Page 173 of Vegas Heat

“Are there any questions?” she asks, her gaze lifting from me and in turn taking with it the extra weight of it.

“Group or individual?” Justin asks.

“Individual this time, though you’re welcome to brainstorm with your peers,” Joanie says.

Justin wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I stifle a laugh.

“You’re free to get to work. I have additional tasks for each of you within various departments this week, so don’t forget to tackle those tasks first before you work on your challenge.” She passes out sheets of paper with everyone’s tasks for the week, and I’m lucky enough to have been assigned to the Marketing and Broadcasting department this week. Just browsing through what goes on in the department might get me some insight into where to go with this project.

Justin and Mackenzie are in Finance and Accounting, and no sooner do we all spot her name on the list than I hear her heavy, frustrated sigh.

“Is something the matter, Mackenzie?” Joanie asks.

She glances up from her paper at Joanie, pressing her lips together as if she’s forcing herself not to say what she wants to say. “No ma’am.”

Joanie studies her for a beat, and then she nods. “All right. Head on out, kids. Have fun!” She wiggles her fingers, and we all head out into the hallway. I’m trailing the group, and I hear Mackenzie complaining to Chloe as I walk out of Joanie’s office.

“Freakingfinance? While the golden child over there getsmarketingall by her lonesome this week? I call BS.”

“It’s just the way the chips fell. Nothing to get upset about,” Chloe says to her. I turn toward Justin and roll my eyes as he stifles a laugh.

“Want to brainstorm together?” he asks.

“Like I’m going to give up the goods on the ideas I already have?” I thin my lips and shake my head as I offer a mock glare in his direction. “Not a chance.”

“Me-ow,” he says, holding up a claw to indicate I’m being catty.

I nod over toward Mackenzie’s direction, and he nods with a laugh.

“This is why we’re besties. You justgetme,” he says, and he links his arm through mine.

“I need to get back in there and see what Joanie has on tap for me this week, but good luck in freaking finance with Mackity-Mack.” I lower my voice so just he can hear, and he doesn’t bother stifling his laughter this time.

I head back into Joanie’s office. “What do you have for me, Ms. Sapphire?” I ask.

“I have some marketing analysis on the competition I’d like for you to study this week,” she says. She clicks a few buttons on her computer. “I just sent you over a few different links so you can take a look at what different teams in the MLB are doing in their ad campaigns. I’d like you to study them and analyze the similarities and differences of each. Tell me what you think is working and what you think is a miss.”

“Won’t this give me an unfair advantage in this week’s challenge?” I ask.

Joanie’s brows crinkle as if she hadn’t thought of that. She shakes her head. “Everyone on the intern team has the same access to the internet that you have, right?”

I nod.

She shakes her head. “Then no, I don’t believe you’re getting any sort of advantages over anybody else.”

I twist my lips and nod, and then I get to work even though I know if Mackenzie saw what I had to do this week, she’d flip her fucking lid.

I study each of the ads Joanie sent along and make notes summarizing them. Then I draw my comparisons. Some common themes I find among the advertisements are teamwork, fan focus, and family. I start to brainstorm those ideas.

I could start the campaign with a family heading into the ballpark. Maybe a mother is carrying an infant while a dad holds a toddler’s hand and their elderly parents walk in with them, too. Maybe we see the crowded lobby where friends meet and gather before entering the stadium to find their seats. And maybe we follow this family through the crowd, to the concession stand, up through the SFK area, and back down to their seats. Then we can watch as the players warm up on the field, the pillars of teamwork as they throw balls all over the place in an organized, rhythmic pattern. And then Cooper can take off his shirt and…

Oh wait. That’s a different advertisement.

Focus, Gabby.

Cooper slices the bat and sends the ball flying into the outfield. He runs the bases as the three men in front of him score, and he slides into the plate with a grand slam.

He’s the star of my video, obviously, just as he’s the star of my dreams.

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