Page 16 of Bar Down

"Tell them to put their money toward something productive, like retirement planning."

"Avoidance noted," Allison said. "But seriously, I haven't seen you that relaxed in awhile. It was nice."

The simple observation hit harder than Stephanie expected. Had she really become so guarded that a normal conversation registered as noteworthy to her friends?

"We've established a professional alliance," she said, aiming for casual but hearing the defensiveness in her voice. "That's all."

"If you say so." Allison's tone said she wasn't buying it.

"Nope. Not going there," she said. Romantic entanglements were messy, unpredictable, and professionally dangerous—three things she absolutely couldn't afford right now.

Especially not with a colleague whose direct approach threatened to blast through the careful walls she'd built around her past. Even if that colleague did have shoulders that filled out a suit jacket in ways that occasionally distracted her during team meetings.

Grabbing her purse and keys, Stephanie headed for the door, shifting into full professional mode. Today was about survival—securing her position, protecting the team, and managing whatever curveballs Darby & Darby might throw.

Marcus and his unexpected appeal would have to wait.

***

THE LOCKER ROOM FELLsilent as Stephanie entered alongside Coach Vicky. These pre-practice meetings typically didn't include the PR director, but the ownership transition had rewritten the usual rules.

"Morning," Coach Vicky said briskly, surveying the assembled players. Everyone was present, from Kane in his usual corner stall to rookies trying to look inconspicuous along the far wall. "Let's get to it. We've all had time to process the announcement."

Stephanie's eyes automatically sought out Marcus. He sat slightly apart, already in his base layer workout gear, the thin fabric stretched across his chest, reading glasses perched on his nose as he reviewed something on his tablet. A fresh bruise was visible on his forearm—likely from blocking a shot in yesterday's practice. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up, giving her a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Was that a coffee cup from Chesapeake Coffee on the bench beside him?

"Before we hit the ice," Coach continued, "we need to align on approach. Stephanie is here because she's going to help us navigate the media side of this transition. Whatever happens upstairs, what matters is what happens on this ice and in this room."

Stephanie stepped forward. "You've all seen Westfield talking about 'restructuring' our community programs. I've already reached out to clarify what he means, but in the meantime, stick to our established talking points if asked."

She pulled up the document on her tablet, the familiar routine of PR direction steadying her. This was her element—crafting narratives, protecting her people, controlling what could be controlled.

"For media: We welcome fresh perspectives but remain committed to our New Haven community. For fans: Nothing changes in our dedication to this city. For community partners: All existing programs continue as planned." She glanced around the room. "Questions?"

"What's his angle?" Kane asked, voicing what everyone was thinking. "Why target the community programs right out of the gate?"

Before Stephanie could respond, Marcus spoke up from his corner.

"They're measuring ROI," he said, setting aside his tablet. "Community programs have the lowest return in traditional analytics models because the benefits are long-term and often qualitative rather than quantitative."

All eyes turned to him, including Stephanie's. This was exactly the kind of cold, numbers-driven approach she expected from him—and exactly what she feared from Darby & Darby.

But Marcus wasn't finished.

"The models are wrong," he continued, surprising her. "They fail to account for brand loyalty development, community goodwill as crisis insurance, and the performance boost from players' emotional connection to their community."

He glanced at Stephanie, something like solidarity in his eyes. "It's bad analytics, not just bad PR."

The room fell silent as players processed this unexpected alliance. Stephanie felt a rush of something dangerously close to attraction—seeing him defend what she cared about hit her harder than she'd expected.

"Spreadsheets's got a point," Jax spoke up. "Those kids at the New Haven Youth Center don't show up in the stats, but they're why I give an extra 10% on the penalty kill."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Coach Vicky nodded approvingly.

"That's exactly the perspective we need. Stephanie, Marcus—can you two put together something that shows the ownership the full picture? Numbers and narrative together?"

"Already in progress," Stephanie confirmed, exchanging a quick glance with Marcus. "We'll have preliminary findings by tomorrow."

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