Page 107 of Rookie Move
But something—maybe it was his competitive streak, or maybe it was love—made Leo grab him for a hard, back-slapping hug instead. Then he left Coach blinking in the hallway and went to pack up his stuff, so that he could catch up with Georgia on the jet.
THIRTY-THREE
Georgia would have been the first to board the plane, but she was waylaid by Hugh Major. “Can we chat about the PR department for a second?” he asked. “I know it’s late, but here we are...”
“Sure,” she said quickly. If he was going to give her bad news, they might as well get it over with.
“You didn’t get back to me about those two candidates,” he said right away. “I liked both of them. But if you’re going to be working with whoever I hire, I really want your opinion.”
She held in her sigh. “I’m sure I could work with either one. They’re both amazingly qualified.”More qualified than I am.
“That’s true. But you and I need to talk about the division of labor.”
Here it comes. Georgia looked square into Hugh’s eyes and waited for him to explain that she’d be working for the new guy. She’d take it like a champ, and maybe he’d see just how professional she really was. “How do you see the division of duties?” she asked calmly.
“I’m going to appoint two coheads of PR. You and a new guy. So—” He spread his hands.
Georgia visibly jerked at this news. Did he really just tell her she’d (mostly) stay in the top chair in PR?
“—You need to tell me whether you’d rather be in charge of player communications—finding and arranging their interviews, handling their scandals, you know. The usual. Or do you want the half of the job that deals with our nonprofit outreach? The hospitals, that women’s shelter, the Brooklyn Arts efforts. My gut says you like that side of it more, but I want to hear it from you.”
For a long moment, she just blinked at him. “Well...”Pull yourself together, Worthington. “I enjoy the nonprofit work the most. But I can handle either job.”
“Of course you can. But if you want the nonprofit work, I’m going to hire the one guy, and if you want the player representation piece, I’ll go with the other—the Wharton guy—for the nonprofit work.”
“There will always be some overlap,” Georgia pointed out.
“Absolutely. So what’s it going to be, Miss Worthington?”
“I’ll take the nonprofit piece. We could really do so much more on that front.”
Hugh grinned. “Nathan will love that. He really wants to show the world the Bruisers are good for Brooklyn.”
“They are,” Georgia agreed. “Our next benefit is for a women’s shelter. Fifty kids live there on a temporary basis. I want to have a skating party with some of the players. These kids should know that not all men are awful.”
“I like it.” Hugh held up a fist to bump, and Georgia bumped it. “That’s good outreach without much expense.”
“Ice time on the practice rink and a few refreshments. I’ve already done the math. And I think we could donate ice time to Boys and Girls Clubs of New York, too.” She heard herself start to babble. Hugh didn’t really need an entire business plan at elevenPM. “Anyway. I have ideas.”
“Glad to hear it, Killer.” He winked. “I think they’re ready for us.” He looked past her at the Jetway door, which had just been opened.
Georgia practically scampered onto the plane. She was incredibly relieved at what Hugh had planned for the HRoffice. Two coheads was a structure she hadn’t considered, but it made a heck of a lot of sense. It meant that the PR exec working on the nonprofit projects wouldn’t always be yanked into whatever gossip or scandal was brewing with the team.
And there would always be gossip. These were hockey players, after all.
Georgia was one of the first to board the plane. She chose a seat near the rear, scooting all the way in to the window seat for Becca, who came down the row just behind her. But Becca didn’t take it. Instead, she slid into the seat on the opposite side of the aisle, and winked.
It wasn’t long before the cabin filled with players. Leo appeared over her. “Is this seat taken?”
“Nope!” Becca said from behind his backside.
Leo grinned, and Georgia was pleased to see that he looked relaxed and happy. Tired, maybe. But that was just a given in the middle of the season. He stashed his carry-on in the overhead compartment and then sat down. Reaching for her hand, he lifted it to his mouth and kissed it.
Georgia aimed her smile at the window, but since it was dark outside, all she saw was her own reflection. She looked relaxed and happy, too.
“Will you come home with me tonight?” Leo asked quietly. “I’ll probably help Silas pack, so it won’t exactly be a party. But I want you in my bed.”
Georgia squeezed his hand. “Absolutely. I’ve missed you.”
