I hadn’t thought about that. So the exhibition nights might be the way to go, just with limited tickets and whatnot so they don’t get too crowded.”
“Exactly,” I said. “I mean, you could easily bring in a couple hundred kids and their families and spread them out on the 100-level without anyone getting crowded.”
Nodding again, Richard said, “And we wouldn’t need as many stadium employees for those events. Not as many as we would with even a quarter capacity crowd, especially if we’re not running concessions.”
“There have to be some concessions we could do, though.” Jase leaned his elbow on the armrest and cocked his head. “Even if it’s just things like water and sodas, or if there are snacks they can have that won’t mess with other kids.” He turned to me. “Are there any that you can think of?”
I shrugged. “We’d have to go down a list, and also see what people’s needs are as we get more interest. Pizza, popcorn, and hot dogs are definitely out, since you can smell those across the arena. But things like M&Ms or ice cream… those won’t mess with kids who are sensitive to smells, but they can be triggery for others to eat, so we’d need to figure out a lot of different options to make sure everyone’s covered.” I waved my hand. “I’m sure we can figure it out. It’s a tricky line to walk, even for people who aren’t prone to sensory issues.” I hesitated, then cautiously added, “I mean, I have to bring an EpiPen to games because you all sell peanuts.”
Richard blinked.
Jase sat up. “You do?”
“Mmhmm. Fortunately, my brother can smell peanuts at a hundred paces, but if someone’s eating something with peanut butter in it…” I grimaced. “It can be a rough night.”
“Whoa,” Richard said. “You’re that sensitive?”
“Yep.”
Richard glanced at Jase before looking at me again. “Huh. Well now I’m wondering if we need to talk to the stadium about peanut-free zones during regular games.”
“It’s kind of like Whack-A-Mole, though. You accommodate people with peanut allergies, and then someone comes in with a serious allergy to perfume or something else. Or you sit in a peanut-free zone, and then end up in line for the men’s room behind someone who just ate a bag of peanuts.”
He whistled. “That sounds exhausting, trying to avoid things like that.”
“It is,” I acknowledged. “So you can imagine how much tougher it is when you’ve got a kid who loves hockey, but can’t cope with strobes and loud noises, never mind the concession smells.”
Richard leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the desk. “I’m kind of amazed I didn’t realize before now that anyone had to work that hard just to get through the day. Avoiding all the things that aren’t a big deal to the rest of us.”
“There are a lot of us, believe me,” I said quietly. “Which is why I’m completely game to do whatever you need to get these lower stimulation events off the ground. I’m here because Jase said you needed a spokesman, but honestly, anything I can do—say the word.”
The PR director nodded slowly, eyes losing focus for a moment as if he were digesting everything we’d discussed. Then he sat up and looked right at me. “Listen, I need to make some calls and talk to the rest of the front office about utilizing the team and facilities on a semi-regular basis. Once I have a better idea of what we have to work with, I’ll be in touch so we can start ironing out some plans.” Richard pushed a notepad and pen across the desk. “Why don’t you jot down all your contact information for me?”
I took the pad and pen, and while I wrote down the information he’d asked for, all I could think was that the night Dallas and I had met Jase had been beyond my wildest dreams. Doing it regularly for other kids who couldn’t come to games? Talking to people who actually had the clout and the enthusiasm to make it happen? Holy crap, this was amazing.
Is this real? Is this actually happening?
I glanced at Jase, and he flashed me a smile that said that yes, this was real. Yes, this was actually happening.
And right then, I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh, or cry, or maybe both.
I just knew I couldn’t wait to tell my daughter about this.
Chapter 21
Jase
As we walked out of the meeting, Devin was smiling as big as he