Page 10 of Auction Time
Mom smiledat each of us as she walked into the meeting room.
She’d come just in time to save me from another one of Abby’s attempts to make me crazy.
Abby had come in this morning like she had some sort of plan for it too. It was always about sex. Although, admittedly, she used to goad me a lot more before she married Gilly, and definitely a lot more before they had their son, Zack.
She’d calmed down a lot in the last two years, and I was grateful. Sometimes, though, she caught me in her snare. Like this morning when she started talking about a screaming orgasm while having sex on the beach.
It started out with reference to the cocktails, but I knew her better than that and knew to be wary of any kind of conversation like that. She’d looked to Mia for backup when I turned red, but thankfully, Mia was somewhat on my side. We’d had this unspoken code between us since I sort of helped her reason out a few things in relation to Eric when they first started seeing each other.
This morning, though, she still had that curiosity in her eyes from two nights ago when we’d left Cole at the bar.
“Girls, how are we this morning?” Mom asked in that good-natured bubble.
I straightened and smiled when she walked around to me and tapped my head the way she used to when I was little.
“Perfect, Mom,” Abby answered.
“Peachy and excited to find out what’s ahead,” Mia added, looking at me specifically.
God… I’d managed to avoid her all of yesterday, and I didn’t answer her calls either. I knew just from looking at her that I was going to get the grilling of my life later. What I needed to be careful of was that she didn’t tell Abby. It was times like these when I wished Taylor were around. Taylor was the mediating sister, but unlike us, she worked in PR. She ran Cartwright PR with Dylan, her husband, as her business consultant. She was a girl who’d been constant her whole life when it came to me. While she was as man crazy as these two, she’d been a calmer version that was great to have around to take the heat off me.
“We have much to discuss,” Mom said, taking her seat at the head of the table. She tucked a lock of her pixie cut hair behind her ears and looked at each of us again. “This year is the twenty-fifth year of your father owning the teams. The Gladiators and The Centaurs. Both teams have been multiple Super Bowl winners. They’ve done well, and we’ve done well. It’s been a great time, and I want to make this year big. PR is already all over it with all the plans Taylor and Dylan have and all that they’ve been doing. I want us to jump on track too.”
As I listened to my mother speak, I allowed myself to get lost in her words. I loved the way she took charge and that she had that balance in her life with everything. Dad might own the marketing agency, but Mom was boss here, and he made sure she got to do all that she wanted to do with no limits on her imagination.
I loved working for her and with her. There had been no doubt in my mind after I’d left college that this was where I wanted to be. It gave me the chance to write and be creative. She did too.
“I’m excited, Mom,” Abby said with a firm nod.
She did the online and digital marketing. Mia dealt with the fundraising, which tended to be more periodical. So, this next phase really was kind of on me and Abby.
“I’m excited too,” I added, and I wished it didn’t sound like a lie.
“Yes,” Mia agreed still looking at me.
Abby didn’t miss that. She looked from me to Mia, narrowed her eyes with suspicion, then returned her focus to Mom.
“Good, so I have ideas and plans on what I’d like us to do. Abby, you work with me and Taylor. I’d love for you to get a campaign going to take over social media in whatever way you can.”
Abby loved the sound of that. “I am definitely your girl for anything social media. I already came up with a draft campaign and thought we could fundraise on the side. All proceeds could go to the inner-city kids for football camp next year.”
Mom snapped her fingers. “Fantastic, and I love that idea. The next few months are going to involve a lot of travelling, and that’s going to be difficult to do all the time with Zack, so you can stay grounded here with me.” Mom then turned to Mia and me. “Mia, I know you’ll be seeing a lot of Eric’s away games, so the bulk of the plans will be perfect for you.”
“I’m in whatever you need,” Mia answered.
“I’d like you to support Vanessa.” Mom looked to me, and her eyes twinkled. Her eyes twinkled, and my lungs constricted. This was supposed to be a happy moment because I loved my job and everything I got to do here would help my career. I had no hopes of owning the place like Taylor had with the PR company, but I really did want to have more say in the publications side of the business. I got the feeling I was about to get my chance.
“That sounds like you have a lot in mind for me, Mom,” I surmised.
“I do.” She opened her palms and gave me that look of adoration. “You’ve done a lot in regard to our clients and publications. This season is time for you to shine. I want you to organize three publications. The first will be to open the season. I’d love an article about our presence in the sport and our goals. The next is an exclusive with Coleridge Buchanan.”
I’d just taken a sip of my water when she said Cole’s name, and as she said it, I started choking. And that definitely got Abby’s attention. Like a honing device, she looked to me and her curiosity intensified.
“Are you okay, dear? Drink some more water,” Mom suggested with concern.
“I’m fine, just went down the wrong pipe.” I coughed feeling far from fine. I took a gulp of the water this time and wished like hell that idea wasn’t set in stone. “Mom, why him? There’s the other players like Gilly, Eric, and just the others.” Heck, we even had a whole other football team to play around with.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I have plans for them. I just think it’s good to take note of the talent we have. It would be a great idea to welcome him into the team, as he’s our newest addition and has such a great track record coming from the Patriots. He’s the last to join the family, so to speak. Ultimately, the last thing I’d like you to do is put together the first issue of our new magazine.”
