Read On the Fly (Crimson Romance) for Free Online

why we need to be aggressive with our publicity. We need billboards outside of the city, closer to the suburbs. We need local commercials and player appearances in shopping centers and local rinks plus autograph sessions in sporting goods stores. I’ve scheduled a meet-and-greet for the weekend at the practice rink before our first regular season game. Steve, I’ll need your team to get in touch with the
Las Vegas Sun
and set up a front-page feature on the Sinners. They can talk to whomever they want, myself included. We’ll do radio interviews, and we’ll get on all of the social media sites and offer behind-the-scenes team information and game coupons. We have to create a larger-than-life presence, and that I can do.”
    Steve sat back, eyes wide behind the circle frames of his glasses, but he nodded. The rest of the room stared at her. Jacey smiled and picked up steam. “Now, merchandising. I know the NHL takes care of jerseys and all other league-approved items through our website, but we have some say in our giveaways. I’m thinking trading cards but not Upper Deck. I want to make these in-house, and on the back, instead of stats, we’ll have little-known facts about the players. If we want this city to embrace us, we have to let them in. Questions?”
    Crickets.
    Madden started a slow clap. Nealy picked it up, then Steve, and soon the whole room echoed with applause. Minus one. Carter stared at a wall. Jacey smiled for her staff, but her stomach fell. “All right, then. Thank you for your time. My door is always open.”
    She slung her briefcase strap around the crook of her arm, bumped Madden’s shoulder lightly with her fist then headed for her office. She gave Carter a wide berth and held her breath as she skirted his chair. She felt his gaze burning into her back and picked up her pace. Maybe he wouldn’t follow.
    No such luck. Just as she dropped her belongings behind the desk, the door to her office swung open, and there he stood like an avenging hockey angel. His mouth was pressed into a firm line, and his hands curled like they wanted to clench. Jacey swallowed but remained standing, unwilling to give him an advantage in their staring contest.
    Carter closed the door, breathed through his nose, and made a visible effort to relax his shoulders. While logic said he’d never physically hurt her, intimidation rolled off him. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”
    “Excuse me?” Her brows went up, and she took a step forward.
    “There’s never been a woman coach for a reason. I’m not trying to be sexist — ”
    “But you just can’t help it.”
    He growled and tipped his head back. “I’m saying that you have a nice idea in theory, but it’s not going to work. Yeah, the guys like Nealy. We put up with her comments. Okay, she knows hockey. But you have no idea what this will do to the team. The guys will get so psyched out by all the chirping from other teams and fans that it’ll affect our play. We’re already a desert team. We don’t need any more challenges.” He glanced to his left then did a double take. “Is that a pinball machine?”
    “Wha — ” Jacey followed his gaze. Pac Man? Had to be Madden. She shook her head to clear it. “Wait. You think the team will do poorly not because Nealy’s a bad coach but because other teams will say she is? And you guys will have no choice but to believe it?”
    “I know how it sounds, but ninety percent of an athlete’s game is mental.”
    “And logic doesn’t factor in?”
    Carter slid his hands over his face. “You don’t understand.”
    “I understand Nealy Windham is the head coach of the Sinners. I understand you are under contract to listen to her throughout the upcoming season. What am I missing?”
    “The point.” Carter opened the door and pushed through it.
    Jacey watched him go. When the elevator doors closed at the end of the hall and blocked out his fuming expression, she fell into her father’s leather chair, laid