Page 174 of Smoke and Fire
Five emails cluttered the top of the inbox. All of them had the same subject line.
Priyanka Patel:To Bastian’s Assistant: open this email.
Priyanka Patel:To Bastian’s Assistant: open this email.
Priyanka Patel:To Bastian’s Assistant: open this email.
Priyanka Patel:To Bastian’s Assistant: open this email.
Priyanka Patel:To Bastian’s Assistant: open this email.
With a heavy swallow, I obeyed. What could this development possibly mean? A quick note waited inside each email, reading the same thing each time.
To Bastian’s New Assistant,
At 9:30 your time, I will be initiating a video call to this email account. Please answer it, as the purpose is to speak with you.
Sincerely,
Priyanka
My gaze darted to the clock in the corner of the desktop.
Three minutes away.
Almost the moment the clock changed to the half hour, a screen popped up on the computer to announce Priyanka’s call. I flattened my hair, shoved it out of my face, and hit the green answer button.
Seconds later, a middle-aged woman with short, subdued hair and a steady expression filled the screen. I forced a smile. She blinked twice, regarded me for the space of a breath, and spoke in a succinct voice.
“What’s your name?”
“Dahlia.”
“Dahlia, I’m Priyanka. You may call me Pri.”
“Good morning, Pri.”
She lifted one curious eyebrow. A moment stretched between us while we studied each other. Her gaze encompassed me faster than I could for her because I was stuck on the fact that she was Bastian’s agent. This was the only other person that shared our secret. Her lovely expression and dark eyes made me, if I was honest, a tad jealous. He hadn’t mentioned how attractive she was.
I shook myself out of it.
What are you thinking?Inner Me cried.Don't be a jealous freak.
I know!I cried.I'm sorry.
The truth sent a thousand nervous knives into my stomach. I only felt threatened because of the growing depth of my crush on him. I forced myself to focus back on Pri.
“You are the one he texted me about, I assume?” Priyanka asked. “The one coordinating with influencers and the social media around the launch.”
“I’m responding to questions that come in the emails, particularly with influencers and readers, yes.Coordinatingwould be a generous term for it.”
“And you’re posting for Jess on social media. With GIFs and smiley faces.”
“Yes.”
“How has it been?”
I struggled to find the right word. Unlike Bastian, I had no skill in that world. “It’s been fine. Enlightening, I suppose you could say?”
