“Here is what we are proposing. You will no longer be assigned to create content featuring your husband directly. Someone else on the team handles Mr. Crawford’s individual content. You can still work on team-wide material, but nothingwhere there’s a direct one-on-one dynamic between you and Mr. Crawford.”
“Linda, if I might interject there,” Renee, Collette’s boss pipes in. “I think it would cause an uproar with the community if Fishette were not seen together in the content, as they were both very large factors in growing our social media presence, which has led to an increase in ticket sales and merchandise, especially regarding Justin’s jersey. A twenty percent growth I’ve been told by accounts.”
I had no idea, but hell yeah.
Linda looks bamboozled by Renee’s interjection. “The rules are …”
“I understand, Linda, that these two don’t tick the correct HR boxes, but they tick the tight PR ones. I think their penance should be that they are the face of some new campaigns. Let’s put them to work for their sins.” Renee smiles at Collette, who looks in shock. “Don’t you think the board would be happy if we could get ticket sales increased?”
“And you think these two can do that?” Linda questions her.
“Linda, you need to look up #Fishette. Hold on, let me show you. It has something like twenty million views, that hashtag,” Renee explains as she passes her phone over to Linda in HR and shows her our work.
“I see that they are popular,” Linda concedes.
“Look, these two kids are in love, just like the last two that came in. I was more pissed with my captain than I am with Fish.” Coach glares at me. “This young man has never been good at following rules .” His eyes narrow on me.
Coach isn’t wrong.
“Look, make these two love birds sing for their supper, like what Renee has asked. Get them to do community service for their sins, and then we can move on,” Coach Anderson suggests to Linda. Coach leans forward. “Fish, you’re not the captain ofthis team. You don’t carry the same weight Emmett does right now. But you’re a leader to the new guys, whether you like it or not. I’m going to need you to go into that locker room and apologize to the team, just like your captain is about to do.”
“Will do, Coach,” I tell him.
He nods. “Sorry to cut this short, Linda, but I think we have everything we need here. I’ve got drills to run,” Coach says, getting up.
“Oh, yes, of course, Coach,” Linda says, becoming flustered.
“Great, I’m glad this is all sorted,” Renee adds as she gets up, too, with a waddle as she’s so heavily pregnant. “Collette, pop into my office once you’re done here, and we can sort out how best to launch #Fishette to the world.”
“Okay,” Collette says as her boss and Coach walk out of the office.
“Well, I guess that is that then,” Linda says. “You’re free to go.”
Collette and I look at each other. I think we just got lucky.
I dowhat Coach says and walk into the locker room where everyone is there getting dressed for practice. I see Emmett getting changed, and he gives me a look of solidarity.
“Guys, can I get your attention,” I call out to the team, there’s a load of groans and chirping from them. “I just wanted to let you know I have some news, and I don’t know if you will be happy about it.” The boys look around at each other, confused. “At Christmas time, I married Collette St. Pierre.” The locker room erupts, they are shocked. “I broke the rules of the team, and I broke my teammates’ trust, especially Pierre and Felix.” Ilook over at my new brothers-in-law, and they still look like they want to kill me. “I’m sorry, guys.”
“Thank fuck, Fish is off the market. That means more bunnies for us,” Devon, one of the new drafts, says, breaking the tension of the locker room.
I look over at Emmett as he’s up next, and I don’t know if they are going to be so accepting of his confession as they are of mine.
At the end of practice,Collette calls me over to where she is standing with the content girls.
“I need you for something,” she says with a look that tells me I don’t have a choice.
“Okay.” I shrug, but she gives me a funny look before turning around.
“Guys, you all set?” she asks the girls.
“Yep,” Billie says, giving her a thumbs-up.
“Rolling,” Zara confirms.
Collette steps into the frame and takes a breath. “Hey, girls, before we start, there’s something I need to tell you.” She looks at me and holds out her hand. “Get in here.” I step into the frame beside her, and the girls exchange confused looks behind the camera.
“So, you know how the internet has been shipping #Fishette for months?” Collette starts.