No one had faith in me. They didn’t think I was capable of leading the team. And, damn it, I wasn’t.
My headed dropped to the cool surface of the desk. What was I going to do?
I jumped when I heard Candy clear her throat. She gleefully held up a white paper bag. “I have lunch,” she announced.
I pushed back from the desk and plastered on a smile. “Thank you. I'm starving.”
“No problem.” She placed the paper bag in front of me. I tore into it, hungry for food and a distraction. It was easier to eat than to think about how angry everyone was.
“I passed Dylan James in the lobby. Did you have a meeting?”
I could feel the pink on my cheeks. "Yes. He stopped by to discuss a few things.”
I saw the smile on her lips. It was either wishful thinking, or she knew things about him. I couldn’t tell which.
“Sorry I wasn’t here to show him in.”
I spoke through a mouthful of chicken salad. “It’s fine. He let himself in.”
“Watch out for that one.” She giggled. “He’s a sweet talker.”
“Oh?” I wanted her to tell me every piece of dirt she knew about the wide receiver.
She nodded. “He’ll say whatever he has to, to get a girl he wants. Just be careful. He’s only in it for the fun.”
I blinked. “But you’re ok with that? Right?”
“Oh yeah. I love fun. He’s great for that, but he’s not exactly boyfriend material.”
I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. It was completely inappropriate as her boss.
“I don’t think that will be an issue. I’m not having personal relationships with team members,” I stated it as if that could erase the way I reacted to Dylan and Isaac.
She shrugged. “That’s your business. But, you only have 15 minutes until Steve Drucker arrives. He's the PR director."
I shoved chicken salad in my mouth, wishing it was already the end of the day. I didn't know if I could take another round of hearing how awful the Warriors were and how unfairly everyone had been treated.
“Where’s Charlie? I thought she was my grandfather’s go-to.” She’s had cleaned up more than one mess for this team. No one could believe how she had turned Luke Canton’s career around. She was a miracle worker. I needed one of those right now.
>
“Charlie Maine is a freelancer. Want me to call her and see if we can get her in the office this week?”
“No, it’s all right. I’ll meet with Steve first and go from there.”
“You sure?”
I nodded. “Let me know when he’s here,” I replied. It wasn’t Candy’s fault I was having a shitty day.
“I sure will.” She smiled. "And if you have any more meetings with half naked members of the team you can let me know." She winked as she left the room.
I barely had time to collect my thoughts before the PR meeting.
The door opened and in walked a short man with a receding hairline and wearing a suit that looked as if he had pulled it from his dad's closet. I pressed the napkin to my lips to stifle a giggle.
“Ms. McCade, I'm Steve Drucker, the Warriors PR Director.” He shoved his hand across the desk. “Sorry about your grandfather. He’ll be missed around here.”
I took his hand. He had the kind of handshake that crushed my fingers until they were numb. I tried not to grimace.