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“Oof. Oh, man. What did you say?”
“I threw a five-star tantrum, walked out the door, and told him to go fuck himself.”
The server took a step back when she heard me, apparently worried she was interrupting. I motioned to her, apologizing.
“Sorry. Just a little bit of dramatic re-enactment.”
She smiled shyly as she put out plates on the table and hurried off.
“Whoops.” Mina laughed softly in her direction, then turned back to me. “So, let me get this straight. You wanted a story, then slept with the subject, causing him to get pissed when you told the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Do you like him? You must. We wouldn’t be sitting here if you didn’t.”
“I do. He’s kind of amazing. I’ve not been drawn to anyone this way for a long time, and we have so much in common. He might honestly be the one.”
“Then you need to tell him you were in it for the story, but your intentions changed.”
“But what if I want the best of both worlds? His story should be told. He deserves a fair shake. And we could really have something.”
“Okay, but it’s his story to tell when he’s ready. You can’t fault him for being upset, especially how he was treated. I don’t believe everything I read on the internet, but it sounds like he got the raw end of a shitstorm.”
“I agree. I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do. You sit down, apologize for acting like a two-year-old, and be honest with him. If the story and the man are what you want, don’t go in saying you would be okay with one and not the other. That’s not fair to either of you.”
“You’re right. Can I tell him after another marathon session of sex?”
“You’re an adult. You can do whatever you want to do, but don’t get pissed when he kicks you out of his bed.”
“That’s fair.” I laughed, finishing the last of my ravioli.
We paid our bill, tipped the server extra for our enduring our conversation, and walked out the door. Mina hugged me, and we agreed to meet next week.
“And text me when you’ve told him. This is better than anything I’m watching on TV right now.”
We laughed, heading to our cars. I felt better after talking to her, even though she told me what I already knew. I checked the time on my phone. It would be better to talk to Landon in person if he’d open the door. I opened the app to text him when my phone rang. It wasn’t a number I recognized, but I’d left a lot of messages with publishers and possible contacts this morning.
“Hello?”
“Is this Tara Foley?” The voice sounded professional.
“It is. May I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Annette Strong. You called me earlier about an exclusive with Landon Adams?”
“Yes. It’s something I’m working on. I didn’t know if it’s something your magazine would be interested in.”
“Absolutely. Mr. Adams was a star back in the day, and I know there’s still quite a bit of mystery to his disappearance from the spotlight. I could see it making the cover page if it’s good enough.”
My heart swooned. The cover? Holy crap. “That’s great. Can I keep your number and be in touch? It could be a few weeks before I could produce anything.”
“Sure. In order to get into our next printing run, you would need to have it to me for editing in the next four weeks. Is that something you think you can do?”
I nodded, then realized she couldn’t see my nod. “Um, yes. That sounds good. Thanks for calling me back.”
We hung up, and I hit my head gently on the steering wheel. What the hell was I going to do? Mina was right about being honest. It was a must. I didn’t know how I felt about her comment that I needed to completely let go of one of the dreams if he wasn’t down for both of them. It might be wishful thinking, but I felt like I could forge a relationship with him, and in that, he would let down some of those walls. When he was ready, I would be there to put his story out in a way that allowed him to shine. Granted, that might not be in the next four weeks, but I had to believe that was just the first of many publishers who would call. I’d just left messages this morning. I knew his story would be just as hot in six months as it was right now. I’d just have to focus on other stories until he was ready.
As I ran through the thoughts in my head, it sounded like I’d made up my mind about the job. Had I? I couldn’t very well grow a relationship with him from DC. A sense of calm washed over me. If he was on the same page, I wanted to see where our feelings led. I picked up the phone again. I needed to go see him. Did I go in with a professional attitude, personal, or a mix of both? I wasn’t sure I would have that answer until I saw him. All I knew for certain was that I couldn’t hesitate.
