Page 49 of Hard Ruck

“If one of those teams from Europe was to offer you a substantial pay raise to move there, what would you do?” he asked.

“I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t consider it,” I said. “I mean, you did saysubstantial. At the end of the day, I don’t see myself working anywhere but here. It’s about more than money, you know? I think it’s important for people to love what they do, and I’ve loved every moment of being here. It’s not just a job for me. It’s a passion.”

“I can see that,” he said approvingly. “What are you going to do if you end up working with someone who doesn’t agree with you? Someone whom, for whatever reason, you don’t get along with?”

That was a loaded question. Did he know about Storm and Atlas not getting along? Locker room disagreements were nothing new in any sport, much less this one.

I decided it was a generic question and cleared my throat to respond.

“I’ll continue to do my job,” I said. “We can’t always like who we work with.” Now I was thinking about Ivy and her snarky comments. I regretted her death, even though there was nothing I could have done to change what happened. If we’d been friends, she might still have ended up with Frost’s hands wrapped around her throat. She would have been just as dead.

“As long as everyone can be respectful, I don’t see why it needs to impact our work, or the team.”

“What if they’re not respectful?” he asked. “What if they’re just those people who refuse to go along with you, and insist on doing things their way?”

“Then I’ll look at their way and see if it’s better,” I said. “It might be a good opportunity for me to learn a different way of doing things.”

“And if it isn’t?” he asked. “If you can’t resolve your differences and work together, then what will you do?”

“Then I follow team protocol,” I said. “I’m sure there are processes for people to come together to find middle-ground. But that would be a last resort.”

“Why is that?” he asked. “Why not do what you can to clear up any problems before they become bigger problems?”

Because snitches get stitches?I thought.

“Because I suspect you have better things to do than mediate between two responsible adults,” I said. “Anyone who works here should have the same agenda: what’s best for the team. As long as we both want that, there’s no reason we can’t find common ground.”

He nodded. He seemed to like that answer. Or at least, he wasn’t dismissing it out of hand. That had to be a good thing, right? I was sure he wouldn’t have preferred I say I’d go running to him every time I had a problem with a co-worker. No bosswanted that, did they? Divina certainly wouldn’t. She’d make sure staff didn’t work at the same time, if she could. Otherwise, she’d expect them to suck it up and move on.

“All right, Doctor— Chelsea. Thank you very much for coming to see me.” He stood and offered me his hand. “I’ll be in touch. Or my assistant will.”

I shook his hand. I hadn’t expected to be hired on the spot, but I had no idea what he was thinking, or if the interview went well. I hadn’t done many, so I had nothing to compare it to. Ifeltlike I performed well, but I could be completely wrong. Or maybe it went well, and everyone else’s went better.

Overthinking for the win.

“Thank you for your time, sir. I appreciate the opportunity, and the interview.”

He nodded his dismissal and sank back into his chair. Before he looked back down at his laptop, he said, “Call me Bruce.”

“Okay,” I said to the top of his head before stepping out of his office and away.

Chapter Twenty

Frost

“What did Bruce say?”I handed Chelsea a bowl of rice, steamed vegetables and chicken. I picked up my own bowl and sat beside Chelsea on her couch. Like always, Dallas sat on the other side of her, his hand on her thigh.

“He asked me a bunch of questions about myself and how I looked at the team,” she said.

“Upwards.” I spooned chicken into my mouth and smiled while looking up at the ceiling. “Sometimes you’re looking down at us too.” My gaze shifted to the floor.

She snorted. “That wasn’t what he was asking. He wanted to know how committed I was to the Smashers. Stuff like that. Probably the same questions he asked everyone.”

“He didn’t get inappropriate?” Storm asked darkly.

“Definitely not,” she said. “He was very professional.”

“He better be.” Storm dug into his own bowl of food.

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