Though, between you and me, I'm dying to get some. I think I have cobwebs down there. SHAME! But maybe tonight, everything will change. Maybe Patrick will propose, and then we'll hook up, and I'll see if I want to marry him. Though, to be fair, I'm leaning towards no. I'm not even close to being in love with him. Plus, he's a sloppy kisser. And maybe a bit mental. Because who proposes after a few dates? Emma thinks it's because he thinks I come from money, and he's trying to get his grubby hands on it, but I hope she’s wrong. Because the joke would be on him. The fact of the matter is, my family puts the middle in middle class, and I personally have very little. But, oh well, we shall see tonight.
Love Always,
Gina Spellman
"I'm sorry, Grandma, I can't come to dinner tonight," I whisper into the phone as I make my way to the pitch room for the latest meeting with Holly, Emma, and the rest of the crew. Holly's email had been short and succinct, and I knew she was expecting ideas from all of us.
"But we haven't seen you in two weeks, Gina. The entire family misses you, and even Tina will be joining us tonight for my famous lasagna." I hold in a loud groan as she mentions my younger sister. Tina is two years younger than me but acts like she's ten years wiser. I'm almost positive that she is the favorite child of the family because she always gets everything right. She's twenty-three, married to her high school sweetheart, Garth Cavanaugh, and is an accountant for a local attorney’s office. She's cute, with long blonde hair, baby-blue eyes, and a petite figure that makes people want to protect her. She got almost perfect test scores, loves to bake, and readsThe New Yorkerlike it's her religion. She's also the most bossy and annoying personI've ever met in my life. I love her because she's my sister, but she has a habit of making me feel like the most inferior person in the world. She's the A+ Spellman daughter, and I'm the C-. It doesn't help that I'm the middle child, and my older brother, Brody, is also killing it when it comes to life.
"I’m having dinner with my boyfriend, Grandma. I told you that."
"That boy from New York?" She says it like she's saying he comes from the gutters or something. "I thought you could bring him over again. You know, he told Monica you were just his friend." Monica was her euchre partner and one of the biggest gossips in Whisper Cove. I wanted to tell Monica to stop talking about me to other people, but I knew better than to say anything like that.
"We don't have an official label yet." I sigh because I know I'm not selling this relationship very well. "But maybe after tonight, we will." I stop outside the pitch room and look at my watch to make sure I'm not late. I can see that Emma's already in the room, and she's saved me a seat and a bagel. I wave at her and then whisper into the phone. "I will try and make it next week, but right now, I have to go because we have a work meeting, and if I don't come up with an amazing idea, I am in danger of losing my job."
"Yes, you are." Jenny S. is suddenly behind me and looking at me like I'm the scum of the earth. "Move to the side, fatty," she demands as she makes her way into the room. She's such a bitch that I want to rip her tacky extensions out of her hair, but I resist the urge to be petty as she bumps past me into the room.
"Better to be fat than a slut," I whisper under my breath.
"What did you just say?" My grandma's voice sounds loud in my ear, and I quickly start coughing. For a few moments, I'd forgotten I was on the phone with her. I'm immediately embarrassed and hope she didn't hear what I said.
"I'm sorry, Grandma. I have to go. I'll speak to you later. Love you." I hang up quickly and make my way over to Emma, who is sipping her coffee like she hasn't a care in the world. Which she kinda doesn't. At least, not monetarily or job-wise. She's a Bond. And even though she herself doesn't make tons of money, she has a trust fund the size of some countries' economies. Emma is rich, rich, though she never acts like it. Which is one of the reasons why she's my best friend.
"Did Jenny S. just hit you?” Emma frowns as she hands me the bagel slathered in cream cheese, just as I like it. I take it from her gratefully and sit down.
"Thanks!" I whisper and then glare at Jenny S., who is smirking at me as she eats a piece of celery. "She also called mefatty. Can you believe it? I should report her to HR."
"You should." Emma nods and gives me a knowing look. "But you won't."
