My lack of response urges Mr. Selly on. “Finally, Mr. Caldwell says the comment about an irate woman hitting him with a shoe was told to you confidentially and off the record. Is that true?”
Busted, again. I nod my head slightly, too embarrassed to say anything. My entire career is flashing before my eyes, and it is taking everything I have not to throw up right now.
Mr. Selly sighs and looks to Linc. “Miss Montgomery has obviously made a few mistakes for which we will issue a retraction and an apology, Mr. Caldwell.”
I give an internal sigh of relief that I’m not being fired outright. I believe the fact that I made the article an opinion piece may be saving me at this point. I look at Linc. He’s rubbing his finger across his chin as if he’s pondering something. He looks over at me and I wonder what he’s thinking. There is no triumph in his eyes, which would be deserved if there was.
Then Linc shocks the hell out of me when he says, “A retraction simply isn’t good enough. I want her to write the original piece she was supposed to do. ”
I’m so startled, I blurt, “You just want me to write a nice article about you?”
Linc’s eyes turn cold. “I want much more than that, Miss Montgomery. I want something printed tomorrow that your article was written in haste and without full knowledge of the facts. Then I want you to write a genuine article about the real me. You know...one based on verifiable facts. And the only way you will be able to do that, with accuracy this time, is to get to know me.”
I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what to say. How do I know the real Linc Caldwell? But before I can ponder it further, Linc looks to Mr. Selly and continues, “It is my understanding that Miss Montgomery was going to be on an assignment for the next six weeks. I’d like you to reassign her to do another story on me. She will be with me 24/7 for the next six weeks. At the end of that six weeks, I expect her to write a truthful article about me. Oh, and I guarantee you, there will be an apology at the end of it once she gets to know me.”
I stand up from my seat in a panic, placing my hands on the desk and leaning forward. “Mr. Selly, you can’t take me off of the L.A. assignment. It’s too important and we’ve already put a lot of work into getting ready for it.” I cannot let this opportunity be taken from me. It’s my means to get catapulted into newsworthy journalism.
Mr. Selly takes in my words and I can see by the look on his face that he’s analyzing the truth of what I’ve said from a business perspective. Too much has gone into this project already. He’s a shrewd man and I can see by the way his brows are furrowed together that he’s not inclined to take me off the project. I start to relax, relishing the fact that Mr. Caldwell will just have to settle for a retraction. But before Mr. Selly can put my mind fully at ease, Linc cuts into these thoughts.
“Let me throw my two cents into your decision making process. If you don’t assign Miss Montgomery to me for the next six weeks so that an accurate article can be written about me, I will instruct my lawyer to file a lawsuit against The Post tomorrow morning. His next stop will be to The Daily News and The Times to leak the story. Here’s a copy of the suit that has already been drafted.” Linc throws a thick document on Mr. Selly’s desk and it lands with a resounding thwack. It is with dismay that I note Mr. Selly doesn’t even bother to read it.
Mr. Selly’s shoulders deflate and I know I’ve lost. He stands from his desk. “I think that your proposal is more than fair, Mr. Caldwell. I’ll print something up tomorrow retracting Miss Montgomery’s story with my apology, and promising the public that she’ll do a follow up piece in six weeks. And I appreciate your leniency in this matter.”
Linc stands up and so do I. I’m at a loss. I feel like I’m spinning out of control. I vaguely note that Linc shakes Mr. Selly’s hand and heads toward the door. As he walks out, he calls over his shoulder, “Get your stuff, Montgomery. You’re coming with me right now.”
Shell-shocked would not do justice to the way I feel right now. I simply mutter a good-bye to Mr. Selly and follow Linc out the door.
8
The meeting with Selly went way better than I expected. Not only do I feel some measure of vindication by putting the judgmental, Miss Montgomery in her place, but it was a true pleasure watching those huge eyes widen even further when she heard she’d be assigned to me for the next six weeks. I hope she’s good and f**king miserable over the situation. That would be a good step toward easing my anger.
The only thing that bugs me is that I found Ever Montgomery to be even lovelier than I remember. There was a moment back in Selly’s office where I thought Ever was going to start crying, and I had a pang of regret shoot through me. But then she blinked those crystal eyes and the sheen was gone. I hardened my resolve and pushed forward.
Now we are riding to my condo. I had driven her first to her apartment and told her to pack everything she would need to stay at my place for six weeks. She tried to argue with me but I pointed out that if she refused, I would just call Mr. Selly and tell him I was pushing forward with the lawsuit. She snapped her mouth shut after shooting daggers at me and packed two suitcases.
She hasn’t said a word since then.
But I’m going to make her open up.
“For someone that had so much to say about me just a few days ago, you’re awful quiet right now?”
I glance at her and she shoots the same daggers at me. I know I should be affronted, but instead I just stare into the cool depths of her ocean eyes.