Page 1 of Wake Up, Nat & Darcy
Darcy LaCroix always got nervous before a big game. Nerves were a good sign. It had been three years since she played her last hockey game but the jittery, excited feeling was familiar. It meant she was ready.
“Five minutes,” a PA called into the room.
Darcy’s stomach swan-dived for the floor and her hands trembled, making the script flutter like a hummingbird’s wings. Darcy sat as still as possible, terrified to mess up her hair or makeup while reading over her script for the tenth time.
It took her three years of working at Wake Up, USA to get this chance to be on camera. Three years of fetching coffee, pitching stories that got swatted away, and staying late to learn as much as she could about every aspect of the show. It all came down to this.
She knew how to deal with pressure. High stakes were her happy place. You don’t win three gold medals if you can’t handle the stress.
Tell that to her racing heart.
She glanced at the script. It wasn’t much, but it was what she’d been begging for. A chance to get out from behind her desk.
At four o’clock that morning when Raquel, her boss, had stopped by her cubicle to talk to her, she assumed there was a script that needed rewriting. Instead, Raquel told her to change into a suit and get her ass to hair and makeup.
“Here’s the script,” Raquel said, shoving paper at Darcy. “Don’t let me down.”
That’s how she ended up flush with adrenaline and covered in more makeup than she’d worn in her life.
A different PA rushed in to escort her to the set. “Stand there, look at that camera, and read the prompter.”
Darcy nodded, her eyes trained on the taped X on the floor. One last deep breath.
Don’t blow it, LaCroix.
She took her place and waited for her cue.
The news anchor, a generically handsome man with shiny black hair, and an unbelievable tan for the middle of winter, smiled into the camera. “Welcome back to Wake Up, USA . We’re all excited for the upcoming Olympics, which you can watch right here and on our sister stations. As part of our coverage, we have some news to share with you. The United States has named the members of its women’s ice hockey team.”
On the monitor, Darcy could see the list of names for the team and waited for her turn to speak.
“To help us give context, we have four-time Olympian, three-time gold medalist, and former captain for Team Canada, Darcy LaCroix.”
Darcy smiled into the camera and hoped no one could tell that it felt like every one of her organs was trying to rearrange itself inside her.
“Darcy, is anything about this roster a surprise to you?”
Darcy nodded to the anchor. “Yes, Dave. As you just saw, the team is without its former captain. Fans of women’s hockey will likely be shocked to see that three-time Olympian Natalie Carpenter has been left off the roster.”
Darcy swallowed and stared into the camera.
Steady. You can do this. Slow down.
“Carpenter’s hockey résumé is impeccable. She was the captain of the team that won gold in the last Olympics. She won the national championship as a college freshman. She’s been a star for years. But she had a nagging quad injury for much of training camp. Combine that with the fact that she’s thirty-five and I think the coaching staff felt like they had to go with a younger, healthier squad.
“Looking at the roster, it looks like JT Cox is the player they think can fill Carpenter’s skates. Filling in for an all-time great is never easy and the team’s asking a lot of such a young player.”
Darcy turned to the host. “Even if this isn’t the way she hoped her career would end, Carpenter can retire with her head held high.”
The anchors took over reading the news and the camera operator told Darcy she could leave.
She walked out of the studio, her heart beating so hard she thought she might burst. She felt awful for Natalie, for the way her career ended and having to be the one to announce it. But she did it. It took three years, but she finally got herself on TV. And not just any TV, on the number one morning show in the country. She didn’t even try to keep the smile off her face.
She heard someone call out that they were in a commercial break as she walked past the control room.
A PA, Sadie, stuck their head out of the door. “Raquel says you should come to her office after the show’s over.”
Darcy swallowed. “Shit. Did she say why?”
Sadie gave her a warm smile. “She liked it. Don’t be nervous. I think it’s a good thing.” They gave Darcy a quick pat on the arm before hurrying back into the control room.
Darcy looked down at the now crinkled script in her hands. Damp spots appeared at the edges where she’d been clutching it. She wiped her hands on her pants and tried to smooth the paper as she walked to her desk.
Her mind served up possible reasons Raquel might want to see her. The most tantalizing was that she was going to get to be part of the on-screen team for the Olympics. She took a deep breath and allowed the possibility to wash over her. Maybe her day had finally arrived.