Page 3 of Protecting Player #73 (Portland, Settlers #1 | Gridiron Warriors)
Brea
“ H ey, guys, Brea here!” I give a casual wave to the camera.
“Today is the day. Today, I officially start my job here with the Portland Settlers as their new social media manager and content creator.” Turning slowly, I span the inside of the stadium so that viewers can see the field behind me.
“I haven’t met the team yet, but I’d love to know if you have questions for any of the players or coaching staff.
I’ll be doing short interviews with each player during practices over the summer before the regular season begins, and since you’re the ones who are most invested in the team, I think it’d be fun to see what you’d like to know.
” Blowing a kiss, I sign off from the short live stream on the team's ReelShotz account.
“So?” I glance up at my sister, Alex, sitting at the front of the stadium, watching the live stream to gauge interest and interaction.
“It was a good start. Views are already picking up, and I think if you stay consistent on posting, it’s going to be a smash.”
Blowing out the nervous breath I’d been holding, my eyes roam the venue I grew up cheering in. We’ve always been a football family, holding season tickets, and working here now is a dream come true.
“I’m going to do a locker room tour tomorrow after practice begins so I don’t accidentally flash anyone.” I giggle. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened on a live stream, but I’m trying to avoid it. I don’t want to get the team's account shadow-banned right off the bat.
“Well, in all fairness, I don’t think many of the guys would mind. Especially the single ones.”
Immediately, I blush at Alex’s remark. There’s one player I’ve had the worst crush on since I was a teenager and hormones reared their ugly heads. Witnessing him so exposed would give me naughty dreams for years to come.
“I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble.” I wag a finger at her, and she laughs.
“Fine, fine, but it’d be good for you to see a little male flesh. Can’t be a virgin forever, little sis!” she singsongs, and my face flames.
“Would you be quiet!” I hiss as we race up the stadium steps like we’re kids again. “People could hear you.”
It’s no secret to my closest friends and family that I haven’t had sex. I’ve never had a boyfriend; my crush on the Settlers’ player has teetered on the edge of obsessive. But he’s unavailable, and the likelihood of him acknowledging my existence is probably zero.
“Ohhhh, poor baby Brea, a virgin forever!” Alex dramatically places the back of her hand to her forehead and sways like some fourteenth-century countess in the face of a handsome man.
“You’re ridiculous.”
She shrugs at me and answers her phone as it rings, wandering a little bit away, meaning it must be a client. My sister is the best sports agent on the West Coast. Sure, I could be biased, but I believe it’s true.
To be honest, Alex is the kind of woman girls look up to.
She’s smart, beautiful, has an amazing job, and the type of confidence I would never possess.
Some days, the green-eyed monster rears its head, and I hate her for a split second, but most days, I just want to be taken as seriously as she is, but my appearance is a chief reason why I’m not.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved wearing flowy dresses, interweaving fabric with tiny hair braids, wearing rings on multiple fingers, bangles on my wrists, and layering more than one necklace around my throat.
Some people have told me that my obsession with the Bohemian style is childish.
Others think it’s cute. Often, people try to take advantage of me because I look young and immature, not realizing I’m quite intelligent.
I was always ahead of the curve in any math subject, reading at the college level in middle school, and while I knew what I wanted to do when I grew older, I was pressured to choose a more academic field of study.
That never held my interest. In high school, I quickly fell in love with social media and how influencers could make a living from it.
I didn’t want to be one of them, but I liked the idea of working in that environment, so when I attended college, I majored in marketing and minored in social media management.
I made the Dean’s list year after year and graduated with highest distinction and a 4.
0 GPA. Being underestimated for so long made college effortless on my part.
After graduating in May, Alex quickly tossed my name out to the Settlers as a media management option.
They hesitated for months until their star player got into trouble, and my name was brought up again.
The hiring team began looking at my social media presence and the assistance I’d given to a few small businesses in the Portland area simply to get my name out there.
To build a brand for myself. I helped the three clients build their online presence, boost sales, and provided them with informational packets to keep up the momentum.
When I was hired last month, it was on the condition that I would boost the team’s social media page on ReelShotz. I’d been tasked with gaining twenty thousand new followers before I even met the team.
Last week, I confirmed 23,000 new followers and was told that this week would either make or break me.
I was given a probationary period along with dozens of rules, signed NDAs, and other contracts for each player.
I won’t lie, my hand was cramping by the end of the day.
Now, the real job begins because tomorrow, I’ll be on the field with the team, and I’m more nervous than I was when I started college.
As Alex talks on the phone, I walk along the corridors, snapping a few selfies in front of popular spots adorned with team logos or photos.
One of the food stands is open, so I grab a burger and a watermelon refresher, taking a photo of it with the caption, “Gameday goodies. What’s your go-to snack? ”
Checking the stats of my short live, I’m pleased with the response and the questions flooding in from a mixture of men and women. Smiling as I read each one, I continue to eat and chug the refresher that clearly has a hole in the bottom of the cup because it’s gone way too soon for my liking.
“Well, that was interesting.” Alex plops down across the table from me and snags a bite of my burger, knowing I won’t eat it all.
“Good interesting or bad interesting?” I ask around the bite I’m chewing.
“Good.” She pauses. “I think.” Rolling my hand for her to elaborate, she blows out a breath. “I got a call from the Westerners. They have a couple of guys looking for a new sports agent.”
I grin at her. “Well, how is that shocking exactly? You are the best in the west!” It’s the slogan I made up for her when she first hit the scene because I knew she would be.
“You always say that.” Her smirk tells me she still loves it. “How’s the video going?”
“Strong.”
Grabbing the notebook from my purse, I jot down some of the more interesting questions.
I’m not a fan of the ones asking whether they’re looking for a booty call or some other sexual thing, so I leave them out.
Depending on the vibe I get from the players who are more private about their lives, I will ask about their future relationship goals, but the last thing I want to do is make any of them feel pressured.
I’ve worked way too long and hard for a chance like this right out of college to screw it up by getting overzealous because of a couple of fan questions. This is the beginning of a bright future and proving to my parents that I can make it on my own.