Chapter 10 Joelle
JOELLE
Three days later, I'm on a Zoom call with the Mavericks Director of Sports Medicine. I walk them through my experience, my protocols, my results. They ask about my approach to injury prevention, recovery, and player management. I answer every question, and by the end, they're smiling.
"We'll be in touch," they say.
I hang up.
And wait.
Two days later, my phone rings with an unknown number From a New York area code.
Butterflies in my stomach take off. "Hello?"
"Hi, Joelle, this is Marcus Rogers from the Manhattan Mavericks. We'd like to offer you the position."
My heart stops. "Really?"
"Really. Pierre and Felix spoke very highly of you. And your interview was excellent. We think you'd be a great fit."
I can't breathe. "When would you need me to start?"
"As soon as possible. But we understand you'd have to give notice to your club and sort out your life in London. We'd also need to wait for work visa approvals. It all depends on whether you're willing to accept the job or not."
"Yes. I accept." I hear myself say it without thinking. Shit. My heart is racing, this is truly happening.
"Excellent. Can't wait for you to join the team. I'll send over the contract for you to sign, and one of the HR team will be in touch. Welcome to the Mavericks, Joelle."
"Thank you. Just one more thing," I say to Marcus.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Please don't treat me any differently because of my brothers."
Marcus bursts out laughing. "You didn't get the job because of them.
I want to make that clear. They also made it very clear they were not pressuring the team either.
You were the best person for the job. Were your brothers great advocates?
Yes. But honestly, your stats with your current club are impressive.
We did our research. Believe me, even more so because of who your brothers are.
I would say we over-scrutinized you compared to other candidates.
Your brothers were more of a con than a pro for you. "
Wow, I wasn't expecting him to be so honest, but I appreciate it.
"Thank you."
"Not a problem. Welcome to the team, Joelle. I look forward to working with you."
And with that, I hang up and stare at my phone. Holy shit. I'm moving to New York.
I call Collette. "I got it."
She screams. I scream. There's lots of screaming.
"Told you, you would."
"Thank you," I tell her.
"I'm so excited. The boys are going to lose their minds."
"I can't believe this is real. I'm moving back to the East Coast."
"You are going to love New York. The shopping is amazing. Not that you're a big shopper, but maybe you will be when you get here. And the nightlife. The men." She chuckles.
"Dating is the lowest priority right now."
"Yeah, yeah." She chuckles.
"I'm so excited. Sad that I'm leaving London, Polly and the girls. But I’m excited to be close to you guys."
"Me too. Sister time. Plus, now Harper and Issy are part of our family too. And you and I are going to be roomies again."
The next morning, I knock on Cameron Cooper's office door. He's sitting at his desk, scrolling through his phone.
"Joelle, hey, come in." He sits up straighter, trying to look professional. He's twenty-three, fresh out of university.
"Morning, Cameron. Do you have a minute?"
"For you, of course. What's up?"
I place the envelope on his desk. "I'm resigning. I've accepted a position with a professional hockey team in New York."
His face goes pale. "What?"
"I'll make sure to transition everything properly before I go. Train the other physios. Document all my protocols."
"Wait, you're ... you're leaving?"
"Yes."
"But ... but I just started. Dad said you were going to help me learn everything."
"I'll help as much as I can before I go," I reassure him.
Cameron stands up and starts pacing around the room, trying to work out what to do next. "You can't just leave. What am I supposed to do?"
"I can. And I will. I miss my family. I'll be working with them, just like you're working with your dad. I couldn't say no to that opportunity. You have a degree in sports science. You'll be fine."
"I don't know how to do this job! I need you here!" he whines.
"I'm sorry, but this is an incredible opportunity for me."
"If you want more money, I can ask Dad to pay you more."
I shake my head. "It's not about the money."
Cameron ignores my comment and grabs the phone.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Calling my dad." He puts it on speaker.
"Why?"
"Because he’ll know what to do. He always knows what to do."
"Cameron?" David Cooper's voice echoes through the room. "What is it? I'm in a meeting."
"Dad, Joelle just handed in her resignation. She's leaving. Going to New York. I don't know what to do. She's standing right in front of me right now."
Silence.
"Put her on." David sneers through the phone line.
Cameron looks at me. Scared.
I step closer to the phone. "Mr. Cooper ..."
"What the hell is this about?" His voice is sharp. Angry.
"I've been offered a position with a professional hockey team in New York."
