“But in general?” Justin asked. “I’ve always heard women are extra turned on while menstruating.”
“You also told me BDE stands for ‘bestest day ever,’” Sebastian said.
“What’s BDE?” I asked.
Justin’s mouth slid into a smile. “Yeah, Sebastian, what is it? You should be the one to tell her since, according to New York Magazine, you’ve got it.”
I frowned. “Is it some kind of STD?”
“Jesus, no,” Sebastian said, nearly lurching out of his chair. “It stands for ‘big dick energy.’”
Oh. I didn’t need any more clarification. From a biological standpoint, Sebastian was unequivocally male—tall, broad, full head of hair, enviable jawline, mesmerizing light eyes to lure in prey . . . but there was more to it than that. He oozed confidence, virility, and moved with the kind of ease I rarely saw in other men. All that in one man was partly what’d drawn me to him in the café.
I could only suspect, based on the facts, that he had the goods to back it up.
Justin held up his hands about a foot apart, subtly nodding at Sebastian as he grinned at me and whispered, “You won’t be disappointed.”
Sebastian threw the paperclip at Justin’s head. “Dude.”
Mortified, I squeezed my eyes shut to get the image out of my head, but it was replaced with Sebastian playing air guitar in the shower again—only with one much more favorable detail.
“Aw, come on,” Justin said. “George’s no prude. She’s seen things.”
“But has her counterpart?” Sebastian asked.
I couldn’t blame Justin for looking confused. He didn’t know that Sebastian was talking about Georgina, not George, because around here, only I knew there was a difference. Until now, it seemed. Sebastian was on to me, and my denying it over beers hadn’t thrown him off the scent. I thought back to the game, the way Sebastian had almost sounded jealous that François and I had “bumped hats.” The way Sebastian had trapped me against the table to kiss—or strangle—me, and how I wouldn’t have stopped him. Not with my hair curled around his finger and “buns” on his tongue. Why was I the only person Sebastian was willing to nickname?
Would he have kissed me if not for Justin’s interruption?
The thought made my heart pound the way it had in the moment. I would’ve let him, but I couldn’t forget that Sebastian had considered me an enemy up until this point, and maybe still did.
“Hard at work, I see,” I heard from behind me. We all looked over at Vance in the doorway of the office.
“We’re practicing for our podcast,” Justin said.
“Podcast?” Vance looked to me. “Your idea?”
Sebastian made an exaggerated red slash on the spread in front of him.
“Not really,” I said. What? Dionne would have a fit if she heard me giving credit when I should take it. But it wasn’t as if I’d worked hard for it. All I’d done was smile and laugh enough to make my cheeks ache—and recognize that Sebastian and Justin’s back-and-forth was something special. “After listening to these two bicker for weeks, it was a natural connection to make.”
“It was her idea,” Sebastian said, his eyes down.
Vance nodded toward the hall. “George, can I see you in my office?”
“Oh. Sure.” I was sixteen and getting called to the principal for too many tardies. I shut my laptop and took a notebook and my phone. Sebastian watched me stand, his eyes jumping between his boss and me.
I followed Vance to the elevator. We usually met once a week, but this was the first time he’d come looking for me. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Everything’s great.” We rode up a few floors, where he gestured me toward his office. “Can I get you anything?” he asked as we passed his assistant.
“No, thank you. We just had gyros.”
“Don’t feel as if you have to keep up with their greasy food habits,” he said as he sat at his desk. “Wouldn’t want you wasting as much time at the gym as Sebastian and Justin seem to.”
I took a chair in front of him and crossed my legs. For someone my height, it wouldn’t take much to get fat, Neal had said once in front of his family when I’d gone for a second helping of Christmas dinner. Vance was hedging a little too closely to unsolicited advice on my figure, so I moved us back on track. “How can I help you?”
“How do you feel things are going?” he asked, opening a drawer.
“Great.” I’d said as much in our last appointment. “I’m very happy with the team’s progress.”
“And we’re very happy with you.” Vance took out a Modern Man-stamped notepad and matching pen. “It’ll be a while before we have any firm numbers, these things take time, but don’t think we haven’t noticed the impact you’ve made these last several weeks.”
“Thank you,” I said. “But I’m only doing my job.”
“The online analytics are already showing results. Surprisingly, the female demographic is actually growing.”
I opened my notebook. “My team at the agency has been working closely with the sales department on their targeting.”
He shifted in his seat. “And who would’ve thought something as simple as changing the name of the magazine would make such a difference?”
I had to admit, adding A Gentleman’s Guide underneath the masthead was one of my better ideas, and perhaps the only thing Sebastian hadn’t fought me on. “It’s all about honing our image,” I said.
“The focus groups you’ve run were very positive too.” Vance doodled circles on the paper in front of him. “The board has noticed, and we all agree the magazine is headed in the right direction.”
“How would you describe the progress we’ve made?” I asked, taking notes.
“Still Modern Man but more refined and with broader appeal. We’re starting to reach the men who think with their big head more than their little one.”
Not exactly how I would’ve put it, but I looked forward to sharing a laugh over that with Dionne. “Anything else?”
“The ‘women who drone’ webisode is a great example. Strong, shareable content that’s supportive of women while appealing to both genders.”
“Glad you liked it,” I said. “A friend of mine posted footage while working on a film in Toronto, and people went wild over it. It was an easy leap to get her on board.”
“That’s the thinking we need.” He leaned his elbows on his desk. “Look. At the end of the day, we’re a business.”
“Of course.”
“Sebastian was exactly the person to grow this magazine quickly. To capture the attention of millions and launch a sensation. But those tactics aren’t working anymore, and he’s been distracted the last year. I’m not sure he has what it takes to adapt.”
“Our team has shown great progress since I arrived,” I said carefully, hoping to send the message that this was my team too, and everyone held value, including Sebastian. Especially Sebastian.
“My point exactly. Sebastian didn’t even recognize that we had a female demographic, much less appeal to them, and he either didn’t see or refused to admit that we were losing our more sophisticated readers.”
I opened my mouth to say that wasn’t true, but hadn’t I skewered him for those exact reasons during my first presentation?
Vance continued, “He had a year to turn things around but couldn’t. Not until you.”
“He needed a little guidance,” I said. “Which is exactly why you brought me in. When the compass breaks, I simply right the ship.”
“It’s more than that, George. The men respond well to you. Even that ADHD case Justin. Even Sebastian. Though I see him fighting it, he’s made improvements as well.”
“So we both agree.”
“It seems we do. I want to bring you on full-time.”
“I’m practically here full-time as it is,” I said, sitting back. “I still need to be at my office one or two days a week in order to—”