“That needs a bit of soul.”
Something in my chest tightens at that.
“I’ll ask Andrea to take it,” she continues. “She’s good with the human angle. I’ll pair her with Ben from sports so he can handle the football side. Between them they’ll manage.”
Relief washes through me so suddenly I nearly sag in the chair.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
She waves a hand.
“You were honest. That’s what matters.” Then, after a beat, “And frankly I’d rather reassign a piece than deal with another conflict of interest meeting.”
That makes me smile.
“Is this… serious?” she asks again, quieter now.
I hesitate just long enough that she notices.
“Yes,” I say. “I think it is.”
She nods once, like she’s filed that away somewhere between deadlines and staff rotas.
“Well then,” she says, already reaching for her phone, “try not to make it messy. I run a newspaper, not a dating agency.”
“I’ll try.”
As I stand to leave she adds, without looking up,
“And Ava?”
“Yes?”
“You seem happy. I wish you both the best.”
I escape before she can get me all emotional.
Chloe is waiting the second I step back into the newsroom.
Arms folded. Eyebrows raised. The expression of a woman who absolutely intends to extract information.
“Well?” she asks.
“I’ve asked for someone else to write the article.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “Oh. Oh that’s serious then.”
I try to sound casual. “It’s just sensible.”
“Mhm,” she says, completely unconvinced. “So when do I get details?”
“You don’t.”
“I will,” she says calmly. “I always do.”
I sit down at my desk and try to look like a woman focused on proofreading.
Instead I find myself smiling at nothing.
