Chapter 3
BURTON
We’ve finished eating. Well, I should say the other three finished, and I’m picking at what they’ve left on their plates. I didn’t want to order too much because I’d guilted Clark into paying, and I don’t want to be that guy.
I’m not typically a mooch, so I pull out my card when the server comes by with the check. It’s late enough that we don’t have to worry about people needing our spot, which makes it easier to stay longer and chat about ideas.
“I thought I was paying,” Clark says, batting my card away.
“That was a joke,” I say, pushing a little farther to the edge of the bench. It’s only a second or two later that I realize I’ve monopolized most of the space on our side of the booth, meaning Laney is at the end of the seat so she doesn’t get squished.
“I can pay for my own as well,” she says, taking a wallet out of her purse.
Clark shakes his head. “No, I’ve got it. We’re here for something I asked, so this is on me.”
The server takes his card hesitantly and walks away. I look back at my wallet, searching for any cash I have to give him.
“I’ll send you some money through an app later,” I say.
“If you do, you’ll be sleeping on the floor,” Clark says.
“Then I’ve got the groceries for the next week.”
Clark shakes his head. “Your meal was like fifteen dollars. Groceries cost a lot more. You’re working for the money, just not physically.”
I shake my head. I should’ve kept my mouth shut from the beginning.
Once the bill is settled, Jessa takes out a notebook and a pen, poised to write.
“What do you want to create?” Laney asks.
She’s got brown hair that curls to her shoulders. Maybe it was the situation earlier that made it so I didn’t really notice her. But now, she looks so familiar. Where have I seen her before?
“I want to do something for the fans. To get them excited about the coming season. We might be a smaller market, but I think we’ve got plenty of people who love lacrosse.”
“His first idea was to have a barbecue in the house’s backyard. He phrased it as a get-together with some people,” I say, giving Laney a lopsided smile to show how ridiculous that is. She looks confused for a second and then nods. No hint of a smile there.
“I guess, depending on how many people you’re planning for, that could work. Although I’ve never seen where you live,” Laney says.
“Our backyard is a small square,” I respond, giving Clark a look.
He shakes his head. “I changed it to say we could do something at the field. Maybe some meet-and-greets or some challenges or something. I would love for kids to participate. With the brands I’m working with, we could get some sticks or gear for all of them.
Kind of a learn-to-play-lacrosse type thing. ”
“Didn’t we just do that last summer with Play it Forward?”
Clark shrugs. “Yeah, but why can’t we do it again? Or something different?”
Laney leans forward, and a whiff of vanilla hits me. That’s surprising given her living conditions. I think the smell of the formaldehyde just faded from my nasal passages a few minutes ago.
“What is your overall goal with this event?” she asks. “Do you want to meet the fans? Raise money for a charity? I think once you nail that down, it’ll be easier to plan.”
Clark slumps down in his seat a bit, looking like he’s trying to decide.
“Obviously, a charity event is always a good idea,” he says slowly.
“Okay, do you want it to be at the field?” Laney asks.
Holding his hands out in front of him, Clark says, “I’m open to suggestions. That’s why I need other people besides just me to come up with things like this.”
“Why didn’t you just ask the marketing team to head this up?” I ask.
“Because I got an idea and wanted to run with it,” Clark says, his eyebrows raised at me.
Laney looks at Jessa. “Wait, aren’t you the marketing team?”
Jessa laughs. “Pretty much. We’re still trying to rebuild the department.”
We’re all quiet for a moment, but I’m stuck on the idea of the drills, like we did for a group of kids last summer. Obviously, the creativity portion of life isn’t something I have a talent for.
Laney shifts her body for a second before saying, “You could do some kind of scavenger hunt and then host a finale party at the field. That way it’s not just a one and done kind of promo, but something we can buzz for a few weeks. I mean, something that Jessa can put on the socials for a while.”
I turn to look at Laney. She talks like she knows exactly what’s going on, and I have seen her before. “Do you work for SMG?”
She gives me a small smile. “I’m a reporter for the company. That’s how I know Jessa.”
“How long have you been a reporter?”
“For a little over three years. I was in Seattle before this.”
“But you grew up here, right?” Jessa asks.
Laney nods. “Yeah, out in Stansbury Park. Well, outside of that.”
Her cheeks blush, and she looks adorable. Not that I need to worry about that. The woman feared a sheet and a deer’s head, although I can see how she thought it was a dead body in the dim light.
“I’m not sure where that is, but sounds cool,” I say. I’ve only been here for a few years, and I think I’ve finally got most of the major cities mapped out in my mind.
“Anyway,” Clark says, leaning forward on his arms on the table. “I like the idea of doing a treasure hunt type thing, but it needs to be something people all over the state can do. I mean, from the northern border to the southern area, it’s like six hours.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, the only sounds coming from the restaurant kitchen and Jessa’s pen writing on the notebook.
