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I giggle. “Don’t rush me, please. I’m elated about my new job. Writing for Dig a Little Deeper has been my dream for a long time.”
My phone, and Reed’s, both ping simultaneously with incoming texts. I don’t look down, since I’m engaged in a conversation with Eleanor and don’t want to be rude. But Reed looks down. And when he does, he instantly blurts, “Ho! Maddy says she’s uploaded a rough cut of Alessandra’s video to the Dropbox!”
With excitement, I quickly explain to Eleanor the context—the backstory of the music video Reed is excitedly cuing up. And a moment later, the three of us are huddled around Reed’s phone, watching Maddy’s masterpiece.
It’s phenomenal. Better than anything I could have imagined. When it’s over, I look at Reed, and it’s clear he’s every bit as blown away as I am. In fact, I’ll be damned, he’s morphing into Business Reed before my eyes.
“This video is going to launch Alessandra to the moon,” he declares, his dark eyes blazing. “‘Blindsided’ will hit Top Thirty in its first week. Top Ten by its third. I’m calling it now.” Reed’s wheels are visibly turning. His excitement is palpable. “Real talk, Georgie. Do you think your stepsister will be able to handle overnight stardom? I’m talking about the kind of whirlwind success that’s going to make her drop out of school. Will she crumple under the weight of that kind of success, or rise to the occasion?”
My heart is pounding. I’m euphoric. “She’ll rise to the occasion, the same way she did at the video shoot. She’s ready for this, Reed. I promise. It’s what Alessandra’s always wanted.”
Reed nods, apparently reaching some sort of decision. “All right, then. I’ll get the machine fired up for a full album. The minute we get back from our trip, I’ll pull my team together and get everything scheduled. We’ll want to capitalize on the success of the first single. Keep momentum going.”
Squealing, I pepper Reed’s handsome face with kisses, and thank him profusely.
“There’s no need to thank me,” he says, laughing. “This time I’m telling the truth. Alessandra is going to make me a mint.”
Swooning, I check the time on my phone. “We’ll need to call her in a couple hours. She’s still on her flight back to Boston.”
“This is so exciting,” Eleanor says. She leaps up and grabs my hand. “Come with me, Georgie! I’m going to introduce you to all my friends and tell them you’ve agreed with me you belong on TV one day—and, also, that your cute little stepsister is about to become a star!”
***
In a pleasant, sunlit game room, filled with people playing Scrabble and dominoes and cards, Reed and I are making the rounds, making pleasant small talk with Eleanor’s friends and nurses, when a newscaster on a TV in the corner reports something startling: “Breaking news. Howard Devlin, the billionaire studio head and movie producer, has just been arrested by LAPD for rape and various other sex crimes.” My jaw hanging open, I snap my head toward the TV in the corner, just in time to see Howard Devlin, in handcuffs, being shoved like a common criminal into a cop car that’s parked in front of his sprawling mansion.
I turn to Reed to find him looking as shocked as I feel. We quickly excuse ourselves from the game room and barrel into the hallway. First off, Reed immediately calls Isabel, but gets her voicemail. He calls Leonard, who says he’s heard the news, but knows nothing more than what’s being reported. Finally, Reed calls CeeCee and hits the jackpot. Confidentially, of course, CeeCee tells us Isabel and her posse went to the police station last night, through a back door and in the cover of darkness, and stayed for hours, giving their detailed statements.
“And this morning,” CeeCee says exuberantly, “Isabel’s lawyer called to schedule two interviews with me! An exclusive, one-on-one with Isabel, which we’ll do on network television. I’ve already made arrangements. And a second, more comprehensive interview, which will be published in a special edition of Dig a Little Deeper, along with individual, exclusive interviews of all the other women, too.”
“Holy crap, CeeCee. This is going to be the story of the year. A game-changer.”
“I know. Now, listen, Georgina. I want you to do some brainstorming while you’re in Italy. When you come back, you’re going to need to write an opinion piece for the special edition. Something that draws parallels between Gates and Devlin, from your unique perspective.”
“I’d love to. Yes.”
“I’ll handle both Isabel’s interviews, personally, but I’m going to want you to handle some of the other women’s interviews for me. We’re going to have a short turnaround time on this special edition to make it timely.”
“You got it. Thank you for trusting me.”
“Trusting you? This is all because of you.”
