Predictably,dinner is awkward, which we resolve by drinking excessively. The more we drink, the more comfortable everyone seems to get. Except for me, actually, I feel as if I’m on a tight rope ready to fall. Every time I look at Nate, his eyes are already on mine. I always look away first, but it keeps happening in this vicious, sexually amped-up loop. Someone has said something. I look at him and he’s already staring at me. I look away and back to the beginning of the loop we go.
“I emailed you. About the politics in social media article. I haven’t heard back from you.” Dex is next to me and all I can think about is stabbing him with my fork. Whose idea was this seating plan? Because it sucks.Aren’t I supposed to be paired up with Henry?
Henry is almost comatose at the table.
I jump up to help Julia in the kitchen. Silvia follows my lead and when we return with the food, I steal her spot so she can sit in mine. I don’t think she minds, because she’s immediately leaning into Dex and giggling into his shoulder.
Dex stiffens visibly, and his eyes shoot across the table to mine. I offer him a tight smile, one which I assume he would understand given our recent history and communal loathing between us, but he doesn’t smile back. Instead he stares as me like I’ve killed his kitten.
“Everything looks great, babe,” Nate says, smiling toward Julia.
“Oh, it was no big deal,” she replies, as I cover my hand over a laugh. I saw the catering bags in the garbage, who is she kidding?
Julia pours herself a glass of wine and asks, “So, has anyone heard the rumors that Metropolitan is shifting to digital-only publication?” Metropolitan is one of UPCLOSE’s leading competitors in the magazine industry, it’s practically the mirror image of ours.
“Where did you hear that?” Dex asks, glass of wine at his lips, and eyes her curiously.
“In the Hamptons, this past weekend. Nate and I went on a little getaway.” She reaches out and pinches Nate on the arm in her adorable perky way. “It was one of the only times we actually left our bedroom.”
Nate’s eyes meet mine, his face, I swear, turning a shade lighter.
I hold his stare for a moment before looking away.
The conversation slips into a debate about the two magazines, with Dex and Nate taking opposing sides. I take Nate’s side just so that I wouldn’t be on the same team at Dex.
“The industry is on the verge of—”
“Of what?” Dex cuts him off, sharply. “Print magazines are drowning. There are thousands upon thousands of trendier, online-only platforms that multiply faster than bunnies fuck. The next big thing is going to be social media news. It’s already happening. It’s understandable that Metro is doing it.”
Nate talks through a mouthful of food. “I just don’t agree with it. Once you let go of print, you’re just another website.”
“You don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Dex says, tilting his head in my direction. “Jane. Back me up here, you wrote that—”
“Nope.” I take a deep gulp of my wine and smile down at my plate.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not taking your side in this discussion.”
He leans forward, frustrated. “Why? I know you agree with me. You wrote the industry article on it at the end of last year.”
“Because it’s your side.”
Dex looks straight at me with those honey-colored eyes. His lips part, and I wait for whatever shitty thing he’s about to say, but he remains silent, surprising me. I shiver, even though it’s not at all cold in the room.
“Well, I think digital-only is the future of the industry,” Heath pipes in. “SoIwill agree with you, Dex…” He says more stuff and Julia tries three more times to bring up the subject about her and Nate sleeping together in the Hamptons.
Dex continues his leveled stare at me.
I continue to drink, and on the other side of Nate, so does Julia.
“What do you think from a marketing standpoint, Silvia?” Nate asks.
She smiles crookedly. “I think anywhere Jane Nash writes, marketing is easy and so is selling magazines, digital or print.” She’s drunk. She waves her hands in the air and points to me. “Her and her antics are the entire magazine. People will follow wherever the content goes, trust me.”
“Oh my God, wait!” Jared says, choking back on his drink. “You’rethatJane? Jane Nash? You’re the sexy little gothic vixen from the live feed! And don’t even get me started on the horse head guy!”
Kill me now.
