Page 9 of Fraud
“And you’re offering that?” I asked, pointing to the large sum of money I saw noted in her email.
“Crazy, right? But it’s actually really good. It’s likeTheGirl on the TrainmeetsFifty Shades of Grey. Super sexy with all these insane twists and turns.”
“Can I read it?” I asked, reaching for her laptop.
She laughed and pulled away. “I shouldn’t even be sitting anywhere near you. The agent has made it crystal clear that, as part of the deal, the author is to remain completely anonymous. If it gets out who she is, my ass is toast.”
“Why so secretive? What does she have to hide? Is she a nun or something?”
Kim shrugged. “I have no idea. Part of me wondered if she was an established author writing under a pen name, but after reading this, I doubt it. It’s so original and unlike anything I’ve ever read.”
“Sounds interesting,” I said, looking at the screen as she hit the minimize button to keep my prying eyes from discovering more.
“You know what else is interesting?” she said playfully, placing the laptop on the nightstand.
“What?” I grinned.
“This.” Her finger touched the hem of my shirt that looked so much better on her than me.
I watched in complete fascination as she drew up the fabric, inch by inch, until nothing but her naked skin was left. I forgot all about secret manuscripts and instead focused on what was right in front of me.
Pure satisfaction.
After a few more quick rolls in the sack with Kim that morning, I managed to make it into work just in the nick of time. Walking into the bustling newsroom I worked for was always exhilarating. It was never quiet here. Fingers were flying over keyboards, and people were shouting across cubicles as news was being made all over the place.
My first position out of college was working for a small publication online. After a few years of grunt work, I’d managed to get noticed by someone in the big leagues. I’d thought I’d finally made it.
But nothing in this industry was ever that easy.
Several more years after that, I’d worked my way from the very bottom to where I finally was. And only by sheer luck was I doing something worth recognition.
My column was supposed to be fluff. A nod to my dedication to the paper.
But I’d never been one to settle.
So, I switched things up, writing about topics that ruffled people’s feathers and got me noticed. It might not all be exactly my honest opinion, but it worked.
Online and in print, my column was well-known.
And so was I.
In a city where everyone was dying to become someone, how did you set yourself apart? This was the question I’d been trying to answer for the better part of my career. And, so far, I’d done just that.
Feeling refreshed from my morning with Kim, I sat down in my tiny cubicle, armed with the strongest coffee I could find, and got to work.
Life was good…full of possibilities.
“Hey, Killian. Boss wants to see you in his office,” my coworker announced on his way past me, heading toward the break room.
Life was now…giving me a stomachache.
There was something about that phrase,The boss wants to see you, that could instantly turn a good mood sour.
My mind traveled back over the last twenty-four hours.
Had I done anything wrong? Missed any deadlines?
Nope. I’d been a pretty stellar employee, if I did say so myself.
