Page 79 of Hail Marry
I can test your knowledge of the Flamingo Twist Sneak.
Is that a snow cone flavor?
One of your plays, probably.
Despite his insistence that I can relax and make myself at home when I arrive Friday afternoon, I do help quiz him on plays. My brothers would be so proud if they knew how extensive my knowledge of their favorite sport has become.
When Luca invites me to join him at the gym for a late-night lifting session, I agree. Who knows? Maybe my calling in life is to be a fitfluencer. Or maybe my calling is to watch in slack-jawed awe while Luca gets even more fit.
Happily—or sadly, depending when you catch me—there are no repeats of the hotel room incident. Or the Louie incident.
In fact, I’d forgive anyone who sees us at Costco the next day for thinking we’re siblings. It’s totally platonic. No unnecessary touching. Even necessary touching seems to be at a minimum.
And that’s the way it stays on my visits every other weekend while Luca finishes up OTAs, then starts and finishes mandatory mini camp over the next month.
The other thing that remains—or grows, actually—is my love for San Diego. I find myself searching job websites for options around there. The problem is, I don’t really want to do the same thing I’ve been doing. But, then, what do I look for? The career tests I’ve taken haven’t been very helpful. One told me I should run a pet salon. And maybe it’s right. Maybe I’m being too closed-minded.
Near the end of June, I get an email invitation for a call with Preston on July 1st. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from him, and it’s probably a good idea to check in on things.
At work that day, Bob calls me into his office at the same time Jess’s boss calls her into his. Jess and I meet eyes as we go our separate ways, but her look says it all:this is it.
Bob’s at his desk, clicking away on his mouse, his eyes on his computer screen.
“I’m guessing you’ve heard the rumors about the changes happening here,” he says, clicking a couple more times before sitting back in his chair and looking at me.
“Uh, yeah,” I say with a smile. “I may have heard a thing or two.” Or a hundred. Jess has been speculating on how it’ll all go down for a month now. Her dearest wish is that her boss will move up, and she’ll take his place. She’s already plotted out how she’ll decorate his office.
Bob nods, then pulls his glasses from his face and starts cleaning them with a cloth from his top drawer. “It’s taken a lot longer than anyone thought, but things are finally underway, and I wanted to give you an update.”
I can’t help but hold my breath as I wait for him to go on. Maybe Jess’s hopes aren’t crazy. What if I haven’t wasted all these years at this job because I’m about to step into a position I might actually like?
“As of a week from tomorrow, I’ll no longer occupy the position of Senior Account Director.” There’s a hint of self-satisfaction on his face as he says this. Bob’s been gunning for a place in upper management since I got here, so I can’t blame him.
“Which means,” he says, replacing the glasses on his nose, “someone needs to take my place.”
I force my lungs to fill and deflate. This man needs to put me out of my misery before I pass out. What am I going to do if he offers me this job? It’s not in San Diego, but maybe I’d love it. Is this the end of my administrative assisting? Am I going to actually get to do the things I thought I would do when I was taking all those classes in college?
“We discussed a lot of names,” he says, “but we all agreed there was one that stood out above the rest: Felix Larsen.”
My smile lingers for a second, then melts like butter in a hot pan. Felix Larsen? The guy who started six monthsafterme and has been assistant to one of the admins in the Digital Media Department? Not even the administrative assistant—a personal assistant. He doesn’t do spreadsheets and accounts; he gets coffee and dry cleaning for his boss. And he’s a total jerk.
“Is there something wrong?” Bob asks, suddenly concerned.
I blink quickly and shake my head. “No, no. Nothing wrong. Just took me a second to remember who that was.”
Bob goes over how the transition will work, and I nod, hardly listening. My brain is still stuck on the fact that Felix is going to be my new boss.
When Jess gets out of her meeting, I wait until the doors to Bob’s office and her boss’s office close, then I hurry over to her desk.
“Felix!” I whisper-yell at the same time as she says, “I’m going to corporate!”
“Wait, what?” I say, thrown off my game.
She looks every bit as confused.
“You’re going to corporate?” I repeat.
“Yeah,” she says. “Jim’s moving up, but he’s keeping me on as his assistant. But wait. WhataboutFelix?”
