Crisis Management
1651 Words
The man standing beside the motorcycle was not supposed to look familiar.
Yet every detail did.
The dark hair.
The leather jacket.
The tattoo curling along his forearm.
And that smile.
My mind went completely blank.
Which was inconvenient.
I made a living by knowing exactly what to say.
“Ms. Brooks.”
The voice beside me pulled me back.
A man in a charcoal suit stepped forward and held out his hand.
“Marcus Bell. We spoke on the phone.”
I shook it automatically.
“Mr. Bell.”
“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“You said the situation was urgent.”
“It is.”
Marcus turned toward the man beside the motorcycle.
“Logan Hayes, this is Olivia Brooks. She’s the PR consultant I told you about.”
Logan looked at me.
Not like a stranger.
Not exactly.
But the shift was so slight that Marcus didn’t seem to notice.
Then Logan held out his hand.
“Ms. Brooks.”
His voice was calm.
Professional.
Almost convincing.
“Mr. Hayes.”
I placed my hand in his.
His fingers closed around mine.
Warm. Steady.
He held on for one second too long.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
I pulled my hand away.
“Likewise.”
The lie came easily.
His mouth curved.
“You look familiar.”
I stared at him.
“I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Must be mistaken.”
“You must be.”
“Probably.”
Marcus glanced between us.
“Shall we?”
“Yes,” I said.
Logan stepped aside.
“After you.”
I walked past him without responding.
⸻
The office above the garage was quieter than the workshop below.
Motorcycles lined the floor beneath the glass windows. Mechanics moved between them while engines started and stopped in the distance.
I placed my bag on the conference table and opened my laptop.
“Before we discuss solutions,” I said, “I need the complete story.”
Marcus sat across from me.
Logan took the chair beside mine.
There were six empty chairs.
Naturally, he chose the closest one.
I moved my chair away.
His eyes followed the movement.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“Very.”
Marcus cleared his throat.
“There is a video that was uploaded last and unfortunately it contains Mr. Hayes riding a motorcycle through the entrance of a huge gala. ”
I turned toward him.
“I saw it.”
Most people had.
The clip had appeared on every major entertainment account before midnight.
A motorcyclist in a black helmet riding through the entrance of the Hawthorne Foundation gala. Guests had moved aside. Cameras flashed. The motorcycle stopped beneath the lights before the rider removed his helmet off-screen.
The video ended there.
The rider’s identity had remained unclear.
Until now.
“I assumed it was a publicity stunt,” I said.
“It wasn’t,” Marcus replied.
Logan leaned back.
“It would have been a good one.”
I ignored him.
“What happened?”
“The rider entered through the wrong gate.”
“By accident?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Logan said.
Marcus looked at him.
Logan shrugged.
“The sign was unclear.”
“The sign said Guests Only,” Marcus said.
“I was a guest.”
I closed my laptop.
“Mr. Hayes.”
“Yes?”
“Did you know the event was being filmed?”
“Of course.”
“Did you know there would be media coverage?”
“Yes.”
“And you still entered through the main entrance?”
He smiled.
“When you say it like that, it sounds irresponsible.”
“That’s because it was.”
His smile widened.
“Good. We’re making progress.”
I turned back to Marcus.
“What is the actual crisis?”
“The video has been viewed over forty million times,” Marcus said. “Several outlets are claiming Logan staged it to promote Hayes Motorworks. Others are accusing him of endangering guests.”
“Was anyone injured?”
“No.”
“Was property damaged?”
“No.”
“Then the story should fade.”
“It won’t,” Marcus said.
He slid a folder across the table.
I opened it.
Articles. Social-media reports. Investor comments. A statement from a competitor.
Then I reached the final page.
My expression changed.
“Hayes Corporation is announcing the Kessler partnership next week?”
“Yes.”
The Kessler partnership had been rumored for months.
If finalized, it would be one of the largest international expansions Hayes Corporation had made in years.
And now the company’s vice president was trending online for riding a motorcycle through a charity gala.
“This isn’t about one video,” I said.
“No.”
“The board is concerned the story will affect investor confidence before the announcement.”