“What if you do something bingo-style mixed with a scavenger hunt and then have people submit pictures for it?” Jessa asks. “Take a picture at a park. Visit a museum, etcetera. Then we can relate it to lacrosse somehow.”
Clark points his finger at Jessa and nods. “That would be cool. We can have a celebration for the winners. Or all the participants. We want to bring people to the celebration, not turn them away.”
I grin, nodding. I hadn’t thought about how much youth lacrosse helped shape me into the guy I am today until we did a clinic last year.
With my crazy schedule, I forgot about that for a moment, but I love that Clark wants to include the kids.
They’re the ones we need to influence to help foster a love of the game early.
“Have you asked the financial team if there’s a budget for something like this?” Laney asks.
Clark shakes his head, and Jessa gives Laney a small smile.
“That’s something we need to figure out.
There’s been a few position openings over the past several months, including the CFO.
They didn’t love the idea of bringing in another sports team to SMG when the baseball team was announced and most of them took jobs elsewhere.
It would be nice to know the budget to plan better.
Maybe we’ll get some ideas of what we want to do at the final event?
Then we can adjust it depending on the funds available. ”
“I’d be willing to put in some,” Clark says. “I mean, I’d love to give back to kids in the community.”
I feel bad that I’m not able to extend a monetary offering as well. Clark, as a star player for the Lancers, landed several sponsorships last year for a handful of lacrosse companies. He quit working at the fire station to do lacrosse full-time. I’m not quite to his status, but a guy can dream.
Jessa nods. “That’s great, but we might as well see what the group has in their budget for things like this. I doubt the Lancers have ever used any, so it won’t be hard to pitch.”
“What about stations that kids can join in?” I ask. “Maybe challenge a pro? Then we can have food and giveaway bags or swag bags for people.”
“You could make it a lacrosse carnival,” Laney says. “See who does the fastest shot, who can go through defenders, or gets a good score on an obstacle course.”
Clark nods. “Perfect. We can get a bunch of Lancer apparel for the kids and adults to wear. Shirts, hats, sweatshirts.”
Jessa finishes writing something and lifts her pen. “When are you hoping to do this?”
Clark pulls out his phone, and I do the same.
“Our first game starts in about four weeks. Once the season is in full swing, it’ll be hard to do anything. So maybe two weeks?”
That’s a tight timeline, but then again, I rarely plan events.
“That’ll be a challenge,” Laney says, glancing at her phone. I watch as her fingers tap away at the screen to pull up her calendar app, the light blue polish on her fingers catching the light. “What if you do it the day before the first game? Get people to the stadium and enjoy the surroundings.”
I nod. “That would be great. They can be around for opening day, and it gives them more time to participate in the scavenger hunt. If they’ve traveled from far away, it can be a weekend trip.”
Jessa raises her pen one more time and says, “I’ll make a note to check in with the financial team. But I think we can get the promo work going by this weekend to send out the challenges and then do the rest of the planning once we know numbers.”
We all nod. That isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I enjoy pitching ideas, and it was surprisingly easy to bounce off of the ideas Laney had.
Once out at the car, Clark holds the door open for Jessa to get back into the driver’s seat, and I’m not sure what I should do. I mean, this isn’t a date, so do I open the door for Laney?
My three older sisters would die if they knew I hadn’t been a gentleman, even to someone I barely know.
I open the door for her on the passenger side, and she gives me a wide-eyed look, as if this was the wrong idea. But I won’t worry about that, not when it’s better to err on the side of kindness.
I’m not excited to be stuck in the backseat again, but our house is only a few miles away.
It’s only when I get in that I hear Clark and Jessa talking about where to take Laney.
“I’ll be fine,” she says.
“Why don’t you stay at Jessa’s tonight?” Clark says. “We can take you to your apartment tomorrow to get whatever you need.”
Laney looks like she’s trying to decide and then says, “I don’t want to be a burden.”
Jessa turns to her. “Are you nervous about sleeping in your apartment tonight?”
“A little.”
With a smile, Jessa says, “Then come sleep at my house, where the only sharp objects I have are kitchen knives.”
Laney’s eyes go wide for a moment, and then she lets out a soft chuckle.
“Maybe it’s too early to reference death possibilities,” I say to Jessa. I let my gaze drift to Laney, and she’s studying me with an intensity I haven’t seen from her all night.
“Sorry about that,” Jessa says, as she backs out of the restaurant parking lot and eases onto the main road.
Laney lets out a long breath and says, “It’s okay. Staying with you would be great. Thank you.”
I don’t know why part of my chest loosens a bit as she agrees to that. At least she won’t die in the middle of the night.