Page 21 of Exclusive

“Thank you.” I smiled, keeping it cool. “Lucy is a family friend, and of course, I know Kristin from work, so…”

“Small world.”

“Isn’t it?” Lucy said, handing me a glass of white wine as she whisked past on her way to play hostess. I held it up to her in gratitude. Carrie sipped from a glass of red, holding it by the stem, which was a normal thing for any human to do, but the way she did so sent a flutter through my midsection. She had feminine hands, slender fingers. She had a way of giving new meaning to mundane tasks.

“No Kacey tonight?” she asked.

“No. No Kacey. And you look beautiful, too.” It felt weird to say, and now my cheeks were warm, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Thanks,” she said quietly and glanced at her drink. If I didn’t know better, I would have said that I’d caught a hint of vulnerability there. As if my simple compliment had mattered. Huh. And maybe it had. “The buzz about your story has been really positive. I don’t know how much Tam has shared, but it’s garnered us quite a bit of attention. You scooped every other station.”

I grinned because I was aware. Since they’d run it earlier in the week, my inbox had been filling up. Suddenly, I was on the map, and the people of San Diego either wanted to share their strong opinions on my story or pitch me my next one. I felt bolder in the morning story meetings with some clout beneath me, and the other reporters now knew I could hold my own. Even Carlos had apologized for underestimating me. One story was not going to make or break me, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. “I have to admit that the response has been nice. You know how badly I wanted it to pan out.”

“And so do the break room cabinets.” She sipped from her glass, and I caught the faint lip print.

I winced. “I should probably write them a note of apology.”

“Might inflate their ego.”

“Oh.” A pause. “We can’t have conceited cabinets.”

“We’re in agreement on that.” She touched her glass to mine, and we grinned at each other, with me enjoying the new give-and-takedynamic. Ever since my unfortunate counter careening, the chilly tension between us had evaporated, not that I fully understood its origins to begin with.

Maybe one day I’d get the courage to ask.

But seeing Carrie outside the station was surreal and more than a little exciting. Like running into your hot teacher outside of school. Yet that wasn’t how I saw her. I looked up to Carrie, sure, but I wanted to be seen as her colleague, her equal, not the little puppy that ran along behind her.

“Carrie, have you seen the view from the back deck? It’s gorg. Come see.”

I blinked at the woman who slipped her hand into Caroline’s and stood just a little too close. I felt a muscle in my jaw tense at the recognizable energy between the two. I knew exactly what I was seeing, even though my brain was too stunned to fully process it.

“Skyler Ruiz, this is Audra Kline. She’s an architect. Skyler is the newest reporter at KTMW.”

“Oh yes,” Audra said. She was pretty. Dark blond hair and hazel eyes. Her tan was impressive. I tended to burn. Not that I had time to lounge in the sun anyway. “You did the story on the police cars that steak house paid for.”

“That was me. Carrie was instrumental in my success, I should add.”

“As for your story, I’m sure it’s only the beginning,” Carrie said. She turned to Audra. “Now show me this view you’re so excited about.”

I watched the two of them, a gorgeous couple, if that’s what they were, make their way to the set of sliding glass doors. My mind was essentially blown by this new information. Carrie wasn’t happily married to some guy with a beard and a tie?

“Skyler, you’re here. You made it!” Kristin. But my brain was still busy.

“Is Carrie…in a relationship with that woman?” I had to ask and felt like I knew Kristin well enough for it to be off the record.

Kristin’s face took on understanding, and I followed her gaze to Audra and Carrie out on the deck. “She used to be. Yeah. I think they’re just friends now.”

Why hadn’t the public been notified, and by public, I meantme. Carrie dated women? Everything I thought I knew about life had just been tossed out the window, and I was going to have to start fresh. Probably learn English again. Did I even like pizza? “Interesting.”

The side of Kristin’s mouth tugged. She was well aware that I was a lesbian. “I know. It’s a lot to take in.”

“Right?” I asked in a hushed tone. “Because…right?”

Kristin laughed, patted me on the head, and was whisked away by a guest asking where they could find green olives.

Shock aside, the evening was just what I needed. A group of kind adults enjoying a fantastic dinner prepared by a hired chef, over intelligent conversation. I felt like I’d been invited to the big kids’ table and never wanted to leave. Did I spend a good part of dinner staring across the table at Carrie, who ate her food slowly, as if taking the time to enjoy each bite? Perhaps. Now that the ice had melted off her, I saw her in a whole new light. The journalist I’d long admired and the woman who was maybe on the way to becoming my friend. The introduction of the ex-girlfriend added more to my understanding of who Carrie was, and it turned out we weren’t so different.

“I agree with the point you made at dinner,” Carrie told me later as we lounged on the couch in the living room. The guests were down to about half, and the formality of the evening had fallen completely away with the late hour. I sat with my shoes off and my feet curled beneath me, facing Carrie on the other end of the couch. “About how much the industry has changed with the rise of social media. It’s hard to keep up. The station wants me to start learning TikTok. What am I supposed to do with that? Create lighthearted videos? I’m a newswoman.”

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