“Exactly.”
I looked at Logan.
“You’re vice president of Hayes Corporation?”
“Among other things.”
“You neglected to mention that.”
“You didn’t ask.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Do you enjoy being difficult?”
“Immensely.”
Marcus continued.
“The board requested you personally.”
I looked back at him.
“Why?”
“You’ve handled three major campaigns for Hayes since opening your consultancy.”
I had.
After my contract with Cross Global ended, Hayes Corporation had been one of the first companies to hire me independently.
Their contracts had helped establish my business.
Their referrals had brought in other high-profile clients.
They weren’t just important.
They were foundational.
“I appreciate the trust,” I said carefully. “But I’m not sure I’m the right person for this.”
Marcus’s expression tightened.
“Why not?”
“I have concerns about the circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
I glanced at Logan.
He looked entirely relaxed.
Too relaxed.
“The client,” I said.
Logan placed a hand over his chest.
“Already? We just met.”
“I’m referring to your behavior.”
“Which part?”
“All of it.”
Marcus sighed.
“Logan can be difficult.”
“That’s one word for it.”
“But he will cooperate.”
Logan smiled.
“Mostly.”
I stood and closed the folder.
“I’m sorry. I’ll need to decline.”
The room went quiet.
Marcus rose.
“Ms. Brooks, the board specifically requested you.”
“I understand.”
“They don’t want an internal team handling this.”
“Then you should contact another consultant.”
“You know the company.”
“That doesn’t obligate me.”
“No,” Marcus said. “But it matters.”
I picked up my bag.
“Mr. Bell—”
“Hayes has been one of your largest clients since you left Cross Global.”
I stopped.
Marcus’s voice remained calm.
“You’ve built a strong reputation independently. The board respects your work. That is why they asked for you.”
“And?”
“If you decline during a crisis, they may reconsider future contracts.”
The words settled heavily between us.
It wasn’t a threat.
That made it worse.
It was business.
And business had consequences.
I looked through the glass wall at the garage below.
My office.
My clients.
Everything I had built. Hayes Corporation had helped immensely.
Losing them would hurt.
Not only financially, professionally.
Other companies paid attention to who Hayes trusted.
If they withdrew their support, people would notice.
“You’re asking me to accept the case because refusing could damage my business,” I said.
“I’m asking you to consider what this relationship means.”
Logan watched me silently.
For once, he wasn’t smiling.
I hated that.
I preferred him annoying.
“Why me?” I asked.
“Because you’re good,” Marcus said. “And because you don’t panic.”
I looked at Marcus.
“I’ll take the case.”
Marcus exhaled.
“Thank you.”
“On my terms.”
“Of course.”
“I have complete authority over all public statements concerning this situation.”
“Agreed.”
“I approve every interview.”
“Agreed.”
“Mr. Hayes does not speak to the press without consulting me.”
Logan leaned back.
“That sounds restrictive.”
I ignored him.
“The first thing we do is remove him from public view.”
Marcus gathered the documents.
“When do we begin?”
“Now.”
I opened my laptop again.
“First, I want every version of the video, the event schedule, security footage, and a complete list of everyone who was present.”
“You’ll have it,” Marcus said.
“And Mr. Hayes?”
Logan looked at me.
“Yes, Ms. Brooks?”
“Try not to create another crisis.”
His smile was slow.
“I’ll do my best.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Marcus stood.
“I’ll have the files sent to your office.”
“Thank you.”
He left the conference room.
The door closed behind him.
Logan and I were alone. He leaned closer.
“Good to know that ‘feisty’ is a default setting “
“Why?”
“Because I was worried you might be boring.”
I stared at him.
“You are going to regret hiring me.”
His smile didn’t fade.
He stood and walked toward the door.
“Welcome to Hayes, Olivia.”
The door closed behind him.
I looked down at the contract.
Then at the motorcycle garage below.
I had accepted the case because Hayes Corporation mattered.
Because my business mattered.
Because walking away would have cost me too much.
Logan Hayes had nothing to do with the decision.
That was what I told myself.
And for the moment, I almost believed it.
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