“Thank you,” I said, adjusting the tie again.
“You nervous?” she asked.
“A little,” I said, turning toward her as I buttoned the lapel of my black jacket. “It’s been a while.”
“You’ll do great,” she said reassuringly.
I walked to the bed and leaned down, kissing her on the lips.
“After last night, I’m ready for anything.” I smirked before running my tongue over her lips.
She swatted me away. “Stop! You’re going to be late!” She giggled as she shimmied down under the covers, until just her green eyes looked back at me.
“I’ll call you later,” I said, pulling myself up and striding toward the bedroom door.
Forty minutes later, my driver pulled up to the network building in the heart of Times Square. I had spent the car ride going over questions and answers with my new assistant. I had been rehearsing my diplomatic answers for the past few days, and was just running through them one more time with Luke who listened intently.
“You’re going to kill it, Mr. Mason,” he said with an enthusiastic nod.
He was either just buttering me up, or I hadn’t lost my touch as much as I thought.
“Let’s do this then,” I said, stepping out of the car door my driver had opened, Luke following behind like a puppy dog.
Inside the studio, I met with the interviewer, a woman I recognized from the news. Her dark brown hair was cut into a pixie cut that sharpened her heart-shaped face. She shook my hand firmly, as the agent who had set the interview up went over what the interview would be about and how it would be more of a profile piece. I listened to them excitedly ramble on as a makeup artist used a puff to apply translucent powder to my forehead and ran more pomade through my hair.
When I was camera ready, they sat me down on a small, well-lit stage in a plush armchair. The lights were hot against my skin, making me shift slightly in my suit. Sadie had picked it out, saying it was one of her favorites. A small marble table sat next to me, the setup identical to the interviewer who was settling in just a few feet away. She smiled at me reassuringly as the makeup artist did last minute primping to her rosy lipstick. Luke came over with a glass filled with water and ice, setting it on the table next to me. I gave him a nod of thanks, taking a sip and clearing my throat.
“We’re on in ten,” yelled someone from behind the bright lights.
I saw the countdown on the prompter. Just seconds to go before I was on live TV.
The interview started off slow and steady, just as I imagined it would. It felt like putting on a familiar pair of shoes, and I walked through the questions with ease. I explained how I got started at a small firm in Brooklyn before going on to start my own firm, working my way up through the ranks with the bigger fish in the large pond that was Manhattan. I gave her the usual motivational mumbo jumbo about how setbacks only propelled you further and other quotes I knew people would eat up. Luke kept giving me a thumbs-up from off camera.
“Now, Jeremiah…” said the interviewer, a coy smile splayed across her lips.
I felt my heart drop as I waited for what came next. We had been adamant about what questions I would stick to, but this interviewer might have other ideas in mind.
“There’s a rumor I heard that you might have found someone special in your life…” she said, her eyes wicked with delight.
Without hesitation, I sat back in my chair and smiled at her casually. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’m single. I find life is simpler that way,” I replied with a shrug.
The interviewer did her best to hide her disappointment, but not before saying, “Well, I’m sure you just made a lot of women happy to know one of the most prominent bachelors is still available.”
I took a sip of water to give myself a moment to retain the composure I had feigned in front of the cameras with that last question. Thankfully, the interviewer moved on to more questions about business.
“So, what are some current challenges you’re facing in business?” the interviewer asked, looking at me thoughtfully with her chin rested on her fist.
“There’s always jealousy when you’re at the top. The business world is one big competition. Some people can’t accept when they’ve lost,” I crowed with a confident smile, thinking about Anderson and all the shit he had pulled. I hoped he was watching now. I turned toward the camera, looking directly into it. “In this line of work, there will always be someone nipping at your heels,hoping you’ll fail. Unfortunately for those people, they don’t realize failure isn’t in my vocabulary.”
Chapter 47
Sadie
Iflung open the high wooden doors of the large closet and stepped inside. I whirled around, blinking back tears, as I looked at all the high-end clothes and shiny high heels that lined the racks and shelves. All of these “gifts” from Jeremiah. None of them mattered. None of any of this was real.
Single.
What the fuck? He said he was single.
