Page 36 of Is It Casual Now?

Jamie shrugged as she headed back to her desk.

It wasn’t as though she actually cared. The only reason losing this job would suck was the bills that needed to be paid. And being blackballed at yet another news outlet.

But the blog had started taking a hit as well.

The comments section had to be more closely monitored as the controversy of the topic turned into the controversy over Jamie herself. She had a feeling she knew how her job being at risk had found its way into the comments, but Siena didn’t really seem like that kind of person. And Jamie had always prided herself on being able to read people.

Of course, she hadn’t read that Siena would be the kind to fuck and run but that was before everything got complicated and Jamie had been dragged into the drama she loved to hide behind her byline from.

At her desk, she nodded and did what she had to do. It would have been nice if she had been able to successfully convince herself that she hated having to contact the woman again. But the flutter in her stomach belied any such tales.

Jamie: I sent over some more questions. I’d like to pin down…

Jamie looked at the words, smirked, and tried again

Jamie: Siena, the questions have been sent through. Please contact me with potential times for an interview with Bunny and Piper.

She was tempted to put anxat the end, but after typing and deleting it twice, she kept it professional and hit the send button instead. It was far too easy to mess with Siena, but at this rate, it was much better for her livelihood to do that without any kind of paper trail.

Moments later, the delivered message turned into a read message. No bubbles appeared on her phone, and she scolded herself for the disappointment that washed over her.

With an effort, she placed the phone face down on her desk and got back to her email on the computer. The day dragged with her checking her phone far too often and growing more despondent with each time the message remained unanswered.

“Heading downstairs, want anything?” Jamie stood and asked Scott.

He looked up at her, startled. Surely it hadn’t been that long since she had offered to buy him a coffee. She tried to remember and came up blank.

“Um, sure.” He pushed back his chair and bent down to fumble with the bag at his feet.

“My treat.” She smiled, and he looked even more like a deer in the headlights.

“Is this because you’re going to be fired?” he asked.

“What?” She stared at him, open-mouthed as she regretted her initial offer.

“Sorry.” He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve just never offered to get coffee before.”

“Never?”

He shook his head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed. He was just a kid. His first job, and this paper was a pretty rough example of a workplace. “Guess I’m just a shit co-worker.”

“Nah.” His smile was nice. A kindness she hoped wouldn’t be entirely killed with his chosen occupation. Journalism could be a tightrope gig. It could also be the best rush a person couldever experience. “You’re nicer than most of the others. You didn’t laugh when I tried to hand in a piece about the new generation.”

“Oh.” A light turned on in Jamie’s head.

“Yeah.” He looked concerned for a moment before shrugging.

“All right. I’ll be back soon, Scott.”

“Thanks.” His smile made her feel better about the silence from Siena.

At least until she got to the counter and ordered two coffees the way she liked them because she hadn’t even thought to ask Scott what he liked. What the hell was wrong with her? Had the job turned her into a bad person? A self-centered asshole just like Siena had accused her of, not in so many words, many times before? Maybe she had always been a self-centered jerk. She’d ask Jessie, but how would she handle Jessie’s tactful way of saying she had always been a brat?

With relief, she heard her name being called, taking her away from these thoughts that made her question far too much about herself. As she got to the counter, her phone began to trill from her pocket. She looked at the coffees as she pulled out her phone.

Fuck!How did people buy others coffee and still manage to keep their day flowing?

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