Page 37 of Cuts like a Knife
I’ll just take notes about clothes, looks, appearances and general vibes while listening for and flagging the time stamps on quotes that sound like they may have potential for the stories I’ve already worked up. Fill-in-the-blanks. I did more than enough prep on the plane.
My job makes me cringe nearly all of the time, but somewhere deep inside me, I have to admit I am kind of proud of how good I am at it, and how I manage to produce so much copy so quickly. It truly is a skill. I have skills134.
Is it lazy? Absolutely. Is it real journalism? Absolutely not. Does it matter? Ha. No.
These events never start on time so I decide to shoot off a quick text.
Lex: Quick Q. What is that effect called in a movie — that weird zooming thing?
She answers almost immediately. Trust Claire. Annoying as she is at times, she knows a disturbing amount of pointless facts.
Claire: Dolly zoom. Why? Are you doing a trivia contest? Do you want to cheat? Ask me anything, and I’ll shoot the answers back to you. I’ve been having Braxton Hicks all day and Adam’s making me stay off my feet and I might die of boredom. Help.
Lex: Sorry, can’t. Working. But thanks for the facts. You know a lot of weird a— stuff.
Claire: Gee, thanks. Have fun. Tell Drew I hate him.
Lex: ???
Claire: Drew. Andrew. Handsome chap. Known him all our lives?
Lex: Are you having a stroke? Tell him yourself. You’ll talk to him before I will135.
Claire: I mean, I might text him, but you’ll see him in person.
Lex: What?
Claire: What yourself?
Lex: I am confused.
Claire: You’ll see him because you’re “working” in the dang Bahamas. Lucky ducks.
Lex: No we’re not136.
Claire: ???
Claire: See how annoying that is, by the way? Texting three question marks and nothing else?
Lex: Okay, fair. What do you mean?
Claire: Drew??? Like Andrew Fox, Gray’s best friend, practically our adopted brother137?
Lex: Oh. Is he supposed to be here for some reason?
Claire: Yeah, he’s working. His clients are sponsors. Look out for him!
Lex: WHY?
Claire: You’re being weird. Just be nice to him, Lex. I owe him a lot.
True enough. Drew brokered the whole deal that got Claire and Adam on TV. But it irks me that she is telling me to be nice.
Lex: I’m always nice, thank you.
Claire: That is … the opposite of true. But ANYWAY. I’m sure you’ll run into him soon. It’s a small island, right?
Lex: Sort of. I haven’t seen him.
