Page 89 of Love Under the Microscope
“Not like this, on something I didn’t write.” I swallow my pride. I have to stop this from being published. “I’m begging you to please reconsider.”
“Begging, huh?” Drew snickers. “Never thought I’d see the mighty Jack Parker sink to such levels.”
I hate Drew. I really hate him. I take a breath to stay calm. “That article will open up the magazine to lawsuits.”
“My dad knows it’s going out and okayed it. Besides, you’re the one who wrote it, so you’ll have to deal with the fallout.”
“You fucking weasel!” I can’t help it. I lose my cool.
“Serves you right for thinking you’re more talented than anyone else on the staff.”
I am, which Drew knows. “You’re going to burn in hell.”
“Guess I’ll see you there.” Drew hangs up.
“Fuck!” Now what the fuck do I do?
A knock sounds on my door. I’m not expecting anyone, but I open the door anyway. “Zelda?”
She stands in my doorway, and a sense of calm and relief washes over me.
“You fucking liar.” She comes at me like a raging bull, pushing past me into my apartment. “Tell me what you did. Tell me what you sold to Nigel, and why the fuck you wrote that story.”
The two questions rush out, but I can understand each one. Still, I’m confused. Drew said the story isn’t going out until tomorrow morning. Maybe someone sent her an advanced copy. Perhaps Drew … because he’s a fucking prick.
“What do you mean?” I ask, feigning any knowledge of the truth.
“You know what I mean.” Her face reddens in a way I’ve never seen before. “About me and Nigel having a volatile relationship. About how Nigel still lives with his parents. About how Nate’s still in love with me. At least you didn’t mention Mr. Z in this piece of trash.”
Shit, that sounds like the article Drew showed me. He twisted my narrative around Nate. I had given him some general notes in good faith that my article was coming after my interview with Mr. Z. In those notes, I mentioned how the two are still close, given she’s his assistant, but never once did I say he was in love with Zelda. Her volatile relationship with Nigel is something else Drew came up with, saying it had to be the case as they’re at each other’s throats over Orchid’s launch.
“Nate’s finally moved on. He’s dating.” Zelda’s voice breaks with emotion. “And now you’ve made everything ten times worse and made me look like a fool for working with you.”
Trusting you is implied but unspoken.
“It wasn’t me. I swear.” Sweat coats my back. I need her to believe me. “My editor wrote the article and put my name on the byline. I’ve been trying to stop him from publishing it, but all my attempts have failed. You said you know my voice. Do you think I would write that crap?”
Zelda laughs, but the sound is hollow and disdainful. “As a ruse, you could change your style and blame your editor. You’re already lying about the article.”
“No, I’m not.”
“It’s already printed. I was hand delivered this copy an hour ago.” She reaches inside her purse, pulls out a magazine, and throws it on the floor at my feet. “Information I gave you is in there.”
Swallowing the lump lodged in my throat, I pick up the magazine. There in print is a warts-and-all story about Zelda and Nate Lowe, how they ran Zentello, and their rivalry with Nigel Carrington. I’m relieved the article doesn’t mention Zelda being Mr. Z. Thankfully, I kept that to myself and didn’t put it in the notes I shared with Drew.
“I’m sorry, Zelda. I gave some basic notes to Drew to buy myself more time on the feature, but I shouldn’t have trusted him not to do something with the information.”
“No.” She wags her finger at me. “I shouldn’t have trusted you.”
“I’ll fix everything. I’ll make him retract the article. I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen I didn’t write those lies.”
Zelda pushes away from me. I grab her hand as she moves toward the door, but she shakes me off.
“Leave me alone.” Her voice breaks. “Never come near me again. I’m done with you.”
She slams the door. My first published article framed on the wall shakes and crashes to the floor. Glass shatters everywhere.
It looks the way my heart feels.
