Page 7 of Faking the Face Off

“Sorry to bust in on your meeting,” I say as I take a step toward the trio. “Ben asked me to bring these papers by and said you’d be expecting them.”

“Thanks, Anna,” Jimmy says, pointing to a smaller table across the room with several stacks of folders on top of it already. “Can you put it there and let Ben know I’ll look it over and get back to him this week?”

I do what he asks, noting the inflection in his tone. Does he also find it ironic that the coach of his team won’t step into his offices to deal with him because he has no respect for him? While the publicist doesn’t bother with taking the time to acknowledge me, Sutton grins and stands, walking my way with arms outstretched.

“It’s been a while,” she says, wrapping her arms around me and treating me to a big hug. “How are you? How’s your dad?”

Sutton and I go way back—way, way back. She’s a few years older than me, but we’ve always had this easy connection. When I was younger, she used to babysit me, and for a few years, I’d say she was like the big sister I never had. She’d take me to the movies, talk me through all the teenage drama I thought was the end of the world, and somehow made everything feel less complicated. She’s always had this effortless charm, a kind of grace that makes everything she does seem so much cooler than it really is. Even when she was just hanging out with me on the couch, watching cartoons and pretending she didn’t care that I was asking about her dating life and what her favorite movies were, you knew she was destined for something bigger.

Now, she’s the city’s golden girl, the co-owner of the Renegades. Under her leadership, not so much Jimmy’s, in my honest opinion, they’ve begun turning the franchise into a powerhouse—not just on the ice but off it, too. She’s the one who is creative and sees things as a bigger picture, or at least that’s what I hear. It’s crazy to think about how far she’s come, but she still has that down-to-earth vibe that makes you feel like you’re talking to the same Sutton who was helping me with my math homework years ago.

“He’s good,” I straight-up lie through my teeth. “At home, feet up, relaxing. I’ve got specific instructions to stop by Two Scoops Creamery on the way home and pick him up a brownie sundae with the works.”

“My favorite, too,” she says. “I feel so disconnected, traveling too much lately. But I’m in town now and not planning on going anywhere. I’d love to get caught up, hear about life in the fast lane as Ben’s personal assistant.”

“It’s glamorous. I bought the diapers for the kids this week,” I say dramatically, punctuating it with a wink.

She giggles. “We’ll make a plan.” She looks back across the room where Jimmy sits with his head pressed close to the publicist before she turns her attention back to me, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I need to keep an eye on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over here for a bit.”

I choke back a laugh but nod in understanding. “See you soon.”

“Anna, before you leave, can you look at this file Ben emailed?” Jimmy calls out as he waves a hand at his laptop. “I’ve tried but I can’t get the attachment to open for the life of me.”

Sometimes being a tech genius is part of the job when you’re an assistant. Comical, especially as I was searching on YouTube earlier for how to boil eggs. No judgment needed, it’s an art.

“Sure thing.” I stride over to his desk and settle in behind it as Jimmy turns his back to me. Sutton glances over and mouthsthank you. Would it be nice if Jimmy said it? Sure, but now I get to sit in here and listen to him puff out more hot air, which means I don’t need to think about my own problems or the hurt I have for my dad right now, so it’s kind of entertaining.

“So, where were we…” Jimmy picks up the conversation again and snaps his fingers. “Oh, yep. Ambassadors and that stuff. Sutton, Lara, and I have compiled a list of players who are already excelling in this area, as well as a list of the ones who need to do more, in my opinion.”

“Oh?” Judging by the tone of Sutton’s voice, this is a surprise. I glance up as Lara the Queen of Public Relations hands her a piece of paper.

“Simple, really. Two lists: guys who are doing it right, and then the ones on the other list are the guys who need a little help. Or a nudge.” She leans over the paper, indicating something on it for Sutton to see. “If we start at the top, you’ll see I’ve listed suggested pairings for those players that I can try to arrange. A complimentary business we can approach about partnership. Exclusivity, brand deal, all of it.”

I turn the computer slightly to an angle where I can see better. At least from behind Jimmy’s laptop it appears as if I’m busy staring at the screen and not at these three.

Sutton’s brow furrows as she casts her eyes across the document. “You've only got five names on here. Two are injured and three of them are not only excellent players, but exceptional. Honestly, I’d rather have them practicing and taking care of themselves than worrying about getting a sponsorship deal.”

“Sutton.” Lara’s voice sounds exasperated. I don’t know Lara, but I do know Sutton, and when Sutton’s face twists at the tone Lara serves, I bite back a grin. “It’s not just about sponsorship, it’s also about lifting profiles. These three may not be signed with a business or product, yet, but if we lift their profiles I can almost guarantee they will be.”

“I’m so confused when you say you can ‘almost’ guarantee. A guarantee should be just that.” Sutton’s Southern drawl comes shining through. It always does when she’s getting serious. “Let’s look at the first name on here, Leon Tully.”

“Leon needs to appear at some local events, maybe a store opening, I don’t know. I’ll find ways to get him in the press so it feels natural,” Lara says. “Like he’s suddenly everywhere and anywhere, all at once.”

“It’s about taking the guys who are naturals at it and putting them in the right places,” Jimmy adds. “Lara and I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

I glance their way once more, only to find Sutton looking at me as she rolls her eyes.

“I’m so glad you and Lara have thought it through,” she says, sarcasm only slightly evident for those of us in the know, which you would think Jimmy would be, but by now I’ve figured him out. He’s working hard to impress this Lara lady, and it feels like Sutton’s getting the brunt end of it.

“We really have,” Lara says, nodding in agreement like a puppet next to Jimmy. “And someone like Sawyer Stockton is a natural, and since he’s dating that popstar…”

“Carly Lane,” Sutton says under her breath.

“Yes, Carly Lane, it really helps.”

The update flashes that it’s done on the screen, and the file Jimmy needed has opened, but I keep tapping away. He doesn’t know it’s finished and he doesn’t need to. There’s no way I’m leaving this convo, not yet anyway.

“Relationships like that we need to work with and nurture,” Lara adds on.

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