Holt told me about Cory’s affair with another staff member. He’d given him an ultimatum, a choice, of whether to keep his affair going or stay on at Scribe. He must have chosen togive up on his fling with Macy, but by the tan line on his bare ring finger, something tells me it didn’t come without a price.
“I appreciate that, Mr. Capuleti.” He nods and looks down at his phone, which is opened up to a list of interview questions. “Especially considering what happened before.”
Holt’s gaze shifts nervously to Treena before he’s lowering his chin and voice. “You haven’t received any more threats, have you?” Holt whispers.
“No,” Cory whispers back, trading glances between the two of us. “Thankfully, they’ve stopped ever since that day they left the photos.”
“Good.” Holt nods once, his jaw clenched. I can tell he’s nervous, and I get the sense he isn’t totally convinced they’ve let him and everyone else off the hook.
“We’re all set whenever you three are ready.” The cameraman gives a thumbs up before settling into his position behind the camera.
My nerves have completely taken over, and I can’t get the taste of that damn sushi out of my mouth.
“Okay.” Cory crosses one leg over the other, resting his ankle on his knee as he nods toward the cameraman. “Ready.”
The cameraman holds his hand up, counting down with his fingers until there are two remaining. Then he points at Cory to begin.
“Hello, New York. My name is Cory, staff writer and editor for Scribe Magazine. I’m here today for a short, rare interview with my boss, CEO, and owner of Scribe Magazine, Holt Capuleti. Plus, a special guest who has managed to capture the eyes, ears, and hearts of our fellow New Yorkers.” Cory smiles for the camera before shifting to Holt and me. “Welcome, Mr. Capuleti and Ms. Walker.”
“Please.” Holt gestures toward Cory and chuckles. “For this interview, you can call me Holt, Cory.”
Cory laughs, relaxing a bit. “Okay.”
“You can call me Selene.” I press my hand to my chest. “And thank you for having me.”
“Of course.” Cory’s grin widens. He glances down at his phone before looking back up. “Now we’ve established that, I guess we should start with what everyone wants to know about: the story of you two. You and Selene have been quite the topic of conversation this fall and winter. I understand most of the conversation has been surrounded by your legal battle with Rome Montgomery, and I won’t get into that, with it still being an open case. But let’s talk about the night of the auction at the Omni Plaza Hotel instead. Was that the first time you and Selene had met?”
I nervously glance at Holt. He removes his arm from around my back and rests his hand back on my leg. His fingers gently press into my flesh while his gaze rises to meet mine. I fall in love with him even more.
Finally, he tears his eyes from mine and looks back at Cory. “No. Selene and I have been in the same friendship group for years. She’s my sister’s best friend.”
“Wow.” Cory blinks. “So, if you two have been friends for years, what made you want to bid on Selene? Since winning meant you won a date with her, were you concerned you were crossing from friendzone territory into dangerous, uncharted waters?”
“The expected answer would be yes.” Holt smiles, leaning forward and resting his elbow on his leg. He massages his chin in thought. “But, no, I wasn’t concerned.”
“Oh?”
“The truth is, I’ve been secretly pining after Selene for years. I guess I saw an opportunity and took it.”
Cory nods, then shifts his attention toward me. “What about you, Selene? What was going through your mind whenyou were up on that stage and you realized your best friend’s brother was the winning bidder? Did you feel the same way about Holt as he had always done for you?”
I want to melt into a puddle. My hands are clammy and my neck prickles with anxiety. I focus on Holt’s hand on my leg, anchoring me to my reality. I ignore the camera, the bright lights, and look directly at Cory.
“If I’m honest, no,” I say quietly, quickly wincing when Holt looks at me. I place my hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I never thought of him as anything more until he’d taken me on the date he won. I will say, he didn’t have to do much for me to fall for him, though. I guess some things are always directly in front of us, but sometimes we’re too blind to see them.”
“I love that,” Cory says.
“I do think, even if I hadn’t felt those feelings for him on that first date, he wouldn’t have given up. If anyone knows Holt”—I gesture toward Cory—“which you do, you’ll know he’s very ambitious. He was just as ambitious in pursuing me than he is with his career.”
“I agree.” Cory nods, then turns his attention to Holt. “Youarea very ambitious man, Holt. Would you attribute that to your father, our former mayor of New York City?”
A heavy, obvious pause settles in the silence. Sensing the shift, I nervously shift my eyes to Treena, where she’s sitting against the far wall. She hasn’t moved, and there’s no expression on her face. She’s simply waiting.
I squeeze Holt’s hand, reminding him I’m still here, urging him to answer Cory’s question.
“Um.” Holt clears his throat. “Not entirely. I owe a lot of my drive to my mother.”
Cory’s shoulders drop as he offers him a sympathetic frown. “Your mother passed away when you were young, correct?”
