Page 19 of Date with a Devil
Austen eyed the sight—her boss’s squat yet boyish hand, clasping at her balled fist—as if it were some strange alien species trying to reproduce via osmosis. The weirdest thing about it was that she’d never known Thayer to be a handsy guy. She chalked the gesture up to him trying to be sympathetic, and hoped he never attempted anything like that again.
“Yeah, um, thanks.” Austen freed her hand the very first moment it wouldn’t seem rude. “But I’m actually a whole lot less stressed right now, if you’re ready for the good news.”
Thayer retrieved his hand and adjusted his tie. “Oh, right, sure.”
“So the date location is still up in the air, butI think I’ve got an interesting angle to explore with him. I’m actually hopeful that we might have a really good interview on our hands.”
His eyes narrowed skeptically. “And what’s that?”
“You know, I never really looked into it, but I think DeHardt was really messed up by Campbell’s death.”
Thayer’s lips tugged down into a frown. “A dead teammate is pretty heavy subject material forDate with a Devil,don’t you think? The show has never been about hard-hitting, truth-seeking journalism. It’s about goofy, lighthearted interactions with the players.”
“Yeah, I know, but I was just wondering if we could do something different this time. Think about it: the team goes from the highest high, competing for the Cup, to the lowest low, burying their teammate. All in the time of a few days. And everything for the Devils has been downhill since then. Then there’s DeHardt, trying his best to lead everyone out of the dark days, but failing at every turn and getting lambasted for it.”
“Austen, he’s lambasted for the ridiculous things he says to the media,notbecause he’s trying his best.” Thayer shook his head. “I have to say, I’m disappointed you’d suggest otherwise.”
His rebuke stunned Austen. She was certain she was on the right path, but now she found herself at a loss for words. “But … I … I’m just trying to do my job?”
Thayer nodded. “Yes, of course. I understand, and I’m sorry I put you in this impossible position of trying to make DeHardt look like a decent person. It’s my fault.”
Well, he finally apologized,Austen thought, but it wasn’t satisfying, and it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“Moving on,” Thayer said as he pulled a manila folder from his desk drawer. “I have some good news and bad news of my own. Which would you like to hear first?”
“I guess we should get the bad news out of the way.”
“Right.” Thayer took a deep breath. “I understand you had a story you wanted to tell, but I have to ask you not to bring up Campbell or Hathaway during this interview.”
“But … why?”
“Campbell’s death affectedeveryonein this organization. To this day, we’re all still trying to figure out the best way to heal and move forward. That being said, as the official media outlet of the Dallas Devils, we cannot let DeHardt co-opt the tragic death of a teammate and turn it into a sob story to explain away his own outrageous behavior.”
Austen could see Thayer’s point, but she still thought it was an idea worth exploring. “But … I could gently broach the subject, and if he says anything inappropriate, we can cut it during editing? You get the final say on what airs, of course. But I really think I might have something here, Thayer.”
He shook his head. “No, Austen. I’ve gone to great lengths to try to manage this story and I just cannot take that risk. The topic is absolutely off-limits for this interview.”
Wow.
“Well, I guess I’m ready for some good news,” she said with a sigh.
He took a paper from the manila folder and neatly set it in front of her. “I knew you were struggling with the assignment, so I went ahead and chose the shoot locations and made all the bookings.”
“Oh,” Austen said, scanning the itinerary. “Bowling at Bowl & Barrel. Easy enough. Dinner at Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill. Never been there.”
“Everything on the menu is fantastic and athlete-approved. But my personal recommendation is their tuna nachos.”
“Noted. I guess it’s all settled then.” Austen gave a shrug and rose to her feet. “If that’s all you need from me, I’ll see you on Monday.”
“You’re going to do great, Austen. Try to have a good time, okay?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Thanks for shooting down all my ideas and taking me right back to square one, that is …
Chapter 8
Dane
