“Yes, Jessy.We’re gonna convince her to kill this contract.”I square my shoulders and take a deep breath.
3
Toughen Up
Fenella
“You got her manager’s number?”
Jessy walks beside me, matching my pace right after I hang up the call.His jaw drops when I tell him I called Roger and asked to meet Mallory.
“Yes,” I say as we hurry to my red car.
“When did you get his number?”
“At the after-party in Mexico City.He gave it to me and said to meet him at the bar in New York.”
“Was he cute?”Jessy’s face lights up.
I snort and roll my eyes.“That’s not the point.”
We both climb into the car.Jessy slides into the driver’s seat and starts the engine while I pull up the navigation app for directions.
“We need to catch Mallory at the studio.Her manager said they’re heading to the airport for an international trip in half an hour.The studio’s about a twenty-minute drive, so we’ve got a really small window,” I say.
“Okay, step on it!”he says, and the car lunges forward.Jessy takes the road at a ridiculous speed.Other drivers blast their horns, but he doesn’t even blink.
“Whoa!”I exclaim, gripping the seatbelt.
“I can shave it down to fifteen minutes!”he laughs, eyes glued to the road.
My eyes go wide watching him drive with reckless enthusiasm.The car bolts and snakes left into a narrow alley, then twists into streets I don’t even recognize.
“Jessy!Are you insane?You’re not following the map!”I shout, my heart pounding as we clip past motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians near the park.
“Just trust me!”
Fifteen minutes later, we pull up outside Mallory’s Greenwich Village studio.Jessy’s driving has bought us those extra five minutes, and thank God no cop pulled us over.
Inside, a receptionist greets us and leads us down a dim hallway hung with photos and paintings, then into a large studio with a smaller recording room tucked behind another door.As we enter, Mallory and Roger look up at the receptionist’s call, and she brightens when she sees me.
“Fenella!Great to see you,” she says, opening her arms.We hug and exchange kisses on both cheeks.I shake Roger’s hand.
“Hey, Mallory, Roger,” I say, returning their warmth with a broad smile.“This is Jessy, my agent.”Jessy enthusiastically hugs them both in turn.
“Oh, hi,” Mallory says to him.“Where’s Alan?”she asks.
“He’s still in an online meeting, so I came ahead,” I say, tossing my hair and feigning annoyance with Alan.
“I’m sorry I can’t spend more time, though I’d love to chat.You could’ve called,” Mallory says, giving my arm a squeeze.
“That’s fine.I prefer meeting in person, and it’s only fifteen minutes from the office.Thanks for fitting me in,” I reply with a soft chuckle.
“So, what can I do for you?”she asks.
“Uh, yes.I wanted to talk about the new product ad and your social campaign,” I say, trying not to sound blunt.
“Oh, yes!Alan told me you signed the contract.Aren’t you thrilled?I’ve been working like crazy getting ready for the launch, and I’m so glad friends are backing me up,” she says, eyes sparkling.God, she’s already this excited about me joining.A twinge of guilt tightens in my chest.
