Reserving the Second Stage at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts turned out to be overkill, but well worth it—or so Laz insisted when the team arrived an hour before the announcement event.
The light of day shown into the lobby through two-story windows that fronted the plaza outside. Eyes following the open staircases to the second level could proceed to the top of the ceiling dome far above. Entering the lobby, Tristan and the team were greeted by two people Tristan estimated to be in their mid-twenties: a stout young man in cargo shorts, Birkenstocks, and a Blink 182 T-shirt, and a tall, slender woman in an impeccable blue suit.
“Blink 182, nice,” Tristan said by way of greeting.
“Repping the classics,” the kid said.
“If those are the ‘classics,’ then I’m a fossil,” Tristan said. Then, after a pause, he turned to Laz. “Wait,” he said, “who the fuck are these people?”
“Social media team,” Laz said, beaming at the youngsters.
“When did this happen?” Shonda said.
“Last week. I got some money from Cletus and brought them on board. This is—”
“Wait, what the fuck? You got some money from Cletus? What the fuck does that mean?”
“Well, Cletus handled the Samson donations, so he’s the only one with access to the money right now. So, I got some from him, and brought these guys on board.”
Nance said, “There are just too many questions in my mind right now.”
Shonda said, “Oh, so they get paid before we do, huh?”
Laz said, “Well, yeah, that’s kind of what we all agreed to, and we also agreed social media was the top priority.”
“When the fuck did we agree to that?” Shonda said, getting exercised now.
“We need a money guy,” Nance said to Tristan.
“I’m kind of wishing I was the money guy right now,” Tristan said.
“Shonda,” Laz said, “we talked about staffing up the campaign, and we talked about social media, and let’s face it, this announcement we’re about to do ain’t shit without social media. We’ve got like five RSVPs from the press, and, one-hundred percent, they’re not all showing up.”
“Oh, fuck me,” Shonda said.
“I don’t remember saying social media was the top priority,” Tristan said, “but we definitely pegged it as a top priority.” He was looking at the two befuddled young people in front of him.
“You and me are having a talk after this, Laz,” Shonda said.
“Fine. Just fine,” Laz said. “In the meantime, how about we welcome our new team members? Guys, this is Shay McKinnon, who is a technical genius. And this is Cicely Miller—”
“Call me Sissy.”
“—who is a digital marketing sorceress.”
“A marketing sorceress who has branded herself ‘Sissy,’” Shonda said. She was not smiling. In fact, she was glaring, first at Cicely then at Laz.
