Page 130 of Miami Ice

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she says, smiling brightly at me. “Is this your first game?”

“I went to one last week, but we weren’t dating then,” I explain.

Her eyes light up. “Oh, so this is recent.”

“Yes, very much so,” I say as she leads me down the corridor to the right. Suddenly things start to look familiar from my trip with Sofia and Aaron.

“Do you go to all the home games?” I ask.

Scarlett nods. “I try to. Obviously, I’ve grown up with hockey, so I love it. But I work for Real Miami FC in social media, so I have to go to all their games and travel with the team.”

“Oh, what a cool job!”

“It’s fun. I’ve always wanted to work in sports, and I just started with them this past fall. We’re in our off-season now, so I can take in hockey games at night, which I love.”

Soon I can feel the rush of cold air, and I see the main entrance the players use to take to the ice ahead. “Isn’t there an elevator we need to use? If I remember right?” I ask.

“Yes, it’s right here. Good memory!”

We reach the elevator, and the attendant smiles at Scarlett and then checks my credential.

“Plaza concourse, please,” Scarlett says.

“Of course,” the attendant says, pressing the button.

The doors close, and I turn to Scarlett. “I should take pictures of everything as I walk. I’m afraid I won’t find my way back,” I joke.

She grins. “It will be second nature to you in no time, I promise. You should have seen me my first day at Real Miami. They were showing me around and I was like, ‘I will never remember where to get a cup of coffee. Or worse, how to find my way back to my desk!’”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. It’s all so foreign,” I exclaim.

“But look at me. I’ve not only found my way to the coffee, but out of the building and all the way to the Premier Airlines Arena,” she says, flashing me a smile. “I have full faith you will not only find your way to your seat, but back to the lounge at intermission.”

I nod. Although for the first intermission, I’ve made plans to go visit Becca in the Total Access Total Sports suite. I can’t wait to thank her again for what she has done for Georgie’s Jars.

The elevator stops on the concourse level, and we exit. I pause and snap a picture of the location, so at least I can find the elevator if nothing else.

Scarlett waits for me, and then I walk with her toward the end of the rink where the Manatees will warm up.

“So do you come to warm-ups often?” I ask.

“Yes. I love hockey, so I take advantage of watching practices, games, everything I can when Real Miami is off. I mean, I still have my job to do, but now it’s nine to five,” Scarlett explains.

“You say you do social media for Real Miami, but what does that entail?” I ask, curious.

She grins. “I do it all. On a game day, I arrive early so I can get video of each player for a fit check,” she says, referring to what a player is wearing on game day. “Then I go down on the pitch and video warm-ups. I upload content throughout the game, like starting lineup, goal shots, et cetera. Then there’s postgame content, and if it’s a home game, I drag myself back to my apartment and crash. If it’s a road game, then I’m traveling with the team, and the hours are crazier. But I love my job, so it’s all worth it.”

“You have to be skilled in so many different things,” I say as we walk through the concourse, which is filling up with Manatees fans. I see pink and black everywhere and loads of people wearing jerseys of their favorite players. I spot my first BAILEY jersey, and my stomach does a flip-flop.

That’s my boyfriend’s jersey,I think proudly.

“You do. I have to admit, my passion is photography. I love the rush I get from capturing a great moment,” Scarlett says.

“That’s something I have to work at for my business. I sell painted Mason jars, and getting the photography right for my Etsy shop is always a challenge for me. I’m good at setting the backdrop and display part, but I’m not so skilled when it comes to taking pictures. The lighting is tricky for me.”

“Oh, you’re an artist?” Scarlett asks, her face lighting up. “That’s fantastic. I cannot paint. Or even draw a good stick person, for that matter. What’s the name of your business? I want to look you up!”

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