Chapter 7 Grace
Grace
Professor Carry approved my new project plan last Friday with enthusiasm. The goal of the auction is to raise money for a new community center in one of Orlando’s areas of most need, so there is no question of impact.
“I’m glad you figured it out, Grace. It’ll be a big challenge to run the auction, even if it’s an established event,” she said when I talked to her after class. “I attend the gala every year, so I’ll get to see you in action.”
Once I had the professor’s seal of approval, I emailed Susie and Lara accepting the role, and they wanted me to start right away. Apparently, we’re a couple of weeks behind the normal planning time for donations, because of the shift in the coordinator position.
Today, my first day at the Waves office, coincides with the beginning of training camp, so the building is busy and full of energy. Lara shepherds me through an orientation and some introductions before my first meeting with Susie in two hours.
While I wouldn’t expect the head of PR to be so involved in my onboarding, she gives me a clue as to why early in our meeting.
“It will be wonderful to have a Battle working on the auction,” she observes with a pleased tone. “The gala is huge for positive publicity, and I don’t want to miss an opportunity to maximize it.”
This isn’t the first time someone has viewed my value through the lens of the last name I share with my brother. So I just absorb her comment and don’t sit with it too long.
As she walks me through the overview she prepared, Lara reminds me of my mom in her demeanor. I stay pretty quiet, letting her be the star of the conversation. I’m polite, and hopefully, charming…but smaller.
I try to digest all the info she’s throwing at me about the auction history, marketing, and logistics, taking extensive notes. It’s rapid fire, and I know I’m going to need to go back over my scribbles to make sure I have it all clear in my head.
By the time she brings Johnson into her office, he’s a welcome sight.
He’s definitely surprised to see me at first, but then he throws a big smile my way, which somehow helps settle me a bit. Maybe because he’s a familiar face? Whatever the reason, his positive energy is a boon this morning.
“Welcome to the team, Little Battle.”
With Lara’s feminine, refined office furniture surrounding us, his tall, athletic frame, clothed in Waves sportswear, should feel out of place. But to me, he feels like the natural fit in here, and her furnishings are the odd ones out.
“Thanks Johnson. It wouldn’t have happened without you.” Which is true. Without Johnson’s suggestion, I’d still be stuck.
I’d debated reaching out to him to thank him, but I didn’t have his contact info, and it felt weird to ask Landon for it. I’m glad I have a chance to do it now that we’re officially working together.
Working together. I guess there’s no avoiding him now.
I’m not sure that I need to, anyway. Everything I’ve learned about him in the last couple of weeks only shows him to be a solid person, despite my longstanding assumptions otherwise. Even looking back at what happened two years ago, I find I’m not interested in dwelling on it now.
I’ll let it all go. We can have a fresh start.
The Johnson in this room right now, the one who showed so much interest in helping me last week—I’m open to a second chance to get to know him.
“You’re welcome.” He winks.
“I’ll let you get back to whatever brought you to the executive suites,” Lara says.
“A meeting with Marshall. No bother at all, but I better get to it.”
With a dip of his head toward me to say goodbye, he turns to walk out.
And then my mind glitches for a minute as I’m taking in the rear view.
Because…wow. The way his butt looks in his Waves athletic shorts…okay, yum.
Somewhere in these intervening years, Johnson must have done a lot of work in that area. This reminds me of that scene in the hockey romance where he’s walking to the shower and she—
GRACE, my mind yells at me. And pop—the spell is broken, and I try to refocus.
Not the time, not the place, not the guy.
I turn back to Lara, hoping she hasn’t noticed my brief distraction. Thankfully, no, she hasn’t.
“Let me just read this email, Grace.” She’s concentrating on her phone as she slowly scrolls through the message.
I don’t understand why I keep having these blips of attraction to Johnson, or more specifically, certain parts of him.
We did hook up once, so maybe it’s residual from that?
