I was furious and I’d have liked to have told him where to go, but instead I had to smile sweetly (because everyone was looking) and say, “All right, then. Gabby, please do go ahead and transcribe Ryan’s interviews. Of course, if you’d have come to me first, Ryan, and asked whether it was okay for your transcription to take priority with your reasonable explanation, I wouldn’t have minded in the least. That’s usually how we do it around here.”
“My apologies. I’ll know for next time,” he said.
I sat back down and glanced across at Mimi, who whispered, “Awkward,” and then quickly pretended to be working when Ryan came back to his desk.
That was Strike One. (I haven’t included the book fort in the strikes because I’m feeling generous.)
Strike Two occurred during the editorial meeting when Cosmo casually dropped the bomb that Ryan would be writing up a profile piece on the MP whose book launch we both attended.
“Excuse me,” I said, raising my hand as Cosmo waffled on about how it was sure to be a thrilling article.
“Yes, Harper, we’re all aware that you’re here on time today,” Cosmo said with a chuckle to himself. “You don’t need to draw attention to the fact.”
“Ha, no,” I said impatiently, causing Cosmo to scowl. “I wanted to ask why Ryan is writing that piece and not me?”
Cosmo raised his eyebrows, heartily amused at the question. “You thinkyoushould be writing that article?”
“Yes, you may remember I mentioned to you that I’d been to that book launch and thought that it would make an interesting profile piece. You said you weren’t sure it was a good fit but that you’d think about it.”
Ryan shifted in his seat, as though he was embarrassed. I wasn’t buying it. He saw me at that book launch, so he must have known I’d already pitched this idea. He was playing dumb in the knowledge that if it’s between him and me, Cosmo is always going to pick a fellow member of the “lads’ club.”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember that conversation,” Cosmo said. “Ryan came to me with a fully formed pitch and, though I’m sure you’d do a nice job of it, he has experience writing articles of this nature, so I think he’s probably the best person to take this one on.”
“I’ve written articles about politicians,” I reminded Cosmo.
“Yes, you did that piece last year on the former education secretary,” Ryan recalled.
I waited for him to add something dismissive, but he didn’t expand, and instead looked surprised that everyone was staring at him, as though he hadn’t realized he’d been speaking out loud.
“Yes, but this pitch is a little more specific than speaking to a politician about their lifestyle,” Cosmo continued. “As Ryan has prior knowledge of the issue, since he’s written about it for the main paper in the past, it makes sense for him to write this.”
“Cosmo, I should be the one writing this piece! We both went to the same book launch—I know as much about this issue as Ryan does!”
“You know a lot about land mines?” Cosmo asked, surprised.
I blinked at him in confusion. “Land mines?”
Ryan’s expression shifted to pure delight.
“Yes, Harper,” he said, watching me curiously. “I was planning on talking to the politician about his fierce and passionate campaigning to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis caused by leftover land mines. You remember, he read a chapter regarding the issue at his launch.”
“Right.” I nodded. “Of course. I knew that.”
“And you were saying that you know a lot about the issue?”
“Yes,” I lied, my face growing even hotter than before.
“Well, then you should write the piece,” Ryan offered, causing Cosmo to look alarmed. “As you know so much about land mines.”
“I do know a lot about land mines,” I said, with no idea why I was digging myself into a bigger hole except that I wasn’t about to lose face in front of my work nemesis. “Princess Diana walked through that minefield, for example.”
That secretive, amused, mocking smile of Ryan’s appeared on his lips. The one he seems to always reserve for me.
God, he’s the worst.
I cleared my throat. “But actually, I have a lot on this week, so if you’ve already assigned it to Ryan, Cosmo, then I’m happy to let him write that one.”
Cosmo looked relieved.
