A moment of silence passed. “I’d be careful if I was you,” Caroline said.
I turned to my right. “Oh. Why do you say that?”
“Well, because this isn’t WBBA.” She knew where I’d worked last? I filed that away. “The reporters here are cutthroat. They have to be.”
My high came crumbling down like the walls of Jericho. I felt warmth hit my cheeks. That always happened when I was embarrassed, dating all the way back to third grade when I’d been asked by Mrs. Middleton to explain why Mars was red but had not read the chapter as assigned.
“Carlos seems harmless. He’s actually been the friendliest out of everyone.” I said it with a smile, but sure, there was a hint in there. A nod in her less-than-friendly direction.
“And he is. Mostly. But you just gave him a week’s worth of information to do with what he wants. He’s a story hound, and you’re discounting that.”
I balked. “Yeah…but I don’t get the feeling he’d step on my toes in any way.”
She offered me a beautiful smile that said I was so very naive. It made me angry. The know-it-all condescension. “Okay. Then carry on.”
“I will.”
She studied her screen, and I focused on my social media scour, checking out any interaction between cast members of my burgeoning story. When Caroline headed to the studio, I picked up the phone and placed a call to Essie.
“Interesting,” she said, when I explained who I was. “I’ll be honest with you, Ms. Ruiz. I’m not a fan of my boss or what went down. The sheriff is an ass and a misogynist.” Her voice was loud, brash. Like she didn’t care who heard her. This was a woman with an axe to grind, and that made her helpful to my cause.
“I had a feeling, which is why I gave you a call.”
A long pause. “Yeah, I’ll talk to you.”
I hopped in my seat. “Great. Can we set something up for tonight?”
“I can meet you tomorrow.”
“Would you be willing to go on camera?” I tried not to hold my breath, but I did scrunch my eyes closed. If she said no, there were ways around it. Change her voice. Use a silhouette.
“Hell, yeah, I would. I have a lot to say, too.”
I opened my eyes and nearly dropped my forehead into my hand in relief. Thank God for this woman. “Fantastic,” I said, instead of weeping. The desperation I’d been feeling began to evaporate slowly, and I could breathe. A part of me also couldn’t wait to show Caroline McNamara that I knew what the hell I was doing and was worthy of this job.
When I arrived home that night with a bag containing a big juicy cheeseburger, Micky’s whole body wagged in greeting, and only half of it was for me. I scooped him up and headed to the kitchen. “It’s a good day, little guy. And you’re getting a few french fries in celebration. Maybe even a bite of this burger. That’s right, I said it. French fry heaven awaits us both.”
In the morning, I’d meet with Kristin and see if I could shake anything loose at the commissioner’s office before moving on to the sheriff’s. Time to be the moose I always knew I could be.
I fell asleep full, satisfied, and excited for the next day. Micky the wonder mutt curled into the back of my knees. Not only were things falling into place, but they were happening in the right way. I was working hard. And, damn, it felt good.
Chapter Four
It was one of those mornings where everything seemed to happen in fast-motion. My breakfast was a rushed banana nut muffin as I scurried to my car. I’d taken the shortcut on my hairstyle, opting for a simple clip in the back, and every traffic light had been green, zipping me into work in a flash.
The story meeting was no different, on fire. Rapid back-and-forths as my brain struggled to stay in the mix.
There was a lot happening in the city that morning, and we were grabbing assignments from Kristin like raindrops in a storm. She studied her iPad, looking smart in a light gray pantsuit and heels. “There’s a home dedication in honor of the mayor’s wife. Do we want it?” She frowned at Devante, her assistant producer. He nodded.
Renee looked up. “I can cover it. I did that piece on her philanthropy while battling cancer. Could be a full circle follow-up.”
Kristin nodded. “Good point.” She studied the clock. “You’d have to leave. It’s scheduled for half an hour from now. We just got the press release.”
Renee stood and gathered her things. “Not a problem. I’ll grab Liam.” Her camera guy.
“Skyler, can you be on standby to grab a live shot for the five, most likely from the house stabbing from earlier, unless something more timely pops up.”
“Yeah, on it,” I said, excited and nervous to go live for the first time. Butterflies hit. I’d have to text Yolanda and Sarah and let them know that this was a broadcast to watch. They still got so excited to see me on television. It made me feel ten feet tall, kinda important.
As the meeting concluded, I lingered. “Kristin, can I grab you for a second?”
“Only if you can walk and talk. I have a meeting with Tam and a new sponsor.”
I fell into step with her down the long hallway back to her office. “I wanted to let you know about a story I have in the pipeline.”
“I love news stories. Tell me more.”
I launched into what I knew so far and watched as she raised her eyebrow. “That sounds amazing.”
I nodded, pumped just telling the story again. “I thought so, too. It has a lot of interesting angles.”
“Except I already gave Carlos the green light.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. Confused. “I don’t understand how that’s possible. He didn’t even know about it yesterday morning.”
“I don’t know. He pitched it yesterday afternoon.”
After we talked, my brain supplied: Fuck. Me. Kristin must have seen the look on my face. “Hey, follow me in here.”
I was too numb to do anything but obey her very basic command. She closed the door to her office, which was a lot smaller than Tam’s. She regarded me with a gentle expression on her face. “Did he take what you were working on and run with it?”
I swallowed. “I think so.” I felt the blood drain from my face, my happy little balloon popped.
“Okay. As your assistant news director, I want you to continue working on it, and we’ll see who comes up with the best story.”
“All right,” I answered, digging my fingernails into the palm of my hand painfully.
“But between us? As your friend, I want your story to beat his ass and take this thing home, okay? I’m rooting for you. You can do this.” She gave my shoulder a little shake of encouragement and opened the door, her blue eyes meeting mine. “I need to get to that meeting. Don’t give up. Bust this thing wide open.”