Explosions
Don't be afraid, keep it all inside.
Charlie had been to TD Garden many times in her life. When she was a teenager, she considered it a second home. She was not intimidated by the tall concrete walls or the arching roof. She hadn’t realized until now how elaborate NRG Stadium was, but she loved the Garden all the same.
At the front office, there was an older lady sitting at a ticket window. Charlie approached her with a smile.
“Hi, can I help you?” the lady asked.
“Yes, my name is Charlotte Elliott,” Charlie said. “I’m here to see Chuck Woodward. He said to just tell someone here when I got here.”
The lady picked up the phone. Charlie looked around her as the lady had a short conversation with the person on the other end. There were green banners everywhere with pictures of players on them. Basketball season had just started, and she was looking forward to maybe catching a game while she was here.
“He will be down in a moment,” the lady behind her said.
Charlie thanked her and moved to sit down on a bench near the stairs. She straightened her portfolio nervously on her lap. She tried to busy her mind with looking up at the banners, but it was no use. She was suddenly terrified of this place.
A hand gently touched her shoulder, and she jumped. She looked up to see a man with jet-black hair and dark brown eyes smiling at her. He looked to be in his late-40s, but he was strikingly handsome.
“Are you Miss Elliott?” he asked.
“I am,” Charlie replied, standing up.
“I’m Chuck Woodward,” the man said, sticking his hand out.
She shook it and said, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.”
“Likewise,” said Chuck. “Follow me.”
He led her up a flight of stairs, and she instinctively turned to the right. She paused and chuckled, and she followed him off to the left.
“Habit,” she said nervously.
“You come here often, then?” asked Chuck.
“I used to before I moved to Houston,” Charlie said.
He led her to a large office. He sat down on the other side of a large oak desk and indicated for her to sit in the chair across from him. She did, and she handed him her portfolio.
“I apologize for seeming to get so personal over the phone,” Chuck said.
“It’s no trouble,” she said.
“Tell me, Miss Elliott,” he said. “How did you come to be employed by the Texans?”
“I was part of an internship with the Cleveland Cavaliers right out of Harvard,” Charlie said. “Halfway through, they thought it might be in my best interest to move my internship to Houston with the Rockets. The Assistant Director of Marketing there moved to Dallas with the Cowboys as their Director of Marketing, and he helped me get a job on the marketing team with the Texans.”
“Did you enjoy your internships with the NBA?” asked Chuck.
“I did,” said Charlie. “I had actually hoped to be working for the NBA, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be with such a great team – a fairly new team at that.”
“I spoke with your current boss, George King,” said Chuck. “He told me a lot about you, Miss Elliott. He said you singlehandedly got a sold out crowd for the home opener last year. Is this true?”
“I wouldn’t say I did it singlehandedly,” Charlie replied. “I had a lot of ideas come to me during our marketing conference, and I worked with a lot of people to get the word out. It helped that we were donating a lot of the sales to a local Native American tribe, too.”
“Did you grow up here in Boston?”
“Andover, actually.”
“So you have some pretty strong roots in New England, then?”
“There’s no better area of the country,” Charlie said.
Chuck laughed slightly and shut her portfolio. She smiled at him, her nerves calming slightly.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” he asked.
“If I get this job, I hope to be right here in Boston helping the Celtics improve any way I can,” Charlie said. “If I don’t get the job, I want to be continuing to improve my resume and trying every possible chance to advance to an Assistant Director position, either with the Texans or another team.”
“Do you think you’ll always stick with sports?” Chuck asked.
“‘Always’ is such a restricting word,” she said. “I wouldn’t tie myself to always, but I really think I’ve found my niche in marketing sports.”
Chuck smiled and said, “You keep an open mind, Miss Elliott. I like that.”
“Thank you, sir,” Charlie said.
“I only have one more question,” said Chuck. “Who’s your favorite basketball player and why?”
Charlie grinned and said, “Larry Bird, the greatest player to ever walk into this building. I grew up watching him, and he’s the reason I’m a Celtics fan in the first place.”
Chuck smiled again. He sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.
“It’s looking very optimistic for you, Miss Elliott,” he said. “I have two more people to interview here, but I want you to know that you have so far been our most qualified and motivated candidate.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Charlie. “That really means a lot.”
“Our last interviewee won’t be here until next week, so we will be in touch shortly after that,” he continued.
“Thank you, sir, really,” she replied.
He stood up and shook her hand again, and he said, “The pleasure’s all mine, Miss Elliott. Can you find your way back?”
“I think so,” she said. “Thank you.”
She shut the door behind her on the way out, and she took a deep breath in relief.
“June, I honestly cannot believe I interviewed with the Celtics today,” laughed Charlie.
“I think you’ve said it about four times now,” chuckled June. “I know.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just so surreal,” Charlie said.
“There’s only one thing you haven’t mentioned,” said June. “How’s J.J. taking this?”
“Oh,” sighed Charlie. “I haven’t told you yet.”
“Told me what?” asked June.
“J.J. and I are on a break right now,” said Charlie.
“A break?” echoed June. “Like Ross and Rachel?”
