Page 9 of (La)Crosse My Heart

I take in a breath, knowing I have to tread lightly. Jessa has always been severely type-A about life, and I’m making her fray at the edges.

“I’m sorry. I’ll just listen while you tell me the plan.”

She breathes in deeply and gives me a smile. “Thanks. That would make this so much easier.”

She writes something on her tablet and then turns it so I can see.

“Okay, so there are a few different parts to this makeover.”

I see one of the items is wardrobe change.

“Am I currently the ugly duckling?” I ask, unable to keep my mouth shut. She gives me a glare, and I raise my hands. “Okay, sorry. Go on.”

“The management group wants you to be the face of the team and soon. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’re going to work in a few areas. First off, we need to pinpoint what you want to be your brand, like I said before. It encompasses your style, what you’re wearing when paparazzi are out?—”

“You remember I play lacrosse, right? It’s not exactly celebrity status over here.”

“At least you’re self-aware enough to know that. But if you’re going to be remembered by the lacrosse lovers, we’ve got to give you that edge. So, we’ll work on your clothing choices, yourpresence on social media, etcetera. Actually, will you open up your social media accounts so I can see them really quick?”

I pause, trying to remember when I last posted. “They might have cobwebs on them,” I say, giving her a small smile.

“It’s fine. It gives me an idea of what you posted before and then we can revamp from there.”

I log in and hand her my phone, watching as her neatly trimmed pink nails come close to mine. She scrolls through, her lips pinched together as if she’s not happy about something.

Her scrolling gives me a chance to study her again. Jessa’s a few inches taller than I remember and she’s wearing subtle makeup. Her favorite color had been mint green for so long that no matter what she wore, it was like a scavenger hunt daily for the color.

I don’t see any color at all, aside from the tan business suit. Even her phone and tablet are black.

Sure, she’s got mostly the same personality, making sure we don’t mess with her business time. Despite the changes, she’s beautiful.

Is it weird I’m thinking of her in a non-best-friend’s sister sort of way?

Maybe I just need to go on more dates to combat this odd and unusual feeling, but she’s about the only person who’s been able to get me in line throughout the years. And the first to make me even consider a date since my junior prom.

My one-track mind has been focused on lacrosse for so long, I don’t know if I’d know how to juggle more than one thing.

“Something wrong, boss?” I ask, feeling a touch of anxiety as she continues to scroll through my feed. There’s a reason I stopped posting on social media. I get obsessed with the numbers, which isn’t good for my mental health. The fact she wants to resurrect that makes me nervous.

She blows out a breath and says, “We’ve got a lot of work to do. It won’t be that bad, but it’s more than I originally thought.”

Great. Just what I wanted to hear.

“Okay, so I need a few new clothes and better social media game. What else do you have in store for me?” I ask, sitting back and folding my arms across my chest.

“Daphne, the gal for Stockton Media, mentioned a few programs we can use for this. We need to make the fans fall in love with you. It’s going to take a careful approach to curating the right posts and events, but I think it’s doable.”

“Do I have to post daily? I’m not good at that.” When I have to post, I usually open my app and close it right after, overwhelmed with all that goes into it.

Jessa shakes her head. “No, I’ll work on that for you. We’ll have posts scheduled to make the process easier.”

The tightness in my chest eases some and I nod. “Sounds good.”

“We’ll have you attend a few charity functions and get some pictures there we can use for several posts. Is there a cause you’d like to sponsor or help with? Maybe coach a youth lacrosse team?”

I laugh loud and long at that idea. “I don’t know if anyone would love that idea, especially the parents.”

“Come on, you were always great with kids,” she says. Then she pauses and her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink.

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