“Do I have a choice?”
There’s a really long pause. I can practically feel his tension radiating down the line.
“There’s always a choice, Tru.” He sounds a little pissed off.
“Sorry,” I recover. “That sounded a little shitty, it’s just a lot of information to process this early in the morning. Especially when I haven’t even had a chance to have a coffee yet.”
“You haven’t?”
“No, and I don’t function without coffee,” I say in a Spanish accent. I’m actually fluent in Spanish, something my mum insisted on, and it does comes in handy at times – well, mainly holiday’s in Spanish speaking countries. And my crap Spanish accent always used to make Jake laugh when we were kids, so I’m aiming for just that again.
He chuckles, deep and throaty down the line. It does incredible things to me. “I see you’re still an idiot.”
“I am, and it still takes one to know one.”
“That it does … so you’ll do it?”
I get the distinct feeling he’s not asking me. And really in what world would I ever say no.
“I’ll do it,” I smile.
I can practically feel his grin down the phone.
“Okay, so as your new boss – well one of them – I order you to go get some coffee as I can’t have you talking in that cute Spanish accent of yours all day. You’ll drive me nuts.”
I’ll drive him nuts?! In a good or bad way…
“I’m seeing you today?”
“Of course. Go get that coffee and I’ll call you back soon.”
He hangs up, and I sit staring at the phone in my hand, feeling a little dumbfounded.
And somehow a little played. I just haven’t figured out as to how yet.
I’m also feeling a little excited – okay a lot excited. I’m going on tour with The Mighty Storm … with Jake.
Shit. And double shit. I’m going to have to tell Will.
Well that thought quickly dilutes my good mood.
I don’t go and get a coffee straight away, I go to Vicky’s office.
“You called him?” She looks up at me hopefully.
“I called him.”
“And?
“And of course I’m doing it.”
“Oh thank god! You had me worried for a moment there. Oh, Trudy, you are my superstar!” She gets up from her desk and hugs me in a cloud of her perfume and perfectness. “I knew from the second you stepped into the interview for a job here that hiring you would be the best thing I would ever do.”
She holds me back by my shoulders, smiling her gorgeous smile at me. “You, my girl, are going to lift this magazine off the bottom shelf and put it in its rightful place in amongst those glossy’s on the middle shelf.”
“You really think this exclusive with Jake will do that?” I know it will lift sales but I don’t want her to pin all her hopes on this.
“I do.” She nods emphatically. “This boy is unattainable. Getting a concise straight answer out of him is bad enough, but a full blown insight into his life – hell, all those women out there who sit listening to his album, watching him on TV, dreaming of Jake Wethers in their beds will wet their panties over this.”
I can’t help but laugh.
“And they are also going to love the fact that you guys grew up together and have just reunited to do this story. Women will envy you and love you for bringing that man into their houses.”
“Um.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I was thinking maybe we should keep that part under wraps.”
I’ve been thinking about this, and I don’t want all the attention it will bring me if people find out Jake and me grew up together. And there could be the chance that when the press is delving into mine and Jake’s history together, someone from our former years might just tell the story of what his dad did to him and his mum. I shudder to think. Somehow Jake’s managed to keep that part of his life out of the press, I don’t want to be the reason it comes out.
Obviously I’m not going to say any of that to Vicky. I’ve already quickly planned out what I’m going to say.
“I just think it will seem even better if they don’t know of my history with Jake. It might take the focus off the bio when they realise Jake and I have history, and I don’t want that to be the running feature. I want it to be about Jake and Etiquette.”
She grins at me. “Good thinking. Always the journalist. Have I told you how much I love you lately?”
“No.” I grin.
“Well I do, lots and lots and lots.”
“So the tour … Jake’s said he’s going to see me again today – assumedly to talk about the tour, but can you give me the heads up now?”
“You’re seeing him again – today?” she grins, sitting back down.
She’s like a teenager at times.
“Yes, about business. Brief me about the tour, please, boss?”
She leans back in her chair. “Seven weeks. Touring Europe for the first three, then America and Canada for the last four.”