“I guess,” chuckled Charlie. “I haven’t talked to you in awhile, but you should probably know that I kissed Ryan again, when I was in New York. J.J. thought it would be in our best interest if we weren’t around each other for awhile.”
“How are you doing?”
“Surprisingly, I feel okay. I love him, but I just don’t know. I told him I still love Ryan, and I’ve been living in a hotel ever since.”
“I’m sorry, back up. You what now?”
“…I still love Ryan,” said Charlie. “I think, on some level, you already knew this, June.”
“Bu you actually said this to J.J.?” said June.
“Lies got me nowhere,” replied Charlie. “I figured the truth couldn’t be any worse.”
“Whatever happens, I’ll be here for you, Char.”
“How’s little Lyanna doing?”
“She’s kicking now,” said June. “I wish you were here to feel it. Ben thinks she’s going to be a track star. I’ve been saying soccer. She’s been kicking my bladder around like she’s dribbling a ball.”
Charlie laughed and said, “I was planning on flying out around Thanksgiving, but if I get this job, things will probably change. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Dean misses you,” said June. “He loves his playground, by the way. Won’t shut up about it.”
“I’m glad he likes it,” replied Charlie.
“It’s all he ever”- She stopped abruptly, then shouted, “Dean, put that down! Goddammit. I’m going to have to call you back, Char. Probably after he goes to bed tonight. I know it will be late for you, but is that okay?”
“That’s fine,” said Charlie. “Tell him his aunt Charlie will take the playground away if he’s not careful.”
“That’ll about do the trick,” chuckled June. “Good-bye, Char.”
“Bye, Junebug,” said Charlie.
She heard another shout as June hung up the phone, and she shook her head.
Charlie had decided to stay in Boston through the weekend. Her dad bought the whole family tickets to a Celtics game to celebrate them all being together during a time that wasn’t a holiday or a funeral. She and Olivia went out to a club that Friday night to dance and drink and forget about real life, at least for a few hours. It was the most fun she’d had with her family since she was a kid.
She and Wendy went out to lunch on Saturday at a little café in Andover. Wendy asked about the interview, as Charlie knew she would, and she asked about how she had been taking everything in this season. Charlie knew she’d meant J.J., but Wendy never specifically said it.
She had decided to fly back on Sunday afternoon, during the football games. They had Sunday Ticket on her flight back home, but the Texans weren’t playing until Monday night. She flipped through the games, paused on the Jets as she watched Ryan throw a huge touchdown, and flipped to the Colts.
Charlie wouldn’t be able to avoid him much longer. Next Sunday, the Texans would be hosting the Jets, and she knew this would be an important game for him.
At the front office, there was an older lady sitting at a ticket window. Charlie approached her with a smile.
“Hi, can I help you?” the lady asked.
“Yes, my name is Charlotte Elliott,” Charlie said. “I’m here to see Chuck Woodward. He said to just tell someone here when I got here.”
The lady picked up the phone. Charlie looked around her as the lady had a short conversation with the person on the other end. There were green banners everywhere with pictures of players on them. Basketball season had just started, and she was looking forward to maybe catching a game while she was here.
“He will be down in a moment,” the lady behind her said.
Charlie thanked her and moved to sit down on a bench near the stairs. She straightened her portfolio nervously on her lap. She tried to busy her mind with looking up at the banners, but it was no use. She was suddenly terrified of this place.
A hand gently touched her shoulder, and she jumped. She looked up to see a man with jet-black hair and dark brown eyes smiling at her. He looked to be in his late-40s, but he was strikingly handsome.
“Are you Miss Elliott?” he asked.
“I am,” Charlie replied, standing up.
“I’m Chuck Woodward,” the man said, sticking his hand out.
She shook it and said, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.”
“Likewise,” said Chuck. “Follow me.”
He led her up a flight of stairs, and she instinctively turned to the right. She paused and chuckled, and she followed him off to the left.
“Habit,” she said nervously.
“You come here often, then?” asked Chuck.
“I used to before I moved to Houston,” Charlie said.
He led her to a large office. He sat down on the other side of a large oak desk and indicated for her to sit in the chair across from him. She did, and she handed him her portfolio.
“I apologize for seeming to get so personal over the phone,” Chuck said.
“It’s no trouble,” she said.
“Tell me, Miss Elliott,” he said. “How did you come to be employed by the Texans?”
“I was part of an internship with the Cleveland Cavaliers right out of Harvard,” Charlie said. “Halfway through, they thought it might be in my best interest to move my internship to Houston with the Rockets. The Assistant Director of Marketing there moved to Dallas with the Cowboys as their Director of Marketing, and he helped me get a job on the marketing team with the Texans.”
“Did you enjoy your internships with the NBA?” asked Chuck.
“I did,” said Charlie. “I had actually hoped to be working for the NBA, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be with such a great team – a fairly new team at that.”
“I spoke with your current boss, George King,” said Chuck. “He told me a lot about you, Miss Elliott. He said you singlehandedly got a sold out crowd for the home opener last year. Is this true?”
