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“Oh?” Blue flushed. She felt heat rise to her cheeks, yet it had nothing to do with the summer sun beaming overhead.
“You can tell a lot about a person by not how they treat the wealthy and perceived powerful, but how they treat those who aren't. Some, probably most, people don’t even think of talking to the cleaners or frontline workers with such intrigue and respect. I like that about you, Blue.” His voice was authoritative and sharp. She could not quite read his emotion but he was impressed with her.
“Wow, you really do sum up a person rather quickly.”
“In life, you have to. It’s too short to go through a long haul. I’m a to-the-point, do-it-now person. I’ve no time to waste. I want something, I get it now. Period.”
“Oh.”
“My grandfather always taught us that personality can open many doors, but it is character that will keep those doors open.”
Inwardly, Blue felt relieved. So she wasn’t going to be fired from this job after all. That was a good thing. She would certainly be able to pay for Courtney’s tuition this fall. Oh, thank you, God!
But now she had another matter to deal with. Sexy-as-sin Zack Romero. Officially, her new boss.
“I was also intrigued by what you did what covering that Eli Christopher case.”
Blue felt her heart turn over in her chest. She remembered that case. A young man had gone missing and so had a few thousand dollars. They suspected he had stolen the funds from his employer and left the country. But her gut was telling her otherwise. She dug up a lot of information on Eli's background and realized the man had a hard life and had been in and out of the foster care system, but there was something in his eyes that touched Blue when she interviewed him once before the fiasco. She kept digging for the truth. Even after his arrest, by doing some investigative reporting, what she uncovered was that he was an immigrant who was set up by his employer to take the fall. The poor guy thought he wouldn’t stand a chance and fled. He had been taking care of his disabled mother and little brother on his modest income. Because of what she uncovered, the truth was revealed and Eli's employer went to prison for embezzling funds.
“Well, you know me,” she said, sheepishly. Embarrassed that Zack had taken the time to do his due diligence as to her reporting history and background. But she also felt a pang of longing. Deep, gut wrenching loneliness settled over her heart for far too long. One could be in a relationship as she had been with Elliot and still feel alone. Elliot never really cared for her or cared much about how her day at work went or how she felt. They never truly conversed. But Zack? He was only her boss, yet Blue felt that ease around her heart that he actually, genuinely cared about her work and how she felt. It was odd to think it but she felt a little connection with him. She was comfortable and satisfied in telling him about the things that mattered to her. That meant the world to Blue.
“I try to get to the heart of the story,” she continued.
“And that’s what makes you unique. Most reporters would have just left it at that. Why did you probe further?”
“Because I always believe that news is about people. I care about people, I guess.”
“You guess? You need to sound, no, be more confident in your convictions, Miss Monroe.”
“I care about people,” she grinned, cocking her brow. “A lot. And justice.”
“It shows.”
Blue flushed. This was nice, she thought. Why was it when a man treated her well, she reacted this way? Her ex, Elliot, was nothing like Mr. Romero. Elliot and she had worked at Channel 31 together but instead of commending her on her efforts, he would often try to pick out a fault in the situation. “Oh, you didn’t cover this angle of the story,” or “You should have asked one more question.” Blue wasn’t an approval seeker, but neither did she feel any better when her own boyfriend chastised her every move and never missed an opportunity to berate her.
“We have that in common,” Zack continued as they strolled through the vineyard.
“We do?”
“Yes. I like to see people do well in life” was all he said in a sturdy, richly deep voice.
