Page 18 of Let's Kiss and Tell

“Thank you,” Nadia says.

“So.” I pivot. “How’s it going?”

Nadia takes a seat on the couch across from me. There’s a weighted pause between my question and her answer.

“It’s not easy these days,” she says.

“Yeah…” I say, knowing what she means.

“Everything is so heavy lately…important,but heavy. It’s burning out the news team and for those of us whose hearts aren’t made from steel like yours…” She dips her chin and looks at me over her glasses. I let out a weak laugh. “It’s been tough.”

“What can I do to help?”

“You being here is enough, Marsh. Trust me. Jay vouched for you, I vouched for you…It’s a big deal bringing you on and I hope that we can shape this team.”

I tip my head in acknowledgment. “I’d want nothing more, Nadia.”

Nadia crosses her legs. Her forest green pantsuit makes her look regal as per usual. “How’s the workload feeling?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I assure her.

“That’s what I love to hear,” she says. “But don’t forget to pace yourself.”

I look at her, amused. “Pace myself?”

“You and I both know Jay overdid it. He overdid it so much that he didn’t even go looking for another job, he just quit. I don’t want that to happen to you.” She looks at me. “Morale is bad, and you’re an important hire. I need you, Marsh.”

Nadia and I met up a little over a month ago when she told methere was going to be an opening on her news team. Over dinner, she explained that there’s an intense quota for bylines and that she needs someone she can trust to get the job done. The salary was comparable to what I was already making, and the job wasn’t anything that was particularly challenging. I accepted because I love and respect Nadia. She taught me some of my most valuable journalism lessons when I was starting my career and she took me under her wing. While I will always see her as my mentor, she became a real friend. So, if she says she needs me, I’m there for her.

“I promise it won’t happen to me, Nadia.”

She uncrosses her legs and stands up. “Make yourself comfortable. Get to know the people, and get to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nadia opens the door. “And happy Monday.”

Once I’m signed in to the assignment board, I dismiss the eight pending stories for the week. I go to the folder related to the Alf Olson and Aditi Singh feature and download any necessary files and updates. There’s an escort service or questionable prostitution service that has garnered an obscene amount of money from politicians, CEOs, and men of status, resulting in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. The names of the clients are unknown, and the service was run across five different online services and apps.

“Well then,” I say under my breath, and my phone starts vibrating.

“I’m at work, Ollie,” I answer.

“I’ll be quick,” Oliver says. I place my phone between my ear and shoulder and begin to scroll through emails, half listening. “We’re doing Sadie’s sixth birthday at our place and Mom’s flying in, so you have to be there.”

I frown. “Why wouldn’t I be there?” In the entire five years my niece has been alive, I’ve never missed her birthday.

“Because Julia and Chad are going to be there.”

My head jerks up causing my phone to fall onto my desk. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath, picking it up again. “Sorry, um,whyexactly are Julia and her fiancé going to be there?”

“Because Quinn invited her,” Oliver says apologetically. “I didn’t know.”

“Jesus, Ollie.” I let out a loud exhale. Is this going to be the rest of my life? Running into my ex-girlfriend every time there’s a special occasion? “Since when are she and Quinn close like that?”

“They’re not,” Oliver says. “But Julia responded to one of Quinn’s stories and then started DMing her a bunch of reels for party ideas. One thing led to another…”

“I don’t even know what that means.” I blink. “Can’t you justuninviteher?”