Page 27 of An Irresistible Force (Vancouver Vice)

“So, our success on the ice—or lack, thereof—is related to our low salaries? But how can AHL teams in even smaller markets be surviving?”

This was my big chance. “All the AHL teams have relationships with NHL teams. The NHL teams carry a lot of the salaries. And they provide coaching guidance, training programs, and even management help. I told you about the halo marketing thing—people come to the AHL games if they can’t afford the NHL tickets. Then they get to see all their team’s prospects. It works like that in Winnipeg. Their AHL team plays in the same arena as the Jets. And Jets tickets are really hard to get, so the Moose benefit from that.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re from Winnipeg, aren’t you?”

I looked up at her. “Yeah. How did you know that?”

She blushed and looked down at her monitor again. “I don’t know. I must have seen it in your personnel file.”

“But I don’t have a personnel file here.”

“Really? Well, I’m sure Brenda’s generated one by now—complete with eight-by-ten glossies.” The tone of her voice made it clear that she was done with this topic. “Why are you still here?”

“I’m here because my office is too small. I had to leave to change my mind.”

I laughed, but she only shook her head. “That’s the oldest joke in the book. What are you, a hundred?”

“Most of the jokes I know are not suitable for ladies,” I explained.

“Do they involve a man from Nantucket?” she asked.

“What?” Amanda was so weird. I didn’t understand half of the things she said. Oh wait, she wasn’t talking dirty limericks, was she? Someone as prim as her would never say stuff like that.

“Never mind.” She put her forehead in her hand and looked at her monitor again.

I got up and took a candy off the dish on her cabinet. I noticed a framed photo of a guy with a cat on his lap. He was fair-haired and skinny with dark-rimmed glasses. It had never occurred to me that Amanda might have a boyfriend.

I held up the photo. “Who is this?”

“Oh, that’s Pookie.”

Baby talk sounded extra strange coming from her mouth.

“That’s a weird nickname. Have you guys been going out long?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, you mean Simon. Well, er, no. We’re not, I mean, I thought you were talking about my cat.”

I looked more closely at the photo. The man was slightly out-of-focus, and the large furry tabby in front was the real subject of the photo. But I could also tell from Amanda’s blush that something had gone on between her and this Simon guy. He looked like an unwashed hipster. If that was the kind of guy she liked it was no wonder that she hated me.

“That’s one huge cat. And it’s still a weird name, even for a cat.”

“Pookie’s a Maine Coon. Our family names all our cats with “ookie” names. Our previous cat was Snookie, and my mother was horrified when people kept asking if she was a fan of Jersey Shore.”

I laughed. Although it was still weird that she had a cat photo where most people would have photos of their kids. Or no photos at all, like me. But it made sense: single career woman with cat. She was a total stereotype.

“So, you lived in Toronto, right?”

“Yes. Once Uncle Thomas’s legal issues are cleared up, he’ll take over again, and I’ll go back there.”

And I’d go back to my regular job too. That would be a huge relief. I sat back in the chair. “So, what do you want me to do next?”

Amanda looked up at me with a frown. “Why are you asking me? Don’t you know yet?”

How was I supposed to know how to do a job I’d never done before? “I’m a consultant. I do what you want.”

She rubbed her temples. “You know, the real problem here are the unknown unknowns.”

“The what?”

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