“Sandy likes to leave her door closed, but you can decide if you prefer it opened or closed once you move into the office,” she explains, leading me inside.
I will likely leave it open unless I’m in a meeting or on a call and can’t be disturbed. I can’t imagine closing myself off from everyone else.
“Sandy, this is Evan Nichols, I was just showing him around. Would you like to join us for the tour?”
“Evan, it is so nice to meet you,” she says, shaking my hand.
“Nice to meet you as well.”
“I think I’ll wait here and get a few things ready for Evan while you take him on the grand tour. Evan, when you return, join me in the conference room and we’ll go over some paperwork and then get started with training.”
“Sounds good to me,” I agree.
“Shall we?” Hope offers, gesturing for me to follow her. We spend the next hour walking through the stadium. She shows me the employee kitchen, which is huge and fully stocked with snacks and beverages. Then she takes me to each restaurant, bar, concession stand, and cart. Before the tour ends, we take a look at the field from the employee box. It’s an impressive view.
“You are allowed to access the box during any game or concert. As the coordinator, most of your work is done Monday through Friday from 8-5, but you will need to beavailable during the home games in case an emergency arises. This is the perfect place to enjoy the game unless you’re needed.”
“Do all the employees have access to this box?”
“Just the managers, directors, and their assistants on a regular basis. Most of the other employees are actually working during the games. However, we do encourage employees to choose a game, concert, or event during the year and request it off, so they have the opportunity to enjoy the box once a year. Some take us up on the offer, but many don’t.”
“That’s a nice perk.”
“Was that not an option at your former stadium?”
“No. Not at my level at least.” Honestly, I’m not sure we had an employee box, but I don’t share that with Hope.
“I guess every stadium is different.” She shrugs as she leads me out of the box and to the elevator. We take it to ground level and I follow her through the tunnels past the Dolphins locker room and onto the field. We stay on the sidelines and watch practice for a few minutes.”
“Wow! This is amazing. I never went on the field in New Jersey.”
“You have to see it. The view from the box is breathtaking, but nothing compares to being on the field.”
“You sound like you really like football.”
“Are you kidding me? I never miss a home game. I grew up here and have been a huge Dolphins fan my entire life. My father was the general manager of the team for twenty years. When I turned sixteen, I applied for a job here. I started as an usher and moved to various positions over the years until I landed my current position—Assistant to the Food and Beverage Coordinator. I’ve been in this position for twenty-five years and you’ll be the third coordinator I’ve worked for. Ilove my job and this stadium. My youngest son is a free agent and was just hired as the backup quarterback. It’s good to have him home. He's played for three other NFL teams and as much as he’s enjoyed his career, his dream was to eventually make his way onto the Dolphins’ roster.” Hope beams with pride and I see nothing but love for this team and city in her eyes.
“That’s great, Hope. I can tell you’re very proud of him.”
“I am. My other son is a reporter for the team and my daughters both work in the Dolphins’ marketing department.”
“You have your whole family here.”
“Except my husband. He’s an ER nurse.”
“Hey, Momma,” a handsome man who looks to be in his early thirties jogs over to us.
“Hi, Carter. How’s my baby boy?”
“Not so much a baby,” he winks.
“This is Evan. He’s taking Sandy’s position. This is my son, Carter.”
We exchange handshakes and greetings before he jogs back onto the field to join his teammates. As we turn to go back through the tunnel, I run smack into a wall of muscles.
“Eh, ex-excuse me,” I stutter, taking a step back and almost losing my balance. He grabs my arm to steady me and warmth shoots through me. Damn, he’s gorgeous with his olive skin, dark eyes, and short, brown hair. I shake my head in an effort to focus and realize he said something that didn’t register.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”