Page 41 of Lovetown, USA
“Look, I misspoke. I could be wrong. But whatever she’s doing doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“Oh, I beg to differ,” she says with a laugh that sounds decidedly less cheerful than the last one. “Let’s cut to the chase, Trey. Not only do I want you to watch her and keep me updated, I want you to pursue her. Bring her into the fold.”
“Come again?”
“Romance her. Bring her around to our point of view. Make her a fucking believer.”
I huff out a laugh as I realize she’s serious. “You really think I have that kind of power?”
She fixes those feline eyes on me and stares into my soul. “You did with me.”
I swallow hard as I remember the way she used to look at me. Like I hung the moon. And how I had to tell her I didn’t feel the same. I thought she’d retaliate in some way, but she took it well enough.
“So, just to be clear,” I say slowly, “you’re telling me you’ll remove all my roadblocks if I get that girl to fall in love with me?”
“I don’t care what you call it,” she says. “I don’t care how you do it. Just make sure whatever she writes about this town makes us shine. Do that, and I guarantee you’ll have everything you need to open your clinic.”
We both stand at the same time, the silence thick around us. There’s a brief standoff wherein I stare at her, she stares at me, and neither of us says a word. Then I stick out my hand.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I say as we shake on it.
Her hand is soft in mine, but firm. She holds it a little longer than she needs to, her eyes pinning me in place.
“Talk soon,” she says as she finally drops my hand, effectively dismissing me. And I’m grateful, because I’m starting to think about what I just agreed to, and the guilt is settling in.
I regret it already.
13
Lane
I hit the submitbutton on my column, sending my little wayward child off to be judged, edited, and released into the wild. Back then, I always felt a rush of anxiety for about an hour, then I’d spend the next few hours drinking a glass of wine in front of the television. My reward for working hard.
Today?
I don’t give a single fuck.
I’ve already lost everything that means anything, so my heart isn’t in this shit at all, and I don’t feel like I’ve earned any tv time. I’m still drinking the wine, though.
“So you just runnin’ through the whole town, huh? I ain’t mad at ya, sis.”
I roll my eyes at Nadia. “Kindly shut the fuck up.”
She watches me as I use my phone camera to apply my mascara. “Where you headed?”
“I’m headed to make the most of this shit, like I promised you.” I swipe gloss across my lips. “The annual Lovetowncharity basketball game,” I say with the voice of a game show announcer.
“Okay, I see you. That could be fun.”
“Stop gassing this shit, Nadia. I’m miserable.”
“I thought you got some the other night?”
“I did.”
“You said it was good.”
I spritz my face with setting spray. “It was.”
