Page 29 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“You look like you’re about to commit murder,” he said.

I leaned around my computer and could just make him out across the room. He was leaning back in his chair, grinning at me, feet resting on the desk.

“Jerry’s worried about the emotional well-being of those damn chickens. Again.”

He laughed. “You should forward it to your brother-in-law.”

“Yeah, because the police should totally be dealing with something so asinine.”

“But the mayor’s office should?”

I sighed. “You’re right, no one should have to deal with this. But what am I going to do? Tell Jerry to fuck off?”

He laughed again. “You really are in a bad mood today, swearing at work. What if Millie heard you?”

“Did you have something to talk about, Andrew, or did you just feel like messing with me?”

“Sorry. I’ll let you get back to your chickens.”

I hung up, feeling even more annoyed than I had when I opened Jerry’s email. And this was what I had to look forward to all day. Responding to the same requests about the Fish Fry. Trying to mediate a damn chicken dispute between Jerry and his neighbor. Millie’s attitude.

Suddenly it all felt like too much. This was what I did for a living, day in and day out. This is what I had gone to school for, what I was still paying off student loans for. To sit in this office and deal with pure ridiculousness. Nothing ever changed around here and nothing ever would. When I actually put effort into my work, when I tried to make it mean something, the mayor turned me down flat. Apparently this was all I could expect for as long as I worked here. It felt, in that moment, completely impossible to put up with for a second longer.

And my damn head was still pounding.

I should go home, I thought. Call off sick and go spend this rainy day in bed with Ben and Jerry’s and Heather Dale on my TV. Maybe it would all look better tomorrow.

Just as I was about to stand and do just that, my phone rang. I groaned, assuming it was Andrew again for more witty repartee, but a glance at the screen told me it was an outside line.

“Awesome,” I mumbled, thinking about Jerry and chickens. “Good morning, mayor’s office, this is Riley James.”

“Riley James?” the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line asked. Definitely not Jerry Brooks. “This is Gina Stanley. I’m a producer for the Heather Dale show.”

My heart seemed to stop beating in my chest.

I stood quickly, holding the phone to my ear, and scanned the room for Andrew. He was at his desk, talking to Lane from public safety. Not on his cell phone. Not pranking me.

“Hello?” Gina Stanley asked. “Miss James, are you there?”

“I’m here,” I said quickly, still not sure if I should believe that this phone call was happening. “How can I help you, Miss Stanley?”

“Well, we received your application on our website,” she said, and my heart stopped all over again. “We were very impressed with what you sent in. We’ve been doing some additional research on your town, and we’re quite intrigued. We think Lilac Bay might be just the kind of place we’re looking to feature on this show.”

Oh my God, oh my God. Was this real? I glanced again at Andrew. He was laughing at something Lane had said. Still definitely not on the phone.Get it together, I tried to command myself.Don’t blow this now.

“That’s amazing to hear!” I said, shooting for a mix of professional and bright in my tone, but overdoing it a bit on the bright side. I winced and tried again, pleased when my voice sounded more normal. “I’m so happy you liked what you saw of our little island.”

“We really did. Lilac Bay seems to capture the small town feel we’re hoping to find. So we’d like to talk to you about the next step now.”

“Okay. That would be great.”

“You work for the city, is that right?”

I was nodding before I remembered that she couldn’t see me. “I do. I’m the director of tourism in the mayor’s office.”

“Wonderful. So this part will probably be easy for you. What we need you to do is form a small welcome committee. Their role will be to coordinate with us here in New York, and plan and implement the various activities that we’ll be asking you do over the course of the shooting.”

“Hang on,” I blurted out, my best intentions of professionalism going right out the window. “Are you saying you’ll be shooting here? For sure? Are we on the show?”