Both of Joey's eyebrows shot up this time. "You're a reporter?"
How to answer that…
"I was."
"Was?" The man clearly wanted clarification.
"I've already typed out my resignation letter. I just haven't had time to turn it in to my boss yet. I was on my way here to meet with Wilson and warn him that they are trying to dig up a story on him when I ran into Ricky."
"Ricky?" Joey asked.
Jayden gestured back toward the main room with his head. "The other reporter. My boss sent him here to help me because I wasn't producing the results he wanted. Ricky won't give up until he has something, and if he can't find something, he'll make it up."
"And you won't?"
"I'm a journalist." Jayden bristled. "Not a gossipmonger."
"Considering the pickle you're in, kind of seems like the same thing to me."
"It's not, or I wouldn't be handing in my resignation."
"Okay." Joey blew out a small breath. "I guess I can see that."
"Can you help me?" Jayden almost pressed his hands together to beg the man. "If Ricky finds out the senator has a son, Wilson is screwed."
"Senator?" Joey asked.
At the exact same time, a voice behind them asked, "Son?"
Fuck!
Jayden spun. His heart sank when he saw Ricky standing in the entry to the hallway. Ricky's eyes were rounded. Jayden could practically see the dollar signs flashing in them. "Ricky—"
"The senator has a son, and you didn't say anything?" Ricky asked. "Marv is going to hang your ass out to dry."
"Fuck!" Jayden turned and punched the wall when Ricky turned and ran. He knew he had no chance of catching the guy. Ricky might be a slime-ball, but he was a quick slime-ball, in peak physical condition.
"Hey!" Joey snapped. "Don't damage my bar."
"Oh. Sorry." Jayden turned again, this time slumping back against the wall. He rubbed his sore knuckles, staring down at them. He was well and truly fucked now, and so was Wilson. Ricky wouldn't give up in his pursuit of the man until he had dug up every last secret.
"Look on the upside." Joey smiled as he patted Jayden's arm. "Now you don't have to worry about turning in that resignation."
Jayden sputtered out a laugh. "No, that's true."
The second Marv learned of what he'd done, Jayden was done. He was pretty sure Marv would spread the word throughout the newspaper world and he'd never get hired as a journalist again.
He chuckled ruefully. "Flipping burgers ain't so bad."
"Flipping—what are you talking about?" Joey asked.
"Well, once Ricky tells Marv that I withheld information this sensational, and Marv gets done telling all of his cronies, I'll never work in journalism again. They kind of frown on that. So, the only other thing I've ever done is flip burgers."
"Oh." Joey frowned for a moment before giving Jayden a long look. "You really think he can keep you from getting hired somewhere else? I mean, do you really need a reference from him?"
"Oh, it's not the reference I'm worried about. I couldn’t care less about that, but Marv is kind of an ass. He'll want revenge, and since newspaper publishers talk to each other, Marv will put out the word not to hire me. I've seen him do it to other journalists."
"Damn, man, I'm sorry."
