Page 8 of Faking the Face Off

“She’s right,” Jimmy says, pacing the floor. “Having his girlfriend be high profile gets the two of them more time in the press. When she comes to the arena for games, we always have more people and press show up, too. And, I see them on his off days on social media all the time.”

“Because I sent you the posts.” Lara giggles. You’d have to be ridiculously stupid to not see the lingering glance that happens between these two as she says it, and my gut instinct kicks me hard. I’m not liking what I’m sensing here. “It’s like having our own Travis and Taylor love story, isn’t it?”

“Okay,” Sutton interjects loudly as she reaches for the glass of water in front of her. “Let’s keep going. You’ve got Ollie Decker’s name on here, too.”

My ears suddenly perk up, like an elf in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.MyOllie?

“We’re trying with him.” Lara nods. “He’s primed to be a great ‘face of,’” she says, bringing out the air quotes. “With Noah becoming an assistant coach, we have a hole to fill. Ollie is straight-up sexy, he’s beloved by the fans, and for once we have a player who comes with little to no baggage. He’s not been in a fight on or off the ice, he’s always on time if not early…the list goes on. We’ve got a choir boy on our hands, people, and we need to utilize him.”

Before I can stop the groan from escaping my lips, it does. As the sound of it echoes in the room, I glance up to find Sutton trying not to laugh as Lara and Jimmy spin around to face me with arms crossed.

“You have something to say?” Jimmy asks.

Things you don’t do as a personal assistant: make yourself known.

“No…uh, your computer is done.” I close the laptop and stand up, realizing my time has come to leave.

“You sure, Anna?” Sutton asks, nodding my way. “If you have a thought about what we’re talking about, share it.”

“Who is she?” Lara asks.

Sutton purses her lips as she gazes upon Lara with a look like one would give a gnat who is circling a fruit bowl. Total irritation. “Ben’s assistant. Probably one of the only people, besides Ben, who knows those guys well enough to weigh in on what they will and won’t do.”

She turns back to me and cocks her head to one side and waves a hand in the air as if she were magically opening a door. “Seriously, Anna, if you have insight for us around this convo, we’re all ears. Share.”

I don’t want to stay here, even if it is Sutton who’s asking me to, but I don’t like that Ollie’s name has popped up as someone who isn’t fulfilling a duty. And I won’t let him get thrown under the bus. I’ve known him forever. At River City High, we’d hungout with a large group of about ten to twelve that whittled down to just us, and we made it a point over the years to stay close. Then after being separated for the time we were at college, we’d managed to pick up like it was nothing when we saw each other again. We have the kind of history and a kind of bonding you don’t forget.

“While what you’re saying makes sense, you need to also approach this smartly, right?” When all three heads bob in agreement, I continue. “I know you want to leverage these guys, while also helping them to be entities themselves, but not everyone needs to be thrust into a sponsorship deal because not all of their personalities will allow for it. Like Sawyer.”

“Sawyer’s partner is a pop star, so that helps,” Lara says, her condescending tone not lost on me.

“Right. Thing One isn’t good at promotions or a commercial, he’s better with a staged photo op and no words.” I look pointedly at Lara. “So of course he’s at his best with a famous girlfriend on his arm. If she wasn’t there, you’d be looking for another way to get him in front of the cameras. But it’s authentic, a natural fit at the moment, so it works.”

Sutton’s head nods as I speak. “Makes sense to me. Especially authenticity. More people want that in the face of AI and all of the social media influence going on out there.”

“Exactly,” I say, clapping my hands together. “So why not look at someone like Ollie, for example, and get him involved in something that’s a more natural fit and works for his strengths. Local commercials, appearances. Easy things to get him started out. He can be the face just without the pressure as he gets used to it.”

“He’s a hard sell because we need to soften him for the public,” Lara muses, grabbing Jimmy’s arm. “I know. We could get him a makeover, get him a new wardrobe with a stylist helping, do something with his hair…”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” I gesture broadly, trying to get my point across. “Yes, he needs to be softened, but Ollie’s got a down-to-earth, everyman vibe. He is relatable and approachable. People love that! You don’t have to shove him into some big sponsorship deal. Start small—something like…”

I pause, searching for the right words, wanting to help my friend when Lara blurts out, “Like a fake relationship!”

“A fake relationship?” Sutton echoes, one eyebrow arching.

“Yes, we mimic what Sawyer has but sans popstar.” Lara nods as Jimmy’s eyes light up. “Like one of those red carpet pairings they do in Hollywood. We’ll have him dating someone. The big giant dating a sweet, little thing? How adorable would that be?”

I walk across the room and grab my messenger bag, pulling it over my head as I shake it. Somehow things have gone from zero to a hundred in no time flat. “Not necessarily what I was going for. I mean, Ollie likes coffee so I’m thinking a local coffee shop is a good place to start.”

“You already have one couple in the spotlight,” Sutton says, her voice sharp. “Why do we need another?”

“It’s an easy lift, low-hanging fruit,” Lara responds. “If it’s the right person.”

None of this is going how it should and I’m already regretting opening my mouth. Ollie is going to kill me if these guys force him to date someone just to make him seem more relatable. It’s just not him.

“You know,” Lara continues, snapping her fingers as she stands up. “Why can’t we have a love story of some kind for someone like Ollie? It would thaw even the iciest of hearts to see our giant, tough, manly defenseman fall in love in front of the city, more so than a perfectly packaged couple—or a perfectly put-together Ollie.”

Sutton’s jaw goes slack. “But it means Ollie would have to find a girlfriend. Now.”

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