me too.”
“How?”
“Yeah, how?” Jax said behind me.
I whirled around. “Jax? What are you doing here?”
“Nolan called an emergency board meeting. I’ve never heard him so infuriated. It worried me so I came to check on him. Now why don’t you tell me how this affects you?”
Fuck my life. I paced to the alcove and Jax followed me. “I applied for a sportscasting position at Wolf Sports North.”
“When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’re my boss and we were in the busiest time of year for coaches and referees. We didn’t need any extra tension between us, and we both know there would’ve been a shit ton when I told you I was exploring other career avenues.”
“Instead, you left me in the dark and I’m guessing you’re about to leave me high and dry at Lakeside.”
“While I don’t want to get into this here, please remember I don’t have a contract with Lakeside. Working at a rink and running rec hockey programs was never on my career path. I’d planned on sticking it out through the end of the season, which I have.”
I hated how we were huffing and puffing and staring each other down.
“Did Nolan know about you applying for a job elsewhere?”
“Yes, I knew,” Nolan said from the doorway.
I glanced over at him and my stomach bottomed out. I’d never seen him look like this—pinched mouth, clenched jaw, hard eyes.
“Gabriella told me in confidence. But it’s no secret her talents are not being utilized to their fullest potential at Lakeside. Hell, Jax, you’ve even said so yourself. So don’t get pissy about this. She’s hated every minute she’s had to keep this from you.”
Jax said nothing.
“But what I didn’t know, as the goddamned CEO, until I read it in the damn paper this morning, was that LuTek had purchased Wolf Sports North. Apparently LuTek had been in negotiations with All Sports Central, the parent company of Wolf Sports, for two fucking months.”
Jax’s jaw dropped. “Christ, Nolan, are you kidding me?”
“Not even a little. Still think I’m an LI bigwig?” he said bitterly.
Oh. My poor man. He hadn’t known and that made it so much worse for him because it would make him look incompetent, not only to employees, but to the business world at large if it got out.
“Did you come to chew my ass too?” Nolan asked me.
I shook my head. “I got a call from Wolf Sports North today. A conference call with Alan, the Programming head, and Lance Jacoby, the CEO.”
“What did they want?”
“To tell me that after seeing our picture in the paper, someone is crying nepotism about me landing the sportscasting job, since, as of today, Lund Industries owns the cable network through LuTek, and you’re the acting CEO of LI so you must’ve been all-knowing.”
“Jesus, Gabi. I’m sorry.”
“They’ve suspended my employment contract while they investigate.”
Nolan didn’t cross over and take me in his arms. He just stared at me. Through me. “What did you say when they made that threat?”
“What could I say? Beyond we weren’t involved until after my in-person interview. That it didn’t matter because you and I don’t discuss business. And that there’s a leak in their company if the nepotism bullshit had been brought up on Monday, before the acquisition deal was publicly announced.”
Panic flitted across his face. “Did you tell them that I . . . ?”
“No. I’d never do that to you,” I said softly. “I came here because I wanted to give you a chance to explain if for some reason you did know about the acquisition and hadn’t told me.”
“I didn’t have a damn thing to do with you getting hired, Gabriella. You did that all on your own. You know that. I know that. And I hate that you’ve gotten caught up in this too.”
I clenched my hands at my sides, wanting so badly to go to him, to soothe him and in doing so soothe myself. But I stayed put. Seething for both of us.
“What’s the position?” Jax asked.
“Co-broadcaster for the UMD men’s and women’s hockey teams.”
Jax frowned. “Both teams? That’s a shitload of games. A ton of travel. Were you planning on driving back and forth between Duluth and the Cities?”
Of course this would come up now. When I hadn’t even hinted to Nolan I’d have to relocate.
“No. Contractually I’d have to live in Duluth during the preseason and until the end of the playoffs.”
“That’s like ten months. You might as well move there.”
I felt Nolan staring at me, but I didn’t