"I won't because I have bigger issues to deal with. Like, I need a great pitch for Holly. What am I going to wear tonight? Also, what do I do if Patrick proposes?" I take a bite of the bagel and chew happily, even as my mind is in turmoil. "This is so good," I say to Emma, who is staring at me thoughtfully. "What is it?"
"Do you even like Patrick?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've been your best friend for twenty years now. We've been through our first crushes, first kisses, and first sexual partners together. We share everything, and I've seen you when you're into someone, and you just don't seem that into Patrick." She wrinkles her nose. "I think he's shady, and I don't even think you like him. I'm just wondering why you're even considering saying yes." She holds her hands up in the air quickly and moves backwards. "Don't shoot me for saying what I see."
I stare at her and let out a loud sigh. I'm about to answer her when the door slams shut, and the lights are turned off. The room fills with the loud beats of music, and “The Eye of the Tiger” starts playing through the speakers. What on earth? I glance over at Emma, who shrugs, looking as confused as I feel. Holly walks over to the whiteboard at the front of the room and bangs her palms on the board in beat to the music.
“What on God’s green earth is going on?" I feel incredibly confused about what is going on, and as the lights come back on, I can see that the Jennys look gobsmacked, as well.
"One hundred billion." Holly steps back toward the large conference table. "One hundred billion dollars. That's how much collective wealth the richest families in Whisper Cove have in their bank accounts. We've all heard of them: The Waverlys, The Kensingtons, The Montgomerys, The Sinclairs, The Bonds." A couple of people look at Emma then, but she keeps her head forward. "Why am I mentioning the most powerful families in town? Because money means power. And power means stature. And stature means stories. Stories we can sell. Stories people want to read. Salacious stories. Stories of greed. Stories of corruption. Stories of heartbreak and drama." She slams her hands on the table and looks at each one of us. "I spent the night thinking to myself,if my reporters can't come up with ideas, I will have to guide them. And guide you, I will." She takes a seat. "People want to know about the rich and ritzy billionaires on this island, and we need to give them those stories."
"Don't look at me," Emma speaks up loudly. "I'm not reporting on my family. Also, not to point out the obvious, my family owns the paper, and I'm sure my brothers wouldn't be happy seeing their names on the front pages of their own paper."
"Emma is correct." Holly looks at her coldly. "The Bond brothers are off-limits, even though the parties they hold and the women they date would be perfect fodder for our paper."
"I thought we wanted hard-hitting stories?" I speak up, annoyed that she's calling out Emma and her family like that. "What about stories on the monopoly the cable company has and the fact that rents on Main Street have gone up over 250 percent. I think that there are more important stories than what...” My voice trails off as Holly gives me a death glare and Emma squeezes my knee. Shit, I’m going to get fired. Just when I finally got my own place. Just when I’m truly feeling like I’m getting out of Tina's perfect little shadow. My family will be so disappointed if I get fired.
"We don't all have the luxury of our best friend owning the company." Jenny S. rolls her eyes.
"I don't own the company," Emma retorts. "Trust me, if I did there would be a lot of changes around here."
"Enough bickering." Holly doesn't look upset, but rather smug, and I wonder if this was what she wanted. "I've told you where we are going from here. Anyone who comes in on Monday without a solid idea for a major story is likely to find themselves on the unemployment line. We have a lot of deadweight at the paper, and we need innovators, storytellers, and investigators. We need stories that will sell papers, not advice on what to do if your boyfriend doesn't ask you to prom." Her voice is sarcastic, and she directs her last comment at me, which frankly is rude as hell, but I know I'm not going to say anything. The fact of the matter is, I know she doesn't respect me, and she wants me gone.
"So, you want us to get exclusives with the elite of the island?" Jenny S. scribbles in her notepad and leans back with a self-satisfied smile. "I can't wait to pitch you all the ideas I have on Monday. I happen to know many of the eligible families on the island."
"Do you know the Waverlys?" Holly asks, a tinge of hope in her voice. The Waverlys are known to be the richest family on the island, but no one really knows anything about them. Noteven Emma, whose parents are no longer based on the island, as they spend their time traveling around the world.
