Big Shot | ✓

09 | in too deep

Hi Mariah,

I hope this email finds you well! I am happy to inform you that Reid Donahue has accepted our proposal, and I will keep you updated as we begin to work on the first part of this project.

Go Tigers!

Josephine Lawrence

Kayla nodded as she read over my email one more time. I didn't trust my hungover brain to orchestrate a professional email without an extra set of eyes on it.

"I think overall it sounds good," she told me as she slid my phone across the kitchen island. "Although take out I hope this email finds you well. When you say that, more often than not the email does not find them well. I'm pretty sure everyone in the corporate world hates that phrase, they just won't say they do."

I snorted out a laugh. "Thanks for confirming that."

We'd made it back to my apartment after the fireworks last night, where I gave Kayla the run-down on the Reid situation over the oreo-stuffed cookies I'd baked the day before. In the morning, I made us ideal hangover food - egg and cheese on toast, and naturally I had to slather mine with garlic chili oil.

"Now will you tell me what's going on with you and JJ freakin' Jameson?" I said with a coy smirk as I put a plate down in front of her.

"It's not that serious," Kayla waved me off with an awkward chuckle. "I mean I've known him for years. We're friends. We hooked up. Don't think we will again."

I slid her a wary glance. "Okay, if you say so."

Judging from the way Reid talked about JJ's perceived side of it, JJ might not have shared the same sentiment. But I wasn't a gossip monger. After all, I didn't want to be poked at either, and part of what made Kayla a good journalist was her ability to poke. The moment she saw a crack, she'd find a way to wedge herself into it.

━━━━━━

I'd spent the first day of summer access in the media department office, putting together the plan for the team's official media day later in the week. Mara had helped me organize a few cameras and other equipment, but I told her an hour ago she could leave. I liked working alone, being able to put headphones in and lose myself in work, even if it was something as mundane as organizing camera equipment.

Summer access was like the preseason for preseason - players could ease themselves into their workouts, conditioning and film study, but were still limited to eight hours per week. Walkthroughs, team and position meetings were added in 10 days, along with an additional 12 hours per week added to workouts and conditioning. Film study was still limited to two hours per week, but as expected, Reid Donahue ignored those regulations.

We hadn't really spoken since the 4th of July party, but I knew he'd also gone home to Charleston on the other side of the state for a week. Not that I'd been stalking his Instagram or anything.

Most of the team had taken part in weight training and conditioning that morning, and by late in the afternoon the complex had quieted down. When I stepped into the hallway and locked the door to the media offices, I could all but hear a pin drop.

As I made my way through the complex, the faintest sound of music seeped through the walls. The closer I got to the indoor practice field, the more familiar the music became, and after a few more steps, I recognized it as In Too Deep by Sum 41, and I smiled to myself.

The double doors leading to the practice field were cracked slightly ajar, just enough for me to peer inside. The music echoed off the sky high ceiling, along with an occasional thudding noise that sounded more like fireworks in the empty expanse. Any dummies and tackling equipment were lined up on the sidelines, so it wasn't like anybody was running drills.