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The casual vibe’s taking a different turn and I don’t know what I’ve walked into. “If I do have an assignment, I have no idea what it is yet. What’s the feature on? I can’t believe it would go to me.”
They all glance between each other as if they’re deciding how much to let me in on. “I think it’s best if Zan tells you,” one of the blondes says finally, lowering her voice. “If you don’t know already, she’ll kill us if she catches on that you found out before she told you.”
They all laugh but there’s a thread of nervousness underneath it as if it’s true. Peyton changes the subject before I can ask what’s going on or what Zan’s really like. I’m intrigued. These women seem pretty unflappable except when it comes to their boss. Our boss, I remind myself.
I expect to get some lowball easy assignments at first. Even though I’m not looking forward to that kind of thing, I know I have to start at the bottom anywhere I work. Zan made a point of reminding me several times I have to prove myself to her. I can’t just walk in and grab the top story from anyone else who’s been here much longer than me and has more experience.
As much as I’d like to.
I’m about to try to press them for some hints like a good reporter would when an arm circles around my neck and shoulders from behind me. It’s Zan, smoothly handing me a drink as she squeezes in beside me. I accept it gratefully, especially since the waiter that took our order has gone missing. I’m kind of enjoying myself, but a drink’s definitely going to help. I almost choke on the unexpected sweetness of the liquor.
“You, Elena,” Zan points her finger in my face. “Are the star of the night.”
She must be joking. “I am?”
“I can’t believe what you’re going to do for this magazine,” she continues.
I clear my throat uncomfortably. “Me?” Of course my voice comes out in a high-pitched squeak but either she doesn’t notice or care.
“Yes, you. You’re absolutely the woman of the hour. You’re going to get the scoop of the year by interviewing the CEO of Vivojen.”
“Who’s that?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. I probably should’ve pretended that I know what she’s talking about, because now everyone’s looking at me as if I’m a total idiot. Am I? I make a point of keeping up on all major news and current events. Did I screw up by missing something important? I rack my brain as Peyton’s eyebrows shoot up.
“Don’t play coy,” Zan chides me with a knowing smirk. “I know that you know the King personally. And since you know him, you can get to his co-CEOs too, although he’s the one we really want to be featured. I saw that photo of you with him. I couldn’t believe it when I did.”
The brunette’s staring at me wide-eyed. “Are you the one who’s dating Ash?”
What? They’re all waiting for me to say something when it clicks. Ash. Asher. All the photographers at the gala. “Asher Kingston? Is that who you mean?”
“Yes, of course,” Zan says impatiently. “You’re going to interview him and his friends too. They run the hottest company in the city right now. We’ve been trying to get an interview with them for months and months. They won’t speak to anyone. It’ll be a huge scoop for City Scan when you write about him and his very secretive company.”
“Are you actually seeing him? For real?” The brunette asks me again.
I open my mouth and close it. I can’t say we’re dating because it was one night out, even though Asher did mention getting together again. Whatever that means. I don’t want my new coworkers or boss to think I’m lying to them, but I have no idea how to label Asher and I. Or if there even is a him and I. “He took me to Unmasked, yes. We’re neighbors.”
“Neighbors?” The other writers speak up at the same time. They’re looking me over with renewed, pointed interest. “You live in Central Park South?” I’m about to explain how when the looks of respect and wonder tell me to stop.
“Yes, I do.” New life, Elena, I remind myself. My past and future don’t matter. I do live there. Absolutely no one needs to know that I’m housesitting. “I’m in the new building,” I add.
“With your parents?” Peyton asks skeptically. Her eyes are narrowed, as if she can already tell that I’m holding the whole truth back.
“No,” I say airily, taking a slow sip of my drink while they all hang on my words. “Just me.”
It was the exact right thing for me to day. The other writers looking at me with admiration now. Even Zan’s trying her best not to look impressed. Clearly you have to be at a certain level to work at City Scan and somehow they picked me. It looks like mynew address is going to go a long way to help me out with fitting in here.
“Are you related to someone?” The frosty voice belongs to one of the other women who hasn’t said a word to me before now. “Surely you can’t afford to live there on your own.” She shoots me a look to say there’s no way she believes that I could. “Even if you can, how could you possibly get into the same building as Asher Kingston? The waiting list is long. You know the right people or have the right relatives to get in there.”
“No,” I say politely. “No relatives.” She waits for me to continue but instead I smile and take a longer sip of my Brooklyn, which I’m starting enjoy very much. It’s bugging her that I’m dodging her questions but she can’t continue because Zan polishes off her own drink that was full a moment ago and grips my shoulders, physically turning me to face her.
“It doesn’t matter how you got there or whether or not you’re seeing Asher. You know him. You live by him. We can score this interview. Normally this would go to a very experienced journalist but since you have a way in, I can give it to you.” She appraises me again and without thinking I straighten up. “You can do it, right?”
“Of course,” I say automatically, sliding right into employee-who-needs-to-keep-her-job mode.
“Excellent,” Zan beams. “We’ll talk more about it but you’d do well to get started right away. Do your very best for me, girl, and I’ll do right by you.”
Someone calls out her name and Zan turns away, heading off to join another group of people. The snobby one who questioned my living arrangement goes with her.
The others are regarding me with interest. “Did you seriously go out with Ash? I saw the pictures from Unmasked too. That was you?”
