Page 31 of The Roommate Remodel

“I’m sorry about what happened to you and your husband,” I begin.

“It’s done now,” she says, her eyes hardening as she taps her fingernails on the desk. “But I have to fix his errors. And that means making hard decisions.”

More like brutally unfair decisions. And where will that leave all the people she employs?

“But what if you could turn the team around?” I ask.

She sighs, like she’s been over this before. “Community support is at its lowest in years, and so is our advertising income. That’s why our last community relations manager quit. We’re the worst in the league, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

Ouch.I’m glad Brax isn’t here.

“Then why did you bring in new players?”

“Public perception is complicated.” She shrugs and takes a sip of her sparkling water. “I don’t want to appear like I’m giving up. That will just cause the fans to think I bailed because of money.”

Which is exactly what she’s done. This isallabout money. She just doesn’t want it to appear that way. She never cared about saving the team.

“If the team shuts down, what will happen to everyone?”

She gives a little annoyed sigh, like she’s done with my questions. “They’ll find a new team. Or perhaps someone will buy the team and take it to a new city. Sometimes change requires a measure of sacrifice.” She gives me a firm look. “From everyone.”

If she shuts down the team, that means I’ll be out of a job. Which means I have one year to turn things around and prove this team can make money. “When will this happen?”

“Nothing has been decided yet. If everything goes as planned, I won’t announce it until the end of the season.”

I glance at my laptop, where my community re-engagement plan waits for her approval. What does it even matter now if she’s shutting down the team? It doesn’t. Not unless she’s willing to give the team a chance.

“I just need to know one thing. If the teamcouldturn things around this year, would you reconsider?”

“You mean win? Or make money?”

“Both,” I say, a little too confidently. I sound like Brax now. Maybe he has rubbed off on me in one good way.

She lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Ifthat were even possible, then perhaps I would reconsider. But a winning season doesn’t seem likely, even with the new players. They’ll find another team, and Coach Thompson is retiring at the end of the season. As for you...” She looks over my pink-and-black dress in approval. “I think you’ll do just fine.”

The gentlemen chuckle, making my blood boil. How can they laugh when a team’s future is at stake? If Brax knew this, he’d be furious.

She stands to face me, leveling her gaze. “I meant what I said about this news being top secret, or you might find yourself looking for another job. I can trust you not to say anything, right? Because if not, heads might roll.” She gives me a smile so smug, I feel like I just stumbled into a mafia movie.

How is it possible I’m being blackmailed by my boss? And was that an outright threat?

I hesitate for a second, giving her a weak smile. “Of course.”

I don’t want to keep her secret, but I can’t jeopardize my job either. Not only will I have to hide this from Sloan but also from Brax. I shudder to think how easily he can read me.

But I can’t let him lose his position on the team or get sent down to the ECHL because of Alex.

The sweat on the back of my neck prickles as Alex nods at me to go. She doesn’t really care aboutwhyI need this job. My sister’s health and my grandmother’s house are none of her concerns. Alex’s words come roaring back in my head:You’ll do just fine.

But it hardly means a thing if I can’t save my sister and my home.

“Is that all?” I mumble, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

Alex nods, and I beeline for the door.

As I’m about to slip away, Alex calls, “One more thing, Jaz. What is it you stopped by to tell me?”

I turn around to face her, remembering the plan I spent all day working on. It will hardly interest Alex now.

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