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“That’s awesome, Reed. Wow. Plus, the incidental benefit is her interview of you is going to be amazing.”
“I’m sure it will be. Unfortunately for Georgie, however, most of what she writes won’t see the light of day.”
“What do you mean?”
“Georgie made a rookie error. She gave me full editorial control over whatever she ultimately writes about me. Of course, I’ll green light some of it. Whatever’s on-brand for Rock ‘n’ Roll, plus a little extra something to give her an exclusive scoop. But beyond that, whatever she might write about my childhood and my family, that shit is coming out.”
He sighs. “I know you hate talking about that stuff. But I think you should keep an open mind here, Reed. You never know. You might really like her article. The truth shall set you free, my brother.”
“My truth is nobody’s fucking business, Henn.”
He sighs. “Yeah, I know. But let’s think this through for a minute. Imagine she works all summer long on some epic article about you, something she’s really proud of and excited to submit to her boss, and you nix ninety percent of it. She’ll be crushed. Not to mention she’ll hate you.”
“She’s the one who fucked up and gave me full editorial control. It’ll be a life lesson for her.”
“A life lesson about not trusting the asshole she’s slept with all summer? Reed, implicit in your agreement with her was that she can trust you with her baby. She trusts that you’ll give due consideration to whatever she ultimately writes.”
I say nothing.
“I’m just saying you sound like you’re walking on air today. You made her breakfast, for fuck’s sake, and invited her to stay for the summer, just for the fun of it. And you’re not even grouchy about Hazel’s birthday party on Sunday. Whatever spell she’s cast on you, don’t fuck it up by sending her on a wild-goose chase this entire summer that will end in her hating you.”
He’s right.
Georgina’s going to hate me at the end of this.
Fuck.
My mind is racing. Calculating. Seeking a solution. And, finally, I’ve got it. Georgina can’t hate me if I’ve already given her something even better than an in-depth interview of me. Something that equally accomplishes her goal. At the end of the day, Georgie doesn’t even want an interview of me, specifically. She wants to impress CeeCee enough to get hired onto the writing staff of Dig a Little Deeper, and my interview is merely a means to an end. Which means I know exactly what to do.
“She won’t hate me if I get her an even better interview than mine,” I say. “All I’ve got to do is get her an A-list interview, with someone way better than me, and all will be forgiven.”
“I’m not sure it works that way.”
“Sure, it does. I’ve invited a shit-ton of A-listers to my party on Saturday, and I’ll tell Owen to invite a shit-ton more. I’ll introduce Georgie around on Saturday night, and see who she clicks with and make it happen for her.” I smile. “This is actually a great plan. Georgie clicks with everyone she meets. It’s like the girl has magical powers. She’ll have her pick of the litter on Saturday night.”
“If you say so,” Henn says half-heartedly.
An idea pings me. “But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get myself some insurance—some proverbial belts and suspenders. I need a favor, Henny.”
I tell Henn about Georgie’s father—specifically, about his recent cancer battle and the financial troubles he’s having because of it. “So, will you do me a favor and hack his bank or whatever, and find out how much he owes on his condo? And while you’re at it, you might as well find out how much Georgina owes in student loans. Just find out Georgie’s and her father’s complete financial situations for me, if you would.”
The line is silent.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Henn says.
“Can you do all that for me?”
“It should be easy to do. But why, exactly, do you want to know this stuff?”
“Just in case I want to play Fairy Godfather at some point.”
“In other words, you’re worried you’re going to piss her off with the article, so you want to have her ‘price’ ready to go, just in case?”
I frown. My two best friends know me, inside and out. It’s a blessing and a curse.
“Reed, listen to me,” Henn says. “In all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never once heard you sound this jacked up about a woman. You sound like I did when I met Hannah—like you’ve been struck by a lightning bolt.”
I roll my eyes. It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Henn says, “For fuck’s sake, Reed, if you break her trust, you won’t be able to buy your way out of it. Instead, how about not doing anything to make her hate you? How about opening up and telling her about your life and letting her write the article and get to know you. How about enjoying the summer with an open mind and seeing where that takes you. Take a chance on this girl. Take a chance on what might happen if you let down your guard a bit.”