Normally with the guys I’ve dated the last couple of years, it’s taken me time to be into them sexually. Like I must get to know them first to open up that part of myself. I have other friends that are like that too, so I’m not self conscious about it.
That’s not what’s happening here, though. It can’t be.
Except you did get to know Johnson a little better on your run…so…
“Why don’t I show you the space we have for you?”
Lara’s question pulls me back from my not-work-appropriate thoughts. “Yes, that’s great.”
She leads me to an empty office down the hall. It’s in a back corner and windowless.
“It’s not glamorous—usually it’s an intern’s office. Since you’ll only be here a couple of days a week until the auction, hopefully you don’t mind. At least you’ll have a place to leave your belongings and work when you’re not in meetings.”
“No, this is fine. I didn’t even know if I’d get an office.”
Lara holds the door for me as I step inside. “Well, get settled. Susie will grab you soon. If you need anything more, please feel free to reach out to me or my assistant.”
I unpack my things and sit in the black plastic office chair, opening up my laptop. I’d asked for information on the donations from the last few years, and I see that Lara’s assistant has already emailed the existing spreadsheets.
Looking over the last couple of years, there are several recognizable local businesses who donated, as well as player and team donations. A few national brands are even listed.
When I look at the row that indicates the “lead contact” for each donation, my eyes widen.
At least forty percent of them have Johnson’s name, including all of the national brands.
Which only reinforces what I’ve learned about him over the last couple of weeks. He’s nothing like the person I’d assumed he was.
“Hi, there.” Susie stands in the entryway of my office. “Happy first day. So thrilled to have you get started.”
Landon told me a little about Susie yesterday. A beloved Waves staff member for almost four decades, she’d begun her career as the executive secretary for the owner, Mr. Blunt. Over the years, she’d climbed the ranks, and knew everyone and everything about the Waves.
Now, semi-retired in her early sixties, she’s taken on the position of executive director of the Waves non-profit foundation to stay plugged in and keep contributing.
More important to me—I feel a warmth emanating from her, quite different from my experience with Lara.
I send her a smile. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. Do you want to meet now?”
“Yes, come on over to my office.” She looks around my space and crinkles her nose. “I know you’ll be here just for a short time, but feel free to add decorations if you want, liven the place up.”
I really don’t mind the plain office since I’ll be here maybe six hours a week, but I appreciate her offer. “Thanks, sounds good.”
She guides me across the hall to her office, sitting down at a small round meeting table where I join her.
“Now, I’ll try not to make you drink from a firehose today, but you strike me as a fast learner. We’ll have our next co-chairs meeting a week from tomorrow, and here’s everything we’ll need to do before then.”
She lays out a few tasks for me to work on so we can present a status update to the co-chairs on invitations and RVSPs. Happily, I don’t have to worry too much about the invite logistics because they were sent right before they brought me on. Susie then begins to talk about donation outreach.
“We already have several commitments from local businesses that donate annually, and the players will step up too. Johnson will see to that. So it’s a matter of rounding out the total donations and adding a couple of big ‘sizzle’ options.”
I nod. “I’m excited to work on bringing in more items. Will we talk to Johnson during the co-chairs meeting about the player donations?”
Suzie shakes her head. “No, Johnson doesn’t come to our co-chair meetings.
He’s a busy guy, so he has a pass. Just message him to get the ball rolling.
Mrs. Blunt and the other two co-chairs will be there.
” Mrs. Blunt is the owner’s wife, and the other co-chairs include Coach Houston’s wife, Margaret, and a wealthy retiree from the community.
“Oh, okay.”
Despite the progress in moving past our history, texting Johnson feels like it’ll open up an unknown personal dynamic between us. Especially with these random bursts of attraction to him. Maybe I should send an old-school email instead?
Susie closes the folder in front of her and looks at me. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do with the auction. We were all impressed with your ideas during your interview.”
The compliment causes a glow to rise up within my chest.
“I’ll do my best to make it a success, Susie, thank you.”