Page 40 of Wild Love
While I wait for everyone else to arrive, I scroll through the Wildcats social media pages. They’re well done with a good mix of content: news announcements around game schedules and contracts, then there’s game footage—photos and videos a lot like what we compiled for the hype videos back at Valley in the Hall of Fame, and finally, more personal touches like birthdays and casual photos of the team and staff.
Blythe and her team have created an engaging and visually stunning space on all the platforms. There are a lot of cool jobs at the Wildcats, and I’m excited to do all of it, but none of it more than working with Blythe.
I click on the team page to find some of the guys’ personal pages. Jack’s is the most obviously curated. He doesn’t have any private photos or really anything that looks like he posted it himself. Still, he has almost a million followers.
Reese is the next to show. He drops into a chair with his sunglasses still on.
“Morning.”
He slides the shades up and rests them on top of his head. “Morning, Arizona.”
“I’m actually from Kansas.”
“It’s too late. You’re Arizona in my brain now.”
Quinn walks in just before Blythe. My new boss looks as stylish and gorgeous as ever. I’d kill to see her closet. She carries a box on her hip.
“This is for you,” she says, dropping it on my desk. “Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to bring it by yesterday afternoon.”
“No problem.” Ahhh, finally!
“Is everyone ready to get started today?”
I nod and bite my lip, anxious to dig into the goodies.
The three of us gather around while Blythe gives us a basic rundown of the day. Reese and Quinn are assigned the task of brainstorming content ideas for social media posts between now and when the development camp starts in two weeks, and thank the hockey hotties, she tells me to spend the day familiarizing myself with the endorsement campaign.
Quinn and Reese huddle together at his desk next to mine, and Blythe stands by while I open the box for my big hockey guy’s endorsement.
“We’ll need to work around the camp schedule to get a photo shoot,” she says. “The sooner, the better because as the guys all return from break, things will get busier around here.”
As she speaks, I dive in with enthusiasm to finally figure out what the heck is inside. My hand slides past the packing peanuts, and I wrap my fingers around the first item. I pull it out and smile. Body wash?
I keep going, pulling out more products—deodorant, body mist, aftershave lotion, and … sack spray. There are a few different scents, all with names like Starry Night, Wild Fields, and Hailstone. Each fragrance is available in all the products so that you could have an entire collection of Starry Night, for example. Of all the things I imagined, this wasn’t anywhere on my radar. I’m relieved, though. This is going to be fun.
I hold up the deodorant spray for balls for Blythe to see. She laughs. “Charming.”
“What is it?” Quinn asks.
I toss it to her, and she reads the label, mouth twisting into disgust.
“Eww.” She tosses it to Reese like she’s playing a game of hot potato.
Reese catches it easily and chuckles. “Awesome.”
“Which player is endorsing ball deodorant?” Quinn lifts a brow. She stands and comes over to get a better look at all the products scattered on my desk.
“I don’t know, actually,” I admit as I empty the box and set it on the floor. I glance at Blythe. She tilts her head to the side, a confused expression on her stunning face.
“Do you know?” I ask her.
“Yeah. I…” She smiles hesitantly. “Johnny Maverick. This is the Maverick Company’s new product line for male hygiene. He didn’t tell you?”
Heat rushes to my face. I shake my head side to side. An unsettling feeling takes hold of my chest. I look back at the products. The Maverick name and logo sit proudly on each one.Oh my god.
Quinn huffs, shoots me a suspicious glare, and goes back to her desk.
“Well, I’ll leave you three to get started. Dakota, let me know if you need anything.” She waves, indicating the Maverick campaign and the tiny little bottles on my desk.
