“I feel it wasn’t flattering.”
“It was Nadacity.”
She put her fry down to look at him. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Nadine and tenacity.” He grimaced at her expression. “I was twenty. Give me a break. It was because you never gave up. You contacted ten people for one of your stories and another five to confirm a point. It was good.”
She turned back to her plate. “Thanks. Your name for me is terrible though.”
“It’s not like yours is winning any originality prizes.”
“Fine, I accept that. I haven’t used it in years anyway. You said you were seconded? What happened?”
He’d never talked about it, not trusting anyone at work and knowing that Caleb, cheerleader though he was, wouldn’t understand. Caleb thought adversity bred opportunity.
“It’s not like it’s a bad reason,” he said. “It’s more frustrating. They put me back in Lifestyle because my stories there get good engagement, the best in the company.”
Understanding dawned on her face. “Makes sense. I heard theSpearwas having revenue problems.”
“I heard that too, although every staff meeting makes it sound like we’ve got cash to burn.”
“Lifestyle has great stuff,” she said. “It’s the first section I check.”
Wes didn’t look up. “Sure, but it’s not what I want to do.”
“Is that it?” she asked.
He reached for the ketchup to give him some time to decide how to phrase it. “It’s not only that they sent me back. It’s who they put in my place.”
“Who?”
“This guy Tyler Dawlish.” The words came out slow. “I found out later that Jason—he’s the investigative editor—told my manager Tyler was a better fit for the team anyway.” That had stung.
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“Maybe he is. I’m not aggressive in the same way Tyler is. It’s not my thing.”
“That’s bullshit.” Nadine sounded furious, and his heart dropped. He should have known better than to trust her, even within the rules of this game. What was he thinking? “The way you work is incredible, Wes, and you can be forceful without being loud. You listen and observe.”
This wasn’t what he expected. He didn’t know what to say but managed “Thanks?”
Nadine wasn’t done. “Let me take some guesses about that team.”
He laughed, feeling lighter. “All right.”
“One guy talks a lot about shining a light in the dark corners and insists he’s completely objective in his reporting. Another got hired because he’s friends with one of the editors or an old roommate.” She was warming up to her mental template. “One’s a legacy. His dad worked there.”
“No, her mom worked for theHerald, actually.”
“I’m also willing to bet the loudest people in the meeting are the ones who carry the day.”
Wes looked over. “How do you know?”
“I work for theHerald,” she said simply.
“It’s infuriating,” he said.
She reached out to tap his arm. “It is. I’m sorry, Wes. It sucks to feel like that. You shouldn’t need to be an extrovert to be a success.”
