Page 3 of Lovetown, USA
“What’s the assignment?”
She shows me all of her teeth. “It’s about a town.”
“Fascinating.”
“In Florida.”
“Gross.”
Her laugh bounces off the walls of my tiny office, making my ears ring.
“Listen,” she says. “Eighty-seven percent of people who move there get married within three years.”
I blink.
Stare.
Then blink again.
“So it’s a cult?”
“No,” she says firmly. “It’s a town.”
I take several more sips of latte, then slip my sunnies back on. “Are you sure it’s not a cult?”
Britt shrugs. “I guess we won’t know until you get there.”
I sit up straighter, ignoring my headache. “Shouldn’t you send somebody who still believes in things? Like love? And hope? And happiness? I mean, it’s one thing for me to do the cynical thing, but a fluff piece?”
Britt smiles like she knew that was coming. “No fluff. Just facts and your voice. You know,heart. Something that makes people feel something. Nobody does emotional insight better than you.”
I narrow my eyes behind my glasses. “That sounds a lot like a compliment.”
“It was off the record. You can’t use it.”
That gets a chuckle out of me.
“Am I able to say no to this?”
Britt stands and smooths her dress as she heads to the door. “In theory, sure,” she says. “But I wouldn’t if I were you.”
I nod.
She stands in the doorway, mighty pleased with herself. “I’ll get your travel stuff to you by close of business. You leave tomorrow. For…” she trails off with a playful grimace. “Lovetown.”
“Lovetown? Ohhellno.”
“It used to be called something else, but they decided to lean into it.”
I blow out a sigh. “Thanks, Britt. I couldn’t be happier with this assignment.”
She winks on her way out the door, and I sit back in my chair with my arms folded like a petulant child.
This is bullshit.
Corny, saccharine bullshit.
There’s no way.
