In My Rearview Mirror, JACK.HUGHES

TWENTY TWO

As I quickly place my glass in the dishwasher, Jack heads to the door, muttering under his breath as he fumbles to put his shoes on. "I swear, I hate interviews. Always feel like they're picking me apart," he grumbles, sounding more like he's preparing for battle than a sit-down chat.

I know exactly what he means. Jack's not the type to put on a media-friendly face; in interviews, he tends to repeat himself, like he's going through the motions, all while keeping that classic sassy edge. It's not that he doesn't care; he just hates the formality of it. It makes him real though—authentic, if not a little unpredictable.

"You've got this, Jack," I say, tossing a playful smirk his way as I wipe my hands on a kitchen towel. "But you do recycle the same old lines. Maybe that's why they keep asking the same stuff."

Jack rolls his eyes, slipping his hoodie over his head. "Consistency is key, right?"

"Sure, if that's what we're calling it," I tease, adjusting a cushion on the couch one last time.

As he opens the door to greet the media crew, he glances back at me. "You can stay if you want," he offers, with an unusually soft tone. There's something reassuring about the way he says it, like maybe he's dreading this whole thing a little less because I'm here.

"Yeah, I'll stick around. Wouldn't want to miss the fun." I smile, leaning casually against the island.

While waiting for him to escort the team inside, I start absentmindedly tending to my cuticles. The room is quiet, the only sound being my nails tapping against each other. Soon enough, I hear the sound of Jack unlocking the door.

"Yeah, it's all good, come in," Jack says, holding the door open as a few people with cameras and notepads step inside.

I straighten up, suddenly aware of how out of place I might look, but I casually raise a hand in greeting. "Hi," I say, trying to make my presence seem natural.

Jack quickly steps in. "This is Morgan, she's here to... uh, watch the interview," he explains, sounding a bit off-the-cuff.

One of the crew members, sensing the slightly awkward introduction, chuckles. "Well, always nice to have some moral support."

Jack gives me a quick, appreciative glance, then turns his attention back to his marketing team. They dive straight into the rundown of the shoot. "Alright, Jack, we're going to start with some game-related questions, then we'll cut to the ice footage we shot last week. After that, we'll go into the leadership segment. Just be yourself, keep it natural," David, one of the crew members, says with a nod, sounding like this is just another day at the office.

Jack smirks, sending a knowing look my way, like he's heard this pep talk a hundred times before.

As the team finishes setting up, Jennifer, Jack's marketing manager, hovers in the background, keeping an eye on every detail. Her presence is all business, ensuring everything goes smoothly. Lisa, one of the camera crew, gestures to the chair where Jack is supposed to sit.

"You'll sit here," she says, pointing to the chair we positioned so carefully.

Jack gestures toward the room we'd spent the evening perfecting. "Do you see the background well?" he asks, a little smug.

Lisa barely glances at it before saying, "Yeah, but we'll blur it anyway." She clips a mic onto his shirt with an easy smile.

I can't help but giggle at the irony. All that effort for nothing. "Well, that was time well spent," I tease, nudging Jack lightly.

"Hey, at least we know it looks good," Jack quips back with a shrug.

David gives the thumbs up, signaling that the interview is about to start. Jack straightens up, the playful energy draining from the room as the mood shifts into something more professional.