Page 6 of Hate You to Love You

Ouch. I peer down at my outfit. Suddenly I wish I’d ditched my usual office look – a shirt with a sunflower pattern and bright pink linen pants – for something a little bit more professional.

‘When you first started here, your pieces were so original, so full of life. I hired you because you were bursting with marvellous ideas. But over the past two and half years, the quality of your writing has slipped. And don’t think that I haven’t noticed that your features are starting to feel distinctly… cut and paste.’

There’s no point arguing with Tamara. I know she’s right. But how can I write articles that pay tribute to romantic comedies or draw on my own life advice for others when I no longer believe in the magic of, well, anything? My silence gives Tamara the perfect opportunity to list the negative aspects of my recent work performance. Lack of enthusiasm? Check. An absence of originality? We can tick that box too.

‘If things hadn’t been so down to the wire with the last few issues, I wouldn’t have approved your pieces,’ Tamara says, shaking her head slightly as she stares out at the Sydney skyline in the distance. ‘And we can’t afford to miss a deadline or have our quality slip any further. Especially now.’

There’s so much I want to say to defend myself, but the words don’t come. It’s as if my heart can tell that I don’t really want this. But is it because I don’t want to write anymore, or because I’m afraid of finding out that I’m not good enough for this job?

‘I’m sorry, Tamara,’ I offer half-heartedly. ‘You know me. I mean, you said it yourself, I can write, it’s just…’ I realise how pathetic I sound and stop talking.

Tamara lowers her glasses and gives me a pointed look. ‘Recent evidence suggests otherwise. And if it were up to me, I’d let you go.’

My breath catches in my throat. Suddenly there is so much I want to say. Don’t give up on me! Give me a chance!

‘But, as luck would have it, this time it’s not up to me,’ she continues.

Wait. What?

‘I’ve got a project for you. It’s a big one. If we can pull this article off, it’ll give us the major publicity boost we need and, who knows, it might just be enough to keep us afloat for a while longer.’

‘Yes!’ I reply enthusiastically. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.’

Tamara purses her lips – her version of a smile. ‘How familiar are you with Claudia Leighton?’

Her question doesn’t require an answer. Even if you’ve never read a book in your life, you’ll have heard the name of Australian legend Claudia Leighton, author of the Golden Ruins series. The first book, The City of Golden Ruins – an epic dystopian young adult novel – became a global bestseller when it was released fifteen years ago, when Claudia was only twenty-seven.

Readers loved the world Claudia Leighton created. The characters were the perfect underdogs, and their stories offered a cutting commentary on global inequality and government oppression. Some people described it as The Famous Five meets The Hunger Games. Film rights were snapped up immediately, and the first movie was released following the third and final book in the series nine years ago. Filmed back-to-back, a movie based on each Golden Ruins book was released each year. With a star-studded cast, a love-triangle for the ages, thought-provoking social commentary and an unforgettable soundtrack, Golden Ruins became an integral part of pop culture.

Then, three years ago, Claudia announced the release of her first book outside of the series, Summer Memory: a literary love story set within the publishing industry, following two authors over their ten-year love affair.

Reese Witherspoon featured it in her book club and snagged the film rights before it had even been released. When it finally hit bookshops, you couldn’t miss it. Sarah Jessica Parker was seen clutching the book on the set of And Just Like That… Taylor Swift was even photographed reading a copy on a private yacht. The book was everywhere. Claudia was everywhere. If people weren’t talking about her books, they were discussing her private life. From the extravagant mansions and parties in Sydney and London to her very public relationship with fellow novelist and literary sensation Alastair O’Callahan. He was another local author, beloved for being a humble, relaxed guy – a humble, relaxed guy who won several literary prizes and regularly attended star-studded events at the Opera House. For years, both Alastair and Claudia were the brightest stars in the book industry.

Until she wasn’t. While on her book tour for Summer Memory she suddenly pulled out just before a big festival event in Edinburgh. Her relationship with Alastair O’Callahan had seemed to cease overnight. She’d vanished and he had continued to write, refusing to mention Claudia in interviews. But Claudia had recently re-emerged, and her new book, These Days, was due for release later this week. The literary scene was already buzzing about whether or not Claudia would tour again and speculating on why she’d disappeared from the public eye in the first place.

Which is why I was surprised to hear Tamara saying the words ‘Claudia Leighton’ and ‘interview’ to me in the same sentence.

‘Tamara, I’m honoured, but…’ I stammer.

Tamara scoffs. ‘You get this once-in-a-lifetime, career-defining opportunity and you say “but”?’

‘Oh! Oh, no,’ I rush to assure her. ‘I’d love to do the interview. It’s just that Claudia Leighton hasn’t done an interview in years. Is this the real deal? What’s changed?’

Tamara gets up from her desk and walks towards the window. ‘Sparked was just starting out in Australia when Claudia published her first book. We were the first publication to write a review for her debut, which at the time no one really cared about, frankly. But according to her publicist, Claudia has insisted that we be the ones to tell her story. As for why now? That’s still a mystery.’

‘So, she’s back in Australia?’ I ask.

Tamara returns to her desk and takes out a stack of paperwork. ‘Yes,’ she says as she hands me the papers – the itinerary for an upcoming book tour. ‘Claudia is kicking off her book tour here in Sydney, then heading to London for their Festival of Books. Dublin is next because she has a strong readership there. She’ll finish in Edinburgh because it lines up with their Literature Fair. And you’ll be accompanying her to soak up every tidbit of information you can. We’ll need you to write about her day-to-day life as an author returning to the spotlight, readers are hungry for more Claudia. Her publisher has already revealed that These Days is their most pre-ordered book in the last decade. This story is going to be huge.’

‘Wait – you want me to go on tour with Claudia Leighton?’

‘Yes. The idea actually came from her publisher. They’re treating this as her redemption arc after she flaked on her last tour, so they want the piece to go deep. A feature article.’ Tamara sits back in her chair.

‘Won’t Claudia be doing media stops and author talks on the tour? Surely, she’ll have other opportunities to tell her story along the way?’

‘Claudia is adamant that we have the exclusive, which I’m not going to question.’ Tamara leans forward. ‘Look, Carlos, no one has been this close to Claudia in years. You have the opportunity to find out things about her that no other journalist will have access to. Which means’ – she pauses, looking at me intently – ‘you cannot mess this up.’

‘Of course,’ I reply, only a little offended.