“Okay, then. What do youthink?”
“I think,” I say, “you need me to cover this story.”
“Why?”
“Because there could be bad stuff going on at Killer Body, Inc.”
Hamilton’s coffee cup stops on the way to his lips. “Bad, how?”
“Someone telling women they can be stars, that they can be the next Julie Larimore.”
Hamilton’s coffee cup settles on the desk, forgotten. “They’re doing that?”
“So I’ve heard.” I force myself to look into his eyes and just speak the truth. “I know of only one time it happened, Den, but it’s a starting place. Please let me cover this.”
“It’s not going to bring your cousin back.” He speaks softly, but his pale eyes don’t give an inch.
“I know that, but it might help another woman, lots of other women.”
“And if I don’t give you the assignment?”
I don’t answer. No need to mention that I’ve already tried contacting Bobby Warren.
“No response?”
I feel my lip quiver, try to fight it. “Nothing, I guess.”
“You ever visit the Killer Body place here?”
“No. You?”
He pats the coarse fabric of his shirt. “Are you suggesting that I should?”
“Of course not. You know how I feel about those places, that one in particular.”
“Want to take a run out there?”
That easily? He is giving me what I want this easily? I stand straighter, trying to look taller, and not too surprised. “Right now?”
“Why not?”
Damned Hamilton. Just when I think I can forget our short history, write him off as my only one-night stand, he does something nice, and then, I don’t know what I want. But he’s my boss now. He pretends that the night—that we—never happened, so I pretend, too.
“Den?”
“Yeah?”
My throat tightens, but the pain is farther down, deeper. What is wrong with me?
“Thank you.” I turn toward the door before my tears can further embarrass either of us.
“You owe me lunch,” he calls as I rush out of the office.
That’s what I’d told him that one night we shared—that the next time, I’d buy lunch. Then he got a promotion, and our lunch never happened.
Because I can’t deal with his comment, I pretend I didn’t hear it.
“Bye,” I shout, and let the door swoosh shut behind me.
