Page 3 of Game on, Love

“Everyone on the list was told before the announcement today.”

Oh.

The feeling of relief hit me like a wave as I dropped back in my chair.

“And even though we’d reshuffle a lot of people, therewillbe changes,” Hazel spoke with an unease I had never seen before.

“Whatkindof changes?” My voice came out sharper than intended, and I swallowed.

Something was wrong. I could feel it.

“Starting next season, we want you to cover cricket.” I felt my whole body stiffen. “You would still be part of the crew during the British GP, but your full focus will be cricket duringandoff-season.”

There was still something else.

“Why?” I don’t know why it felt like a betrayal, but it did, and it was cutting right through my back.

Hazel sighed, defeated.

“They looked at everything, the effort, the content, and the numbers, and you were among the best. I need you to know this and remember this before you hear the rest.” More unease washed over me. “But in this industry, connection matters, and you come among the best. No matter how much you hide it, it is part of your blood.”

I wanted to scream, but I was sure no voice would come.

Cricket.

It was the one sport I’d always tried to avoid, despite—or maybe because of—how deeply it ran in my family.

When I didn’t say anything, Hazel continued. “You have brought something new with your audience and work to Formula One. The execs love it and so do I, youknowthat. But they want the new blood to cricket. Right now, our audience is limited and is among those who grew up watching it. And with your connections, family name and work, we are hoping for you to take the lead on it and hopefully bring that to the sport through our network.”

I wanted to throw up.

I wasn’t being let go, and I wasn’t at risk.

I was getting promoted.

“I haven’t paid attention to anything cricket-related in years, you know that. If you asked me to name any two current players—I wouldn’t even be able to do that.”

I could only name one.

Rihaan Patel.My brother.

“You’ll have time to catch up. Their current season ended today with only media week left, and no one expects you to re-prioritise your current role. Once the F1 season concludes, you’llbe given time to wrap up before moving up and reshuffling. Their off-season will run until January, and then we’d be asking you to cover the Ashes, though we can revisit that and see if you’re comfortable…”

She continued, but I was no longer paying any attention.

The idea of it all made my stomach churn.

I had spent years distancing myself from that world, carving out a niche in sports that had nothing to do with cricket.

And now, I was being pulled back in, expected to catch up and become an expert in a sport I had no interest in. It wasn’t that I disliked cricket—well, maybe I did a little—but it was the memories it dredged up, the complicated emotions tied to it that I had buried long ago.

I shook myself internally. I couldn’t fall into the trap of these thoughts.

“I’ll need to think about it,” My voice was barely steady, the lump in my throat threatening to tighten.

But that wasn’t what Hazel had expected. It was subtle, but I saw it.

“Take until next week, when you’re back from Singapore. I can pass it by us not having a chance to have this conversation. From the report you sent me from today, for everyone else, this was a debrief of your day one of the shoot. But you have to keep this to yourself, whatever your decision will be, until after the redundancies are announced.”

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