“Ha ha. Now that your head is too big for your neck, can you please be in a better mood?”
“Fine.” I tossed a full-blown smile her way—one that had won me a spot in a couple of commercials.
“Look, I know things didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to last season, but I have a good feeling about this one. Honestly.”
“You’re a psychic now?”
“There’s no end to my abilities.”
We shared another laugh, as I turned down her street. “Thanks, Soph.”
“It’s my pleasure. Maybe I’ll let you pick out the next movie.”
“No maybes about it.” As I stopped in front of her building, I teased, “Now get the hell out of my car.”
Tossing my words back at me, she quipped, “So sweet.” Sophie opened her door and kissed me on the cheek. “Everything is going to be great. You’ll see.” Once she was standing on the sidewalk, she looked back in. “I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for the movie.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for being you.”
A beautiful smile spread across her face. “It’s the only person I know how to be.”
She winked, closed the door, and scurried toward her apartment. Once she was inside, I pulled away. Sophie was right. I needed to focus on next season. What I hadn’t told her was the owner had called a meeting for tomorrow. To say that put me on edge was an understatement.
Anytime a season ended, especially one that didn’t end favorably, things changed. Usually that affected the coaching staff. I had a feeling we’d all find out about it in the morning.
###
Lucas and I sat side by side in the meeting room used to watch films and go over new plays. Murmurs filled the stale air, and when the door opened, our coaching staff walked in, followed by our owner and his granddaughter, who was also his namesake, Reese. Her business-style black skirt, light-blue top, and blonde hair pulled back into a neat knot made her look like a force to be reckoned with. Probably because she was. Next to her were her sister, Kenzie, and her brother-in-law, David, who also worked in the front office.
Seeing the entire family and coaching staff caused my nerves to prickle.
“What do you think the announcement is?” Lucas asked, leaning toward me.
Lucas Donovan was the starting cornerback and my best friend. The two of us had played college ball together, and although I had been drafted straight into the Thunder’s lineup, he had been traded from Portland, and this would be his third season here.
“No clue, but Coach Thurston is missing. That can’t be good.” I couldn’t help but notice our head coach wasn’t in attendance.
“Nope,” Lucas agreed just as Mack, our running back, sat on the opposite side of Lucas.
“Heard Coach got canned,” he said in a harsh whisper.
Before I could say anything, the room silenced. Glancing up at the podium, I saw the owner, Mr. Reese, standing behind the mic. I took a deep breath, wondering what other surprises were coming.
“Good afternoon,” he said with a closed-mouth smile. “My apologies for the short notice. I have an announcement to make, and before it makes it to the press, I wanted you all to know first.” He cleared his throat and continued. “Let me begin with this: I want to say that this team is special. Other than my family, there is nothing I love more. Which is why we have made some changes. Starting with the front office. As of today, my granddaughter Reese Archer will be the general manager, making her the first female to hold that role in the league.”
Everyone in the room clapped. Not only did Reese know the game, but she also most likely knew it better than the players and coaches. The woman could rattle off a stat like nobody’s business, formulate plays as though she stood on the field herself, and had proved herself a whiz when it came to putting teams together.Impressivewould be a great word for her. In the past she hadn’t wanted to be in the front office, but that changed a couple of years ago. Now she helped run the place with her family. This move made sense, since she’d been advising drafts behind the scenes since she was a teenager.
Reese raised her hand in acknowledgment and glanced at her husband, former quarterback and our current QB coach, Trent Archer, who gave her a wink. Her sister, Kenzie, who was the vice president of the team, pulled Reese into a hug.
“Now for another major announcement. I’m sure you’ve all noticed that Coach Thurston isn’t here today. Although we appreciate all he’s done for the team, after a long discussion, we came to a mutual agreement for him to step down.”
Lucas, Mack, and I all shared a nervous glance with each other.
“However, he knows that if he doesn’t get picked up by another team, there will always be a place for him in the Thunder’s organization.”
A whoosh of relief sounded throughout the auditorium-style room. Everyone liked Thurston, and it was going to be difficult picking up with someone else. My eyes scanned the group in front of us, but I couldn’t see anyone I didn’t know.
“You may be wondering who will be leading our fine team.”