"New York? Why the hell would you move there?"
"Because my brothers play for the team." Not that I have to explain myself.
"This is unacceptable," he yells at me. "After everything this club has done for you. This is how you repay us?"
"With all due respect, I've given this club five years of excellent service ..."
"And now you're abandoning us when we need you most. Cameron just started, he needs your guidance."
"Like I told him, I'm willing to help transition ..."
"You're willing?" He scoffs. "How generous. Tell me, Joelle, is this about the promotion?"
Cameron's eyes widen, and he looks between me and the phone.
"Partly, yes." I'm not going to lie.
"So, you're throwing a tantrum because you didn't get what you wanted." David Cooper hisses through the phone.
"I'm pursuing a better opportunity. One that puts me closer to my family."
"You're running away because you couldn't handle a little competition."
My jaw clenches. "Your son just graduated. He has zero professional experience. He was put into a position he is not qualified for. That wasn't competition, that was nepotism."
Cameron gasps at my comments.
"I'm coming down there. Don't fucking move." The line goes dead.
Cameron stares at me. "You shouldn't have said that." He looks like he's about to pass out from fear. "He's going to be so angry."
This wasn't at all how I saw today going.
"I didn't know this job was supposed to be yours. I asked him to let me start at the bottom, but he told me Coopers are always on top." Oh. I didn't realize that. "I'm sorry my coming here means the team is going to lose you. But I also understand."
Maybe I had him pegged wrong.
"My brothers play professional hockey. My sister is their head of social media. They asked me to join them. I've been here in London for five years and I miss my family. As a French-Canadian, hockey is my first love. Growing up in a family devoted to the sport, I miss it."
"I get it. My dad won't." He shrugs.
Moments later, David Cooper storms into the office, red-faced and furious. "You." He points at me. "This is exactly why you didn't get the job. You're disloyal. Ungrateful."
I'm shocked by his venom.
"You're fired," he screams at me.
I blink. "Excuse me?"
"Effective immediately. You've proven yourself to be disloyal to this organization. A bad influence. I won't have you poisoning my son's transition."
"Dad ..." Cameron starts.
"Quiet, Cameron. This doesn't involve you." David doesn't look at him, instead he keeps his eyes on me. "Pack your things. Security will escort you out."
My heart is pounding. I'm too shocked to respond.
"Dad, please," Cameron calls out. But David is so enraged he continues to ignore him.
I appreciate Cameron attempting to diffuse the situation. "It's fine. I'll go."
"And don't expect a reference from this club." He sneers.
"I don't need one. Others already saw my worth," I tell him as I turn to leave.
"You'll regret this, Joelle," he calls after me. "Running off to America. You'll be back in a year begging for your job."
I stop at the door and turn around. I look at Cameron, he looks terrified. Then at David. "I won't," I tell him with a satisfied smirk. He'll be the one contacting me at the end of the season. And I walk out with my head held high. Screw him.
This wasn't how I wanted to leave the club after all these years, but it's how I've been forced to.
I make it home before I break down in tears, anger, frustration, and humiliation. I grab my phone and call Collette.
She answers on the second ring. "Hey! Did you hand in your ..."
"I got fired." My voice cracks.
"What?"
"Cameron called his dad when I handed in my resignation. He didn't know what to do with it. David came down and fired me on the spot. Said I was disloyal. A bad influence." I'm sobbing now. "He had security escort me out, Lettie. Like I was some criminal."
"Oh my god, Jo ..."
"And my visa." My stomach drops. "Shit. My visa is tied to my job. I have a week, maybe less, to pack up and leave the country."
I can't breathe as I'm hit by a panic attack.
"Jo, breathe. Just breathe."
"I don't know what to do. I have to pack up my entire life in a week."
"Listen to me," Collette says firmly. "You're going to be fine. I'm calling HR right now. We'll work something out. The Mavericks want you. I'm sure we can expedite everything, just like they did for me when I left the Devils."
"But my visa ..."
"I'll handle it. Go relax for a moment and then start packing what you need and what you don't need. I'll call you back in a few hours."
"Lettie ..."
"I've got you, sis. I promise. Just breathe."
I nod even though she can't see me. "Okay."
"I love you. And, Jo? Fuck David Cooper."
That makes me laugh through the tears. "Yeah. Fuck him."
I hang up and text Polly, letting her know what happened.
