Page 54 of Gripp

April had to sit down at her desk to read the rest of the email. Her legs had weakened, and her heart had punched against the sides of her ribs.

It's a chilling and disturbing story about these children,the rest of the message said.This is the kind of thing that could land you a Pulitzer if you keep at it. I’m proud of you, April. Feel free to give me a call in the morning once you’re settled in.

April laid her head on the desk, her forehead lightly tapping against the edge. She was so excited that she could barely contain herself, yet she froze, squeezing every muscle in her body at the same time.

It had been everything she ever wanted in her life, and she had spent painstaking hours on end, even lost the connection and support of her family in order to attain it. She wanted to shine a light in the darkest corners of the world, and she had done that. She would finally be rewarded for all of her sacrifices and bravery of heart and spirit.

April shot her head up from the desk and held her hands in the air. The apartment was dark, with the only light pouring in from the streetlights and passing cars.

“YES!” she yelled out.

She rose from the desk and poured herself a larger shot of whiskey. She giggled to herself when she returned to the desk and, once again, held the glass up in the dark.

She had a gleeful smile on her face until she realized one terrible thing. There was only one person she wanted to share her news and drink with at that very moment.

Gripp.

She let the glass hit the desk, slightly popping the golden liquid upward like a fountain. Her smile melted away when she imagined telling him about her news, about the fact that she had to go to L.A. She figured he wouldn’t want to … he’d want to go back to his home country immediately.

Without thinking twice, April shot the rest of her booze back into her throat. It didn’t burn as much as the first one, but it still moved down her esophagus with a slight sting. It was the sting that she wanted, even if only a momentary distraction.

She wasn’t passing up the chance to do something big with the story. It was an exposure story, plus with a film and possible book attached, the story would get out to a higher, more sophisticated audience. It was quite literally the chance of a lifetime.

April breathed deeply and held her fingers over the keyboard. She was surprised to find her hands shaking, and her heartbeat had picked up to an anxious rhythm. She thought about Gripp and how she felt about him, then scolded herself for the mere consideration.

“You really are going to miss out on this for a guy?” she whispered to the computer.

The answer was, of course not. She wasn’t going to do that. But it wouldn’t be prudent to cast him aside completely. Her attraction and connection to Gripp were like magic, and unlike anything, she’d ever experienced. Would it be an intelligent move to act like that was something she could easily find again?

“Fuck,” April murmured.

She willed her hands into replying back to her editor, with Gripp lingering on her mind.

Gillian! she wrote.I am ecstatic beyond words. You have no idea. Book me in for the flight in a few days. I can’t wait to get everything started!

She made herself send the email without letting her mind get in the way. She listened to the swoosh sound, then closed her laptop, leaving herself to sit in the oily darkness.

April listened to the cars swirling by. She decided she would go to bed and let herself think things through in the morning. She had a few days, after all. Why waste brainpower that night?

But April barely slept and spent most of the day laying in bed, barely checking her messages. The depressing thought of losing Gripp gutted her, combined with the approaching success of her lifelong work. It was ironic that he was the one she wanted to be happy with. He was the one he wanted to tell everything to, yet, it was likely that he wasn’t willing to go along for the ride.

The man had his own demons to deal with, and most of them lived in another country. He was drawn to taking care of those kids because he was once one, left to his own devices, and he survived by taking care of himself. It wasn’t her job to heal that in him, but she wanted more than anything to be along for the ride.

She received a text from him mid-afternoon, asking if she had plans for the night. She stared at the screen, biting her lip. Her impulse said to ignore it or to straight-up lie. But she couldn’t. She could feel her body longing for him, his voice and his hands all over her.

April replied about half an hour later and forced herself to get out of bed and take a shower. Afterward, she went through her wardrobe, looking for something fun and sexy. She settled on a demure, loose blue dress that showed just enough cleavage and leg to get his mouth watering.

April sighed, feeling her clit throb between her legs at the thought of him kissing her. Looking at her, whispering into her ear, he drove her crazy whatever he did. It was something she wanted to sink into, a life with him and their children. She could see it so clearly in her mind, like it had already existed in some other universe.

She finished straightening her hair and putting on makeup. Gripp was using a government-assigned car, so she would meet him outside the apartment. It was strange to be going on an actual date with him since they’d spent so much time in the wild together.

She wanted to hold his hand and not have to worry about fleeing for their lives.

April was relaxed by the thought and yet still troubled. She was concerned that she would have a difficult decision. It was a choice she’d never thought she’d have to make.

She had fallen for a man who had saved her like in some romantic tale she’d rented from the library. And he was making her re-think the entire trajectory of a career she had dedicated so much of herself to.

April left the apartment once Gripp texted her that he was there. She did her best to not appear that her entire heart and soul were in turmoil.

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