Page 14 of VOGUEish

He nodded.

“Did she tell you to fire our top employee?” Finley muttered.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss personnel issues with you. You’ll have to address those with her.”

“When are you leaving?” Drew asked.

“It’s not yet been determined,” Chandler answered.

“Are you hiring replacements for the editor-in-chief position and fashion editor? Or will those positions remain open until the new owner reveals herself?” Ziggy asked. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember his title. It had something to do with overseer of the closet.

“Good question,” Isabella said.

“With both of those positions open, we’re a ship without a captain.” Tyce tossed a frown at Isabella. “At least one of them needs to be filled immediately.”

“I have a meeting with the owner this evening. I will bring your questions to her.” He glanced at Isabella, who had gone back to scribbling on her notepad. Was she doodling pictures?

“Should we expect the firings to stop, then?” Finley asked. “Can we all breathe again?”

He nodded. “For the moment, you’re all safe. Unless, of course, you do something stupid.”

Isabella cleared her throat. “Even me?”

“Even you,” Chandler said.

“Thank goodness,” Isabella gushed. “I was not looking forward to being fired my first day on the job. I—”

“I think you should be fired,” Drew interrupted. “If it weren’t for you, we’d still have Amanda. I can’t imagine you bring anything to the table that is impressive enough to offset that fact. Hell, I heard through the grapevine you were a pity hire.”

Isabella pinned the guy with an icy stare. One Chandler was impressed to see she had in her. It was as if Drew had pushed one of her buttons. “Just because I’m the pariah in this meeting doesn’t mean I’m stupid about how things work at a magazine. I have a degree in fashion. Another in journalism. A third in art. And a minor in, well, that one doesn’t matter. But the first three do. Especially considering the internships I did at Vogue and Gentleman’s Quarterly for Gays. I have plenty to bring to the table. In fact, I think I’ll toss my hat into the ring for the new position of fashion editor.”

Drew’s mouth dropped open, but words didn’t fall out.

Chandler nodded in approval. Beautiful, intelligent, and possessed a backbone. He really should find her a new position. If only he could figure out where they’d met before.

“Who did you intern for?” Drew asked.

“Frankie Peterson, editor-in-chief at Vogue,” Isabella replied. “And Emanuele Ricci, Art Director at GQFQ.”

This garnered her some nods of approval. Not that she saw them. She was doodling again.

“You expect us to believe you had internships with two of the greatest while at the university level?” Teagan asked.

Isabella glanced up. “Back then, I had a powerful friend.”

“Lucky you,” Finley said.

“You look quite familiar,” Ziggy said. “Doll, have we met?”

Isabella glanced at him and shrugged. “I think I would have remembered if we had. It’s not every man that can pull off Mood’s Garnet Plum Liquid Matte lipstick on a Monday after a holiday.”

Ziggy flapped a hand toward Isabella. “Saucy and sassy. You just might be a keeper.”

“You can get to know Isabella better at another time,” Chandler said. “Right now, she needs a new position. If any of you have room in your department and would welcome her into your fold, let me know, and I will let the new owner know of your offer.” He took her notepad out of her hand.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open, and a tiny sound of distress squeaked past her ruby-red lips.

He studied the drawing before turning it for all to see. “It appears she’s a damn good artist.”

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