“I wouldn’t say I did it singlehandedly,” Charlie replied. “I had a lot of ideas come to me during our marketing conference, and I worked with a lot of people to get the word out. It helped that we were donating a lot of the sales to a local Native American tribe, too.”
“Did you grow up here in Boston?”
“Andover, actually.”
“So you have some pretty strong roots in New England, then?”
“There’s no better area of the country,” Charlie said.
Chuck laughed slightly and shut her portfolio. She smiled at him, her nerves calming slightly.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” he asked.
“If I get this job, I hope to be right here in Boston helping the Celtics improve any way I can,” Charlie said. “If I don’t get the job, I want to be continuing to improve my resume and trying every possible chance to advance to an Assistant Director position, either with the Texans or another team.”
“Do you think you’ll always stick with sports?” Chuck asked.
“‘Always’ is such a restricting word,” she said. “I wouldn’t tie myself to always, but I really think I’ve found my niche in marketing sports.”
Chuck smiled and said, “You keep an open mind, Miss Elliott. I like that.”
“Thank you, sir,” Charlie said.
“I only have one more question,” said Chuck. “Who’s your favorite basketball player and why?”
Charlie grinned and said, “Larry Bird, the greatest player to ever walk into this building. I grew up watching him, and he’s the reason I’m a Celtics fan in the first place.”
Chuck smiled again. He sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.
“It’s looking very optimistic for you, Miss Elliott,” he said. “I have two more people to interview here, but I want you to know that you have so far been our most qualified and motivated candidate.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Charlie. “That really means a lot.”
“Our last interviewee won’t be here until next week, so we will be in touch shortly after that,” he continued.
“Thank you, sir, really,” she replied.
He stood up and shook her hand again, and he said, “The pleasure’s all mine, Miss Elliott. Can you find your way back?”
“I think so,” she said. “Thank you.”
She shut the door behind her on the way out, and she took a deep breath in relief.
“June, I honestly cannot believe I interviewed with the Celtics today,” laughed Charlie.
“I think you’ve said it about four times now,” chuckled June. “I know.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just so surreal,” Charlie said.
“There’s only one thing you haven’t mentioned,” said June. “How’s J.J. taking this?”
“Oh,” sighed Charlie. “I haven’t told you yet.”
“Told me what?” asked June.
“J.J. and I are on a break right now,” said Charlie.
“A break?” echoed June. “Like Ross and Rachel?”
“I guess,” chuckled Charlie. “I haven’t talked to you in awhile, but you should probably know that I kissed Ryan again, when I was in New York. J.J. thought it would be in our best interest if we weren’t around each other for awhile.”
“How are you doing?”
“Surprisingly, I feel okay. I love him, but I just don’t know. I told him I still love Ryan, and I’ve been living in a hotel ever since.”
“I’m sorry, back up. You what now?”
“…I still love Ryan,” said Charlie. “I think, on some level, you already knew this, June.”
“Bu you actually said this to J.J.?” said June.
“Lies got me nowhere,” replied Charlie. “I figured the truth couldn’t be any worse.”
“Whatever happens, I’ll be here for you, Char.”
“How’s little Lyanna doing?”
“She’s kicking now,” said June. “I wish you were here to feel it. Ben thinks she’s going to be a track star. I’ve been saying soccer. She’s been kicking my bladder around like she’s dribbling a ball.”
Charlie laughed and said, “I was planning on flying out around Thanksgiving, but if I get this job, things will probably change. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Dean misses you,” said June. “He loves his playground, by the way. Won’t shut up about it.”
“I’m glad he likes it,” replied Charlie.
“It’s all he ever”- She stopped abruptly, then shouted, “Dean, put that down! Goddammit. I’m going to have to call you back, Char. Probably after he goes to bed tonight. I know it will be late for you, but is that okay?”
“That’s fine,” said Charlie. “Tell him his aunt Charlie will take the playground away if he’s not careful.”
“That’ll about do the trick,” chuckled June. “Good-bye, Char.”
“Bye, Junebug,” said Charlie.
She heard another shout as June hung up the phone, and she shook her head.
Charlie had decided to stay in Boston through the weekend. Her dad bought the whole family tickets to a Celtics game to celebrate them all being together during a time that wasn’t a holiday or a funeral. She and Olivia went out to a club that Friday night to dance and drink and forget about real life, at least for a few hours. It was the most fun she’d had with her family since she was a kid.
She and Wendy went out to lunch on Saturday at a little café in Andover. Wendy asked about the interview, as Charlie knew she would, and she asked about how she had been taking everything in this season. Charlie knew she’d meant J.J., but Wendy never specifically said it.
She had decided to fly back on Sunday afternoon, during the football games. They had Sunday Ticket on her flight back home, but the Texans weren’t playing until Monday night. She flipped through the games, paused on the Jets as she watched Ryan throw a huge touchdown, and flipped to the Colts.
Charlie wouldn’t be able to avoid him much longer. Next Sunday, the Texans would be hosting the Jets, and she knew this would be an important game for him.
♠ ♠ ♠
Title Credit: Belle of the Boulevard | Dashboard Confessional