Now she’s grinning bashfully, brushing a piece of hair off her face. I know she thinks that I’m talking about her and our future together, when nothing could be further from the truth. So I take the opportunity to talk about Bram and the housing project, and my hopes that we can make the future bright for so many others.
It seems to work. For once she seems to listen, maybe because for once I’m actually talking. Maybe if I had just opened my mouth on the first date, there wouldn’t have had to be three.
“I’ll tell you what,” Justine says to me when we’re finished with our dessert. “There’s an event coming up next Monday, a cocktail party. Daddy will be there. I could introduce you two, and maybe he can help with the apartment. Sometimes he feels…what’s the word?”
“Philanthropic,” I suggest.
“Sure,” she says, and from the look in her eyes I’m wondering if she knows what the word means. “Are you interested?”
I give her a lopsided smile. “Most definitely.”
Even though a cocktail party with the elite is another thing that raises my hackles, I know I would be a fool to pass it up. Not when we are so close.
That night a Town Car drops her off at her apartment overlooking the bay. By the way she’s leaning against me in the backseat, her hand running up and down my thigh, I’m not surprised that she asks me in for a cocktail. I’m almost tempted, too. I haven’t gotten laid in a very long time and I’m itching to burn off some steam.
But my principles hold me in check. And with everything set for next Monday, the chance to maybe, hopefully, win over the final investor, going the extra step isn’t needed. It will only complicate things, and that is the last thing I need before I leave the city.
When I fall asleep though, I’m not thinking of Justine, but Kayla of all people. I saw how opening up, getting off my grumpy high horse, and just trying to be a little more sociable led to what I had wanted to begin with.
If I see Kayla again, I’ll ty and make it different.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kayla
I spend the next two days trying to write the article. It’s freaking hard. Between visiting my mother, going for dinner with my brother Toshio and his boyfriend Sean, and trying to make my weekly fencing lesson, plus working my normal job, I barely have any time. Thank god I’m not dating anyone at the moment because sex trumps work, always. No wonder all the journalists I know are single.
The article sucks anyway. I know it does. And I know that if I was a stronger writer, I could probably craft some magic out of it. But I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m unpracticed and unseasoned, and Lachlan left me with nothing.
Of course, I’m the one who spent too much time ogling him and not enough time asking the questions that I needed to. Nicola had mentioned that the San Francisco Chronicle had done a story on them a month ago, but it hadn’t drummed up any serious interest. That’s why Bram wanted me to write it for The Bay Weekly. It needed that human aspect, instead of being cut and dry.
Unfortunately, because I barely had any human interaction with Lachlan, I didn’t think I brought that human aspect to the table. I’m about to erase it and start all over again when Neil ventures into my side of the office.
“So, honeypie,” he says, leaning over my desk. “Where’s the article? Let’s give old Neil here a looksee.”
“Ugh,” I say. “The interview went horrible.”
“Oh, I bet it wasn’t all that bad,” he says while he nudges me out of the way to stare at the screen. He glances it over, his lips moving as he reads the words.
He gets to the end and turns to look at me expectantly.
“What?” I ask.
“Kayla. That’s garbage.”
“What?!” I shriek, even though I know it’s the truth. “It’s not garbage.”
“I know you can do better than that.” He jabs his finger at the screen. “All you’ve got here is blah blah blah boring shit about charity. And then a quote from a Scottish World Cup rugby player who helped out with what he could.” He shakes his head at me. “Helped out? That’s all you got?”
I glare at him and shove him out of the way. “Well, I told you that it didn’t go well!”
“But Joe won’t run this. I can’t even edit this. It’s boring, Kayla, and you my dear are the opposite of boring. Go back to him, get another interview, and inject some of that personality of yours into this piece.”
“But my personality is why everything got fucked up to begin with!”
He puts his hand on my shoulder and stares down at me with mock endearment. “Kayla. Get your head out of the gutter, put on your big girl panties, and go try again.”
I hate that he’s right. But he’s right. If I think I deserve a shot at a new career choice, I’m going to have to earn it, and I sure as hell didn’t with this pile of stink.
When Neil leaves, I take out my phone, swallow my pride, and text Lachlan.
Hey, it’s Kayla. I just want to apologize for the other day. I’m really sorry if I said the wrong thing. It wasn’t my intention to offend you.
I know I’m texting with kid gloves here, but I feel it’s the only way to ease into this situation.
I wait and thankfully it doesn’t take long for him to text back.
That’s all right. It’s a touchy subject, and I shouldn’t have been such a wanker.
Wanker. I love the Scottish idioms. And the fact that he said that can’t mean he’s all that mad and disgusted with me.