Polly: Fucking asshole. I'm in meetings all day. I'll leave work as soon as I can. I'll grab the girls and we will work shit out.
Later that night, Hazel and Tate join Polly and me on the couch, drinking my frustrations away with copious amounts of wine.
"David Cooper is a twat," Hazel says.
"Agreed," Tate adds. "Can't believe he fired you on the spot."
"At least I got the New York job," I say.
"True. But still. What a dick move." Polly refills my glass.
"What are you going to do about the flat?" Tate asks.
"I don't know. I feel bad leaving Polly in the lurch."
Polly waves my concerns away. "You aren't at all. I hadn't had a chance to talk to you, Tate, about maybe moving in."
"Really? Oh my gosh, that would be awesome. My lease is up in two months, and I can't wait to get away from my roommate."
"That's what I thought," Polly adds.
"Sorry, is this weird?" Tate asks me.
I shake my head. "No. Not at all. I'm glad it's all working out. I'm relieved I'm not leaving Polly in the lurch."
"You're not," Polly reassures me again.
"What about your stuff?" Hazel asks.
"I've spent all day going through it. But I guess I'm going to have to ship it." I shrug.
"We'll help. Whatever you need," Polly says.
"Thanks, guys. I'm so stressed. I just don't know what to do," I confess.
"We've got you, babe," Tate states.
"More wine. That will solve everything," Hazel adds.
My phone rings, and I look down to see who it is. "It's my sister." I get up to answer it. "Hey." Please let it be good news.
"Okay. I talked to HR. And legal. And basically everyone." She sounds breathless. "We can expedite your visa through the US Embassy in London."
"Really?"
"Yes. The Mavericks have done this before for international players. There's a process. It's fast-tracked for professional athletes and essential staff."
"How fast?"
"They've booked you an appointment for tomorrow. You'll go in and submit your paperwork. They'll interview you. And if everything checks out, they'll stamp your passport on the spot."
"On the spot?"
"Yes. Then you can fly to New York this weekend. The boys will pay for it."
"I can buy my own ticket."
"They knew you'd say that. But they want to do this for you. If you fly this weekend, the boys aren't playing. So, they can help move you in and everything."
This Friday. Four days. "That's so soon." Panic sets in.
"I know. But your UK visa expires in a week. We need to move fast." She pauses. "Can you do it?"
I look around the flat. At Polly, Hazel, and Tate. At my life here. It’s been five years, and just like that, I'm leaving in four days.
"Yeah," I hear myself say. "I can do it."
"Good. I'll email you all the details. The embassy appointment. Flight information. Everything."
"Thank you, Lettie."
"Of course. We take care of each other." Her voice softens. "I can't wait to see you."
"Me too."
We hang up, and I walk back to where the girls are all sitting.
"What happened?" Polly asks.
"They're able to expedite the visa."
"That's good," she says.
"It is." I nod before my face falls. "But it means I'm leaving this weekend."
The girls gasp.
"You knew time had run out," Polly says sadly.
"I know. But it's official now." I walk back and fall against the couch.
Hazel raises her glass. "Well then, to new beginnings." She gives me a wide smile.
She's right. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
"To new beginnings," I agree.
The next couple of days are chaotic. Embassy appointment.
Paperwork. Interview. Passport stamped. Packing.
Sorting. Deciding what to ship and what to leave.
Saying goodbye to my old team. They wanted to catch up for drinks before I left.
No one is happy with David over my firing.
So much so that they're all looking for new jobs.
But they're all excited about me moving to New York and working with my brothers.
And before I know it, the girls drive me to Heathrow, and I'm getting ready to board my flight home.
"I can't believe you're leaving," Polly cries.
"Me neither," I blubber, giving her a hug. "Promise you'll visit."
"I promise. Obviously. I need to meet hot hockey players." She giggles.
"Us too," Hazel adds, cuddling me.
"New York isn't far, Jo," Tate reassures me.
"I'm going to miss you all so much," I tell them.
"Feeling’s mutual, babe," Polly says. "You're doing the right thing."
I nod as words escape me right now.
We all continue to hug, but eventually I have to let go and wave them goodbye.
I pull my two suitcases along with a carry-on case.
My brothers, bless them, organized a first-class ticket for me.
So, the staff were wonderful, helping me with my luggage before I was whisked away through security, not having to wait in line as I headed to the first-class lounge.
Not a bad way to start my new life.