Page 59 of The Love Haters

But tonight, just hours after Hutch’s very hard pass on my mini-documentary, was one of those times.

I didn’t even recognize Cole’s number when the call came in, if that says anything. Mostly we just sent nuts-and-bolts texts.

This phone call didn’t stand on pleasantries, either. No chitchat, no small talk… Just Cole launching right into his only question: “Did Hutch say yes to your ‘Day in the Life’ thing?”

“Um,” I said, as if I might have to think back. “No. He did not.”

“He said no?”

“Technically, he saidno way in hell, but, yeah. Same idea.”

“That’s not good,” Cole said.

“I agree.”

“No, I mean, that’s really not good.”

“Why? What?”

“Sullivan,” he answered.

“What about her?”

“She fired the first two people today.”

Oh, god. “Who?”

“You know that new girl Janine with the tongue ring and the purple bangs?”

“I love her!”

“Yeah, well, too bad. She’s toast.”

“Who else?”

“Jaden.”

“Jaden? Your protégé, Jaden?”

“Yeah. He’s gonna have to move back in with his mom.”

“Wow,” I said.

“And Sullivan called me in today to ask aboutyou.”

I frowned. “Ask what?”

“If you were any good. If you were worth keeping. That kind of thing.”

“What did you say?”

“I said youweregood and youwereworth keeping—and that I thought you were really going places. Which is true, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

“But she didn’t seem convinced. So I had to get creative.”

“You had toget creative?”

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