Meet & Greet
“So what happened?”
“I’m working on her alright?”
Marty starts to laugh, “You couldn’t seal the deal.”
“What was I going to do, fuck her while she’s sleeping to have her cry rape when she wakes up? No, I know what I’m doing.”
“You aren’t any closer to nailing her than you were the first day you made the bet. Face it, not everyone drops their panties for you.”
I put my ipod down, taking the earbuds from my ears, “There is a twist in this whole thing that I think you’ll fins interesting.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nod, smiling, “She didn’t break up with Scott.”
“What?” he asks, intrigued.
“She didn’t break up with Scott which means when I get her, she’ll be cheating on him.
“You mean if you get her,” he corrects me.
I look over at him, “When I get her.”
“I think you’re going to crash and burn my friend. I looked over the articles she wrote and you do not come out well.”
My eyes shift over to the magazine he’s waving at me and take a look at the article that in summery makes me out to be a man whore, “She’s just feisty.”
“And right. You are down two days, time is ticking away.”
I push a piece of paper his way, “I’ll see her later.”
“Premiering new artists? What are you planning to do, invite her and then drag her into the bathroom, hoping for the best?”
“No, I’m going to be there to introduce the new artists and I know Paige will be there for every second.”
“And you’re positive?”
“She’s their best writer and she’ll be the one to get the assignment.”
Marty shakes his head, “I can see myself in that Jag already.”
“Not yet my friend, not yet.”
________________________________________________________________________
I hold my Starbucks coffee in my hand, savoring the taste. There is nothing, and I mean nothing is as good as a hot cup of Starbucks coffee. Nothing can ever ruin it.
“Paige?”
Until now. I don’t bother to wave or even look up as he sits down, “Hey, I missed you.”
I twirl the liquid in the paper cup, “You could always call Trish.”
“You’re not funny Paige.”
“I wasn’t trying to be,” I snip, leaning back as I look at him, the way someone does when they size up another human being.
“Are you ever going to talk to me?”
“Not if I can help it.”
Scott takes my coffee cup from me, “You and I both know you need me, and I love you so can’t you just forgive me?”
I bite my lip, looking past him until my eyes blur, “No, I can’t.”
“So we are just going to pretend that everything is fine and go on like this?”
“I don’t see any other way.”
“You would do this all for a job?”
“What else am I supposed to do? We all know my reputation is based solely on you so I have no other choice unless you recommend me, which we both know you won’t do.”
He smiles, “I love you Paige. I quit my job to work with you, I’m not going to let you go. So, you can do one of two things. You can realize that I’m human and I made a mistake or we can break up and continue to see each other every single day. Keep in mind the reason you’re in the position that you’re in and realize that Marie will not let you be the lead writer after we’re broken up. ”
“You don’t know that,” I argue.
“I own the magazine, Marie won’t put you anywhere near me if we break up and you know it.”
Scott sits there smugly, knowing that I won’t let my job go over something like this, “Just for the record, I hate you.”
“That’s okay, you’ll get over it eventually.”
And I’m trapped.
________________________________________________________________________
I apply my lipstick in the mirror, taking a once over of myself before deciding that I look fine. Brooke bangs on the door, “You’re going to be late.”
“Thank you!” I scream, putting on my perfume. I open the door and Brooks smiles, “You look cute.”
“You think?” I ask, turning around in a circle.
“Definitely. Slutty sailors are always in style.”
“That’s nice to know,” I say, grabbing my camera and tape recorder and checking the batteries.
Brooke hands me my sailor hat, “I can’t believe you got back together with Scott.”
“And I told you that I have no other choice,” I respond, placing my hat on my head.
Brooke reaches over and straitens it out for me, “You could always get another job Paige.”
“That just shows how much you know. I’ve tried that before and it didn’t work and if I was to break up and stay with him, pretty soon they’ll drop my salary because I won’t be the head writer anymore. Face it, I can’t do anything.”
“So what are you planning to do? Wait until you are married and he has three families to leave?”
“No,” I say, putting my coat on, “I’m going to look for a job quietly and when I get one, I’ll quit.”
She just sighs, “The minute you started dating him you were screwed.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time alright? I’ll see you later.”
