“I ask my players all the time, ‘What are you bringing that the others aren’t?’ They’re performing at a level where phenomenal skill isn’t just expected, it’s the baseline. Which means, if they don’t want to get cut, they have to prove themselves valuable to the team in other ways.” Andie leaned across the table, dark eyes intense. “Do you wanna get cut?”

“No.”

“What are you going to do about it then?”

“Um…” Julia squirmed in the booth. It was hard to ignore Andie when she used her coach voice. Julia bet if her friend demanded that everyone in the restaurant stand up and start doing speed drills the entire place would be on their feet in seconds. “Show my boss I’m a valuable team player?”

“You got it, MVP.” Andie pounded the table with her fist.

“Exactly what I was trying to say.” Kat squeezed Julia’s arm. “Make your ass invaluable to them.”

“How did this conversation circle back around to my butt?” Julia teased. The alarm on her phone chimed. Julia jumped and crammed her notebook and pen back in her purse. “Shit. I won’t have a job to save if I don’t get back to work.” She scooted out of the booth. Dropping some cash on the table, she turned to her friends. “So, Friday … I’ll take care of the movie?”

“And I’ve got the drinks,” Andie added, standing as well.

“I guess that leaves me in charge of snacks.” Kat wriggled out of the booth. “I’m on it.”

Once outside the Thai place, Julia gave each of her friends a quick hug. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

“You’re going to schedule a meeting with your boss?” Andie asked. “Show ’em your TADA?”

“Yes,” Julia said, striving to sound more confident. “Definitely.”

“Today.” Kat wagged a finger at her. “You promise?”

“TADA today. I promise. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you Friday.” With a wave, Julia turned and headed toward her L stop. A moment later she laughed out loud when she heard Kat shout, “Remember to show them you’re an ass … et!”

CHAPTER 2

JULIA

When she arrived back at her desk, Julia was still chuckling. Her friends’ unique approach to motivational speaking might be weird, but it was also effective. She was in a much better mood now than she’d been in all week. And she was going to keep her promise and talk to her boss today. She glanced over at the door to the editorial director’s office. Yep. Definitely. Sometime today.

But maybe just a teensy bit later. She had an assignment to finish first.