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It seems like he and Sara are very close, and I know he’s on good terms with his brother. So why wouldn’t he want to be with his family on the most family-oriented holiday of all?
Oh God. What if his brother married a woman Kit is secretly in love with and he can’t bear to see her with him? I read a book where that happened.
Maybe it was just because of his work schedule. Or maybe he has a huge extended family that visits and it gets stressful and miserable.
I probably shouldn’t let my imagination speculate on the reason Kit prefers to spend Christmas at the children’s hospital. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop wondering about it, though.
My inbox dings with the arrival of a new email, and I roll my eyes when I see it’s from Clara Romano, another reporter at the Gazette. I click to read it.
Hi Molly, hope the new year is off to a good start for you. We need to send someone to a briefing on the changes to the FOIA law, and Lou asked me to go, but I’m so swamped with work, my husband and kids. Since you don’t have as much to juggle, I told Lou I thought you should be the one to go instead. He said I just need to clear it with you. Okay?
C
* * *
I shake my head. Clara is a lifestyle writer. There’s no easier beat at the Gazette than hers. And I’m balancing two beats, one of which is the most demanding at the paper. I work more hours than anyone in the newsroom.
But Clara always makes remarks about me not having kids, commenting in a staff meeting once that I must sleep “like nine hours a day.” She once told Lou that parents should be paid more than non-parents, and his response could be heard from several offices away.
I’m not responding to her email, and I’m not going to the briefing. If she had asked nicely, I would have. She can peddle her passive aggressive bullshit elsewhere.
With a glance at my watch, I realize I have to leave for an interview in five minutes. I open the envelope the intern delivered to my desk, scanning the lines on the top paper.
Well, hello there, anonymous news tip.
I flip through the pages and see that it’s an accounting of credit card receipts for a city alderman, Ted Lamont. It looks like he took out a cash advance on his city credit card at a strip club, and also used his card to pay a substantial bar tab at the club.
This is golden. It’ll make a killer story, once I confirm it. Ted Lamont is the one who was pushing for the cuts the city is making in the treasurer’s office. I’m guessing it wouldn’t be too hard to track down the source of these documents, but I don’t need to. I’ll file a Freedom of Information request for them and get them directly from the city.
Finally, I’ll break a great story to show Lou I’m ready to take on the city hall beat. In a matter of a minute, I’m no longer wondering why Kit doesn’t spend Christmas with his family. I’ve only got one thing on my mind now—nailing down this story.
Chapter Twelve
Kit
* * *
“You brought a swimsuit, right?” I ask Molly, unable to tamp down my eagerness.
“No, I’m not planning to swim.”
I put my hands on my hips, breathing out through my nose. “You have to swim.”
“I don’t, actually.”
“Do you know how to swim?”
“Of course I do, but I’m working.”
I arch my brows but don’t say anything. Instead, I put my foot on the gas and head away from the front of her building before she changes her mind and decides not to go at all.
The only reason she let me pick her up is because we’re going to a place she can’t walk or ride the El Train to—Luca and Abby’s newly built home in Highland Park. And with their gate and security, an Uber wouldn’t be able to get within a mile of it.
Abby’s home furnishings business is flourishing. She invested in some startup companies that took off, too, and she and Luca are beyond wealthy. We make fun of him for being the broke one in their relationship. Their new home took more than a year to construct, and I’ve heard it’s incredible. This is going to be the first time they’re hosting the whole team over there.
“Hey,” I say to Molly. “Just leave the notebook in your bag and stick with me, okay?”
“I’m only going with you because I’m working on my story.”
There’s a nervous edge to her voice, and now that I know she has social anxiety, I get why. She’s got to be freaking out over going to Luca and Abby’s 25,000 square foot mansion with my whole team and each of their families.
