Page 15 of Reputation
She smiled at Eavie as she approached and reached out her hand.“Eavie, it’s a pleasure to meet you.I’m Amanda, but everyone calls me Mandy.I’m Jason Leblanc’s assistant,” she said, referring to the club’s president.
Standing, Eavie returned the gesture.“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
“Follow me,” she said, gesturing with her hand as she pivoted back the way she came.“I’ll show you to your office first so you can drop off your things, and then I’ll give you a tour of our floor.”
Eavie kept pace beside her, their heels clicking in unison as they turned right down a long hallway flanked on either side by frosted windows and doors with nameplates.Interspersed between the offices were several board rooms encased with more glass walls.
“I’ll give you a facility tour and get your photo ID card this afternoon.There’s a meeting this morning, and we won’t have time before then,” Mandy commented.
Continuing their path down the hall, they emerged into an open-concept space filled with cubicles.Only a few people sat behind the desks right now, but a quick scan told her it held twenty or so desks.They walked down the center of the line of cubicles and continued for a few more steps before stopping at the door on the right.The nameplate saidOffice of the General Manager.On either side were tall, thin windows, completely frosted.Mandy opened the door and stepped aside to let Eavie go first.
Inside was a large square room with cream walls and dark blue carpet.To the left was a cozy seating area designed as a waiting space.On the right were bookcases full of books about various subjects, everything from game theory to hockey autobiographies, a handful of trophies, and some knickknacks.There was also a wooden sideboard cabinet with a coffee machine and a small potted plant.
At the back sat a large wooden desk that matched the sideboard and high-backed office chair.Directly behind the desk were four large windows through which massive fluorescent lights blazed inside steel rafters.
“This is your office,” Mandy said as Eavie walked in.“The door to your left is the entrance to Sam’s.”She pointed to the open one beside the cluster of seats.
Eavie nodded as she wandered to the windows, curious about what was beyond.Looking down, she saw figures dressed in practice jerseys skating around the ice.Without conscious thought, her eyes latched onto a figure crouched in a forward frog pose, knees out to the side.She knew instinctively it was Jax before she even took in the number printed on his back—number eighty-five.As she watched, he bounced a few times, pushing his legs out to the side before he dropped his hips down and forward.The images of him performing a similar movement while braced above her flashed in her mind.She stepped back from the window abruptly.
Down, girl—put the rabbit back in the den!
Turning back to Mandy, she hoped the flash of heat wasn’t spreading to her cheeks.“It’s great, thank you, but I hope I’m not expected to keep that plant alive,” she said, nodding to the one on the sideboard.“I will kill it.”
Mandy chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, it’s fake.After several failed attempts to keep real ones alive, we learned they don’t seem to enjoy living in our offices.I’m glad you like the space, though.I’m sorry for all the blue and white.When the offices were built a few years ago, the designer went a little overboard with being on brand.”
Eavie scanned the color scheme of her office again as she put her bag and coffee cup on the desk.She hung her coat on the rack beside the bookshelves.There was definitely an emphasis on team colors.“There are worse colors to be surrounded by,” she commented.“Imagine working for the Austin Blaze.It would be like working on the inside of an orange.”Her face scrunched as she shook her head in mock horror.
Mandy burst out laughing.“Good point,” she said before she continued.“Anyway, we assistants are usually the first to arrive in the mornings.The executives don’t normally get in until nine.I recommend soaking in the quiet before everyone gets here and needs your attention.Right now, though, shall we begin your tour?”
Eavie nodded and followed her into the hallway.Mandy pointed to a door directly across.On the plate next to it said Office of the President.
“This is my office.Feel free to pop over anytime if you have questions or need a break.You and I will work closely, so we’ll get to know each other well.I promise you’ll learn to love me,” she said with a cheeky smile over her shoulder.
They retraced their steps from earlier, Mandy pointing out executive offices and cubicles as they went.She explained the layout was like a square, with the center overlooking the practice arena a few floors down.
Returning to the lobby, they rounded a corner and through a door into a large lunchroom full of tables and chairs.Against one wall were several TVs with news stations and sports broadcasts flashing across them.
“This is the break room.Everyone usually comes here to eat their lunches.At the back, through that door is the kitchen.It has fridges, microwaves, coffee machines, toasters…basically anything you need.Do you usually bring your lunch?”Mandy asked.
“Sometimes, but mostly, I buy it,” Eavie responded.
“Wonderful,” Mandy said.“You and I can be guilty of that together.I’ve tried so many times to be a meal prepper, but I have never managed to keep it going.”She shrugged, the gesture casual enough to tell Eavie she wasn’t all that upset about it.“Unfortunately, there are some great places to eat around here, too, which just acts as an enabler.I’ll show you some of the best spots this afternoon.”
As they returned to their offices, Mandy went over their morning.“As I mentioned, Sam will be in around nine.You’ll have time to sit and chat with him before the meeting at ten.Jason is also going, so you and I will both attend,” she said, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.“If Sam’s meeting isn’t on this floor, you’ll be going with him.I do the same with Jason.”
Inside her office, Mandy pointed to her desk.“In the top left drawer, you’ll find a detailed binder with everything you need to know as Sam’s assistant.His previous one kept meticulous notes.”
Eavie walked over to her desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a monstrous white binder.On the front, in typed letters, it said, “The Bible.”Eavie chuckled and sat down in her chair.As she opened the binder, Mandy came over to stand on her left.
“See, I told you—detailed.This binder contains everything you need to know.There is also a file on the drive where a copy is saved.That way, you can update it if there are changes.”
As they flipped through, Mandy highlighted a few essential items, and Eavie began to get a good sense of her new boss.Each executive was different, and they all had unique preferences.Knowing how Sam preferred things was vital to her being successful as his assistant.
They were discussing travel specifics when her new boss walked into the office.They both glanced up at the sound of his arrival, and he smiled at them.
“Good morning, ladies.Eavie, it’s great to see you again.Welcome to the team.I see Mandy hasn’t scared you off yet,” he said teasingly toward her.
Sam Morin was tall with a lean frame.His brown eyes matched the color of his hair, which he kept cut short.He wore thick, black-rimmed square glasses that suited his oval face.
