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“Sounds good to me.”
Marcus, our team leader, greeted us at the reception area. He was standing over the shoulder of the actual receptionist, Britney, as they stared at her computer screen, apparently discussing something business related.
“Hey, girls.” As soon as he saw us, Marcus straightened up and clapped his hands in a single smack as if he was ready to embrace the world.
“What do you have for us Marcus?” Tamara asked with an excited twinkle in her eyes.
He beckoned. “Follow me to my office and I’ll fill you in on the assignments.”
We entered his office that was filled with plaques on the wall of awards he’d received over the years as one of the best agents in the business.
He swiveled in his desk chair over to his computer and started clacking his hands on the keyboard. His printer clicked and hummed, spitting out fresh white pages of information.
“Here is yours, Tamara,” he said, handing over the sheets.
She inspected the pages and frowned. “Just one spread in a local community magazine?” She glanced up at Marcus as if hoping he had something else up his sleeve for her.
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head regretfully. “Unfortunately, it’s a slow week.”
My heart dropped, but as soon as he handed me my papers, my eyes widened in delighted surprise. I stared at Marcus in disbelief.
“Sun and Sand Magazine?” I couldn’t help it. I shrieked and even did a little joyous hop in the air. “Is this for real?”
“It is. They asked for you personally,” he said, smiling.
“Wow.” I stared down at the paper.
I was on top of the world. Sun and Sand Magazine was one of the most prestigious and well-known magazines in all of Florida. If I hadn’t hit the big time yet, I was coming pretty close with this upcoming spread.
Then reality hit me like a slap in the face. I was practically dancing in front of my friend who hadn’t been nearly as fortunate. Quickly, I controlled my reaction but I knew Tamara had been stung.
“That’s great,” Tamara said but I noticed how her voice was flat and disappointed. “Congratulations.”
I gave her a chagrined smile I hoped communicated I didn’t mean to act like an ass. “Maybe something will come up for you this week. You know how good jobs pop up when we least expect it.”
She nodded. Her eyes looked hopeful. “That’s true.”
I gave her an extra squeeze for fortitude then looked at Marcus. “I’m going to go meet with Tyler about the Miami shoot results but thank you so much for this.”
Once I was through the door—and out of Tamara’s sight—I practically skipped all the way to the photo lab. The future looked bright.
Chapter 20 - Worth
“I think we should call her. Don’t you think we should call her?” I glanced at Caleb and Ethan with a cocked eyebrow, hoping they would be agreeable.
Caleb exchanged a glance with Ethan. “I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I certainly miss her.
“Me, too,” Ethan said.
We were back at work, sitting in the cockpit of the jet, cleaning it and preparing it for another ride in the sky. Caleb was on a thirty-minute patrol break and we were just catching up with each other.
“It just seems like an awfully odd coincidence that she happens to live in Tampa too. We can’t ignore that.” I was the type to live in the moment, the type to take the plunge and follow my heart, which was beating just for Geneva.
“It’s gnawing at me that she lives right in town and I can’t just go and talk to her, see her face or hear her voice,” Caleb said.
I sighed and prepared the analog switches in preparation for the pre-check flight list. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“We should try to protect her,” Caleb said with a stone face. “Whoever broke into her hotel room might not be finished with her. They could be following her every move without her even knowing.”