Brooke nods, “I’m going to that Halloween party with Reid but I don’t think we’ll be there too terribly late.”
“Gotta love office parties.”
“I couldn’t very well let Reid go alone no matter how incapable he is of getting a date.”
“I’m sure he’s happy that he has you as a friend.”
Her hands go down her witch’s costume, “Actually I was hoping I would meet some attractive, unattached single guy and get laid.”
“Their ad guys, not doctors.”
“I can dream right?”
I laugh, “Kay. Have fun,” I say, kissing her on the cheek.
“Go kick ass.”
I pump my fist in the air, “Will do.”
________________________________________________________________________
I watch from behind the curtain as reporters and gossip columnists sit in the chairs out front of the incoming record artists for Jive. My eyes scan the crowd and finally land on Paige, conveniently sitting next to Scott. He’s got his arm around her shoulders protectively while she seems unaffected even though he keeps squeezing her lovingly.
The question and answer part of the interview is almost over and then they’ll be mingling with us. I didn’t bank on Scott being here but that’s not going to stop this train. Not if I’m going to get my way.
Finally everything concludes and the costume party is underway. I go around, talking to some people as I keep my eye on Paige and Scott. He leans into her ear and whispers something, walking off in the other direction. I slip over to the refreshment table and take two drinks off it, standing behind Paige, “If I drown, would you give me mouth to mouth?”
I watch as she stiffens and turns around slowly, “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I would come and welcome everyone to the company.”
She snorts, “I have been to four of these things and I’ve never seen you here.”
“Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough.”
She can’t keep a smile from pulling at her lips, “So, you’re costume is festive.”
“Yeah, I thought the jeans and ratty tee-shirt completed the whole pop star not giving a fuck look.”
Paige puts her hands on her hips, “I can totally see that but you forgot self absorbed.”
I chuckle, “You’re funny.”
“I try my best.”
I touch her shoulder and back her up into a corner, “So I see you and Scott are still appearing in public together.”
She looks over her shoulder in the direction he left, “Why do you care?”
“That’s a frequent question of yours you know that?”
Her tongue goes out and licks her lips, ignoring me. If she only knew what I wish she was doing with her tongue, “Glad to see that guys still rule the earth.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well I mean he cheated on you and yet here you are. What would one conclude?”
“One would conclude,” she says, suddenly becoming very serious, “that women aren’t brought on staff at magazinesor running writing teen fluff for adolescences. We get the fashion pieces at vogue because that’s all we are good for, no actual writing. And now even that’s at stake because shows like Queer Eye for the Strait Guy takes over. When people look at me they see boobs and legs and lips when they should be looking at my résumé.”
I gently tug on the red sash covering her breasts, “Can you blame them?”
She pushes me away as I feel a hand on my back, “Can’t take a hint can you Timberlake?”
I don’t take my eyes off Paige, “Scott Fisher.”
“The one and only,” he says, pulling Paige to his side tightly. She squirms a little next to him but quickly relaxes as though it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“I forgot you only come out at night.”
He laughs, “And I thought you only came out in the nude.”
My smile disappears which seems to please Scott, “You just wait until the pictures hit the press.”
“Not if I stop you first.”
“That lawsuit won’t get anywhere and you know it. It wasn’t a invasion of privacy, you were on a public beach with that tramp.”
I look to Paige who’s staring out the window, “Thing have a way of coming back to bite you in the ass Scott.”
He stares at me, “I’ll tell you one thing, if you ever get that close to my girlfriend’s breasts again I’ll send you through a wall.”
“Someone has to pay her some attention. You seem to be so busy with trying to fuck with everyone else who is better than you Paige seemed to be bored so I thought I would keep her company.”
“Stop Scott,” Paige says, tugging on his sleeve. He pushes her off him and stands right in front of my face.
“You just wish you could have this,” he says gesturing down her body as she rolls her eyes.
I watch as Paige’s eyes connect with mine, asking if this is going to be the moment I let the secret slip. I let the feeling go of pounding Scott into the ground, “You never know when you’re going lose what you have.”
“Thanks for the advice,” he says, pulling Paige away and out the door. Just wait and see Scott. Just wait and see.
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