Door Closed button and then Stop. “My father wants a babysitter. I think we need more. Our reputation was damaged significantly by Eduardo’s indiscretions. My father doesn’t think that matters but I’ve had a lot of groups express concern about the family side of our business. They’re rethinking sponsorships and events here. My father doesn’t think that’s important but you and I know the power of the media and image. This can be devastating. Now we’re bringing in a player with a tarnished past. We can’t be too obvious but he could use some image cleaning.”
She pressed the Start button and the doors opened, while Stacia processed the information. Not an auspicious start to a new job. Conflicting goals. Management not on the same page. Who knew what the job really entailed? It certainly seemed to be a lose-lose for her, not that she had much choice in the matter. It was this job or nothing.
She followed Miranda down the cement hallway, past several small offices. Miranda turned down a small hallway and gestured to an office. “We wanted you close to the players so you could manage any media concerns right away. This is the best office I have right now. It’s not much but it’ll have to do.”
Miranda paused before opening the door. “Stacia, you’ll answer mainly to Cole but you and I can work together on the clean image okay?”
“Miranda, I’m a little uncomfortable with side agendas. It always spells trouble, in my experience.”
Miranda smiled. “It’s not a side agenda. Just an additional element. It won’t cause any issues, trust me. Now check out your office while I grab the player. He’s getting fitted for a uniform.”
Stacia walked into the small office. Miranda was right. It wasn’t much but she didn’t need anything more than the desk, a chair, computer connections. Anything more was really superfluous, especially since the job was only two months, three at the outside. She sat in the metal desk chair and heard the creak of the springs in the old chair. She rocked back and forth, testing the strength. Yeah she’d need a new chair before her back went out. She searched through the drawers and only heard the empty metal rattle, with a spare pen rolling around.
Down the hall, voices echoed, two men and Miranda. Must be her client. She strained to listen.
Her mind went blank and her blood ran cold.
The door opened in that moment and in walked a man in a three-piece suit, clearly a businessman or an agent. Behind him, she saw her worst nightmare.
Jason Friar, her one-night-stand from less than twenty-four hours ago.