“No.” Red shook his head. “And I think you know I have the money to do it. In fact, your company has been losing money the last three quarters, so I think I got a bargain. But I would have made the deal anyway.”
“I suppose this is your elaborate way of telling me I’m fired?”
“Actually, no.” Red shook his head. “You were only doing your job, which was to write stories that the public wants to read. I don’t mind a man earning a living, like I said.”
“Then what? Why am I here?”
“Two things,” Red told him. “Firstly, I don’t appreciate that you contacted Nicole and tried to turn her against me. What was the point?”
Anderson shrugged. “Relationship building, we call it. I start off giving information, proving that I can be a resource to the person in question. Eventually, the target—errr—person I’m building a relationship with, will start to speak to me like I’m a friend. And soon I’m just listening to the story and they’re telling me everything they know.”
Red nodded, and there was a glimmer of respect there. “I admire your tenacity but in this case it was a mistake.”
“Clearly,” Anderson said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Onto the second thing I want to resolve. I’m your boss now,” Red told him. “And as your boss, I want to know who leaked those stories to you. The ones about my previous engagements and the plans to change my image by dating an average girl.”
Anderson hesitated. “I need confirmation first, that you actually bought my magazine.”
Red shrugged. “Call your editor.”
Anderson pulled out his cell phone and quickly made the call. A few seconds later he was speaking to someone. “Well, I bet you’ll never guess where I am,” he said, his voice trembling. Pause. “Red Jameson’s office…yes….yes.” Longer pause. “It’s real then. He bought us out?” Another long pause. “Okay. Okay. Thanks.” The older man hung up and stared at his cell phone as if it had betrayed him.
“I’m an honest guy,” Red said.
Nicole truly felt sorry for Anderson now. He looked beaten. All of the condescension and creepiness seemed to have been knocked out of him by the realization that he was at Red Jameson’s mercy.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” Anderson said.
Red smiled. “Hey, you had to have confirmation. I understand. And now it’s time to tell me what I want to know.” His expression darkened and he looked positively frightening. “If you don’t tell me who leaked those stories, I’ll make you wish you’d never heard my name. Firing you will be the easiest part. Making sure you never work again—anywhere—will be the fun part for me. By the time I’m done, you’ll be lucky to get a job shoveling yak shit in Afghanistan.”
“I don’t need to be convinced,” Anderson said, guzzling the last of the vodka. “It was Talia Ferring. And she contacted me,” he finished.
Red was positively beaming. He moved from his desk to where Anderson was standing, simultaneously taking the empty glass from one hand and shaking the other. “You’ve done well,” he said, ushering him toward the door. “Now go home and try to get some rest. I want you up and working on a new story—preferably about Justin Timberlake or Brittney Spears. Just stay away from my fiancé.”
Anderson groveled a little about how happy he was to be working for someone like Red, as Red kicked him out. And then the door closed and Red was back, grinning like a kid who just stole the cookie from the cookie jar without getting caught.
“Aren’t you pleased with yourself?” Nicole laughed.
“Sort of. That felt good, I admit.” He took her by the shoulders and looked in her eyes. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again.”
“I’m not a delicate flower, I can take it.”
He smiled. “I know. That’s what I love about you. Among many other things.” And then he was kissing her again and it was heat, so much heat and she was lost in it for a long time. The way Red’s hands moved on her body, touched her just right. She wanted him all over again.
She loved that he was protective of her.
When they broke the kiss off, he was suddenly all business again. “I want to show you something, just so you know your trust in me is well founded.” He took her by the hand and brought her to his computer, had her sit right next to him as he navigated through his email.
It took him a minute or two and then he found what he was looking for. It was an email from him to Talia, dated well over ten months ago. It said:
Hey, T.
I’ve been thinking about that image makeover idea we discussed yesterday. It was a funny little thought, but last night I slept on it and actually it’s a pretty tacky gimmick. I can’t let myself get caught up in the expectations game. I’ll just be myself and let the media do what it does. Hope you weren’t too far down the road with planning anything. Let’s just focus on the Jameson brand and not worry so much about the dope who runs the place.
-R
He turned to Nicole and smiled. “I might be an idiot, but I’ve never been that big an idiot.”