Page 46 of The Love Haters

“And I’m gonna be honest,” I went on. “I overheard everything you said in that voicemail message for Cole. It came right through the A/C vent like a loudspeaker. So I know this is only happening right nowbecause the higher-ups wanted it to. And I know you’re trying to make the best of things—and that’s how our little rinky-dink, Dallas–Fort Worth metro area video company got this gig. And I know you’re trying to heal some deep rift with your brother. And you’re mad that I’m here and he isn’t. But, honestly…” I paused for dramatic effect. “I think you should get over it.”

Hutch dropped his shoulders. “You do, huh?”

“I do. Because I may not be what you wanted—but I’m definitely the next best thing. I’m good at my job. And I’m a nice person. And I genuinely respect who you are and what you do. And guess what? We can help each other.”

Hutch flared his nostrils, likeHow?

“If you”—I pointed at him—“don’t get me fired, then I”—I touched my collarbone—“will help you reconnect with your brother.”

“How exactly would you do that?”

I made it up on the fly: “Well, he’s my producer, so we’re in pretty frequent contact. I take it from earlier that he’s not too keen on taking your calls.”

Hutch looked away.

“Who knows if he’ll even listen to that voicemail?” I went on. “He might just delete it. Or never even notice it. Italkto him. I can put in a good word for you.” But that didn’t sound strong enough. “I can put inlotsof good words for you! Help him come around. Convey your talking points.”

I was just brainstorming at this point.

But Hutch was considering it.

I kept going. “I can advocate for you. However you need me to. We can get creative.”

When Hutch looked up, his body language had shifted. The sun had shifted, too, and started to cast its famous late-afternoon golden rays. It was lighting up the ends of his burr haircut like dandelion fluff, and backlighting his flight suit, too.

Which I suddenly realized was a strangely sexy garment. Maybe it was the suggestiveness of what that drab green was camouflaging. Ormaybe it was the badassery of the arm patches. Or the dependability of those black utility boots. Or the official gold lettering on his name tag that readTOM HUTCHESON—AST USCG.

Or maybe it was the fact that the obscenely noisy helicopter we’d been standing next to this whole time had taken off while we were shout-talking, and I hadn’t even noticed. Now it was just a distant buzz on the horizon. Now I could hear the windshhhing around us—and see long, tufted grass waving at the edges of the runway, making this moment seem bright, and alive, and tinged with possibility.

“You’d do that?” Hutch asked.

But now I’d lost my train of thought.Thanks a lot, military-wear.“Do what?” I asked.

Hutch shifted his weight. “Advocate for me. With Cole.”

“Of course. We can form an allegiance.”

“Alliance,” Hutch corrected.

I shrugged, likeThat’s what I said. “You help me. I’ll help you. Everybody wins. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Everybody winning?”

“No,” Hutch agreed. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“So we’re allies?” I asked, to confirm.

Hutch eyed me. “I suppose so. On a trial basis.”

“Great,” I said. Then I added, “Because Cole never cleared Rue’s car to drive on the base. So do you mind if we carpool to work?”

AND SO, WITHthat… we went inside to do our first official interview.

Disastrous timing. If there’s not an old saying “Never interview a subject on the very first day,” there should be.

By the time we got back to the hangar, the lighting and sound guy from Miami was there. He’d been escorted in by Carlos and had already finished setting up. He had a rat ponytail and wore a T-shirt that featured a clip-art video camera and the wordsI SHOOT PEOPLE… FOR A LIVING.

He’d arranged a chair in front of one of those big, orange, shinybirds I’d been admiring earlier, using his own camera on his own tripod, and when I checked the framing, it was perfect—a wide angle with a depth of field set just right to blur and soften the background a little while still keeping it bright and imposing and impressive.

I studied it for a minute, and then I said, “We should lose the chair.”

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