Page 131 of Thrown for a Loop
“Well, your petrified face the first day you came to work here.”
Oh. That.
“Anyway, good work. It’s time I gave you this.” He grabs a file folder off his desk and passes it to me. “It’s a contract for next year. A full-time position.”
I play that back in my head, and it still sounds like he offered me a real job. So I take the folder and flip it open.Offer of Employment. Position: Skating Coach and Scout. Hours: 40.Under that is a salary I can be proud of, plus medical, dental, and the company 401(k).
I try not to gasp.
I fail.
“Please consider joining us in spite of all that’s happened,” he says. “I know it might be hard for you to place your trust in the organization at this point. But I believe in you.”
I blink up at him in wonder.Do not cry!“Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”
He nods, his brow furrowed. “There’s no need to make your decision right away,” he says. “But I wanted you to have this offer now. And it won’t be rescinded if…” He looks down again. “If you decide to press charges. That’s your decision. Do what you have to do.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly. “I appreciate that, too.”
I’m so stunned by this development that it takes me a second to realize I’m dismissed. I scoot back in my chair and stand up in a hurry. A real contract! I don’t know whom to tell first. Chase and Darcy will be thrilled.
And, heck, even my mother will be impressed. She thought this job was just another impulse. But it changed my whole life.
“Zoe?” he says as I head for the door.
“Hmm?” I spin around and catch him watching me.
“If you decide not to join us, let me know, okay? I’ll need to make other arrangements.”
“Of course! Happy to.” I leave, practically sailing down the escalators, the folder clutched tightly in my hands. I’m going to read every word of it. Maybe I’ll even frame it.
It’s not until I am trotting down Twenty-First Street toward Chase’s apartment building that I think a little harder about what this means. It’s another data point in the question of where Chase and I will be next year.
And then I remember Sharp’s words in Vancouver.I got a sweet little trick up my sleeve… Dude is definitely coming back.
Holy shit. I thinkI’mthesweet little trick.
I try to take a deep breath, but there’s an iron band around my lungs. When I play back our meeting in my head, everything looksa little different.Good job, Zoe. How hard you’ve worked, Zoe. I believe in you, Zoe.
Those were words that I sorely needed to hear. That man read me like a book. What if it was all pandering? He probably already knows that Chase and I are a couple. How did Bess put it?Anyone with eyes?
Sharp has very shrewd eyes. And now he’s offering me this job so he can keep Chase under his thumb without busting the salary cap.
I’msuchan idiot.
When I finally continue walking, I pass right by Chase’s place and head home to my tiny apartment to cry.
Chapter 43
When Veena said she’d turn the main floor of the Legends’ headquarters into a glittering wonderland, I assumed that was hyperbole. I’ve seen hundreds of skating rinks in my life, and they all look pretty much the same.
But when I gaze down at the lobby atrium during the jamboree cocktail hour, I realize that I’ve underestimated her. The whole place has been transformed into an elegant reception space, with clusters of high cocktail tables draped in Legends blue and red and topped with ice sculptures. Elaborate, glittering icicles hang from the soaring ceiling above the crowd, and uniformed servers weave through with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
There’s a snaking line of partygoers queued up for the photo booths, each one featuring a different Legends player. For an extra donation, visitors can pose for a photo with their favorite player. And theCHASE MERRITTline is one of the longest. The charity will definitely clean up tonight.
In a half hour, twelve hundred ticket holders will drift toward their seats in the rink. When I was in there for our dress rehearsal earlier, the transformation had already begun. The metal bleachers have been covered with plush temporary seating in deep red velvet, each seat bearing a cushion with an embroidered Legends logo.
And at one end of the rink, an elevated stage has been constructed, with a DJ booth and enough space for a live seven-piece band plus our special guest vocalist. The tunnel where players usually enter has been transformed into a glittering archway framedwith thousands of tiny white lights. Even the penalty boxes have been reimagined as VIP viewing areas.
