Rebecca cut in before Jacobe could respond. “That’s why we met before you were here. We all want you to remain a Gator next year.”
Jacobe narrowed his eyes and studied them. Coach and Rebecca eyed him intensely, and Brian looked like he was tired of the entire fiasco. Wariness had his stomach churning.
Eric shifted in his seat. “You keep saying that. Are there plans to drop him?”
Rebecca and Coach both shook their heads and said simultaneously, “You know we want him.”
Brian sat forward and nailed Jacobe with a hard stare. “You’re a free agent next year. We won’t keep a liability.”
“Are you threatening my client?” Eric’s voice turned hard.
Rebecca tried again for the friendly smile. “Of course not. Which is why I’m working on a plan to make you more likable.”
Jacobe’s shoulders tightened. “Excuse me?”
“You aren’t seen out and about doing things in the community. If you take up a project or a cause, people will see that you’re giving back instead of just...”
“Being a distraction and hindrance,” Jacobe finished for her.
He gritted his teeth. Like many other athletes, Jacobe gave to various charitable organizations. Mostly to programs that mentored young boys and gave them direction and support. He gave his money but not his time. He was still getting his own life figured out—how could he possibly make a good mentor?
Eric gave him a reassuring look before turning to Rebecca. “What are you thinking?”
“We’ve come up with a list of organizations that you can be seen with.”
Jacobe shook his head. This was his image problem. He’d find a way to fix it. “I’ve already got an idea.”
Rebecca frowned. “You do?”
“How about protecting the river,” Jacobe said. “It’s a big part of our city. I’ve got a friend who works to protect the St. Johns River and the beach. You can’t deny that seeing me out there saving sea turtles or some stuff like that would make people like me.”
Eric nodded and tapped his finger on the table. “That could work. Being green is in right now.”
He almost laughed. He’d known Danielle back when saving the planet wasn’t just a fad and she was the earth’s number-one champion. “I know it’ll work.”
“Can you set up something with them by the end of the week?”
“I’m sure I can.” He already planned to see Danielle later that day to apologize. He still wanted to sleep with her, but he wouldn’t assume she would readily fall into his bed. That night in college was a once-in-a-lifetime action. He had a feeling that the woman she was today wasn’t going to come to him on a spontaneous whim. He’d have to earn a place in her bed.
“I’m sorry, Danielle, but I don’t think the River Watchers should push council to oppose Clear Water’s expansion.”
Danielle fought to keep calm as she stared at the board president. Liberty Meyer was only on the board as an attempt to prove the River Watchers were open to voices from all sides. After Danielle had gone for Clear Water and a few other industries like a pit bull on crack, some in the business community had accused the River Watchers of being too biased. Liberty was a vocal member of the manufacturers’ alliance and the River Watchers’ attempt to bring the business community in on the discussions. Much to Danielle’s chagrin, Liberty ran and won a seat on county council after being assigned to the board. Making her a double pain on Danielle’s backside.
“Our organization serves as champions to our natural resources,” Danielle said in a surprisingly calm voice. “If they’re allowed to expand and dump into Springfield Creek it’ll be devastating to the local ecosystem. Not to mention the neighborhood downstream that uses the creek for fishing and recreation.”
“Clear Water expanding will bring jobs,” Liberty countered. “If we don’t bring jobs, that can be detrimental to the population. I care about the flowers and the fish and birds as much as everyone sitting around this table.”
Danielle barely stopped herself from snorting.
“But I care more about the men, women and children that rely on me as a member of the county council to keep our economy strong and vital.”
“I care about the people here, too. This isn’t just about the birds and the flowers, Liberty. Clear Water can’t meet their permit limits. There’s an entire population who’ll be swimming in sewage if they dump into the creek.”
Liberty rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “Oh, Danielle, please. That’s why we have engineers who can design and build a system that can properly treat the waste. People won’t be in sewage. This is why I’ve always said you’re too biased when it comes to these types of decisions.”
Debra’s hand gripped Danielle’s leg beneath the table. The movement effectively stopped Danielle from pouncing onto Liberty. That wasn’t the first time the woman had thrown out the comment. Danielle and Debra both believed Liberty was trying to make a case with the board to remove Danielle as director.
Mr. Springfield, who’d watched the exchange silently with the rest of the board members, rapped his knuckles on the table. “Ladies, ladies, you both make very good points. Since I’m directly affected by the expansion, I have to defer from voting, but I think this is important enough for the board to take both sides into consideration. If Clear Water can truly improve by expanding, it’s better than having a poorly run system out there. If they cannot, then none of us here want them discharging into Springfield Creek. Let’s take a little more time, talk to the people in Environmental Protection and see if Clear Water will come to a board meeting to discuss their plans.”
There was a round of agreement at the table. Danielle and Liberty gave tight smiles and stiff nods. Mr. Springfield had made a valid point, though Danielle doubted Clear Water would be willing to come to the table and speak to them.
Danielle nodded. “I’ll make the necessary contacts. I’ll also speak with the Environmental Protection again and send my findings to the board.”
Liberty sat forward and crossed her arms on the table. “Don’t spend too much time on that. Remember the gala is the most important thing right now.”
Danielle took a slow deep breath before responding. “The plans for the gala are coming along very well. We’ve got several sponsors.” Five. “And ticket sales are promising.” Two sold today bringing them to a total of twenty.
“Really? I thought it would be slow considering the lack of promotion.”
Debra grabbed Danielle’s leg again. The limited promotion was due to the budget cuts on the advertisement. Budget cuts Liberty recommended. “We’ve been lucky to have been picked up a media sponsor.” The local free newspaper counted.
Liberty’s smile was fake and tight. “That’s good. I don’t know how we’ll keep things going as is if we don’t bring in more funding.”
Translation: make the gala a success or else Liberty had a good reason for Danielle’s dismissal.
The meeting ended soon after. Danielle was too annoyed and wound up to sit in her office and work on the final preparations for the river cleanup that weekend.
Debra poked her head in Danielle’s door. “Hey, I’m about to go pick up supplies for that school presentation later in the week. You need anything?”
“A hundred ticket sales,” Danielle said.
“Don’t let Liberty get to you. Sales always start slow. They’ll pick